ERIC Number: ED509508
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2008-Dec
Pages: 42
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
21st Century Teaching and Learning: An Assessment of Student Website Evaluation Skills
Pinkham, Caroline; Wintle, Sarah E.; Silvernail, David L.
Center for Education Policy, Applied Research, and Evaluation
Over the past 20 years, the amount of information available to students via the Internet has increased dramatically. Access for students to technological resources used to locate information on the Internet has likewise increased. As a result, teachers are now being asked to teach students important 21st Century Skills, including the ability to effectively evaluate website resources. During fall 2007, administrators and teachers from Sanford Junior High School collaborated on a research project with staff from the Center for Education Policy, Applied Research, and Evaluation at the University of Southern Maine aimed at enhancing students' ability to effectively evaluate websites. Benchmarks for knowledge were created by project staff and were distributed to all science teachers. Those teachers then used the benchmarks to create their own content and methods for teaching the material. This project focused on instruction of students in 7th and 8th grade science classes because all of those students had access to their own laptop computer. Pre- and post-assessments were administered to all students participating in the project. Results revealed that students made improvements in their ability to evaluate website resources. Six appendices are included: (1) Project timeline and tasks; (2) Supplemental websites; (3) Description of websites; (4) Pre- and post-assessment instrument; (5) Assessment scoring rubric; and (6) Additional results analysis. (Contains 1 table.)
Descriptors: Scoring Rubrics, Program Effectiveness, Science Teachers, Grade 8, Internet, Web Sites, Benchmarking, Grade 7, Laptop Computers, Pretests Posttests, Media Literacy, Information Literacy, Evaluation Criteria, Curriculum Implementation, Instructional Effectiveness, Evaluation Methods, College School Cooperation
Center for Education Policy, Applied Research, and Evaluation. University of Southern Maine, 37 College Avenue, Gorham, ME 04038. Tel: 888-800-5044; Tel: 207-780-5044; Fax: 207-228-8143; e-mail: cepare@usm.maine.edu; Web site: http://www.cepare.usm.maine.edu
Publication Type: Reports - Evaluative; Tests/Questionnaires
Education Level: Elementary Secondary Education; Grade 7; Grade 8; Junior High Schools
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: University of Southern Maine, Center for Education Policy, Applied Research, and Evaluation
Identifiers - Location: Maine
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A