Course Profile Information Technology Applications in Business, Grade 11, Open, Public
Unit 3: Electronic Research and Internet Webpage Design
Time: 21 hours
Activity 1 | Activity 2
| Activity 3 | Activity 4
Strand(s): Electronic Research & Communication, Software
Applications & Information Management
Unit
Description
Unit 3
introduces the Internet as valuable resource for business information. Students
gather information through research and determine whether it is valid and
appropriate for a specific business task. The students are introduced to
presentation software and Webpage design. Teachers may use a variety of tools
to accomplish this depending on the resources in the school. A program to code
the page in HTML and a browser to view the page, or an authoring program are
all options. The Internet Use Agreement is introduced in Unit 1 and reviewed in
Unit 3. In Unit 4, students will look at a variety of Internet Use Agreements
and review them for appropriateness and effectiveness.
|
Activity |
Time |
Expectations |
Assessment |
Tasks |
|
3.1
Introduction to the Internet |
150 min |
ERV.01,
ERV.02, ERV.03, ER1.01, ER2.03, ER3.04 |
K/U; A; T/I |
1.
Internet terms. 2.
Internet Service Provider Chart. 3.
Internet Scavenger Hunt. |
|
3.2
Electronic Research and Communication |
225 min |
ERV.01,
ERV.02, ERV.03, ER1.02, ER1.03, ER1.04, ER1.05, ER3.01, ER3.02, ER3.03 |
C; A; K/U; T/I |
1.
Discuss primary and secondary data. 2.
Research primary data vs. secondary data. 3.
Formulate a business decision based on primary and secondary data and produce
a report on the business decision reached. |
|
3.3
Research and Presentation on Information Validation |
300 min |
ERV.01,
ERV.02, ERV.03, ER2.01, ER2.02, ER2.03, ER3.05 |
K/U; T/I; C; A |
1.
Introduction to Presentation Software. 2.
Research Project. |
|
3.4
Webpage Development |
585 min |
ERV.01,
ERV.02, ERV.03, SIV.01, SIV.02, ER2.01, ER2.02, ER2.03, ER3.05, SI1.01,
SI2.03 |
K/U; T/I; A; C |
1.
Produce a prescribed webpage. 2.
Design a webpage that incorporates the information researched in 3.
Create a webpage based on student’s choice of content, format, creativity and
complexity. |
The assessment category to be evaluated is
indicated with the following codes: Knowledge/Understanding = U/K,
Thinking/Inquiry = T/I, Communications = C, Application = A.
|
Activity |
Product |
Self Assessment |
Peer/Group
Assessment |
Teacher Evaluation |
|
3.1 Introduction to the Internet |
ISP Chart Scavenger Hunt Quiz |
The Product A |
T/I |
The Product A, K/U Quiz K/U, T/I |
|
3.2
Electronic Research and Communication |
Report |
The
Process C |
Group C, A |
The
Product A, K/U,
T/I |
|
3.3
Research and Presentation on Information Validation |
Presentation
Quiz |
The
Product C, A |
Peer The
Product C, A |
The
Product C, A,
K/U, T/I Quiz K/U,
T/I |
|
3.4
Webpage Development |
Webpage
Two Webpage
Three |
WP2 The
Process and Product K/U,
T/I, C, A WP3 The
Process and Product K/U,
T/I, C, A |
WP2 The
Process and Product K/U,
T/I, C, A |
WP3 The
Process and Product K/U,
T/I, C, A |
Time: 150 minutes
Activity
1 examines Internet terms, basic e-search strategies, appropriate and safe
Internet use and Internet Service Providers (ISPs). Students complete the
activity with an Internet scavenger hunt.
Strand(s): Electronic Research and Communication, Software
Applications and Information Management
Overall
Expectations
ERV.01 -
demonstrate the use of electronic media to find relevant information;
ERV.02 -
determine the validity of electronic information.
Specific
Expectations
ER1.01 -
describe forms of electronic media that can be used to gather information for a
specific business task;
ER2.01 -
assess information collected from electronic media for validity, bias,
appropriateness, accuracy, and confidentiality;
ER2.02 -
follow copyright and licensing rules and regulations when accessing information
electronically;
ER2.03 -
demonstrate an understanding of the issues related to the use and misuse of
electronic research data;
ER3.04 -
describe the services provided by a variety of Internet Service Providers
(ISPs).
