Using Online Information in Your Course
Using online information in your course presents a unique set of challenges. You must establish the credibility of relevant Web sites. You may wind up using resources that disappear or become inaccessible at any time. You’ll need to take an active role in validating, tracking, and organizing the online sources relevant to your course. Finally, you’ll need to envision, plan, and prepare projects and exercises for your students. This article will address these issues and more.
Establishing Credibility
Evaluating the credibility of a particular Web site and the information in that site requires critical reasoning skills, as well as an understanding of the Web site elements that can help you assess the quality of the information.
Author and Publisher
Similar to print publications, identifying the author of a document is paramount to verifying credibility. When needed, follow the links to the home page, or query the organization sponsoring the Web site. When an author is listed, look for an e-mail, telephone, and/or professional address.
When you are unfamiliar with the author, verify the author’s reputation in regard to the topic. Find out if the author has been referred to favorably by respected professionals in the field or by a respectable Web site.
Learn about the reputation of the individual or group that sponsors the Web site. Look for the Webmaster’s or sponsoring organization’s e-mail links or contact information from within the site. When a site is linked to an established authority on the subject, check to see if that authority’s Web site contains a link back to the site.
In general, professional sources are considered far more reliable than unprofessional sources. A defining element between professional and non-professional pages is the level and quality of scrutiny that the information undergoes before publication on the Internet. Professional sources include online professional journals, professional home pages, and academic home pages. Non-professional sources include personal home pages or online general audience magazines.
Maintenance and Writing Quality
Quality writing, up-to-date active links, and recent revisions are all telltale characteristics of a credible Web site. Scan the Web page for the date created as well as dates revised. Test the links to see if they are still active and up-to-date, and examine the Web pages for text errors (e.g., grammatical errors, typos, etc.). Look for a copyright symbol (typically placed at the bottom of the Web page).
Perspective and Coverage
Are the Web site’s goals obvious, and are all sides of the issue fairly covered? Assess the author’s knowledge of the subject and look for an in-depth understanding of the related issues. The home page of an established authority in the field will provide a good basis for comparison.
Look for and evaluate the quality of the bibliography and/or citations. These references are another excellent basis for comparing or verifying data and other information. Look within the text for cited sources. Are there links from the citations or the bibliography to the original documents?
Saving, Back-up Plans, and Attribution
Save and print hard copies of your online sources. When saving this information, include the URL, name of the site, and date printed. By doing this you’ll have the documents to refer to if the Web page is not available. When using an interactive activity in class, always plan a back-up activity in case the Web site is offline.
Learn the correct attribution styles for referencing online information, and teach them to your students. At this time, the most up-to-date style guide for referencing online information is the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, 5th edition, by Joseph Gibaldi.
Compiling a Directory of Credible Internet Resources
Develop an annotated list of useful Web sites specific to your subject and course. A comprehensive list of these resources will serve as a good starting point for developing your materials and teaching methods. This process will help you to prescreen your students’ Web resources as well. For each Web site, compile the following information into a table (one column per topic), and organize the final list into categories, depending on the courses you teach.
You should include: the date URL was added or updated (copy and paste the URL to avoid typing errors); name of the Web site; a short description of the site (Web sites often include a descriptive paragraph that you can use); type of Web site (e.g., software tools, database, academic Web site); how you want to use the site in your course.
Project/Exercise Preparation
Before preparing a project or exercise consider the following: Are your students comfortable with computers, pertinent software, and the Internet? Do your students have access to the Internet, and at what speeds? What software and hardware is required for the project? What resources will you need to prepare project materials (e.g., data and online tools)?
Types of Online Information
The variety of information available to you on the Internet is immeasurable. Your challenge is to learn how to use the information in the classroom. The following types of Internet resources are categorized according to use (communication, research, educational resources, interactive activities, and students as authors). This is not meant to be an exhaustive list but to function as a launching point for creating your course projects, exercises, Web projects, etc.
Communication
The convenience and low (or no) cost of e-mail as well as online directories and Web sites allow you to contact professionals and subject matter experts throughout the world.
Students and instructors can query the Webmasters or sponsoring organizations of relevant Web sites or query experts listed on Web pages sponsored by an established authority.
Students can ask questions of instructors who teach similar courses, by way of their course or faculty Web site.
Research
Many organizations, commercial media companies, online journals, and scientific institutions use the Internet as a method of easily distributing and publicizing real-time data, statistics, current exhibits, and daily happenings.
Instructors can read online journals focusing on teaching and technology.
Both students and instructors can research online libraries, query scientific online databases, review online media sites such as cnn.com, review educational collections, and take online field trips using sites like the National Geographic's Web site.
Students and instructors can also download raw data sets from professional journal Web sites and track, analyze, or evaluate the data.
Educational Resources
The Internet contains a wealth of information specifically targeting teaching professionals. In addition, the Web provides access to trial versions and reviews of software potentially suitable for the classroom.
Instructors can review academic Web sites for teaching tools and techniques, review available software and learning tools from download sites such as www.download.com and www.shareware.com, and look for resources in the technology section of academic textbook publisher Web sites.
Finally, instructors can get the latest on teaching technology by reading the online versions of magazines such as The Journal.
Interactive Activities
Simulations and exhibits allow your students to try or to view something unavailable at your school or classroom. Lessons and quizzes provide another venue for reinforcing your lecture and textbook points.
Students can access medical, engineering, or academic Web sites that provide simulations.
Instructors can create lessons and quizzes online using course software, or by taking these items from a textbook publisher’s Web site (usually pertain to a specific textbook).
Students can visit natural science and art museum Web sites for virtual academic tours.
Students as Authors (Web-based Projects)
Depending on their expertise and the type of Web page software available, students can easily create Web pages showcasing their projects.
Students can create online publications like newsletters, or they can track data online.
Finally, students can create their own online art and literary exhibits or photo libraries, or they can create a virtual tour of an actual or created environment. Other ideas for student exhibits include student collections based on an interest or hobby, or online travelogues.
References:
Gibaldi, Joseph. MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers. Fourth Edition. New York: The Modern Language Association of America, 1995.
Struthers, Kaaren. “Assessing the Credibility of Online Sources.” http://leo.stcloudstate.edu/research/credibility1.html. (27 Sept. 2001)
Tucker, Stephanie. “The 10 Commandments of Teaching with the Internet.” Teaching with the Internet. http://www.artsci.wustl.edu/limc/teaching/www/teaching.html. (28 Sept. 2001)
Walker, Janice R., Taylor, Todd. (Columbia UP, 1998) “The Columbia Guide to Online Style.” http://www.columbia.edu/cu/cup/cgos/idx_basic.html. (30 Sept. 2001)
Yankelovich, Nicole. “Introduction to the Internet for Teachers.” http://www.massnetworks.org/~nicoley/tutorial/. Copyright 1997 Sun Microsystems, Inc.(27 Sept. 2001)
