WEB LITERACY
What is true online, and how do you know?
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EPISTEMOLOGY
Epistemology is the theory of knowledge.
Epistemology is the investigation of what distinguishes justified belief from opinion.
Epistemology is the study of how we know what is true.
How do you demonstrate what is true in geometry?
How do you demonstrate what is true in physics or any other science?
How do you demonstrate what is true in history?
In English?
On the Internet, it is often difficult to determine what is true.
It’s every Internet user’s job to figure it out!
How Did It Start?
• ARPANET, 1969 (Advanced Research Projects Agency)
• DARPANET, 1973 (Defense Advanced Research Projects
Agency)
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How can computer networks communicate with each other over vast distances?
Developed the computer engineering protocols that formed the foundation of the Internet
Cold War Technology
Designed for the military, the government, and research universities, NOT businesses or
average users
• Tim Berners-Lee, 1989 (CERN)
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HTML: HyperText Markup Language. The publishing format for the Web, including the
ability to format documents and link to other documents and resources.
URI: Uniform Resource Identifier. A kind of “address” that is unique to each resource on
the Web.
HTTP: Hypertext Transfer Protocol. Allows for the retrieval of linked resources from across
the Web.
The first browser!
Why Does it Matter?
• Audience—Who was it designed for?
• Cold War—What happens in the event of
a nuclear attack?
• Authority—Who is in charge of the
content?
Beginning Vocabulary…
• Internet:
– A world wide interconnection of computer systems
that are able to communicate with each other
• Internet Browser:
– Software your computer uses to communicate with the
Internet
• Search Engines:
– site on the World Wide Web that uses software to
locate keywords in other sites
• URL (Uniform Resource Locators)
– internet addresses that you see on top of your web
browser
Which Domains are Most Reliable?
Reliability of Domain Name
Extensions
• Anyone can purchase a .com, .net, .org
• .gov, .edu, and .mil are usually reliable
• Country Codes: .us, .uk, .de
– Vanity URL shorteners
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nyti.ms (Montserrat)
es.pn (Pitcairn Islands)
youtu.be (Belgium)
Which Domains are Most Reliable?
.gov
• Federal, state, and local government web sites
have excellent information. All U.S. federal
government sites end in .gov.
• States can use .gov or .us or both New Jersey
sites include state.nj.us and nj.gov
• All U.S. military sites end in .mil, including
navy.mil and army.mil
Which Domains are Most Reliable?
.edu
• College and university websites are also reliable.
Their URLs end in .edu
• Professors’ pages, centers for the study of particular
subjects, research institutions within universities.
• But be careful! Students post web sites with .edu
endings, too, because universities give them free
server space.
Which Domains are Most Reliable?
• Organizations using .org often post good
information.
• However, .org sites are only as good as the
organizations they represent. If you know and
trust the organization (for example, the American Cancer
Society), then you can trust the website. If not, be
careful!
• Although .org URLs were intended for nonprofits,
anyone can purchase a .org site!
Which Domains are Most Reliable?
• Other types of pages should be eyed with a
reporter's caution. This goes for commercial
sites ending in .com, .net, and .biz, and any
personal home pages (such as those ending in
.name or .me).
• Most U.S. news sites end in .com, and their
Web information is as reliable as that
published in their traditional print or
broadcast sister publications.
How Can We Customize Our Search?
Be specific!
Many people type one or two keywords and just take whatever
comes up first in Google. This is a poor search strategy. What
comes up first can vary from minute to minute!
Instead, try to type a string of words, including “” for exact
phrases, to try to get to precisely what you are looking for.
For example, instead of just searching <<Thermodynamics>>,
try
<<“Second Law of Thermodynamics” simple explanation
video>>
How Can We Customize Our Search?
• Boolean Operator - symbol or word used in
computer programs and searches to show what
is or is not included
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AND or +: requires all terms in any order
NOT or –: excludes records with specified term
“ ”: requires all terms in order specified
OR: requires at least one of the terms
WITH: requires the terms in the same sentence
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www.google.com
How Does Google Order Your Results?
PageRank
• Google’s algorithm to determine which of the
sites that match your you see first, second,
third, etc.
• Each search engine uses its own algorithm
• Sergey Brin and Larry Page’s insight about
which pages should rise to the top.
• Do you know?
How Does Google Order Your Results?
(Close the pop-up window when you are done
ABC’s of Web Literacy
The ABC’s of Web Literacy
• Author/Authority
• Accuracy
• Bias
• Currency
• Coverage
Credibility of the AUTHOR
• Who is the author? Do they know what
they are talking about? How can you tell?
Go to ihr.org
Look at the home page. How
does it look?
Go to the About page.
Click on the info about the
founder.
Then, Google “Mark Weber”
Who is he really?
What is ACCURATE?
• Accuracy: It is important to determine
the accuracy of information on the web.
• How can we do that?
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Can you verify the information the author
uses?
Does the document rely on other sources
cited?
If it's original research, is the methodology
or the way the data was gathered clearly
explained?
Let’s Evaluate the AUTHOR & ACCURACY
• What is a WIKI?
– A page that anyone can make changes to
– Wikipedia – is an attempt at an encyclopedia constructed
as a “wiki” model
• Should we trust Wikipedia?
– Wikipedia entries are written by volunteers of all ages and
backgrounds
– Difficult to determine who is responsible for what
information
– It’s a good starting point
Let’s Check it out - http://www.wikipedia.org/
Is the site reliable?
Bias: Does the author show favor for or against one thing,
person or group?
• Do Now: Use the Internet to provide answers to the
following. Note the site you are using and why you think it
is an accurate one.
– How I can lose 10 pounds QUICKLY!!!
– Should marijuana be legalized in NJ?
• What made you think the sites you found were reliable or
not?
• Three steps to analyzing web page Bias:
1. Is the site trying to sell you a product, service, or idea?
2. Is information on the site documented with
references?
3. Is the information balanced?
Is the Information Relevant Anymore?
• Currency: What is the date on the
website or article you are looking at?
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For what information is currency important?
How old is the information you are looking at?
Is it frequently updated?
Does the Site COVER Everything?
Coverage: how complete is the
information?
Why is the Sky Blue?
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/astro
nomy/planets/earth/Skyblue.shtml
http://spaceplace.nasa.gov/blue-sky/
http://science.howstuffworks.com/nature/climateweather/atmospheric/sky.htm
http://www.physicsclassroom.com/class/light/u12l2
f.cfm
Does the Site COVER Everything?
Coverage: how complete is the
information on the website found
• Levels of Information - audience level
• Depth – not always is a 2 page website
enough
• Breadth – not all sites COVER everything
• Does the site COVER all the ABC’s?
• Can use Internet to help you http://www.wikipedia.org/ - References
Does the Site COVER Everything?
Test Your Knowledge of Searching Skills!
Take out your “Test Your Knowledge of
Searching Skills” homework.
How much did you know?
What do you still need to know?
Creating Your Own RUBRIC
CLASSWORK:
• All students should get into groups/pairs and
develop a RUBRIC (list of criteria/questions)
everyone should ask when evaluating whether a
website is reliable or unreliable.
• Base on what you have learned in this lesson
• Create your RUBRIC in Word – make sure it looks
professional and is easy to use
HOMEWORK:
– Once RUBRIC is created, all students will use their
RUBRIC to critique two websites – one reliable and
one unreliable