The vastness of internet resources has posed an issue with establishing validity and accuracy of information. Anybody can post information, ideas and resources to the internet. With that in mind, not everybody can be trusted to provide content on the internet that is valid, accurate, unbiased, and in the end, educational.
For educators in our school district, independent research for websites to use in the classroom is a common practice. However, what guidelines are they using to validate the information they are finding? Are guidelines even necessary for educators who should be aware of the importance of establishing validity and accuracy on the internet? A policy regarding guidelines for educators to establish validity and accuracy of internet resources is something the school district should consider adopting. The structure of the guidelines is something that needs specific consideration. Two possible structures for the district to consider are educators following a standard set of guidelines or educators establishing their own guidelines to fit the needs of their classroom.
Benefits associated with a standard set of guidelines for all district employees to follow include the establishment of only one system, reflection by employees can be shared and easily related, and educators have the option expand the guidelines to fit their own needs. A disadvantage with one set of guidelines is the lack of specific clarifications with room for interpretation.
Elizabeth E. Kirk of the Sheridan Libraries at John Hopkins University prefaces the need for accuracy and validity guidelines with the following quote: “When you use a research or academic library, the books, journals and other resources have already been evaluated by scholars, publishers and librarians. When you are using the World Wide Web, none of this applies. Excellent resources reside along side the most dubious.” With this in mind, a second thought regarding the establishment of a district policy on validity and accuracy of internet resources is whether or not to structuralize the resources. In other words, is it necessary for the school district to mandate the use of educational databases or to what extent should the entire internet be utilized?
Benefits with educational databases are the consistency of peer review by highly educated professionals, as well as, the variety of publishing dates associated with the information. Historical records and newly reviewed information can both be found within educational databases. Disadvantages are the terminology and depth of information is at a level that is sometimes well above the students’ level of understanding. Time and effort to clarify the information will be necessary in these cases. As for the World Wide Web, the advantages lie in the variety of resources available. Audio and visual aids, as well as, informative websites can be utilized for a variety of educational needs. The disadvantages occur with the obvious need to spend time evaluating and comparing the material with several other sources to check the validity of a website.
The school district’s policy on establishing the validity and accuracy of web resources by its educators is important to consider. The major issues involved are the amount of autonomy educators will maintain when researching resources, as well as, what types of resources should be available. A system for educators to follow will allow for the issue of validity and accuracy within web resources to become a concern for students as they build skills and determine their interests.
References:
1. Elizabeth, Kirk. Evaluating Information Found on the Internet John Hopkins University, 1996. Web. 29 Oct. 2009
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