Jacquelyn C. Olson

SLM 521 – Evaluating Websites Elective

My Elective #16

July 13, 2009

 

Evaluating Websites

Criteria Guide for Students

 

 

Evaluating the usefulness and credibility of a website can be a daunting task.  Here is a guide to help you as you navigate the internet to determine which sites are reliable and trustworthy sources of information.  Please refer to this guide when you search for resources to use for assignments in your classes.

 

Criteria Guidelines:

1.

Who wrote/published the information on the site I am visiting? 

a)      Are sources clearly identified?

b)      Can I contact the author through a link, email, phone or mailing address?

c)      What are the author’s credentials?

d)      Is the site supported by a credible organization?  If it is, can I verify its authenticity?

 

2.

What information and resources does the site provide?

a)      What is the site’s purpose?  Is it clear?  Is it meant to persuade, inform or entertain?

b)      Is the information on the site objective?  Biased?  Does the site offer several viewpoints?

c)      Does the site explore each topic thoroughly?  Does it provide references or link to other resources?

d)      Is the content of each article well-written?  Grammatically correct?  Professional language?

e)      Does the site provide a bibliography?  Can I verify the sources that the author used?

f)       Does the site feature additional media such as graphics, audio clips or animation?  Do these features enhance the site’s clarity or effectiveness?

 

3.

Is the site well organized and easy to navigate?

a)      Can I find what I am looking for?

b)      Does it have a primary navigation menu to the most important pages and links located within the body of the pages for more information or resources?

c)      Can I easily move from one page to the next?  Return to the Home page?

d)      Does the site provide a sitemap, site-wide search box, and FAQs? 

e)      Does the site seem to be designed with the user’s needs in mind?  Or, does the site seem to attempt to force visitors to conform to the owner’s needs?

f)       Does the site take too long to load?

g)      Are the multimedia features used sparingly and for a specific purpose?  Are they distracting?

h)      Does the site contain advertisement banners or pop-ups that could distract from the site’s usefulness?  Does the site leave a pop-up on my desktop?

 

4.

How usable is the website? 

a)      Does the site’s design and/or appearance distract from its usability?

b)      Will I want to return to the site?  Or, will I avoid the site because it is too crowded and difficult to use?

 

5.

How accessible is the site?

a)      Can I gain access to the site regardless of the browser I am using?

b)      Do I need to use a specific browser to use the site?  If I can’t access the site, I can’t use it.

 

6.

When was the site created or updated last?

a)      Can I locate the most up-to-date information on this site?

b)      Do the links to additional information work or do they lead to an error message?

c)      If the links lead to an error message, this is a clue as to how long it has been since the site was updated.

 

7.

Where does the site “live”?

a)      When I look at the site’s URL, what is the extension?  This will provide me with a clue as to the source of the site.

b)      Common extensions are:

o        .gov – government

o        .edu – educational institution

o        .org – organization

o        .com – business or personal website

o        .mil – military

c)      Government agencies, educational institutions and organizations usually provide reliable, trustworthy information. 

 

 

8.

Why should I use this site?

a)      Do the site’s resources meet my needs?

b)      Why should I use this source instead of another?

 

 

Good Resource:

Evaluation:

Scholastic News Online – http://www.scholastic.com/scholasticnews/

 

1)  Scholastic News Online is written by the people at Scholastic.  Users can learn the many ways to contact the staff by clicking the About button and selecting Contact Us.  This site is published by experts and educators, and is updated daily.  The information on this site can be verified as most articles contain references, and additional resources to consult. 

2)  Scholastic News Online’s purposes are education and entertainment for students through sixth grade.  Students can use this site to research a particular topic, or search the site’s data base for interesting articles, games, and entertaining features.  Parents, educators and administrators can also use this site to locate classroom resources and tips for providing students with fun, enriching activities.  Each topic is well-written, and professionally presented with bibliography information readily available.  Educational and fun multimedia features include:  videos, author interviews, music clips and games.  All of these features enhance the quality of the information within this website.

3)  This site is easy to navigate.  Moving from one page to the next is only a click away.  Return to the Home page is also just as easy.  Site wide searches are easy to accomplish.  Simply use the search box at the top of each page and enter a word or phrase for the information you seek.  You can always use the choices in the navigation bar conveniently located above the search box.  All the features on Scholastic News Online’s site seem to have been designed with the user in mind.  The controls are easy to use, and information is easy to access.  Pop-ups and banners within this site only pertain to Scholastic or third party products, and are not glaring or offensive.  Nothing is left on my desktop after I leave the site.

