Term Paper on "Website Evaluation"

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Engagement

This is important to determine how suitable the Web site is for use within the classroom. Those sites which are not engaging are not likely to be suitable for using in the classroom as children will become bored and may become disruptive. They are also likely to learn less if the site is not engaging.

Navigation

This may help to decide which age range the site is suitable for. Those sites which are difficult to navigate are not likely to be useful, especially for younger children. They may have a limited use when using specified pages rather than independent investigation.

Design

The overall design is important in determining preference for use.

Website: Trenches on the Web

Address: http://www.worldwar1.com/reflib.htm

History - First World War

Age range: High School

Accuracy

Comments

All information is presented accurately and there is a wide variety of evidence presented in its original form.

Authority

Comments

Most of the evidence on the site is presented in its original form. All written elements on the site have an author's name associated with them although there is no other information as to the background of authors

Objectivity

Comments

All evidence is presented; the evidence is presented from all the various perspectives of the war, e.g. UK, USA, Germany, Italy and so on.

Currency

Comments

All research is current; there is evidence that the site is regularly updated. There are also various up-to-date techniques used to present the evidence, such as the use of virtual reality to present items such as weaponry. This allows the user to understand the items in a way which is more thorough than through photographs alone.

Coverage

Comments

The website provides good coverage of documentary evidence from the period. This is not always supplied with adequate descriptions and supplementary evidence such as the experiences of the soldiers

Engagement

Comments

The site has many different types of item which may be explored. The site is however not as interactive as it could be which leads to a slightly lower engagement.

Navigation

Comments

There are clear menus and a site map prominently displayed on the entry page.

Design

Comments

Not particularly suitable for anyone younger than high school, looks slightly amateur.

Trenches on the Web is designed as a source of evidence which may be used in within history classes to encourage analysis of evidence. The site presents evidence from the various countries involved in the war which allows for the comparison of evidence from all sides involved and may lead to an appreciation of the evidence without bias. The site focuses not only on the documents which are present from the period but also on many items of general evidence which present what life at the time may have been like. For example there are large amounts of photos included along with artwork, stories, cartoons and posters. This enables an analysis of what life was like both for those in the trenches and those back at home during the period. The main drawback to the site is that there is no explanation given for many of the sources. For this reason it would be suggested that the site would be most useful when used in conjunction with teacher guidance. For instance pupils could be set a homework task using various pieces of evidence from the site and this could then be reviewed in class using evidence from other sources to corroborate their interpretation.

Website: The History Channel

Address: http://www.history.com

History - General; Politics; Culture

Age range: High School to Adult

Accuracy

Comments

All information is presented accurately and there are original sources listed where the material is not a primary source.

Authority

Comments

There are author's names given for all written material. There are credits given for all the video sources so that it is clear who has filmed/edited/produced the work.

Objectivity

Comments

The site is aimed at a very wide audience and is objective.

Currency

Comments

All research is current and the site appears to be updated regularly. Many of the issues dealt with on the front pages are related to current topical interest. It is possible to access archive footage and articles also.

Coverage

Comments

The Web site covers a hugely diverse array of subjects from the social sciences. There are a wide variety of approaches taken in terms of not only video footage but also discussions, historical documents and general articles on topics.

Engagement

Comments

The main feature of the Web site is the video footage, which is very engaging. There are also interactive features such as the History Channel Traveler.

Navigation

Comments

There are clear menus given at the top of every page, with sub-menus given on the left. The home page allows easy access to all of the latest information added to the site.

Design

Comments

The entire site is very visual and looks very professional. The layout of the site is very well designed as it is easy to find related articles and evidence for every element which you are currently viewing.

The History Channel is designed to be a companion site to the TV channel. It provides optimal benefit when used in this manner as it provides extra information on the various programs which the channel screens. This means that if any programs from the channel are used in class the site can be used as supplementary material for the discussion or work done afterwards. The site is also useful for teachers for planning which shows on the channel may be useful as it provides scheduling information and often 'sneak previews' of the coming shows. It does however warrant being used in its own right as it is a fantastic source of both primary and secondary sources for all different types of social science topics, not only history. The main focus of the site is on short videos on various topics. New videos are added frequently along with supplementary material. It is possible that the videos on the site may be useful as a source of discussion in class or as a starting point for individual projects. The site also has a number of interactive components which mean that the site is a suitable resource for independent work for children of a wide range of ages. Some of the content which is presented on the site may however not be deemed wholly appropriate for younger children, as some of the videos especially, may be quite graphic in detail.

Website: The National Archives

Address: http://www.archives.gov/index.html

History - General; Politics

Age range: High School to Adult

Accuracy

Comments

The site is accurate. The fact that it is the National Archives official site suggests that there is a great deal of integrity associated with the site as a source.

Authority

Comments

All information on the author of documents and other artifacts is presented wherever possible. There is contact information provided in case of any queries arising.

Objectivity

Comments

The site presents predominantly primary sources therefore objectivity of their use is mostly the responsibility of the user. Overall the site is objective as it presents a wide array of evidence from countries other than the U.S. which can be analyzed as the same time as that from the U.S.

Currency

Comments

Content is added regularly as information becomes available in the National Archives. There are also regular news updates to inform of upcoming events.

Coverage

Comments

The nature of the National Archives means that virtually all aspects of history and politics which affect the U.S. are included on… READ MORE