Knowing quality when you see it
A National School Board Association publication addressed the importance of locating “quality” websites and recommended that educators and students develop search and evaluation skills to avoid becoming “overwhelmed by the pointless, the prurient, and the perilous” (Abdal-Haqq, 2001). We could point to many articles, chapters, and books that combine comments on the tremendous educational potential of the Internet with similar cautions regarding the variable quality and appropriateness of some online information. It is a confusing combination of messages that may leave educators wondering whether web resources have a place in the classroom.
Of course, the real world of information has never been a perfect place. There have always been hucksters selling copper bracelets to cure arthritis and scholars who have somehow parlayed their admitted scientific expertise in one area into an opportunity to publish pseudoscientific or outrageous positions on completely unrelated topics. Misleading and inaccurate information sources did not originate with the Internet. Extreme examples, such as websites denying the reality of the Holocaust or explaining the virtues of the Aryan Brotherhood, generate concern among parents and educators, but the problem of slanted, deceptive, or self-serving communication is much more general. For young people, the pervasive influence of television and magazine advertising in shaping inappropriate values and encouraging pointless consumerism represents a more serious “information” problem. Many of the information sources we encounter outside the school environment are intended to persuade us to make certain consumer, political, or personal decisions, and the individuals or organizations offering this information have no obligation to be objective or fair.
Assuming you have accepted our claims that the quality of Internet information is both a concern and an opportunity, how can you maximize your students’ opportunities for authentic inquiry while minimizing the risk that they will be seriously misled? Let’s consider the tools and criteria for screening web sources.
Editorial Review and Screening of Internet Resources
While there are few barriers to making information available on the Web, there are ways to screen or filter information that students access.
Filtering software - Many schools have invested in filtering software. This software, which works primarily by refusing to allow browsers to access material from certain targeted sites, is useful as a way to block access to objectionable material. The companies selling this software continually update their list of potentially offensive sites and make these revised lists available to schools that have purchased the software.
Our focus here is on the more general issues of information quality and educational suitability. For these purposes, blocking objectionable sites is not sufficient. If you want your students to access only educationally appropriate material, you can use the resources described in the following sections.
Searching a Database of Reviewed Sites - In our description of Internet directories, we explain that directories are compiled and organized by human editors and that the online database developed from this review process is often searchable. In some cases, the selection process includes the criterion that the resource must be appropriate for K–12 students. Searchable databases of web resources are provided as a service by commercial search sites (such as Ask For Kids) and sometimes as the product of a funded program to identify web resources for K–12 students (for instance, KidsClick!).
Using Resources Identified by an Educational Portal - The basic idea of a portal is to consolidate access to important information resources and services within a single online location. The intent is to encourage users to connect to a single site that provides them with what they need to do their work and meet their personal needs. Commercial sites such as Google, Yahoo! and America Online would like you to use them as a portal because their business model depends on a high volume of users. An educational portal attempts to achieve somewhat the same objectives for educational resources and tasks.
Some educational portals try to offer such valuable resources that school districts will pay a subscription fee for students and teachers to have access. Others are subsidized by advertising, federal grants, or organizations willing to support educational services. Educational portals may either generate educational materials or develop lists of existing online resources appropriate for educational purposes. Either way, it is in the best interest of educational portals to be associated with quality web content. Example - ProQuest K–12.
Digitized Primary Sources from Reputable Institutions - If the Internet were not available, what might classroom teachers use as primary sources? Obviously, it would depend on the subject area, but teachers would likely use traditional library resources such as books, newspapers, and magazines. History teachers might take their students to a local museum to examine artifacts, and biology teachers might take their students to a zoo. Teachers probably trust the credibility of these resources because of the sponsorship of a reputable institution (publisher, museum, zoo).
Many such reputable institutions are working to make their resources available through the Internet. Most major newspapers and many magazines offer their content directly or through subscription services. For example, OnlineNewspapers.com offers links to thousands of newspapers throughout the world, providing many sources that are probably not available in your school library. If your class is studying the weather, you can access weather maps, satellite images, data such as pressure, wind direction, temperature, and much more directly from the National Weather Service. Major museums are also offering digitized versions of resources for public inspection. The Smithsonian’s American Memories Collection is a great example. Ironically, you can view many resources online that you would not have access to if you were to visit the museums.
The commitment to expanding access to digital data and artifacts is going to increase. The National Science Foundation is putting millions of dollars into the Digital Libraries Initiative to make a wide range of resources freely available. Everyone from university scholars to fourth-grade students will have access.
So, one effective strategy for locating quality information resources is to connect through websites maintained by institutions or organizations you already trust.