Separating the Wheat from the Chaff

In choosing an evaluation tool, I find the criterion below to

meet basic requirements. Ms. Schrock states, in simple

terms, the elements and standards needed for evaluating a

website. When creating a website, the list below offers a

clear and concise analysis of important aspects of Internet

pages.

There are three basic areas of evaluation that need to be considered when looking at a site. These are navigation and usability, authorship, and content validity.
 

In order to use a site effectively, and in order to get to the important information, it must be navigable and easy-to-use. A site should provide for all types of learners. This can be done by offering hypertext links, so users can jump around, and a site map for the left-brained or concrete-sequential user.
 

A site should enable the user to easily find out about the author; where they work, what their credentials are that makes it appropriate for them to write about the topic, and how to get in touch with them for further questions. Web page authors have to expect that they will get e-mail from interested students asking for further explanation of the topic covered.

The most important area to consider when evaluating a Web site is the content. Students need to be able to recognize when a Web page is a thinly disguised commercial or opinion page or when it is strictly a source of information. More importantly, the student needs to realize when each type of page is appropriate for his/her purpose or task. If possible all information should be verified in a traditional edited print/electronic source.