Web Page
Evaluation for Education
Dr. Terry Cavanaugh, Curriculum
and Instruction, University of North Florida, USA. tcavanau@unf.edu
Dr. Cathy Cavanaugh, Curriculum and
Instruction, University of North Florida, USA. ccavanau@unf.edu
Abstract
Because
the web is an important source of information in schools,
teachers and students need skills for evaluating web sites.
For a specific learning goal, thousands of web sites may
exist, but not all of them will be appropriate. Web sites are
written at a wide range of language levels, for a variety of
purposes, and for diverse audiences. A great many web pages
contain information that is not appropriate for student needs
because of misinformation or bias. A critical eye is more
important than ever. Just as students should be taught to
critically evaluate print and broadcast information, they
also need to learn to judge web information. A student should
make judgments about a web page for its educational value.
Students should make an assessment of its worth for the
academic endeavor by judging the page’s authority and
currency, its publisher and purpose, and its objectivity and
accuracy.
Web Page Evaluation for Education
The use of web technology is already
changing the world both beyond the school walls and within.
The web can be a powerful tool for teachers and students, so
opportunities for learning about its use should be a
component of all instruction. It is important for all
teachers to consider more than just the information presented
on a web page. Usually web based information is developed for
a specific purpose or with a specific goal. Some web pages
were designed for educational use while others were designed
for entertainment or business purposes. Teachers must be
concerned with the abilities and developmental levels of the
students who are using the web. This paper will present
strategies and tools for teachers for assessing the
appropriateness of web pages for student use. Additionally
there will be strategies and tools for the students who are
using the web for research.
The Need
Because of the ease of publishing on the
web, Web page users do not have the checks and balances
associated with traditional published material. When a web
site is published, there is no guarantee that the pages have
been checked for accuracy, content, or even spelling.
Published web authors range from elementary school children
to government agencies.
The amount of the information available
on the web has surpassed a billion unique pages and continues
to grow by the minute, without a board or organization that
indexes or controls what appears on the web. As the web
continues to grow as a research and data tool, validation of
web information will become even more important
A study on information literacy
instruction in Tennessee, found that teachers’
understanding about web based research was not associated
with traditional library reference skills, and many teachers
were either unfamiliar with information literacy or were
under the misconception that it was the same as computer
literacy. The teachers themselves were unable to describe
their own process of selecting web resources and, when
questioned about their students, the teachers stated that
information literacy skills should be taught by the media
specialist, who thought they were being taught by the
computer teacher, who thought that they were being taught by
the classroom teacher (Spearman 1999).
Evaluation of Web Sites by Students
In an evaluation the
technology components within the Florida state curriculum
standards (Sunshine State Standards) across the content
areas, it was found that common themes and skills existed.
The recurring technology themes and skills for students
include effective information finding, evaluation of source
information, and how to do research on the web. For a
specific learning goal, thousands, if not millions, of web
sites may be found, but not all of them will be appropriate.
Web sites are written at a wide range of language levels, for
a variety of purposes, and for diverse audiences. A great
many web pages contain information that is not appropriate
for student needs because the pages contain misinformation or
bias. Just as students should be taught to critically
evaluate print and broadcast information, they also need to
learn to judge web information. Students should be taught
that the information that is presented on a web page should
be judged based upon evaluative criteria. When a student is
beginning a quest for information on the web, the answers to
a few fundamental questions will help to guide them to useful
and reliable information. A teacher can assist the process by
providing the students with questions and checklists to
assist students in their evaluative process.
Students should
develop the habit of asking the following questions.
“What kind of information am I looking for?” Decide
whether news, opinions, multimedia files, historical
documents, fiction, performances, databases, or other types
of information best suit your need. “What do I want to
use the information for?” Whether the information is for
personal, professional, or classroom use determines how
appropriate a Web page will be. “How extensively will I
depend on the quality of the information?” When
collecting information to present in a report or proposal,
authoritative fact is much more important than when surveying
viewpoints on an issue.” How much information and detail
do I need from the resource?” Many Web pages are primary
source documents, while many others summarize those sources.
