SPAN 696.Christina Web Eval

SPAN 696
Fall 1998

Web Site Evaluation

Christina Shultz

Approaches to Teaching Modern Languages

Syllabus
Announcements
Homework
Lecture Notes
Unit Plans
Student Homepages
Oral Reports
Course Library
Bibliography

Content educational value:

This web site contains many criteria which make it a worthwhile site to visit for ideas on organization and content. As listed above, this site includes nine main components. Information for students is organized in its various sections. The syllabus includes a table of contents, as well as information regarding the professor. The table of contents allows you to access course information, such as electronic access to the course, course objectives, grading, requirements on grading, homework and various other points. This site also includes project-based learning opportunities such as unit plans and oral presentations. I found the course library and bibliography an especially helpful tool to include in the course site. This feature allows for helpful pointers to other locations which may be of interest to the student or any other interested party. This site contained a lot of useful information, though it lacked in design quality.

Design qualities:

The information on the page was very easily accessible. Every point was laid out in a grid format which allowed you to view all the points at the same time without having to scroll down. Instructions for links, such as the course library and bibliography were also helpful. Access to relevant site documents required few mouse clicks and made getting around the site intuitive. This site included the basics that is essential in designing a web site for an electronic course. I did, however, notice the apparent lack of graphics which would make this site more appealing. Graphics and art do play a part in the over-all feel of a web site, making it an important component. This site did, however, contain some color which added somewhat to the appearance of the site.

Technical qualities:

This site is open to everyone who wishes to view its components.The document did not allow everyone to access lecture notes without an access code. I felt this was an interesting and needed feature to insure integrity. Some of the components did not open. For example, the student homepages were not able to be accessed.

Effective use of communication tools:

This site included two interactive tools for communication. The instructor requires electronic mail in order to communicate any information to students and vice versa. Another communication tool is the web based homework. This component allows communication between students and resources. It would be interesting to add a student to student communication channel, whether it be electronic mail or another form.

JS-Powered Online Web Sites

Salzmann, A. (1996). English verbs mini-quizzes

Exercise type: Fill-in-the-blank

Objectives: Very clear

Instructions: Very clear

Value: Very relevant

Reusability: I would be able to create similar exercises in my own
classroom. I would also be able to modify the language for use in foreign language courses.

Comments: This exercise allows for the student to read the grammatical rules for usage at their own pace and take mini-quizzes to test their comprehension. The only major complaint is with the font used in the spelling rules section. The font is a little hard to read (suggest a larger font or different font).

Last updated: 11/11/98

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Exercise type:	Fill-in-the-blank
Objectives:	Very clear
Instructions:	Very clear
Value:	Very relevant
Reusability:	I would be able to create similar exercises in my own classroom. I would also be able to modify the language for use in foreign language courses.
Comments:	This exercise allows for the student to read the grammatical rules for usage at their own pace and take mini-quizzes to test their comprehension. The only major complaint is with the font used in the spelling rules section. The font is a little hard to read (suggest a larger font or different font).