Teaching Students to Evaluate Websites

Perceptive adults and savvy students know that saying something doesn’t make it a fact, and neither does publishing information on the internet. But how to know which websites are sharing accurate information? As middle and high school students conduct research or access the internet on their own time, they need to be able to determine the accuracy of what they’re reading by reviewing websites with a critical eye.

It’s Easy to Develop a Website

There are many platforms (like GoDaddy and Wix) that allow individuals to easily create professional-quality websites without having to learn HTML coding. That means that anyone with internet access can publish virtually anything on the internet, and with current estimates of 1.145 trillion MB of data being created each day, it’s unwise to assume that everything available on the internet is accurate and truthful. Middle and high school students should learn to review websites for their content, source, and purpose. By becoming educated consumers of information, students will gain a better understanding of what they’re reading and the context.

Becoming a website sleuth is actually quite easy when students know what to look for. Middle and high school students can review three facets of any site to determine the validity and objectivity of what they’re reading or viewing: 1. appearance versus content; 2. source of information; and 3. the website’s purpose. 

Separating Appearance From Content

A site can look polished and professional yet include inaccurate content—or, conversely, it can look imperfect yet disseminate factual information. It’s therefore helpful for students to intellectually separate a website’s look from the information the site is sharing.

Reviewing the Source of Information

It’s important to find out where the information on the website originated by looking at the bottom of its home page or scanning “About Us” or “FAQ.” If an organization authors a site, students should conduct a short review to find out more about the group.

Checking for the Purpose of the Site  

Is the site sharing facts, or is it interpreting them for its readers? An individual conducting research might begin with a website that shares basic information, while registered voters making decisions about candidates might prefer websites that have already sifted through data and share opinions. A site’s purpose will be interconnected with its source.

To determine a site’s purpose:

Promotional or unbiased websites shouldn’t be universally viewed as bad or faulty. In fact, there’s a lot to learn from understanding others’ points of view. Sometimes biased websites are published to present farcical material for entertainment, which can be particularly challenging for students to identify.

Here are a few sites you can use to teach students how to review websites: Aluminum Foil Deflector Beanie, Dihydrogen Monoxide Research, Petrol Direct, Ninja Burger, The Republic of Cascadia.

Once students determine that a website is one they want to access, they should find several others to use for cross-checking information. Confirm by checking various websites, periodicals, and even books: One source is not enough. With the continuous deluge of websites, it’s more important than ever that we teach middle and high school students to critically review the sources of their information.