Website Evaluation Criteria Checklist



Ten Website Evaluations

EED 515

Tuesday, 4:00

Diane R. Koskela

May 18, 2004

Website Evaluation Criteria Checklist

Please answer in complete sentences. Support all answers.

Math

x ( y ( z

Name of math site #1: Math Archives

URL:

Subject: Mat

Credibility

Is the author of the site clearly indicated?

No. The opening page is a list of links. After some searching and scrolling I found on the bottom of a page the phrase “Hosted on SunSite, University of Tennessee, Knoxville.” That is what the “utk” in the URL name is.

Is the author’s experience in the content area sufficient?

I would assume so, since it is a university. Again, it took some searching to find their listing of editors. The site is given approval by many credible-sounding (National Science Foundation to name one) organizations.

Is the site or site author affiliated with an identified educational organization?

Yes. The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, hosts the site.

Relevance and Appropriateness

Is the site’s content relevant to your needs?

Absolutely. This site would be useful to teachers as a source of lesson plans, activity ideas, listings of math competitions and contests, lists of professional organizations, electronic journals and educational software options for teaching math.

Is the target age group clearly indicated and consistent with the age range of your students?

This is a site for educators, but lessons and ideas are grouped by grade-level.

Are graphic images appropriate for your students’ age group?

The graphics are simple, yet aid visual organization.

Is the content timely and updated reasonable often?

It would seem not. Some links have moved, and some cannot be accessed, but only a small percentage.

Bias

Is the primary purpose of the site commercial? If so, is it clearly indicated?

The site does not appear to be commercial in nature, although it can link the user with sites that sell software.

Accuracy

Does the site contain obvious errors or omissions?

No. It appears to be fairly straightforward and well organized as well.

If information on the site is time-sensitive, is it routinely updated to incorporate new information?

The information is not particularly time-sensitive. Some links have moved or are not found. There is an accommodation to submit a link or reference.

Accessibility

Does the site load reasonably fast?

Yes.

Is contact information provided?

Yes. You can address questions or concerns to a given e-mail address, or to one of the moderators/editors.

Does the site take into consideration the needs of differently-abled students?

No, since this site is for educators and students would not necessarily navigate this site.

Navigability

Is the necessity for scrolling kept to a minimum?

Yes and no. Once you bring up a list, you must scroll to see the entire (alphabetical) list.

Will students find this site easy to navigate?

N/A

Visual Appeal

Is the site visually interesting?

It is as interesting as it needs to be.

Are the graphics professional and appealing?

Yes. The use of blue and black print helps organization.

Do the graphics aid in searching the site, or are they confusing and misleading?

The graphics aid in searching the site. However, the categories of “Topics”, “Teaching Materials”, “Other Links”, “Contact Moderators”, “Software”, etc. should be at the top of the page, not the bottom of a long page that must be scrolled.

Efficiency

Is the site equally available at all times of the day?

Yes.

Is the site easily accessed?

Yes.

Links

Are links available? Are they credible and appropriate?

This is a site of links. The links look credible and reliable, yet some of them have moved, or the page “URL not found” comes up.

What is your overall impression of the site? Would you use or recommend this site? Explain.

I would definitely use and recommend this site. It has a breadth of information. I especially like the listing of professional math organizations that I might want to join.

36 ( 94 ( 100(

Name of math site #2: This is MEGA Mathematics!

URL: c3.mega-math

Subject: Math

Credibility

Is the author of the site clearly indicated?

The authors are fairly easily found—they include elementary school teachers, and computer scientists employed by Los Alamos National Laboratory.

Is the author’s experience in the content area sufficient?

Yes, they are highly qualified to author this site.

Is the site or site author affiliated with an identified educational organization?

MegaMath is a project of the Computer Research and Applications Group of Los Alamos National Laboratory.

Relevance and Appropriateness

Is the site’s content relevant to your needs?

Yes. There are many activities for students complete online.

Is the target age group clearly indicated and consistent with the age range of your students?

No age or grade level is indicated. It would be the teacher’s responsibility to choose appropriate activities for the students.

Are graphic images appropriate for your students’ age group?

The graphic images are appropriate.

Is the content timely and updated reasonable often?

The content (math) does not need to be updated. Those responsible for the site do not maintain the site, however. They state that they have lost funding, and therefore cannot answer questions. The site was last updated in 1998.

Bias

Is the primary purpose of the site commercial? If so, is it clearly indicated?

The site is not commercial. Only online mathematical games, activities are offered.

Accuracy

Does the site contain obvious errors or omissions?

