Computers in the Classroom

Website Evaluation Project

jarzt@sjc.edu

online tutoring at Saint Joseph College

www.etutoring.org

Last revised: 1/13/05

Assignment Directions

This project requires evaluating two (2) educational websites intended for students in your teaching area. Select interactive websites that function much like educational software. In that way, your project will be comparable to the software evaluation project. Also, for sites that have multiple parts, such as a math site that offers a variety of activities for different grade levels, just select one or two activities to evaluation. That is, do not try to evaluate a full, comprehensive site if it offers a variety of curricular and grade level activities. In addition to writing the evaluations, an introduction section must be written. This section is written after the evaluations are completed.

Steps to follow:

1. Review the website evaluation form.

2. Preview several appropriate websites before making your selection on the final two sites. You want to ensure that the sites you have selected are interactive and operate similarly to computer software. (See a list of some suggested sites by former students.)

3. Review each of the two selected websites several times. Consider the sites from the teacher's perspective as a teaching tool and the students’ perspectives as instructional material. Also, consider the range of learners found in classroom today (e.g., above-average learners, below-average learners, savvy computer users, and novice computer users). Look through the sites carefully while taking notes pertinent to the website evaluation form. These notes should serve to assist you in writing the actual review.

4. Prepare your evaluations following the form. You should not try to respond to all questions in a section and should not repeat information found in one section in another one. You want your reviews to be fluid and easy to read. You also want them to be concrete enough for a reader to picture clearly what is found on the sites and how the sites operate as an educational tool. Remember to consider details to give readers a sense of the content of the websites, their applicability to a specific student population, and their curriculum fit. Be sure your reviews are lively and informative. Revise for clarity and fluidity. Edit for redundancy. Clear writing skills count significantly for your grade on this project.

5. Proofread for accuracy and usage. Your writing should be error free. Eliminate the passive voice and all errors in pronoun-antecedent agreement. Please be sure that your reviews are not wordy, but do contain details. Exchange drafts with peers for editorial assistance, and use the College's Academic Resources Center for additional assistance. Be sure to use try out both tutoring@sjc.edu and etutoring.org. You must submit transcripts of your tutorials.

6. Introduction:

Write the introduction after you have completed the evaluations. The introduction serves to orient your readers to the reviews. The introduction needs to state your grade/curriculum focus, which will help in clarifying why you selected the websites that you did, and to synthesize ideas from the evaluations.

Include:

An overview of what websites you selected and why
A description of the general content of the websites and their applicability to a curriculum and specific learners
Comparisons and contrasts between the websites, as is appropriate
General suggestions for using the websites in the classroom
An analysis regarding what you believe are the most essential elements to look for in educational websites
An analysis of the enhancements that educational websites offer to the curriculum and the learning process
An analysis of some shortcomings of the websites evaluated

Last revised: January 14, 2009

Evaluation Criteria

Content (accuracy, thoroughness, detail and analytical skills): 40 %

Application skills (ability to see how websites fit learners and the curriculum): 30 %

Writing skills (organization, flow, usage, lively style): 30 %

Warnings:

(1) Writing skills are a critical component. Work must be proofread.

(2) Be sure your description of the websites is thorough enough to guide teachers interested in using the sites in the classroom.

You are encouraged to have several readers check your work in terms of the two warnings above, particularly to avoid disappointments on your grade for this project.