Education: Web Site Evaluation the Term Paper

Engagement

Comments

There are numerous interactive activities which may be engaged in on the site. There are however some sections of the site which may not be so engaging for children as they are quite dry. For example some of the historical documents which are presented have no interactivity associated and may only be read as the paper versions.

Navigation

Comments

There are clear menus presented down the side to access different areas of the site. There is also a clear link at the top of every page to a site index in case it is not clear where a source would be in the main menus.

Design

Comments

There are separate areas of the site which are aimed at different types of audience. For example there is a section dedicated to students and teachers. This ensures that it is easier to find the information which is likely to be most relevant for your purposes.

The site basically provides online versions of the majority of information which is available through the National Archives. The site is useful for provision of primary sources for projects in both history and politics as the information provided is very thorough. The official nature of the site also means that it is a good resource for teachers to be able to check the accuracy of other sites which they may be considering using. The site may be most useful in providing sources for projects which will be completed in class as the site may not be very engaging for children working independently. It may also be quite difficult for students to find the relevant material in the vast amount of information which is presented on the site. There are several sources which may be aimed at a far more advanced level than that of the high school pupil.

Website: The White House

Address: http://www.whitehouse.gov/

Politics

Age range: Late High School to Adult

Accuracy

Comments

All information is presented accurately as would be expected from an official site.

Authority

Comments

Most of the information on the site relates to the different policies and actions of the government so information is usually provided as to which section of the government has been responsible, or which agency has devised the policy. There is usually no mention of the author of the specific article.

Objectivity

Comments

Most of the content is factually based as it summarizes events which have occurred or outlines various policies. Some of the content is very patriotic and there is no other perspective presented.

Currency

Comments

All the policies presented are the most current. The news is updated regularly. All important recent conferences and addresses are summarized on the site.

Coverage

Comments

Every aspect of policy is covered. All major events are included.

Engagement

Comments

The site is visually engaging as it looks professional. There are photo and video resources included for many of the news and events articles. There is little interactivity in most of the policy-related content however.

Navigation

Comments

There are clear menus on the home page but it is not always clear where to go once on a different page..

Design

Comments

The site looks very professional. The site is very thorough in the content it presents from the home page and presents the most current information directly from this page.

The White House is designed to be the official Web site of the White House and the general presidential policy and activities within the U.S. It is likely to be most useful to teachers in collecting information which will be used in class as the information is current and accurate. The site appears to be aimed predominantly at an adult audience, although some advanced students or those in the upper years may be able to collect appropriate information from it. There is a section which is aimed specifically at children but the actual content is nowhere near as thorough as that in the main section. It is possible that some of the interactive content in this section could be used in class along with other information collected by the teacher. It is also possible that e-mail bulletins may be set up to receive news updates once weekly. This may be useful to the teacher as it ensures that any class discussions would always be based on the most accurate information. There are also links to other sections of government which may be useful for collecting information when planning lessons.

Website: HyperHistory

Address: http://www.hyperhistory.com

History - General; General Social Sciences - e.g. Politics, Culture; Science

Age range: Children of all ages

Accuracy

Comments

All information on the site appears to be accurate as it is taken from authoritative sources.

Authority

Comments

While some of the information contains author details it is not always clear who has put elements of the site together. For example there are no details of who has put together the timelines on the site.

Objectivity

Comments

There is very little opinion offered, most information is purely factual.

Currency

Comments

The Web site appears to be updated regularly. It is not clear whether some of the information is based on the most current research though.

Coverage

Comments

There is coverage of history from many different countries of the world. The time period covered is also extensive. There are many different aspects of history covered along with the actual people themselves.

Engagement

Comments

The site is completely interactive and very visually engaging.

Navigation

Comments

The screen is divided so that the same menus are available along the side and bottom the whole time you are on the site, with only the centre of the screen changing as you change pages.

Design

Comments

The site is designed to be appealing to children of all ages and the type of information and the ways in which it is presented make it easy for all to use.

HyperHistory is a site which aims predominantly to present timelines of various aspects of history. This means that it is easy to see the different events which happened over different time periods. For every element it is however possible to click and access more detailed information about that specific item. The site not only contains information about historical events and people but also various aspects such as science, culture, religion and politics. The site is very appealing and it is easy to access information. The site is therefore very suitable for use in the classroom as a teaching aid. It would be especially useful in allowing the student to explore a specific period of time. For instance if the class had been discussing the Middle Ages the child could then use HyperHistory to explore the various scientific and cultural developments which occurred during that period as well as the historical events and figures from the period. The interactivity of the site means that it children are likely to enjoy using the site and therefore become more engaged in the learning. The site may also be used across the different ages, although it would be particularly useful for younger children where it is sometimes difficult to find sites which are easily accessible to them for social science activities.

Website: Exploring Ancient World Cultures

Address: http://www.eawc.evansville.edu/index.htm

History - Ancient Civilizations

Age range: High School

Accuracy

Comments

All information appears to be accurate but it is sometimes difficult to decide as it is unclear where some information has been taken from.

Authority

Comments

There is usually a name given for the authors of content but rarely is information given about their expertise.

Objectivity

Comments

Information appears to be objective, but the unclear nature of some sources makes it difficult to assess how far information is factually based.

Currency

Comments

Most appears to be based on most recent research but unclear nature of some sources. It is unclear how often some parts of the Web site are updated.

Coverage

Comments

Good coverage is provided of a number of different civilizations, not only Egypt, Greece and Rome. There is not always a wide amount of information about specific areas though. Wide range of external sources provided for every area.

Engagement

Comments

The site itself is predominantly a text with hyperlinks which is not particularly engaging. Interspersing with the linked Web sites makes it slightly less dull.

Navigation

Comments

There is an Internet index although no search and no menus on every page. This makes navigation difficult.

Design

Comments

The design of the site is mediocre when considering adult use of the site. It provides a gateway to a vast amount of information on the World Wide Web, which is its initial aim.

Exploring Ancient World Cultures is predominantly designed to be a gateway to information which is available about the subject on the Internet. The site is quite successful in this aim even though the site itself may not be particularly useful. The site manages to present a convincing argument as to the way in which the different ancient civilizations are interlinked and so may be useful to…