Evaluating and Validating Web Sites

Before you recommend a web site to pupils or use if for your own purposes, you will need to evaluate it for content, accuracy and style. You will also need to validate the site, to check that it has a good pedigree and whether it has an ulterior motive that you need to warn pupils about. Often you can tell at a glance, but sometimes you will need to be systematic about evaluation and validation. This can be a good exercise for pupils as well.

Evaluating Web Sites

Once you have narrowed down your search and found relevant web sites you will need to evaluate them for your purposes. You might also want to validate Questions to ask might include:

  1. How will this add value to, or possibly replace, existing material I am planning to use?
  2. How will I ensure all pupils have access to this material?
  3. Will I need additional material for pupils with special needs or gifted and talented pupils, or does the site provide material suitable for all pupils?
  4. Does the material address pupils’ different learning styles?
  5. Can pupils use the material independently or will they need support?

Below are four web sites that have been evaluated by one of the ICT advisory teachers in Lewisham responsible for Early Years. If you teach KS1 - KS4 you will also find the TEEM web site helpful. This web site publishes teacher evaluations of web sites covering all key stages and National Curriculum subjects. This can be accessed on: www.teem.org.uk

Counting to tenCounting to ten
This web resource supports mathematical development, in particular the recognition of numerals. Children are encouraged to sequence numbers in 3 differentiated activities. It can be used alongside a counting activity.
www.bgfl.org/bgfl/primary/ey/index.htm

 

Animal HomesAnimal Homes
Supporting a sense of place within Knowledge and Understanding of the World, children have to find the animal hiding in the picture. Again has differentiated activities.
www.bgfl.org/bgfl/primary/ey/index.htm
Virtual OrchestraVirtual Orchestra
This on-line resource allows children to view a range of instruments from four of the music families. Different perspectives can be viewed and the instrument can be heard. This Supports music within creative development and enables the exploration of the different sounds of instruments.
http://ngfl.northumberland.gov.uk/music/default.htmFor composition see also Music and Fireworks, a free on-line resource available via the London Grid for learning (to access this you will need your LGfL 'digitalbrain' password).
The Little Red ShipThe Little Red Ship
A story supporting several elements of the reading goal within Communication, Language and Literacy. The linear style of the story could be used within a story session to support direction of print. ICT skills will allow children to access the story independently. Extension activities and other stories are available.
http://ngfl.northumberland.gov.uk/english/littleredship/title.htm
see also www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/storycircle

Validating Web Sites

Web sites can be created by anyone with access to the Internet. For example, a web site could have been created by a racist or a member of an extreme political group. It is important, therefore, that as well as developing web searching skills, children also learn how to validate the web sites they are using.

In order to validate a site you need to know more about the author of the site and the purpose of the site. There are a number of ways you can do this:

a) Checking out the author: You could run a search on the author. For example, using a search engine such as Google should provide a list of other sites where the author has published. To do this: i) Load Google; ii) at the search prompt, type in: “firstname lastname” of the site author; iii) the results list should reveal the background of the author. (N.B. try doing this for yourself if you have published on the web - you may be surprised at the results - don't forget to include the speech marks!)

b) Checking the address of the site: Taking apart the web address can be a clue as to whether the page has been published by a known author, or whether it is a home page of an individual who is publishing their own views (which may or may not be true and could be extreme.) Two words in web addresses can be clues. One is the word “users” (indicating the person accesses the Internet through a net company), another is “~” the tilde (which indicates a web site created by someone who has been given space on a web server.) Both these are indicators of personal home pages.

c) Finding out what other sites are linked to the site: The LINK command is a powerful tool which can place a web site in context. It will provide a list of all the sites which are linked to the site and can indicate the general views of the author. To use it: i) Load a search engine, such as Alta Vista; ii) at the search prompt, type in “link:web address” e.g. link:lewisham-pdc.org.uk (n.b. note the omission of the “http://” or “www” at the beginning and the “index.htm” at the end); iii) the resulting list of linked sites should give an indication of the publishing background of the author.

For more information of validating web sites, in the context of Holocaust deniers, see research work done by Alan November on: www.anovember.com/articles/zack.html

Don't forget to read the important information on Searching the Web and on Internet Safety.

Last update: 10th October 2007

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