·
The
school’s Internet Use Agreement should be reviewed at the start of this unit.
·
It
may be advantageous to provide students with the Internet Service Provider
(ISP) assignment one or two days prior to the activity.
·
Arrange
use of an Internet-capable lab for two periods.
·
definition
of the Internet and related terms and description of the history of the
internet;
·
what
the Internet consists of (i.e., websites, news groups, e-mail);
·
how
do people access the Internet (Internet Service Providers (ISPs));
·
what
people use the Internet for (gathering information, e-business, use and
misuse);
·
discuss
copyright of images and text and other information (i.e., MP3s);
·
introduce
search engines and basic e-search strategies;
·
complete
two or three searches on general interest topics together as a class.
·
Each
student is to complete the following chart about the ISP they use at home or an
ISP they have collected information about through the newspaper, phone, or
other means.
|
Name of Provider |
Type (i.e., Phone, Cable, Fibre,
Other) |
Cost and Time allowed |
Speed |
Number of email accounts and an
Address example |
How much web space is provided |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
·
Students
should generate an amalgamated chart all of the various ISPs that have been
researched by the class, in a table using an appropriate piece of software.
Using the
Internet students complete a scavenger hunt to answer a set of questions such
as:
1. Who was the prime minister of Canada in 1942?
2. Who is the CEO of Nortel?
3. What is today’s stock price of Canadian
Pacific?
4. What are the four fundamental freedoms stated
in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms?
5. List all of the Canadian Stock exchanges.
6. What is the definition of “computer program”
according to the Canada Copyright Act?
7. What is the exchange rate today for US
currency?
8. What is the fastest microprocessor
commercially available today?
9. How does a worm virus work?
10. What is the salary range for a website
developer?
·
Teacher
evaluation of ISP chart and of skills application
·
Self-assessment
of scavenger hunt using a teacher prepared answer key
·
Terms
investigated in Activity 3.1 incorporated in a quiz following Activity 3.3
The teacher should take into consideration the
student’s IEP for specific accommodations and suggestions that address the
student’s learning needs.
Extensive suggestions for accommodations can be
found in The Curriculum Planner K-12.
Internet
Scavenger Hunt Activities are found in Introduction to Information Technology
in Business, BTT1O/2O, Catholic and Public Profiles. The Internet search
activities found in these documents will provide an source of remedial work for
the student coming to this course without a base of prior knowledge. These
courses can be downloaded from http://www.curriculum.org.
Enrichment
·
Extension
activities for an enriched product: research legal aspects of use agreements;
contact the school board’s legal department about the responsibilities of the
teacher, student and parent; produce an agreement that parents and students
sign covering school-related after hours use.
·
Electronic
presentation on Internet Service Providers.
·
Arrange
for a representative from an ISP to visit the class.
ESL
·
Conduct
an Internet search for websites in the student’s first language.
·
Prepare
a simple four slide electronic presentation on Internet Services in the
student’s country of origin.
Alternative
Strategy
·
The
product can be simplified through the use of existing templates for
presentations.
Time: 225 minutes
Student
research on a variety of electronic media: to differentiate between primary and
secondary data; electronic communication with its positive and negative
consequences; and changes in the way business is conducted.
Strand(s): Electronic Research and Communication, Software
Applications and Information Management
Overall
Expectations
ERV.02 -
determine the validity of electronic information;
ERV.03 -
demonstrate the use of electronic communication tools.
Specific
Expectations
ER1.02 -
identify electronic sources available to research and monitor investment
options;
ER1.03 -
differentiate between primary and secondary data;
ER1.04 -
explain why businesses collect primary data;
ER1.05 -
demonstrate the appropriate use of electronic communication tools to collect
primary data;
ER3.01 -
demonstrate an understanding of the uses and benefits to business of a variety
of electronic communication tools;
ER3.02 -
describe potential negative consequences of using various electronic tools;
ER3.03 -
explain how communication customs, cultures, and environments may change the
way business is conducted.
·
Internet
searching techniques developed in Activity 1.
·
Arrange
for the use of an Internet-capable lab for two periods.
·
Preview
business and company related sites where students can obtain primary data (see
Unit Overview and Activity Resources).
·
Become
familiar with the TSE website.
