Authorship

Expertise

Is the author well known in the field of study?  Are credentials listed?  Is biographical information presented? Does the web page link to another document that you can trust? 

*  While the author of the website is published, information regarding his credentials and biographical information are only made available through a link on the where.com homepage.

Publishing Organization

Is the name of an organization given? Are there any distinctive features that identify the source as a scholarly web site?  Is the organization recognized in the field?  Is the web page stored on the author's personal account, at an educational institution, or part of an official web site?

*  The website does not offer any information that connects the author to an educational institute or an official scholarly organization. 

Point of view/ Bias

Are viewpoints and images bias-free?

*  The information provided by the author is free of biases. 

Content

Accuracy

Was the information presented error-free? Can the background information be verified?  Is the information current?  How do you know?

*  The information presented on the website contains no apparent errors and can be verified through other ASL related websites or ASL dictionaries.  Additionally, the website states the date in which it was late updated, and also communicates upcoming upgrades.

Appropriateness

Is the information relevant to Maryland K-12 curriculum?

*  While the information presented in the website could be incorporated into the Maryland K-12 curriculum, it would be more relevant to K-12 students who are deaf or have hearing impairments.

 Is the interaction compatible with the physical and intellectual maturity of intended audience?  What leads you to your conclusion?

*  Since the intended audience of the website is students learning American Sign Language, the physical and intellectual levels required by the website is compatible to that of the users.  

Scope

Is there a logical progression of topics presented in the website?

*  The progression of topics, beginning with becoming familiar with the ASL dictionary and ending with an interactive quiz, follows logical progression.

Does the information adequately cover the topic for the intended audience?

*  The website is proficient in covering the intended topic.

Technical Aspects

Navigation

Do images load quickly?  Is there an intuitive design that fosters independent use? Are standard multimedia formats used?

*  The images within the website are presented in a timely fashion using standard formats that allow for independent use. 

Presentation

Does the site follow good principles of web design? Are the pages uncluttered?  Are there captions, labels, or alternative text for all visuals?  Do graphics support the content, not merely decorative?  Does the presentation of information capture and hold the users' attention?

*  The layout of the website captures the user’s attention with out cluttering the site with irrelevant graphics.  Additionally, the website uses captions for all visuals.

Personal Assessment

*  I would recommend this website for drill and practice activities in addition to simulation activities, because it allows users to see ASL accurately demonstrated in various activities while also allowing users to assess their progress through quiz activities.

Authorship

Expertise

Is the author well known in the field of study?  Are credentials listed?  Is biographical information presented? Does the web page link to another document that you can trust?

*  The author of the website and his credentials and biographical information are made available through presented links.

Publishing Organization

Is the name of an organization given? Are there any distinctive features that identify the source as a scholarly web site?  Is the organization recognized in the field?  Is the web page stored on the author's personal account, at an educational institution, or part of an official web site?

*  The highly recognized organization that the website is affiliated with is published and made accessible to the user through provided links.  Additionally, the home page of the scholarly organization provides a link to the Braille Bug website.

Point of view/ Bias

Are viewpoints and images bias-free?

The information presented on the website is free of biases. 

Content

Accuracy

Was the information presented error-free? Can the background information be verified?  Is the information current?  How do you know?

*  The information presented on the website contains no apparent errors and can be verified through various Braille dictionaries.  Furthermore, the date in which the site was last updated is published on the website.

Appropriateness

Is the information relevant to Maryland K-12 curriculum?

*  The information presented on the website could be incorporated into the Maryland K-12 curriculum, however the content of the website is more relevant to K-12 students who are blind or visually impaired.

Is the interaction compatible with the physical and intellectual maturity of intended audience?  What leads you to your conclusion?

*  The information presented on the website is introductory, therefore the intellectual level of the website is compatible with users first being introduced to Braille.  Similarly, the website may be too elementary for users already well versed in Braille.  

Scope

Is there a logical progression of topics presented in the website?

*  The website follows a logical progression, beginning with the history of Braille, along with the introduction of Braille, and ending with the user being able to read and create Braille.

Does the information adequately cover the topic for the intended audience?

*  The website is proficient in covering the intended topic for users who are not visually impaired, however users who are visually impaired may not benefit completely due to the websites lack of audio prompts.

Technical Aspects

Navigation

Do images load quickly?  Is there an intuitive design that fosters independent use? Are standard multimedia formats used?

*  The images within the website are presented in a timely fashion using standard formats that allow for independent use. 

Presentation

Does the site follow good principles of web design? Are the pages uncluttered?  Are there captions, labels, or alternative text for all visuals?  Do graphics support the content, not merely decorative?  Does the presentation of information capture and hold the users' attention?

*  The information on the website is presented in a visually appealing manner with out using irrelevant graphics and excess clutter.  Additionally, the website uses text captions for all visuals, however audio text is not available, therefore limiting the websites access to non-visually impaired users.

Personal Assessment

*  I would recommend this website to non-visually impaired users who are beginning to learn Braille, however I would not recommend this website to visually impaired users since their disability is not accommodated for.