4)  Scholastic News Online is a very usable website, and its features only enhance the quality of information it provides.  I will always return to this site for educational and exciting ideas to use in my classroom.

5)  I can access this site from whatever browser I am using.  I am not relegated by Scholastic News Online to use a particular browser.  Scholastic News Online is easily accessible.

6)  This site is updated daily.  All of the information contained within it is up-to-date; recent articles are archived for easy access and reference.  I feel confident that the information on this site is highly reliable and current.  All of the links lead to other usable resources and further information on each topic.

7)  Scholastic News Online uses a .com extension.  Although this is not a governmental agency, educational institution or organization, Scholastic News Online is highly regarded by teachers as a reputable news source. It provides current, up-to-date, verifiable information that we use in our classrooms and recommend to parents to use at home.

8)  I use this source for classroom and home use because I know I can rely on the content of its articles and resources to be of high quality and relevant to my needs as a teacher and parent.  I like the organization of the website.  I feel it is visually appealing, and easy to navigate for adults as well as kids.  I like the fact that students can use this website safely for research and for entertainment.  I am confident that recommending this site to parents provides them with a good resource to help their student gain effective supplemental educational materials.

 

 

Bad Website:

Evaluation:

Tip Top Website.Com - http://www.tiptopwebsite.com/

1) The creator of this website is described on the About page of the website. However, very little information exists as to the creator’s credentials, educational background or experience.  The information on the owner is sketchy at best.  Apparently, Dan Doherty, the owner, left a successful daytime acting career to start his web design business.  The About page contains various photos of the owner engaged in social activities, having nothing to do with his effectiveness as a web designer. 

2)  The information on the website is purely for persuasion and business purposes.  The site claims to provide its clients with fast turnaround for website design projects, live customer support and effective website design.  As you navigate through the site, you can look at examples of Mr. Doherty’s work. Every website he “creates” looks exactly the same as the next one.  He must have a template to fill in for each client, offering little or no variation in style or personal specifications.  Either the client likes the look of the model and chooses it, or finds another web design resource.  I can’t be sure if the samples are authentic or fabricated, or even if there truly is a live customer service source.  The site does use other media to exemplify what can be expected if a prospect purchases one of his packages, but not through video or audio clips.  The site provides only pictorial representations of what it does.

3)  Tip Top Website.com is fairly easy to use as it doesn’t contain much information.  Only one product and one design to elaborate on.  Lists of customer testimonials are on the site, but most are difficult to verify as they do not provide many links to the source of their sites. 

4)  Tip Top Website.com is not truly visually appearing which is disturbing as it seeks clients who want just that – good quality web design at an affordable price.  Basic, cookie cutter web design with mediocre features, it appears, is what Dan Doherty offers.  This is in stark contrast to what he claims he can provide.  In the future, I plan on avoiding this website because it is unappealing, does not seem to deliver what it claims to and its credibility is questionable.  Plus, I don’t need his product.

5)  I can gain access to this site from any browser.  So, it is accessible.

6)  The site appears to have been updated sometime in 2009 given the date at the bottom of the About page.  However, no other information pertaining to how current the product or customer testimonials are is provided.

7)  Tip Top Website.com is a .com extension which generally designates it as a business or personal website.  I have been unable to verify any of the claims Dan Doherty makes with regard to his product.  Therefore, I cannot attest to his credentials or product claims which means I have to take his word at face value, if I want to purchase his product.

8)  This site does not meet my needs.  I have created more interesting web pages using the information I have learned in this class, then I would by hiring him and having him “create” me a website.  Tip Top Website.com is a very good example of what bad websites look like.  I will not be returning here in the future.  What led me to this website in the first place was its placement as an advertisement on a search page for kids’ websites that I entered in the search box on Google.com.  I can only imagine how many kids have asked their parents for the opportunity to have Dan Doherty create them a website for only $1.00 (per month).  Sounds like an amazing deal.  Almost too good to be true.  (Makes me wonder if it’s a hoax.  After all, that is one characteristic of a hoax.  Isn’t it?)  Kids need to be cautioned to use critical thinking skills every time they search the web.  These skills will keep them from not only using unreliable sources, but save them time and money, too!