·
Assign
different, yet interconnected roles: Researcher, Scout, Reporter, and
Expediter. Establish rules for processing that will promote positive discussion
on improvement. Explain assessment requirements with process and product.
Encourage validation. Model and role play procedures for positive team
discussions.
·
Teachers
may want to consider the multi-language support offered in browsers like
Netscape. Several Canada sites offer French and English sites automatically
depending on the language chosen in the browser. An useful meta-search tool is
Copernico (www.copernico.com).
·
Definition
of primary data, secondary data;
·
Purpose
of primary data;
·
How
to collect primary data.
·
Choose
a link to a company’s website and look at primary data (e.g., balance sheet,
income statement).
·
Teacher-led
discussion on the company. Would you buy this stock and why?
·
Compare
a company’s primary data with a financial analyst’s interpretation of the
company (secondary data). An excellent source for secondary data is SEDAR. The
SEDAR website can be accessed through a link from the TSE site.
·
Visit
the Ontario Securities Commission website (see Resources) on a teacher-led
electronic trip to investigate the potential for negative consequences (e.g.,
Top Ten Frauds).
·
Introduce
students to a business scenario, where they inherit a struggling retail business
and look at ways in which to make the business a success. This should be a
small business with outdated equipment.
·
Teacher
explains the assessment.
·
Each
group of students develop their own six-question survey regarding the product
being sold (e.g., Will you buy the product on-line? Does the product we offer
interest you? Will you buy from this company?). The questions should focus on
the collection of primary data.
·
The
survey is e-mailed to other groups in the class. The survey is completed and
returned.
·
The
Problem-Solving Approach outlined in BTT1O/2O could be used here.
·
Each
group summarizes the collected primary data in a chart.
·
Each
group interprets the data in several sentences (secondary data).
·
Students
produce a PMI (Plus, Minus, Interesting) chart for e-business. The teacher
should direct students to consider cultures and fraud.
·
Students
produce a short report describing the business decision that will hopefully
make the business successful. (It should include decisions in regard to current
equipment vs. updating) Students should be given the written report rubric,
encouraged to evaluate each other’s work using the rubric, make suggestions for
improvement, and make changes that reflect the suggestions for improvements
before the report is given to the teacher for assessment.
Students
should be given the assessment tools and rubric(s) to be used at the start of
the activity.
·
The
members of the group engage in processing and discuss how well their group
functioned and how they may improve the group’s effectiveness.
·
Self-assessment
of individual contribution to the group project, e.g. Self-assessment of the
student’s contribution to the group, e.g., the OSSTF publication Assess for
Success has various examples.
·
Teacher
assessment of report. Appendix 3.2.1 – Written Report Rubric
The
teacher should structure groupings to address the needs of students.
Enrichment
·
An
extension activity could require a business plan that expands the business to
the global economy by creating an online survey, communicating with online
businesses, and producing statistics and reports contrasting online vs.
non-online businesses.
Alternative
Strategies
·
The
teacher might arrange for learning resource personnel to join the class as
group members where needed.
·
Students
could be given a choice between a written or oral report based on the students
IEP. See Appendix 3.2.2 – Oral Report Rubric.
The TSE
Website - www.tse.com
Bank of
Canada - www.bank-banque-canada.ca
Big
Charts - www.canada.bigcharts.com
Bloomberg
Online - www.bloomberg.com
Canada
Stockwatch - www.canada-stockwatch.com
Canadian
Tire Corporation - www.canadiantire.ca
Daily
Market Report - www.smallcapcenter.com
Finance
Canada - www.fin.gc.ca/
Future
Shop - www.futureshop.com
Industry
Canada - www.ic.gc.ca/
Investor
Learning Centre - www.investorlearning.ca
Nasdaq -
www.nasdaq.com
Next
Great Stocks - www.nextgreat.com
Ontario
Securities Commission - www.osc.gov.on.ca
SEDAR. -
www.sedar.com
EPALS
CLASSROOM EXCHANGE - www.epals.com - a filtered e-mail service
|
Criteria |
Level 1 |
Level 2 |
Level 3 |
Level 4 |
|
Knowledge/Understanding |
||||
|
Understanding of concepts, principles and theories Expectation: Key concepts/ principles/theories related to the
expectation |
- demonstrates limited understanding of the key
concepts, principles and theories |
- demonstrates some understanding of the key
concepts, principles and theories |
- demonstrates considerable understanding of the
key concepts, principles and theories |
- demonstrates a through and insightful
understanding of the key concepts, principles and theories |
|
Thinking/Inquiry Inquiry skills |
- demonstrates limited ability to use specific
strategies to gather information and generate ideas for a written report |
- demonstrates limited ability to use specific
strategies to gather information and generate ideas for a written report |
- demonstrates limited ability to use specific
strategies to gather information and generate ideas for a written report |
- demonstrates limited ability to use specific
strategies to gather information and generate ideas for a written report |
|
Communication Communication of information and ideas |
- demonstrates limited ability to use language
conventions to write correctly |
- demonstrates some ability to use language
conventions to write correctly |
- demonstrates considerable ability to use
language conventions to write correctly |
- demonstrates a high degree of ability to use
language conventions to write correctly |
Note: A student whose achievement is below level 1
(50%) has not met the expectations for this assignment or activity.