I did not see any obvious errors.

If information on the site is time-sensitive, is it routinely updated to incorporate new information?

The information is not time-sensitive. The site is no longer funded, so the authors do not maintain it, answer questions, or add to it.

Accessibility

Does the site load reasonably fast?

Yes.

Is contact information provided?

Yes. Although the site is not maintained, a forum for feedback still exists. There are also links to the author’s e-mail and websites.

Does the site take into consideration the needs of differently-abled students?

The table of contents can be offered visually, or in text outline format—the user can choose.

Navigability

Is the necessity for scrolling kept to a minimum?

Yes.

Will students find this site easy to navigate?

Students grade 3 and up would be able to navigate this site.

Visual Appeal

Is the site visually interesting?

Yes. It is colorful.

Are the graphics professional and appealing?

Yes.

Do the graphics aid in searching the site, or are they confusing and misleading?

The graphics are simple, yet aid organization.

Efficiency

Is the site equally available at all times of the day?

Yes. I visited this site many times to play games!

Is the site easily accessed?

Yes.

Links

Are links available? Are they credible and appropriate?

The names of the links look intriguing, but they came back “unable to access.” Since the site is not maintained, I supposed they have not updated new addresses, etc.

What is your overall impression of the site? Would you use or recommend this site? Explain.

This is a really great site. The games and activities are fun and interesting. The authors relate mathematics to knots, coloring maps, graphs, and finite state machines. The activities make you think logically, which is mathematical thinking. The activites allow for thinking, not just solving computational problems. I especially like the map activities, which can be adapted to any grade. How many colors are necessary to color a map so that no two regions sharing a boundary will have the same color?

Science

[pic]

Name of science site #1: Sea Mobile

URL:

Subject: Science

Credibility

Is the author of the site clearly indicated?

No, but the site is part of the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County’s website. Credit is also given to the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium, California Department of Fish and Game, Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, the United State Navy, with funding from The Maxwell H. Gluck Foundation.

Is the author’s experience in the content area sufficient?

I would assume so.

Is the site or site author affiliated with an identified educational organization?

The site is developed and produced by The Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County.

Relevance and Appropriateness

Is the site’s content relevant to your needs?

Yes, if I were teaching marine science, ecosystems, habitats, etc. The site is a preview of the activities offered in the real “Sea Mobile” traveling classroom that visits LAUSD middle schools (by request and appointment).

Is the target age group clearly indicated and consistent with the age range of your students?

Target group is grade 5-9 (listed). Teachers are also given access to pdf files of notebooks and teaching tips.

Are graphic images appropriate for your students’ age group?

The underwater photography is appropriate viewing for any age. Some of the text would be beyond comprehension for some students under grade 2. It is unfortunate that the “window” to the underwater environment is so small. It does not fill the computer screen. It would be nice if the images were bigger.

Is the content timely and updated reasonable often?

I have visited this site many times, and it seems to continue to be improved.

Bias

Is the primary purpose of the site commercial? If so, is it clearly indicated?

The site is decidedly not commercial

Accuracy

Does the site contain obvious errors or omissions?

There are no obvious errors or omissions.

If information on the site is time-sensitive, is it routinely updated to incorporate new information?

The site is routinely expanded and improved.

Accessibility

Does the site load reasonably fast?

No. There is some wait time.

Is contact information provided?

The home page of the Natural History Museum contains contact information.

Does the site take into consideration the needs of differently-abled students?

No.

Navigability

Is the necessity for scrolling kept to a minimum?

There is little scrolling

Will students find this site easy to navigate?

Yes. If they can notice small details and can read fairly small print, they can navigate this site.

Visual Appeal

Is the site visually interesting?

The visuals of underwater life are inherently interesting.

Are the graphics professional and appealing?

The graphics are appropriate.

Do the graphics aid in searching the site, or are they confusing and misleading?

The graphics aid in searching the site.

Efficiency

Is the site equally available at all times of the day?

Yes.

Is the site easily accessed?

If you enter the home site of the Natural History Museum, you would have to really search to find the online dive. The web address I listed goes directly to the dive.

Links

Are links available? Are they credible and appropriate?

There are no links given.

What is your overall impression of the site? Would you use or recommend this site? Explain.

I would use this site when teaching about marine ecosystems and marine science. I would also use this site as just a “fun” activity for students of lower grades. Navigating the dive exercises computer skills, and offers visuals of marine life forms, which is preferable (in my opinion) to the constant viewing of cartoon characters.

