"The Five W's of Website Evaluation"
All
websites are not alike. What do you need to know to determine whether your
website is reliable, balanced, and accurate? Educator Kathy Schrock ( http://www.shrockguide.net) shares the
five W’s:
WHO
Who wrote the pages and are they experts?
Is information about the author or editor included?
How can I find out more about the creators of the website?
WHAT
What is the purpose of the site?
What makes the site easy to use?
What information is included and does this
information differ from other sites?
WHEN
When was the site created?
When was the site last updated?
WHERE
Where does the information come from?
Where can I look to find out more about
the sponsor of the site?
WHY
Why is this information useful for my purpose?
Why should I use this information?
Why is this page better than another?
Let's use our 5 W's to evaluate these websites.
4th grade is studying the solar system and what would be required to travel to different planets. Which of these websites might advance their knowledge? Which might derail their efforts?
ESA Kids Useful Space
History of the Fisher-Price
Airplane
Outer Space Environment
What Would You Pack for a Trip to Outer Space?
MoonBeam
Enterprises and Lunar Travel Agency
5th grade is studying the human body. Which websites might share valuable information about health and disease? Which might be playing a prank?
Dihydrogen Monoxide
Protecting Ebola Health Care Workers
Lewy Body Dementia
Miracles of Modern Medicine
Combating Mind Control