|
Criteria |
Level 1 |
Level 2 |
Level 3 |
Level 4 |
|
Knowledge/Understanding |
||||
|
Knowledge
of facts and terms |
-
demonstrates limited knowledge of facts and terms |
-
demonstrates some knowledge of facts and terms |
-
demonstrates considerable knowledge of facts and terms |
-
demonstrates thorough knowledge of facts and terms |
|
Communication |
||||
|
Use of
language, symbols, visuals |
-
demonstrates limited ability to use vocabulary and language conventions to
speak clearly and correctly |
-
demonstrates some ability to use vocabulary and language conventions to speak
clearly and correctly |
-
demonstrates considerable ability to use vocabulary and language conventions
to speak clearly and correctly |
-
demonstrates a high degree of ability to use vocabulary and language
conventions to speak clearly and correctly |
|
Communication
for different audiences and purposes |
-
demonstrates limited ability to use strategies for effective business
communication |
-
demonstrates some ability to use strategies for effective business
communication |
-
demonstrates considerable ability to use strategies for effective business
communication |
-
demonstrates a high degree of ability to use strategies for effective
business communication |
|
Communication
of information and ideas |
-
demonstrates limited ability to communicate information and ideas with
clarity |
-
demonstrates some ability to communicate information and ideas with clarity |
-
demonstrates considerable ability to communicate information and ideas with
limited clarity |
-
demonstrates a high degree of ability to communicate information and ideas
with clarity |
Note: A student whose achievement is below
level 1 (50%) has not met the expectations for this assignment or activity.
Time: 300 minutes
Students
research a topic electronically. Students produce a report and present the
information using presentation software. Students gain an awareness of the
benefits of electronic communication for business purposes. Cultures and
environments are taken into account to determine changes in the way business is
conducted. Students investigate issues surrounding the use and misuse of
information available through electronic communication. The research
information is incorporated in a webpage in Activity 4.
Strand(s): Electronic Research & Communication, Software
Applications & Information Management
Overall
Expectations
ERV.02 -
determine the validity of electronic information;
ERV.03 -
demonstrate the use of electronic communication tools.
Specific
Expectations
ER2.01 -
assess information collected from electronic media for validity, bias,
appropriateness, accuracy, and confidentiality;
ER2.02 -
follow copyright and licensing rules and regulations when accessing information
electronically;
ER2.03 -
demonstrate an understanding of the issues related to the use and misuse of
electronic research data;
ER3.05 -
communicate with others by using electronic tools.
·
Internet
searching techniques developed in Activity 1
·
Website
and information evaluation techniques developed in Activity 2
·
Arrange
for the use of an Internet capable lab for two periods
·
Arrange
for a broadcast tool such as a computer projector, or encoder and TV set.
·
Prepare
the project handout for the second task. (Appendix 3.3.2.A)
·
Introduce
students to the uses of presentation software.
·
Using
the broadcast tool that is available, explore the user interface and menus.
·
Again
using the broadcast tool at the teacher’s disposal, do a sample electronic
presentation together with the class, on a topic that needs no research. Some
suggestions are: a favourite musical group; a favourite sports team; facts
about the school. The topic could be decided upon by class consensus. The
presentation should include: four slides; at least two slides with graphics
(from a clip art gallery, or from the Internet); a slide with a bullet list;
text animation; slide transition; different fonts and sizes; the beginning
slide with a word art title.