[pic]

Name of science site #2: Space Kids

URL:

Subject: Astronomy

Credibility

Is the author of the site clearly indicated?

No. I needed to go to to find more information. The CEO of this company has an MBA. Even the editorial editor was a journalist and holds a degree in political science. The “holding” company has received numerous awards for their acumen in advertising. In one article, it was touted that the use of the “space” theme drew many to the site where advertisements could be placed.

Is the author’s experience in the content area sufficient?

I am unable to access the author/editor page again. It was difficult to locate the first time. I believe there were some lower-run writers with a science background.

Is the site or site author affiliated with an identified educational organization?

No.

Relevance and Appropriateness

Is the site’s content relevant to your needs?

No, it is not.

Is the target age group clearly indicated and consistent with the age range of your students?

Age range or grade levels are not indicated.

Are graphic images appropriate for your students’ age group?

The graphics are colorful.

Is the content timely and updated reasonable often?

There is a newsletter one can subscribe to

Bias

Is the primary purpose of the site commercial? If so, is it clearly indicated?

I believe the site to be primarily commercial, and it is not stated. There is a little educational value here. The privacy policy says that they use cookies to “customize your experience.”

Accuracy

Does the site contain obvious errors or omissions?

I did not see any obvious errors.

If information on the site is time-sensitive, is it routinely updated to incorporate new information?

It did not state that they update.

Accessibility

Does the site load reasonably fast?

The site loads quickly, but some of the games take a while to load. The “Photos” section does not load at all.

Is contact information provided?

Yes, there is a contact e-mail address.

Does the site take into consideration the needs of differently-abled students?

No.

Navigability

Is the necessity for scrolling kept to a minimum?

A lot of scrolling is necessary.

Will students find this site easy to navigate?

It is fairly easy to navigate, but you must be able to read.

Visual Appeal

Is the site visually interesting?

It is visually interesting, but a little bit busy.

Are the graphics professional and appealing?

The graphics are of juvenile appeal. Some of the black text is unreadable against the blue background in the “video clips” section.

Do the graphics aid in searching the site, or are they confusing and misleading?

The graphics aid organization.

Efficiency

Is the site equally available at all times of the day?

I would assume so.

Is the site easily accessed?

The site is fairly easily accessed.

Links

Are links available? Are they credible and appropriate?

There are no links.

What is your overall impression of the site? Would you use or recommend this site? Explain.

I did not like the fact that the site is run by journalists and advertising specialists. Where are the scientists? I would not recommend this site because it has no obvious connection to any university or institution that deals with scientific issues.

Language Arts

[pic]

Name of language arts site #1: Dave’s ESL Cafe

URL:

Subject: Language Arts

Credibility

Is the author of the site clearly indicated?

Yes. The site is authored and maintained by “the one and only Dave Sperling.”

Is the author’s experience in the content area sufficient?

Unknown. He states that he has an MA degree, but it doesn’t say in what area.

Is the site or site author affiliated with an identified educational organization?

No. There is no educational-affiliation, other than the site offers courses to teachers in teaching EFL around the world.

Relevance and Appropriateness

Is the site’s content relevant to your needs?

Yes. There are lesson and activity ideas listed by subject area (all language-arts related).

Is the target age group clearly indicated and consistent with the age range of your students?

Grade levels are not listed.

Are graphic images appropriate for your students’ age group?

This site is mainly for teachers. Teachers can also post their resume for free, and those recruiting teachers must pay a membership fee to view the resumes. There are forums to which students can write and respond.

Is the content timely and updated reasonable often?

Content needs to be updated due to the scheduling of courses. It seems to be updated.

Bias

Is the primary purpose of the site commercial? If so, is it clearly indicated?

Certainly there is a commercial side to the site, but lesson ideas and games are also offered for free.

Accuracy

Does the site contain obvious errors or omissions?

I did not see any obvious errors.

If information on the site is time-sensitive, is it routinely updated to incorporate new information?

The offering of courses must be updated to stay current.

Accessibility

Does the site load reasonably fast?

Yes.

Is contact information provided?

Yes, Dave Sperling offers his address to which you can send feedback.

Does the site take into consideration the needs of differently-abled students?

No.

Navigability

Is the necessity for scrolling kept to a minimum?

There is some scrolling necessary. It would be nice if the home page did not require scrolling.

Will students find this site easy to navigate?

Yes, if they choose to go to this site.

Visual Appeal

Is the site visually interesting?

Not particularly. The site is thorough, but not all that artistic.

Are the graphics professional and appealing?

