Website Title   Digital History – Using New Technology to Enhance Teaching and Research

 Organization Responsible/Author        S. Mintz

 URL      http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/

Authorship

Expertise

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

             I think that this website was created by an organization.  However, after browsing the webpage extensively, the organization seems to have a lot of knowledge and credibility in the historical field. Yes, there is a “Credits” page with information about linking pages and a bibliography section. The webpage does not link to any other sites.

Publishing Organization

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

             The name of the organization is Digital History.  The website is connected with a textbook and is funded in part by The University of Houston and The National Park Service as well as other sponsoring organizations.  Yes, these are credible organizations.  The webpage is stored on an education institution.

Point of View/Bias

 Are viewpoints and images bias free?

             Yes, I think that the viewpoints and images are bias free.

Content

Accuracy

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

             Yes, the information presented is error-free and the background information can be verified.  The information is current as the website was updated today.

Appropriateness

Is the information relevant to the Maryland K-12 curriculum?

             The information is definitely relevant to the Maryland K-12 curriculum and could be used in any classroom.  Although, I think that if a teacher wanted to use the information for students younger than fifth grade, the information may need to be simplified.

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

             Yes, the interaction is compatible with the physical and intellectual maturity of the intended audience.  The website is created with the assumption that the reader has some background knowledge in the content area.

Scope

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

             Yes, there is a logical progression of topics presented in the website.  I think the website does a great job of presenting a wide range of information.

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

             Yes, the information adequately covers the topic for the intended audience.  I think the website also allows for the reader to find other information that may also be useful.

Technical Aspects

Navigation

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

             All images load quickly with eye-appealing graphics.

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 users’ attention?

            This website is designed very well.  It does not “throw” too much information at the reader and visuals are labeled clearly and accurately.  The graphics flow with the text and offer a visual representation of the information.  The presentation of information holds the readers’ attention and assists with information.

Personal Assessment

Would you recommend this site?  Why or why not?

             I would definitely recommend this site to teachers and students.  It was clearly created with an inquisitive reader in mind and helps the reader to easily learn about American History in an appealing way.  I think this site is a great resource tool in and out of the classroom.

Website Title   PBS History

 Organization Responsible/Author        PBS 

URL      http://www.pbs.org/history/history_united.html

Authorship

Expertise

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

             I think that PBS is very knowledgeable in many fields and history is one of them.  Each subject link has credentials and a biography.  There weren’t links to any other pages.

Publishing Organization

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

             The name of the organization is the Publishing Broadcasting Service (PBS).  The source is on the PBS website.  I think that PBS has a reputable reputation and would be recognized as reliable in the history field.  The webpage is part of an official website.

Point of View/Bias

 Are viewpoints and images bias free?

             The viewpoints and images are bias free. 

Content

Accuracy

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

             The information was presented error-free.  The background information can be verified because credits are listed.  Although the website does not list a date that it was last edited, I would think that the information presented on the site it up-to-date and current.

Appropriateness

Is the information relevant to the Maryland K-12 curriculum?

             Yes, the information is relevant to the Maryland K-12 curriculum.

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

             I think the interaction is compatible with the physical and intellectual maturity of the intended audience.  It is easy to navigate through the website and find useful information.  The website also provides background and extra information to help guide the reader.

Scope

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

             Yes, the progression is logical; the website is presented in a timeline fashion.

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

             Yes, the information adequately covers the topics for the intended audience.  I think that the website is conducive for high school students and older.

Technical Aspects

Navigation

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

             Yes, the images load very quickly and beautiful colors and pictures are on each page.

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 users’ attention? 

            The site is designed beautifully with uncluttered pages.  The visuals that are presented are very eye-catching and correspond with the information on the pages.

Personal Assessment

Would you recommend this site?  Why or why not?

             I would definitely recommend this site.  The information is well-presented and looks great on the site.  This site also provides lesson plans and teacher resources which would be so helpful as a teacher.