·
Using
the word processor, the students make technical notes on how to use the
software. This will be saved and printed for future reference.
·
The
assignment for the next task could be handed out and introduced near the end of
this period.
·
This
project is done in pairs (See Appendix 3.3.2.A – Presentation Software
Assignment). The group chooses one topic from a list of topics given by the
teacher. The topic must be researched from the Internet. The group members
check the research for bias and validity. The teacher directs the students to
Appendix 3.3.2.B – The Information Assessor for this purpose. In addition,
students carefully to follow copyright rules and check the content taken from
all websites for authenticity. The information collected will be the basis for
the Electronic presentation. Students should make sure that URLs of all sites
from which content was taken from are referenced in the presentation. Each
student chooses half of the slides that must be produced. Peer and teacher
evaluation using a presentation rubric is given to the students with the
project sheet. In addition, a quiz will be given later on the summary points
from all presentations.
·
Self-assessment
using the readiness checklists provided in BTT1O/2O, Public and Catholic
Profiles.
·
Peer-/Teacher-evaluation
using Appendix 3.3.2.C – Electronic Presentation Rubric.
·
Quiz
on information presented in Activities 3.1.1 and 3.3.2.
·
3.3.1
is a teacher-led activity; the pace can be varied to address learning needs.
·
3.3.2
Alternative Strategies: During group activities, ensure that special needs
students are included in a grouping where a particular student or an individual
from learning resource or student services is assigned to assist them.
·
Enrichment:
An extension of the product could be requested, requiring a reason given in
each category of the assessor.
See
Pedagogy, Overview Resources for assessment tools.
Evaluating
Internet Resources
http://www.uwec.edu/Admin/Library/Guides/tencs.html
http://www2.widener.edu/Wolfgram-Memorial-Library/webevaluation/webeval.htm
The
Spider’s Apprentice - Suggestions for searching the web more efficiently.
http://www.monash.com/spidap.html
Ecedweb
-This is an American site that provides a process for students evaluating World
Wide Websites and Internet information. http://ecedweb.unomaha.edu/teachsug.htm
The
research for these topics will be using from the Internet.
(Teacher Note: provide enough topics so each group has a unique topic)
This
will be a project done in groups of two people. Your group will create a
electronic slide show presentation using presentation software for one of the
following topics:
·
Censorship
and the Internet
·
Internet
Fraud
·
What
lies ahead in the field of computing?
·
What
will the wireless world look like?
·
Pirating
Software
·
Other
– approved by the teacher
|
Specifications |
Yes |
No |
|
· You must have at least eight slides. |
|
|
|
· The first slide must be a title slide where the title is done using Wordart. |
|
|
|
· You must have at least two slides with bulleted lists. |
|
|
|
· There must be a graphic on at least four of the slides. Two must come from the Internet. |
|
|
|
· The text must be animated. |
|
|
|
· There must be a slide transition. |
|
|
|
· You must have consistent colours, fonts, transitions, and animations. |
|
|
|
· The last slide will be a summary slide with a Wordart title, and a bullet list of the main points from your presentation. Your classmates for a future quiz will input these bullets into a word processor. |
|
|
|
· Include all URLs of the sites you took content from to acknowledge sources of information you took from the net. |
|
|
Evaluate
any content taken from the websites for authenticity using one of the following
sites:
http://www.uwec.edu/Admin/Library/Guides/tencs.html
http://www.lib.ut.edu/research/libinst/evalbiblio.html
We
will be marking this as a class as it is projected on the overhead screen. The
summary slide information from each group will be inputted into a word
processor by your classmates, then saved and printed for later reference. This
information will be the basis for the quiz on the content presented.
Information
collected from electronic media should be assessed for bias, validity
appropriateness and accuracy.
Source of
Electronic Information:
|
Bias * |
Bias Evident (Destructive impact) |
Bias Evident |
Recommended For Use |
|
Gender
Bias |
|
|
|
|
Race
Bias |
|
|
|
|
Disability
Bias |
|
|
|
|
Age
Bias |
|
|
|
|
Sexual
Orientation Bias |
|
|
|
|
Cultural
Bias |
|
|
|
|
|
No |
Needs minor revisions |
Recommended |
|
Appropriateness |
|
|
|
|
Accuracy |
|
|
|
|
Validity |
|
|
|
|
Data is
original. |
|
|
|
*Teacher
Note
A bias
may be favourable or unfavourable: bias in favour of or against an idea.