The graphics are not professional. It all looks a little cheesy.

Do the graphics aid in searching the site, or are they confusing and misleading?

Sometimes I could not get back to the home page.

Efficiency

Is the site equally available at all times of the day?

The homepage says that the site is open 24 hours.

Is the site easily accessed?

Yes.

Links

Are links available? Are they credible and appropriate?

There are hundreds of links organized by category. They look fairly credible.

What is your overall impression of the site? Would you use or recommend this site? Explain.

The homepage did not look professional, especially with the photo (with bad lighting) of Dave Sperling staring at me. I would recommend this site to someone who wanted to teach language arts in another country.

[pic]

Name of language arts site #2: Education Place/Kid’s Place

URL:

Subject: Language Arts

Credibility

Is the author of the site clearly indicated?

Yes. The author is the book publishing company, Houghton Mifflin.

Is the author’s experience in the content area sufficient?

Yes. They create and publish language arts textbooks.

Is the site or site author affiliated with an identified educational organization?

No, just the publishing company.

Relevance and Appropriateness

Is the site’s content relevant to your needs?

Absolutely. All activities are related to classroom textbooks.

Is the target age group clearly indicated and consistent with the age range of your students?

Yes. For each area, you choose your grade and sometimes a level within that grade.

Are graphic images appropriate for your students’ age group?

Yes. The graphics are colorful and appealing.

Is the content timely and updated reasonable often?

Some of it is timely. There is a new brainteaser posted every Wednesday. They also publish some children’s work.

Bias

Is the primary purpose of the site commercial? If so, is it clearly indicated?

The area for children is not commercial. Their policy states that they do not accept advertising. However, the section for educators lists workshops and conferences they offer for a fee.

Accuracy

Does the site contain obvious errors or omissions?

No.

If information on the site is time-sensitive, is it routinely updated to incorporate new information?

The brainteaser is updated weekly.

Accessibility

Does the site load reasonably fast?

Yes.

Is contact information provided?

Contact information is provided, as well as a list of editors.

Does the site take into consideration the needs of differently-abled students?

All activities are listed by grade and level within that grade.

Navigability

Is the necessity for scrolling kept to a minimum?

Scrolling is at a minimum.

Will students find this site easy to navigate?

Yes. Students will have fun with this site. It is very well organized.

Visual Appeal

Is the site visually interesting?

The site is colorful and appealing.

Are the graphics professional and appealing?

The graphics are appropriate to the subject matter.

Do the graphics aid in searching the site, or are they confusing and misleading?

The graphics aid organization and search.

Efficiency

Is the site equally available at all times of the day?

I think so.

Is the site easily accessed?

The site is very easily accessed and navigated.

Links

Are links available? Are they credible and appropriate?

There are no links.

What is your overall impression of the site? Would you use or recommend this site? Explain.

I like this site a lot. I would definitely recommend it for student use. I like that it encourages writing—perhaps reluctant writers will be motivated to answer and submit the monthly current event question. Everyone has an opinion.

Social Studies

[pic]

Name of Social Studies site #1: The History Channel

URL:

Subject: Social Studies

Credibility

Is the author of the site clearly indicated?

No. There are no individual names.

Is the author’s experience in the content area sufficient?

One would assume so. The History Channel appears on cable and runs educational presentations. Still, there could be bias.

Is the site or site author affiliated with an identified educational organization?

The site does not have a tie to a university, but it does exist to educate.

Relevance and Appropriateness

Is the site’s content relevant to your needs?

It could serve my needs, depending on what I was looking for. There is a teacher newsletter, various videos for sale, historical information I could access, and an online museum.

Is the target age group clearly indicated and consistent with the age range of your students?

There is no grade level indicated.

Are graphic images appropriate for your students’ age group?

The images are not “child-like”. It is more factual than fantasy.

Is the content timely and updated reasonable often?

Quizzes are changed periodically, and the online museum is changed monthly.

Bias

Is the primary purpose of the site commercial? If so, is it clearly indicated?

The site is both informational, and commercial. You can get information, yet they do sell videos, and they promote their channel’s programming.

Accuracy

Does the site contain obvious errors or omissions?

I did not see any obvious errors, but then I am not a historian.

If information on the site is time-sensitive, is it routinely updated to incorporate new information?

Yes. The online museum is changed monthly. There is also a listing of what happened on this day in history.

Accessibility

Does the site load reasonably fast?

The site does not load quickly. Some screens take several seconds to complete.

Is contact information provided?

You can submit a question via a special form they offer under the FAQ section.

