GIRLSTECH:

Guidelines for Web Site Evaluation

 

 

CONFIDENCE

 

Choose web sites that encourage and support young women’s skills and abilities.  Sites that exhibit strong confidence can counteract gender-related self-doubt.

 

 

1.      Does the web site use a tone of respect in regard to users’ abilities?

 

2.      Does it support and nurture young women’s confidence in themselves and in their abilities?

 

 

 

COLLABORATION

 

Select web sites that encourage young women to work together, enabling them to explore and learn in pairs or small groups.

 

 

1.      Does the web site encourage exploration and inductive learning?

 

2.      Does it lend itself easily to small-group use?

 

 

 

PERSONAL IDENTIFICATION

 

Opt for web sites that relate to the users’ personal lives, such as selecting New Jersey-related web sites to recommend to young women from New Jersey.

 

 

1.      Is it likely that your target audience will find a connection between their personal lives and the content of the web site?

 

2.      Does the site encourage role-playing?

 

CONTEXTUALITY

 

Seek web sites that present information in narrative or story form.  Avoid sites that simply list data in chart, graph, or almanac form.

 

 

1.      Are information contexts (histories, stories, explanations, backgrounds, etc.) emphasized?

 

2.      Is information presented in story format?

 

3.      Does the web site encourage contemplation and interpretation?

 

 

 

FLEXIBILITY/MOTILITY

 

Search for web sites that enable users to follow their own navigational paths, as well as sites that enable users to move objects around the screen space.

 

 

1.      Does the web site allow the user to select from numerous navigational paths?

 

2.      Does the web site allow the user to rearrange the physical placement of objects on the screen?

 

3.      Does the site encourage extended exploration?

 

4.      Do questions and problems embedded within the site have multiple solutions?

 

 

 

SOCIAL CONNECTIVITY

 

Give preference to web sites that connect users to other people, such as sites that enable small group discussions or sites that enable interaction with other users.

 

 

1.      Does the web site emphasize the importance of its topic matter to human relationships?

 

 

2.      Is there a method for contacting other people, such as a chat room for speaking to experts, or an email address for obtaining further information?

 

 

 

INCLUSION

 

Choose web sites that represent people of as many diverse racial, ethnic, and gender groups as possible.

 

 

1.      Are women and men represented in roughly equal numbers in narrative, graphic, audio, and video content?

 

2.      Are people of diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds depicted?

 

3.      When women and members of other marginalized groups are represented, are they represented in positions of respect and influence?

 

 

 

 

GRAPHIC/MULTIMEDIA CONCENTRATION

 

Look for web sites with large percentages of high-quality graphic, audio, and video content.

 

 

1.      Is there a relatively high percentage of graphic and multimedia content?

 

2.      Are the graphics clear and easy to understand?

 

3.      Are the graphic, audio, and video components of high quality?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For more information, visit the GirlsTech website at: http://girlstech.douglass.rutgers.edu/index.html.