Module 1: Basic Site Evaluation and Rubric Creation

Module 1: Overview

These two lessons give students a basic understanding of the principles behind effective web site design and implementation.

Module 1: List of lessons:

• Lesson 1: Surveying the Possibilities: (Lesson length 60 - 90 minutes)
  • Description: Before we start creating web pages of our own, we need to decide for ourselves what makes a "good" web site. This lesson opens up the discussion of design principles, how they relate to the relevant rhetorical strategies of purpose, audience and message, as well as technical issues and limitations.
  • Learner Outcomes: At the end of this lesson students will have a basic understanding of the elements and principles of "good" web site design and construction. They will begin to understand that this evaluative term changes in relation to audience, purpose and message.
  • Activity:

  Look over the Surveying the Possibilities assignment sheet and have students begin. As students finish the assignment, have them share what they have found. Prompt students to look at different aspects of web site evaluation if necessary.

  Things to consider:

  • You may want to have a few sites stored on CDROM or a central file server in case the connection to the Internet is down.
  • This assignment may be done in small groups if computer access is limited.
  • It is important that the students come up with the criteria themselves for this initial lesson. Later they can compare their criteria with other students as well as industry standards.

   

  • Resources Needed:
  • Internet access
  • Suggested Assessment:
    • Discussion following the assignment.
    • This assignment may be graded separately from the module.

     

• Lesson 2: Developing a Web Site Evaluation Tool -- part one (Lesson length 60 - 90 minutes)
  • Description: We have had a discussion about principles of "good" web design, and made some basic decisions concerning what we feel makes a web site effective. Using this information, students will now construct a web site evaluation rubric and defend it in a short presentation to the class.
  • Learner Outcomes: At the end of this lesson students will have constructed a preliminary web site evaluation tool, and presented it to the class.
  • Activity: Give the students an overview of the assignment and a timeline for completion of the presentation. This project is best done in small groups, possibly formed from the previous lesson.
    1. Developing a Web Site Evaluation Tool -- part one
  • Handout/Resources Needed:
    • Presentation software (PowerPoint)
  • Suggested Assessment:
    • Assess presentations and resulting discussion.

     

• Lesson 3: Developing a Web Site Evaluation Tool -- part two (Lesson length 60 - 90 minutes)
  • Description: Now that the class has carefully examined possible student generated rubrics it's time to create and test a rubric that may be used to evaluate all student web sites for the remainder of the course. It is best if this is student generated document using the traits and descriptors that they presented in lesson two, but the final decision may need guidance to avoid redundant traits, or big holes in evaluation categories.
  • Learner Outcomes: Students will have critically examined and evaluated self-designed rubrics and created a web page evaluation tool. They will have reinforced design principles necessary for creating effective web pages later in the course.
  • Activity:
  • On the white board, projection system or overhead create a table and have the class hammer out the details of traits and descriptors to be used in this class web site evaluation tool.
  • Handout/Resources Needed:
    • Internet access
  • Suggested Assessment: Have the students end the lesson by testing the rubric against a series of previously chosen sites, and evaluating the rubric for any necessary revision.