Create An Evaluation Tool (Rubric)

The Plan

At the completion of this exercise:

• you will demonstrate your ability to critically examine the quality of a web site by developing a web site evaluation tool.
• you will be able to communicate to others your ideas about what makes a high quality web site and explain how you would evaluate a site.

Activities

Develop a website evaluation tool. Use the knowledge and perspective gained in the first activity to develop a rubric for measuring the quality of websites. Follow these steps:

Use these three resources: http://www.webpagesthatsuck.com/top-30-web-design-mistakes.html, http://www.cyberbee.com/design.pdf, and http://rubistar.4teachers.org/index.php?screen=NewRubric

1. Pair up and take five minutes to share and discuss the merits and problems of the "good" and "bad" websites chosen in the last activity. One site should be a clear example of good design and one an example of poor design. Discuss specific traits that could be used to evaluate sites.
2. Join another pair and now, in a group of four, review your lists of traits that were generated in step one. Synthesize the lists to no fewer than four but no more than seven general traits that could be used to evaluate most any web site. As much as possible, make each trait discrete and clear. Combine similar traits. Eliminate redundant, obtuse, or invalid traits.
3. Once you reach consensus on the traits, decide on a numeric scale to use for judging how well a website rates for each of the traits.

Create and use your evaluation tool.

1. Use Rubistar to create a rubric for your group.
2. Each member of your group will now evaluate this web site using your Rubric- http://architecture.rice.edu/ (DO NOT TALK TOGETHER ABOUT THIS EVALUATION).
3. Once all members of your group have completed the Rubric for this web site, compare your results and discuss the differences. If one person had a radically different opinion about one or more of the Rubric points, have him explain what his reason is.
4. Reach a consensus for the grade and complete a single rubric for the group.. save it.
5. Now do the same steps (5 through 7) evaluation for this web site: http://www.alpharettafarmersmarket.com/

Email your completed rubric with the names of those who created it to wdrasku@comcast.net.

 You should now be ready to begin your own web site with a new understanding of how others see your work.