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Article
The Impact of Instruction in the WWWDOT Framework on Students’ Disposition and Ability to Evaluate Web Sites as Sources of Information
The Elementary School Journal
  • Shenglan Zhang, Iowa State University
Document Type
Article
Publication Version
Published Version
Publication Date
9-1-2011
DOI
10.1086/660687
Abstract

Much research has demonstrated that students are largely uncritical users of Web sites as sources of information. Research-tested frameworks are needed to increase elementary-age students’ awareness of the need and ability to critically evaluate Web sites as sources of information. This study is a randomized field trial of such a framework called WWWDOT. A matched-pair design involving 12 grade 4 and 5 classes was adopted. Data were collected through 3 assessments administered before and after the intervention: a questionnaire, a Single Web Site Evaluation Task, and a Web Site Ranking Task. ANCOVA and ordinal regression analyses reveal that students taught the WWWDOT framework became more aware of the need to evaluate information on the Internet for credibility and were better able to evaluate the trustworthiness of Web sites on multiple dimensions. However, students’ overall judgment and ranking of the relative trustworthiness of Web sites was not improved.

Comments

This article is from The Elementary School Journal 112 (2011): 132–154, doi:10.1086/660687. Posted with permission.

Copyright Owner
The University of Chicago
Language
en
File Format
application/pdf
Citation Information
Shenglan Zhang. "The Impact of Instruction in the WWWDOT Framework on Students’ Disposition and Ability to Evaluate Web Sites as Sources of Information" The Elementary School Journal Vol. 112 Iss. 1 (2011) p. 132 - 154
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/shenglan_zhang/4/