Does the site take into consideration the needs of differently-abled students?

No.

Navigability

Is the necessity for scrolling kept to a minimum?

Scrolling is kept to a minimum.

Will students find this site easy to navigate?

Older age students will be able to navigate this site. The writing is small and geared towards adults.

Visual Appeal

Is the site visually interesting?

The site is visually interesting.

Are the graphics professional and appealing?

The graphics are geared towards adults, and are professional.

Do the graphics aid in searching the site, or are they confusing and misleading?

The graphics aid organization and navigation.

Efficiency

Is the site equally available at all times of the day?

I would assume so.

Is the site easily accessed?

The site is easily accessed, but some screens take a while to load.

Links

Are links available? Are they credible and appropriate?

There are no links.

What is your overall impression of the site? Would you use or recommend this site? Explain.

I would recommend this site. Older students can get a true feel for “historical information” and what is offered. Students could be assigned to view one section of interest in the online museum and tell what they learned. There are also some games associated with the online museum, but these would be for the upper elementary grades.

[pic]

Name of social studies site #2: White House Kids

URL:

Subject: American Government

Credibility

Is the author of the site clearly indicated?

No, the author is not listed. Since it is a “gov” site, one must assume that the information is accurate.

Is the author’s experience in the content area sufficient?

Since it is a government-sponsored site, background experience should be sufficient.

Is the site or site author affiliated with an identified educational organization?

There is no affiliation with an educational organization.

Relevance and Appropriateness

Is the site’s content relevant to your needs?

Yes. There is a lot of information here about our government, history, and of course, the White House.

Is the target age group clearly indicated and consistent with the age range of your students?

There is no grade level or age range indicated on any activities.

Are graphic images appropriate for your students’ age group?

Yes. The graphic images are appropriate. There are many photographic images of our most famous buildings.

Is the content timely and updated reasonable often?

There is a weekly poll, and there is a blurb about what is happening at the White House the coming week. Still, the “News for Kids” section was not up to date.

Bias

Is the primary purpose of the site commercial? If so, is it clearly indicated?

This is not a commercial site.

Accuracy

Does the site contain obvious errors or omissions?

I would not expect to see any errors here.

If information on the site is time-sensitive, is it routinely updated to incorporate new information?

The last “News for Kids” entry was dated April 22, 2004—and it is now May 16th!

Accessibility

Does the site load reasonably fast?

The site does load reasonably fast.

Is contact information provided?

Yes. They give the phone numbers for the White House comment line, the switchboard, their FAX number, the visitor center, and they list the mailing address and the proper way to address and write a letter to the president or vice president.

Does the site take into consideration the needs of differently-abled students?

Yes. A phone number is given for those with hearing impairments, and an entire listing for Spanish-readers is given.

Navigability

Is the necessity for scrolling kept to a minimum?

Yes, scrolling is kept to a minimum.

Will students find this site easy to navigate?

Students will find this site easy to navigate.

Visual Appeal

Is the site visually interesting?

The site is interesting, both visually and otherwise.

Are the graphics professional and appealing?

The graphics are professional, yet creative and interesting.

Do the graphics aid in searching the site, or are they confusing and misleading?

The graphics aid in searching the site; however, on the home page, two lines of text were superimposed!

Efficiency

Is the site equally available at all times of the day?

I would assume that this site could handle a lot of hits at one time.

Is the site easily accessed?

The site is easily accessed, however I was disappointed that I did not have the necessary plug-in to view the White House video tour.

Links

Are links available? Are they credible and appropriate?

The one link given is , which gets you to any government agency.

What is your overall impression of the site? Would you use or recommend this site? Explain.

I like the site, and I would recommend it. It is certainly an official site, so I would not have to worry about errors. They have quizzes, tours of the White House, biographies of the president, first lady, vice president, and Mrs. Cheney. There is a section for parents and teachers, listing ideas and lesson plans related to our government. I would advise my students to visit this site on their free time just for fun.

Art

[pic]

Name of arts site #1: Virtual Curriculum: Elementary Art Education

URL:

Subject: Art

Credibility

Is the author of the site clearly indicated?

Her name is listed after the lesson plans, but not on any “main” or home page.

Is the author’s experience in the content area sufficient?

I could not find any information on the author of the site.

Is the site or site author affiliated with an identified educational organization?

There is no tie to an educational organization.

Relevance and Appropriateness

Is the site’s content relevant to your needs?

Yes. If I were looking for lesson plans, I would look here. The lessons plans are divided by country, and concept covered.

