Website Evaluation
First Impression Notes
“Scribd” website is a student-friendly site, in the sense that it stores millions of documents that can be used by students in their research works. The website aims to liberate the written word, and in this regard, it has been able to avail thousands of documents (in the written word) to be shared by millions of readers worldwide (Scribd Inc, 2011, p. 1). Furthermore, the documents available on the website are comprehensive in nature.
Therefore, students can easily research the details of their chosen study topic (Scribd Inc, 2011, p. 1). In this respect, I find the website very interesting because besides having a lot of information regarding different subject areas; it also possesses information in several formats, including books (non-fiction and fiction), presentations, guide manuals, school works, magazines, newspapers, brochures and similar documents (Scribd Inc, 2011, p. 1).
The website is related to my unit of study. It is equally important to the body of knowledge I research since it contains thousands of documents from my field of study (pedagogy). However, accessing this document sometimes takes longer than usual because the documents to be opened are large documents. Moreover, the numerous adverts that pop up during browsing hinder the achievement of the ultimate browsing speed. However, the website’s links work perfectly, and in this regard, they redirect the user to the intended target location at a good speed. In this respect, I feel comfortable navigating through the site, and in the same regard, my confidence in the website is equally high.
Web Assessment
- Site URL.
- Site Title: Scribd
The usefulness of the site
Scribd is a very useful website because it allows for the free exchange of information among different users. I find the website very interesting and useful because I can get a variety of information from the website, including entertainment, educational information, and authentic documents. The website is also useful to me because mobile content can also be shared in the same manner as other digital content.
Moreover, users do not experience authorization barriers before reading the documents since several people worldwide can easily use the website’s contents. This means that the website acts as an online library, based on the fact that it completely revolutionizes publishing by making it democratic (Scribd Inc, 2011, p. 1). Moreover, document formats such as pdf, PowerPoint presentations, word documents, and the likes can be found. This means that I can get information in whatever format I please, and equally, I can share useful information about my research findings with my colleagues or peers.
- Does the data appear to be up to date and correct? Yes.
- Are there any links that may get students lost or confused? No.
- Must students log in or use a password? No.
- Will they be asked for any personal information? No.
- Incorporating Curriculum Rules, Standards, Benchmarks and Objectives
- Unit of Study to connect with: Pedagogy
- Subjects to incorporate: education, philosophy, information technology.
- Specific skills to tie in with this link: Analysis, research, and multitasking.
- The specific outcome of visiting the site: After visiting the Scribd website, I establish a sense of confidence in undertaking my research papers. In the same regard, I feel contented by the volume and quality of the site’s information. I establish these sentiments based on the fact that Scribd stands out as the most reliable site where I can get authentic and credible research data, based on its high-quality data.
Curriculum Standards/ Objectives
- To understand the structural features of information sources such as newspapers, essays, pdf documents, and the likes.
- To develop research skills in writing research responses and expound on different fields of study.
- To comprehend how to organize and deliver oral communication.
- To understand existing technological speaking applications.
- To comprehend international teaching standards.
How long can it take to introduce the site: it can take me 15 minutes to introduce it.
How will students work: Students will work in small groups
How many sessions or visits to the site do you anticipate scheduling: I anticipate making five visits to the site in every class discussion or research topic that has to be studied.
Will you need the lab, or can the session be conducted in the classroom: I need the lab to carry out the study sessions because I will need the internet to access the website content.
What is the backup plan if the Internet connection fails: If the internet connection fails, I plan to use a portable internet modem to stay connected to the internet.
What is the extension activity for advanced students: The extension activity for advanced students will be undertaking physical library research to ascertain the credibility of information obtained through the website. Students will also be required to undertake group discussions to further complement the understanding of the skills studied in class.
Assessment: With regards to the lesson outcome, positive outcomes were registered, in a sense that; students understood what was taught, and in equal measure, they were able to apply what was taught. Moreover, the students understood the subjects taught, and to this extent, the learning objectives were easily attained.
However, there were instances where I had a rough idea of the learning outcomes I expected to achieve and the teaching methodologies that were going to be applied to realize the same outcomes; but, in such instances, I was often faced with the dilemma of clearly defining the learning objective. However, I established that questioning the learning outcome was an enriching process, especially in establishing why the students had to learn what was taught. In this regard, I established that the process was enriching for the students and the instructor, in the same measure.
Notes to yourself: It is always important to test the objective of undertaking a teaching exercise because it can easily uncover a bigger idea, which will enable students to find the learning experience more enriching and worthwhile. No guarantee evaluating one’s objective of doing something will make it more interesting, but it easily provides an appropriate guideline or rationale for undertaking the teaching process.
Importance of Website Evaluation in Use of Technology for Independent Study
A website’s usability greatly depends on its ease in navigation and its general functionality to provide its users with a rich learning experience (North Central Regional Educational Laboratory, 2005, p. 7). For this reason, Scribd is cited in this study as an appropriate website for student learning because it has an efficient site structure and lacks navigational blocks to enable students to easily carry out independent studies with the guarantee of attaining the right results.
It is also for this reason that many internet users (about 83%) are known to leave a website because it is difficult to get the required information; or similarly, they are subjected to too many clicks before they get the right information (North Central Regional Educational Laboratory, 2005, p. 7).
The use of technology in learning is therefore greatly boosted by appropriate websites of study such as Scribd because they are designed to suit the end user’s need – which is at the core of the use of technology in learning. For students to develop a high order skill in thinking and creativity, they ought to be exposed to numerous literature volumes that challenge their minds and expose them to numerous volumes of research material that expound on their thinking (North Central Regional Educational Laboratory, 2005, p. 7).
It is for this reason that technology plays a crucial role in the learning process, and it is also from the same rationale that a good website plays a critical role in the student learning process. From this understanding, websites that contain numerous volumes of information are the best for carrying out independent studies. Scribd stands at the center of this objective because it is equipped with numerous pieces of information that can effectively provide dynamic perspectives of teaching and learning to students to enrich their learning experience (North Central Regional Educational Laboratory, 2005, p. 7).
Technology has also been known to complement the teacher’s efforts in learning because students can easily undertake their independent learning objectives. From the virtual learning environment, students are exposed through websites and other technological means, and in the same measure, students can complement what they have learned in the natural learning environment. In this regard, good websites broaden the students’ learning experience beyond the classroom context.
From this understanding, Scribd stands as a good learning tool for students to carry out their own independent research studies (North Central Regional Educational Laboratory, 2005, p. 7). The website can sufficiently enable students to effectively attain their learning objectives because it contains complementary information regarding various learning topics that are not covered by the instructor, or in some cases, the instructor abstractly covers them. In this regard, students can easily use technology to complement their learning activities.
References
North Central Regional Educational Laboratory. (2005). Critical Issue: Using Technology to Improve Student Achievement. Web.
Scribd Inc. (2011). About Scribd. Web.