Nevertheless bias alters an individual’s judgement. Prejudice is a preconceived
opinion even more unreasoning than bias and usually implies an unfavourable
opinion.
Electronic Presentation Rubric
|
Criteria |
Level 1 |
Level 2 |
Level 3 |
Level 4 |
|
Knowledge/Understanding |
||||
|
Knowledge
of facts and terms Expectation: |
-
demonstrates limited knowledge of facts and terms |
-
demonstrates some knowledge of facts
and terms |
-
demonstrates considerable knowledge of facts and terms |
-
demonstrates thorough insightful
knowledge of facts and terms |
|
Understanding
of concepts, principles, and theories Expectation: |
-
demonstrates limited ability to identify and explain content on topic |
-
demonstrates some ability to identify and explain content on topic |
-
demonstrates considerable ability to explain content on topic |
-
demonstrates through ability to explain all aspects of content on topic |
|
Thinking/Inquiry |
||||
|
Critical
and creative thinking skills (e.g., to identify the problem, topic, issue,
explore alternative, collect the data) Expectation: |
-
demonstrates limited ability to use specific strategies to gather information
and generate ideas for a presentation |
-
demonstrates some ability to use specific strategies to gather information
and to generate ideas for a presentation |
-
demonstrates considerable ability to use specific strategies to gather
information and to generate ideas for a presentation |
-
demonstrates considerable ability to use specific strategies to gather
information and to generate ideas for a presentation |
|
Application |
||||
|
Application
of concepts, skills, and procedures in familiar (to new) contexts Expectation: |
-
demonstrates limited ability to use an
organizational pattern to structure ideas for a presentation |
-
demonstrates some ability to use an
organizational pattern to structure ideas for a presentation |
-
demonstrates considerable ability to use an organizational pattern to
structure ideas for a presentation |
-
demonstrates a high degree of ability to use an organizational pattern to structure
ideas for a presentation |
|
Use of
equipment, materials and technology Expectation: |
-
demonstrates limited ability to use strategies for style, text, background,
timing or transitions |
-
demonstrates limited ability to use strategies for style, text, background,
timing or transitions |
-
demonstrates limited ability to use strategies for style, text, background,
timing or transitions |
-
demonstrates limited ability to use strategies for style, text, background,
timing or transitions |
Note: Space is provided to include the
specific expectation related to the assignment.
Note: A student whose achievement is below
level 1 (50%) has not met the expectations for this assignment or activity.
Time: 585 minutes
Students
will produce three webpages: a simple teacher prescribed page covering the
basics; the second webpage is a group activity using the information presented
in the electronic presentation in Activity 3 as content with increased
complexity of design; the final webpage is an individual open ended webpage
project on a variety of business topics.
Strand(s): Electronic Research & Communication, Software
Applications & Information Management
Overall
Expectations
ERV.02 -
determine the validity of electronic information;
ERV.03 -
demonstrate the use of electronic communication tools;
SIV.01 -
demonstrate an understanding of the advanced functions and features of common
business software;
SIV.02 -
produce complex documents that meet business standards using accepted business
formats.
Specific
Expectations
ER2.01 -
assess information collected from electronic media for validity, bias, appropriateness,
accuracy, and confidentiality;
ER2.02 -
follow copyright and licensing rules and regulations when accessing information
electronically;
ER2.03 -
demonstrate an understanding of the issues related to the use and misuse of
electronic research data;
ER3.05 -
communicate with others by using electronic tools;
SI1.01 -
demonstrate the use of common business software;
SI2.03 -
organize their work, taking into consideration priorities, the quality of the
documents, and time management.
·
Arrange
for the use of an Internet-capable lab for approximately eight periods.
·
Arrange
for a broadcast tool such as a computer projector, or encoder and TV set.
·
Locate
site(s) for school graphic, sport images, club lists.
·
Arrange
for a speaker from a webpage design firm. An alternative is an e-mail
conference with a webpage designer.
·
Search
for a clearly biased site that would be appropriate for classroom use.
·
Prior
to creating the webpage, the teacher and students should evaluate a variety of
websites using the Appendix 3.4.1 – Website Assessor. This will familiarize the
student with the Website Assessor and supply criteria to consider when
developing websites.
