This document provides a rubric for evaluating websites for teaching and learning. The rubric contains 14 criteria for evaluation including design, navigability, authority, bias, citations, dates, content, links, handicapped access, and relevance. Each criteria is rated on a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 being poor and 5 being excellent. Websites that score a 4 or higher in most criteria are considered suitable for teaching and learning. This rubric can be used to systematically evaluate websites for instructional purposes.

1. 248 PART II Applying Technologies for Effective Instruction www.ablongman.com/lever-duffy
TABLE 8.1 WEB SITE EVALUATION RUBRIC
SITE NAME:
URL:
AREA/CONTENT OF SITE:
COMMENTS:
Using each of the criteria below, evaluate the usefulness of this web site for teaching and learning. For each dimension in the
rubric, check the box that best reflects your opinion. Select web sites that score 4 or higher in the most dimensions.
This and other downloadable forms and templates can be found on the Companion Website at www.ablongman.com/lever-duffy.
EVALUATION CRITERIA
1 2 3 4 5
Below Above
Dimension Poor Average Average Average Excellent
Design Poorly organized; Organization some- Organization accept- Good organization; Excellent organization;
contains obvious what confusing; some able; no obvious no errors; loads clear and free of errors;
errors; loads slowly errors; loads slowly errors; loads ade- quickly loads quickly and
quately completely
Navigability Difficult to find and Navigation links vis- Navigation links clear Navigation links clear Navigation logical and
follow site navigation ible but somewhat and readily available and logical; site map clear; site map and
links confusing included search engine available
Authority Unclear who Author name and Author name, contact Author name, contact Well-regarded author
authored the site contact information information, and information, full provides all necessary
included; but cre- some credential info credentials included information; site is
dentials lacking included linked to by others
Bias Site attempts to per- Site presents facts, Site is mostly neutral; Site contains no Site presents multiple
suade or sell views but some bias is selling pages are attempts to sell or viewpoints with no
evident segregated persuade bias
Citations No citations are evi- Citations are included All sources include All sources are All sources properly
dent on some sources but brief citations, but site properly cited with cited, full bibliography,
not all lacks bibliography site bibliography with active links
Dates No dates evident Site contains creation Site contains both Site contains dates for Site contains creation,
date but no dates for creation and dates creation and update update, and data col-
update information for update information information and lection dates for all key
some dates relating to information
data colllection
Content Data quality is ques- Data quality appears Data is adequate in Data quality is estab- Data quality is un-
tionable, and quan- adequate, limited quality and quantity lished, and quantity questioned, and quan-
tity is limited quantity is sufficient for tity provides excellent
coverage coverage
Links Few relevant working Adequate number of Sufficient number of A good variety of use- Active links to wide
links included links, but many no links, and all are ful, active links variety of excellent
longer functional functional sites
Handicapped No options available Some pages on site Site offers text-only Site offers clear Site includes handi-
access for handicapped offer text-only option option on all pages options for handi- capped options on all
capped pages and links to
support software
Relevance Site does not meet Site meets some Instructional objectives Site exceeds most Site exceeds all
instructional objec- aspects of instruc- are adequately met objectives require- instructional objectives
tives tional objectives ments