Depth and comprehensiveness in coverage between sites varies
greatly.
Students and
teachers judging web pages for educational appropriateness
should consider the following factors. Consider the authority
of the writers, their background, their level of expertise,
their knowledge of the topic. A good practice is to look for
the "Last Updated" date to learn if the information
is current. In many cases, it is not crucial that information
be recent, such as when learning about consistent facts,
grammar or vocabulary. At other times, the timeliness of the
information is very important, such as when researching world
events or political geography. The researcher should find out
what group or individual is responsible for publishing the
web page. The teacher or student should decide how the page's
domain (.com, .edu, .net, .gov, .org, etc.) relates to the
topic presented in the web page. It is always important to
remember that information on an education server (.edu) is
not necessarily from a reputable source: it could be written
by a professor who is an expert on the topic, by a student of
the topic, or by a student who has created a page for fun. If
the material is published on a public server source such as
AOL or GeoCities, the researcher should be aware that anyone
who requests space can publish any information they desire
with no checks on quality or accuracy of the information.
Pages from a governmental agency or other professional
organization generally have quality control measures.
Everyone needs to follow the example of reporters and
determine for himself or herself whether the source is
reliable. The person researching must judge whether the
information is objective or has a bias or slant. Notice
whether the style of presentation is scholarly or logical.
When an issue is presented, look for multiple viewpoints and
determine if they are fairly represented. It is always
important to determine the purpose of the site: to educate,
to sell, to persuade, or to explain, and then to consider
that purpose when reading a page.
Evaluation of Web Sites by Teachers
The resources
gathered from the web can help educators make choices that
are appropriate for their students. For many, safety is an
all-encompassing concern when students are accessing the
Internet. Other concerns include the quality, accuracy, and
level of the information being made available. It is
important to remember that web information changes
constantly, so any evaluation of a Web page will characterize
the page for that particular moment in time. It is a good
practice for a teacher to always test the web pages against
the desired learning goal. Using the Four A’s for
educational web page evaluation: Audience, Authority,
Accuracy, and Appropriateness an instructor can develop
guidelines for the inclusion of web material.
Teachers must also
ensure that materials are appropriate for the special needs
of their students, such as ESE or ESOL students. In addition
to the guidelines above, there are considerations for using
the web with students who have a disability or impairment
(physical or cognitive) and students who are nonnative
speakers of English. Perhaps the main thing to consider in
Web site evaluation for ESOL students is the type of skills
that the site builds in the students. These skills can
include: Reading; Writing; Listening; Speaking; Grammar; Vocabulary,
and Cultural Knowledge.
Reference
Spearman, R. (1999).
How Elementary Educators Incorporate Information Literacy
Skills into Their Use of the World Wide Web with Students.
Published in the proceedings of WebNet 99, Honolulu Hawaii.
Appendix
Teacher Evaluation Tool: 4 A's of
Educational Web Page Evaluation:
It is important for teachers to consider
more than the information presented on a Web page. Web
information is always used for a specific purpose or with a
specific goal. Teachers must be concerned with the abilities
and developmental levels of the students using the Web pages.
The following table is a tool that teachers can use to assess
the appropriateness of Web pages for student use.
