Website+Evaluation+Quest

In this activity we will be examining 5 websites and evaluating them for content, authority, purpose, and design. Each member of your group will take on one of the roles described below. Then click on the link below and enter your results into the Website Evaluation form.

Your Group's final Evaluation
Website Evaluation

Be sure to enter each group member's name into the evaluation form. Submit ONE evaluation per group.

=A WebQuest about Evaluating Websites=

If you are like most students, you are relying heavily on resources from the Web for your research. Not all Web resources are created equal. If fact, there are great variations in the quality of the resources you access. The rule of thumb is "when in doubt, doubt." When you carefully select your resources, when you understand their strengths and limits, you create better products

You will be working in groups of four to evaluate a group of Web pages on various topics. Each of you will be examining sites from a different perspective. You will be ranking the sites and comparing your rankings with the rest of the class.

Evaulation Sites (Explore these 5 sites.):

1. Boilerplate Project:[| http://bigredhair.com/boilerplate/] 2. Smoking from All Sides: [] 3. Dihydrogen Monoxide:[| http://www.dhmo.org/] 4. Dino Buzz: [] 5. The art of Jacopo di Poggibonsi: [|http://www.umich.edu/~engtt516/index2.html]

Roles for the Activity

 * 1) Your group of 4 students will evaluate the selected Web sites.
 * 2) Divide your group into the following four specialties to cover ground more efficiently

** 1. C ** Content specialist:
 * Does the site cover the topic comprehensively? Accurately?
 * Can you understand what is being said? Is it written above or below your level of understanding?
 * What is unique about this site? Does it offer something others do not?
 * Are the links well-chosen? sufficient?
 * Currency: Can you tell: the date the information was created? the publication date? the date the material was last revised? Are these dates meaningful in terms of the subject matter?
 * Would you get better information in a book? an encyclopedia?

** 2. Authority/Credibility specialist: **
 * Who is responsible for this site? Who sponsors it? Hint: truncate each section of the URL back until you are able to find the sponsor.
 * What are his/her credentials?
 * Have the authors of the site cited their own sources? Are the sources documented appropriately?
 * What is the domain name? Does it end in .com, .gov, .edu, .org, .net? Is it a personal page? Does this offer some information about the accuracy?

** 3. Bias/purpose specialist: **
 * Why was this site created? (to persuade, inform, explain, sell, promote, parody, other?)
 * Is it a personal, commercial, government or organization site?
 * Is there any bias? Is only one side of the argument presented? Does it appear that any information is purposely omitted? Is there a hidden message? Is it trying to persuade you or change your opinion? Is the bias useful to you in some way?
 * Can you distinguish facts from opinion?

** 4. Usability/design specialist **
 * Is the site easy to navigate (user-friendly)?
 * Is there a well-labeled contents area?
 * Do all the design elements (graphics, art, buttons, etc.) enhance the message of the site? Is there consistency in the basic formats of each page?
 * Are there any errors in spelling or grammar?
 * Do the pages appear clean, uncluttered?
 * Do the links on the site work?

Conclusion
You will find yourself using the Internet for information. The Internet is only one of a variety of information options. Remember that journals, books, videos and other sources are available as well. Evaluating information is a skill you will be using throughout your lifetime.

Just for fun
Take the Photo challenge