Critical Evaluation of Scientific Websites by High School Students

Abstract

This study describes an instructional intervention in which high school biology students Jeamed to develop criteria for critically evaluating science Websites and scientific information contained in them. Results indicated that the process of leaming to critically evaluate Websites was what was most valuable to them. Students' Jists of criteria for critically evaluating Websites were more extensive after instruction. Furthermore, the majority of students reported leaming something new, indicated that they would spendmoretime evaluating scientific information on Websites, and reported increased confidence in their ability to evaluate scientific information on the Web.