| |
More
desirable features |
Less
desirable features |
| Audience |
| Background
Knowledge |
The reader
has the background knowledge needed to use the
information |
The writer
assumes a different level of experience and
background knowledge than the reader currently has |
Language
Skills
|
The reader
has the language and vocabulary skills needed to use
the information |
The writing
requires a different level of language proficiency
than the reader has |
Age
|
The tone and
content of the page are age-appropriate for the
reader |
The tone and
content of the page are not appropriate for the
reader |
Purpose
|
The purpose
of the page (inform, persuade, sell, entertain) is
appropriate for the reader's goal |
The purpose
of the page is not appropriate for the reader's needs |
| Authority |
Domain
|
The domain of
the page is appropriate for the learning goal: gov,
edu, org, net, us |
The domain of
the page is not appropriate for the learning goal |
Author
Identification
|
The author of
the information is identified |
Information
about the author is not supplied |
Author
Credentials
|
The author's
credentials are evident, and are sufficient to make
him or her a reliable authority on the subject |
The author's
credentials are not evident, or are sufficient to
make him or her a reliable authority on the subject |
Author
Work
|
The author's
other work can be found and supports the information |
The author's
other work cannot be found or doesn't supports the
information |
Quality
Control
|
There is
evidence of quality control, such as peer review |
There is no
evidence of quality control, such as peer review |
Host
|
The host or
sponsor of the page is identified, and consistent
with the information and learning goals |
The host or
sponsor of the page is not identified, or is not
consistent with the information and learning goals |
Balance
|
The writing
is free of extreme bias, or shows balance in
viewpoint |
The writing
shows extreme bias, or lacks balance in viewpoint |
Date
|
The date of
last update is shown, and is appropriate for the
information and learning goal, or the date is not
important for the nature of the information |
The date of
last update is unknown, or the information is out of
date |
| Accuracy |
Original
Source
|
The
information represents an original viewpoint |
The
information is a summary of other primary sources |
Tone
|
The
information is presented in a moderate tone |
The tone is
inflammatory, emotional, excessive |
Bias
|
The writing
is objective, acknowledging multiple viewpoints |
The writing
is obviously biased |
Coverage
|
The page is
comprehensive, covering the subject in adequate
detail |
The page
lacks coverage, is too broad, omits important
concepts |
Mistakes
|
The page is
relatively free of mistakes of fact or language |
The page has
many factual or grammatical mistakes |
Triangulation
|
Other
reliable sources verify the information |
Other
reliable sources disagree with the information |
| Appropriateness |
Learner
Needs
|
The page
meets the reader's learning needs |
The page does
not add to the reader's pool of information for his
or her purpose |
Permission
|
Permission is
given to use the information for educational purposes |
Permission to
use the information for educational purposes is
expressly denied |
Student Evaluation Tool:
Judgment of a page for its
worth should be based on:
1.
Authority and Currency
Consider the authority of the writers,
their background, their level of expertise, their knowledge
of the topic. Look for the "Last Updated" date to
learn if the information is current. In many cases, it is not
crucial that information be recent, such as when learning
grammar or vocabulary. At other times, the timeliness of the
information is very important, such as when researching world
events or political geography.
2.
Publisher and Purpose
Find out what group or individual
publishes the page. Decide whether the page's domain (.com,
.edu, .net, .gov, .org) relates to the topic. Remember that
information on an education server (.edu) isn't necessarily
from a reputable source: it could be written by a professor
who is an expert on the topic, by a student of the topic, or
by a student who has created a page for fun. If the material
is published on a public server source like AOL or GeoCities,
be aware that anyone who purchases space can publish any
information they desire with no checks on quality. Pages from
a governmental agency or other professional organization
generally have quality control measures. Learn from the
example of reporters and determine whether the source is
reliable.
3.
Objectivity and Accuracy
Judge whether the information is
objective or obviously biased or slanted. Notice whether the
style of presentation is scholarly or logical. When an issue
is presented, look for multiple viewpoints fairly
represented. Determine the purpose of the site: to educate,
to sell, to persuade, or to explain.
Web Evaluation Checklist
Review a web page with the following list to assist in
evaluating its reliability for use:
(check each box if you find that the page has that quality).
1.
Authority and Currency
q
Author is identified
q
Information about author, such as affiliation, is available
q
Author appears qualified to write on the topic
q
Date is current, or not relevant to purpose
2.
Publisher and Purpose
q
Publisher/host is identified
q
Publisher is reputable
q
Domain is appropriate for content
q
Page title is descriptive
q
Page shows clear purpose
q
Advertising, if present, is distinguished from content
3.
Objectivity and Accuracy
q
Content displays objectivity
q
Material is supported by evidence
q
Free from logical and language errors
q
Graphics and other media contribute to information
presentation
Terence
W. Cavanaugh Ph. D. 
