Transcript Website Evaluation For Learning, For Life….

Becoming a Web
Detective
For Learning…For Life!
Samantha A. Silag
Memorial School Library
December, 2008
Today’s Objectives
• To learn why it is important to become “web
detectives” when you are researching on the
internet.
• To learn how to evaluate website sources.
Two Truths
One Fib
Why Website Evaluation?
• Billions of websites out there!
• Trash vs. treasure
• Hoax cites
California's Velcro Crop Challenged
Aluminum Foil Deflector Beanie
Hunting Season for Haggis
Moon development
Mankato, MN
The Onion
Uncyclopedia
Male pregnancy
Biohazard Alert Detector
http://www.license.shorturl.com/
ABC’s of
Website Evaluation
A = Author
Is there an author?
Is the author qualified to write about the subject?
Can the information be verified elsewhere?
B = Bias
Is information presented in a fair, objective manner?
Is the page free of unnecessary advertising?
C= Content
Is the information relevant, believable and useful for your
purposes?
More ABC’s…well, D and E!
D= Dates
Does the webpage show the date when it was created? Last
updated?
Is it updated regularly?
Is the information outdated?
E= Editor
Does the webpage name an editor or fact checker?
Does the webpage have a reputable sponsor such as a university or
government agency.
Does the webpage include a bibliography?
More Clues…
• Look at the Internet Address Ending
.com = commercial site (www.ibm.com)
.org = non profit organization (www.iflonline.org)
.edu = educational site by an educational institution (harvard.edu)
.net = network of organizations (www.inspire.net)
.mil = military organizations (www.airforce.mil)
.ma .us = geographically based website
(www.manchester.ma.us) vs. (www.manchesteronline.co.uk)
.gov = government website (www.whitehouse.gov)
• Truncate the URL
http://www.wic.org/bio/jgoodall.htm
http://www.wic.org/bio/
http://www.wic.org
Host site: Women’s International Center
Webpage: Biography on Jane Goodall
Where Should You Go?
Your teacher tells you to create an anti-smoking ad campaign for
an assignment on persuasive writing. Using the Web Detective
Worksheet you will each evaluate one of the following sites and
determine if you would use it for this project:
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American Nonsmokers' Rights Foundation http://www.no-smoke.org/
R.J. Reynolds http://www.rjrt.com/home.asp
American Lung Association (Tobacco Control section) http://www.lungusa.org/tobacco/
Tobacco Free Initiative (World Health Organization) http://tobacco.who.int/
Tobacco Free Kids website http://tobaccofreekids.org/
Big Drug's Nicotine War http://www.forces.org/evidence/pharma/index.htm
Coalition for a Tobacco Free Midlands http://www.tobaccofreemidlands.com/
Phillip Morris Tobacco Company page on Youth Smoking Prevention
http://www.philipmorrisusa.com/DisplayPageWithTopic.asp?ID=75
Children Opposed to Smoking Tobacco http://www.costkids.org/
Just Say NO...
• No internet without adult supervision.
For Learning…
Reliable, accurate information
is essential to solid research…
and good grades!
And For Life…
Did the Twilight
author (Stephenie
Meyer) really have her
next book stolen and
posted on the internet?
Reliable information
is essential to quality
of life
Sources
• Springfield Township Virtual Library. Retrieved November 25,
2008. http://www.sdst.org/shs/library/evalwebstu.html
• CMIS (Curriculum Materials Information Services). Retrieved
November 25 from the Department of Education and training,
Western Australia.
http://www.det.wa.edu.au/education/cmis/eval/curriculum/ict/w
ebeval/eval12.htm
• Pam Berger’s Web Evaluation Guide. Retrieved November 28,
2008 from theUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
http://www.learnnc.org/lp/external/webeval
• Kathy Schrock’s Guide for Educators. Retrieved November 28,
2008.
http://school.discoveryeducation.com/schrockguide/eval.html
What Did You Learn?