·
The
teacher using the broadcast tool available; software to produce webpages; and a
browser, to introduces a simple webpage.
·
The
teacher working with a broadcast tool moves through the steps for a basic
webpage. The students follow along on their computers duplicating the
teacher-demonstrated steps.
·
This
simple page could start with the school name. Add a school graphic.
·
Establish
sub-headings with links, e.g., sports, clubs, and insert an image to go with
each.
·
List
the sports and clubs.
·
Use
HTML to teach colour codes and font sizes.
·
Review
the software to produce webpages. Use another piece of software other than the
one used in Activity 3.4.1, or another piece of WYSIWYG (what you see is what
you get) software.
·
Using
the information from electronic presentation (from Activity 3.3), groups create
a website.
·
There
must be at least three and not more than four pages to the site.
·
There
must be a splash page (opening page) with links to the other two to three pages.
·
There
must be appropriate graphics (possibly from the electronic presentation) on
each page
·
More
techniques will be used than in Activity 3.4.1. Some suggestions are: more than
one heading style; frames; table; bullet or numbered list; change of font;
breaks and horizontal lines; changing the background; links back to the various
pages on every page.
·
The
teacher chooses a series of business-related or general interest topics.
·
Students
produce a webpage individually.
·
There
must be at least three pages to the site.
·
There
must be a splash page (opening page) with links to the other two to three
pages.
·
There
must be appropriate graphics.
·
There
must be an ordered or unordered list, table; change of font; breaks and
horizontal lines; changing the background; links back to the various pages on
every page.
·
More
techniques could be incorporated such as frames, graphics for links, rollovers
for links, image maps and animated graphics.
·
Self-/Peer
assessments of the webpage (Activity 3.4.2) that function as a review of both
the process and the product. Product rubric, Appendix 3.4.1 – Website Assessor.
·
Self-/Teacher
assessment (Appendix 3.3.2.C – Electronic Presentation Rubric).
Extension
activity: Design a webpage using forms and a program such as JavaScript.
Alternative
Strategies:
·
Ensure
that special needs students are in a grouping where a particular student can
assist them.
·
Students
can assess a variety of existing websites using the Website Assessor.
·
For
further strategies see Accommodations section in the overview.
Media
Awareness Network www.media-awareness.ca/eng/webaware/home.htm an excellent
site that teaches Internet users how to critically assess websites.
Learning
And Using Netscape Composer. How to build webpages with Netscape composer.
http://www.bama.ua.edu/%7eray011/composer.htm
Html
Tutorials -This website, created John C. Gilson, a Mathematics Department Head
at Pauline Johnson Collegiate in Brantford, teaches people to design their own
websites. -
http://www.bfree.on.ca/HTML
Note: All of these points may not be included in a student website. Assess the
appropriate criteria only.
Keep the
additional points in mind when developing future websites.
Points to
consider when you are assessing the usefulness and reliability of a Website:
Source
·
Where
does the information come from?
·
How
credible is the source?
·
In
what way was the information gathered?
Organization
·
Is
the information well organized?
·
Is
the information logically presented?
·
Is
it easy to find specific data?
Appropriateness
·
Is
the depth and breath of the information on the site appropriate to the age and
experience level?
Type of
site
·
If
it is a commercial site, do you know who sponsors it?
·
Is
the site designed to inform or lead you to specific products and services?
Up-to-date
·
Is
the information timely and relevant?
·
When
was the most recent information posted?
Links
·
Does
it offer links to other sites to facilitate research?
Text
·
Is
the text easy to read (easy on the eyes)?
·
Is
the text an appropriate size?
·
Is
there a balance of text type? Too much type in reverse (e.g., white letters on
a black background) can be tiresome.
Graphics
and Illustrations
·
Are
graphics and illustrations helpful?
·
Are
the graphics and illustrations simply slowing down the loading time?
·
Animation
clearly imparts relevant information?
·
Animation
is amusing but not relevant?
Navigation
·
Can
users quickly and easily access the information? Is the site is jammed-packed
with information, but the information is difficult to access?
·
Is
the site awkward to use?
Interactive
·
Does
the site keep you involved and interested?
·
Does
the site allow you to personalize information to fit specific needs and
circumstances?
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