Is the target age group clearly indicated and consistent with the age range of your students?

There is no grade level suggestion for the lessons.

Are graphic images appropriate for your students’ age group?

I would not have students visit this site. It is mostly for teachers.

Is the content timely and updated reasonable often?

The content is not timely, but it states that it was last updated in 1999.

Bias

Is the primary purpose of the site commercial? If so, is it clearly indicated?

This is not a commercial site. There is nothing for sale here.

Accuracy

Does the site contain obvious errors or omissions?

Lesson plan objectives are poorly written. There are some grammatical errors as well. Some areas are “under construction.”

If information on the site is time-sensitive, is it routinely updated to incorporate new information?

The site was last updated in 1999.

Accessibility

Does the site load reasonably fast?

It loads quite quickly.

Is contact information provided?

An email address is given for feedback and questions.

Does the site take into consideration the needs of differently-abled students?

No. It is one size fits all.

Navigability

Is the necessity for scrolling kept to a minimum?

Each lesson needs scrolling.

Will students find this site easy to navigate?

I find it easy to navigate, but I would not send a student to this site.

Visual Appeal

Is the site visually interesting?

The site is visually interesting, but some of the lessons are “busy” with a print background.

Are the graphics professional and appealing?

The site does not have a professional look to it.

Do the graphics aid in searching the site, or are they confusing and misleading?

The graphics aid organization and navigation.

Efficiency

Is the site equally available at all times of the day?

Yes.

Is the site easily accessed?

Yes.

Links

Are links available? Are they credible and appropriate?

No links were given.

What is your overall impression of the site? Would you use or recommend this site? Explain.

Generally, I would not recommend this site (although the site was listed in

[pic]

Name of art site #2: Arts Edge

URL:

Subject: Art/Music/Theatre/Dance

Credibility

Is the author of the site clearly indicated?

ArtsEdge website is a collaboration between the National Endowment for the Arts, the U.S. Department of Education, and the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

Is the author’s experience in the content area sufficient?

Absolutely.

Is the site or site author affiliated with an identified educational organization?

Yes—the U.S. Department of Education. ArtsEdge was one of the first 100 “org” sites on the Internet.

Relevance and Appropriateness

Is the site’s content relevant to your needs?

Yes. The site offers “teaching materials, resources for arts education advocacy, and student-friendly activities”.

Is the target age group clearly indicated and consistent with the age range of your students?

Yes. All lessons and activities are listed according to subject and grade-level.

Are graphic images appropriate for your students’ age group?

This is a site for adults.

Is the content timely and updated reasonable often?

Yes. They list a “this week in the arts” section.

Bias

Is the primary purpose of the site commercial? If so, is it clearly indicated?

This is not a commercial site.

Accuracy

Does the site contain obvious errors or omissions?

I did not see, nor would I expect to find any errors.

If information on the site is time-sensitive, is it routinely updated to incorporate new information?

The information is not time-sensitive, and I would assume it is well maintained.

Accessibility

Does the site load reasonably fast?

Some pages take several seconds to load.

Is contact information provided?

Yes. They offer a form in which you can ask a specific question and they will e-mail you back an answer.

Does the site take into consideration the needs of differently-abled students?

No. There are so many lesson plans that are so well organized by grade level, subject, integration to other subject areas, that I forgive them this.

Navigability

Is the necessity for scrolling kept to a minimum?

Scrolling is necessary on some pages.

Will students find this site easy to navigate?

This is not necessarily a site for younger students. It is mostly a resource for teachers.

Visual Appeal

Is the site visually interesting?

The site is very “professional” looking, but still interesting.

Are the graphics professional and appealing?

The text print is small and written for an adult audience.

Do the graphics aid in searching the site, or are they confusing and misleading?

Graphics aid in searching the site.

Efficiency

Is the site equally available at all times of the day?

I would assume so.

Is the site easily accessed?

The site is easily accessed.

Links

Are links available? Are they credible and appropriate?

Yes, links are given. They are chosen based on “rigorous selection criteria.”

What is your overall impression of the site? Would you use or recommend this site? Explain.

This is an amazing site. It is well organized, reliable, and scholarly. I love the arts quotes section, where quotes such as “All anybody needs to know about prizes is that Mozart never won one” and “To know is nothing at all, to imagine is everything” appear. They are inspiring and thought provoking, and I see myself printing them out (in the format they give) and using them as a “thought of the week” in my classroom. Also incredibly useful are the arts lesson plans that are related to other subjects. We are always encouraged to integrate subject matter.

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