Everything about this website says "trust me". the colours are reassuringly green and environmental, the print layout is standard for an information text, there are hyperlinks 'Wikipedia' style using reference words. Visually there are maps and the logo is very familiar to the ribbon worn by causes (such as pink ribbon day) so we immediately identify with and recognise it as a trusted symbol. There are even more pages with FAQs and activities proving to the audience that this is a well run organisation. How could you not believe in it :) Jennifer Gregory @ Westmead
Wow looks like any trustworthy website. The layout, use of colour, bolded key words, links, using a symbol that is similar to other charity organisations. Why wouln't you believe this. Espeically a student who is just skimming for the 'facts'. Students 'know' what to look for and click on to get the right facts. Shows how easy it is to get sucked in.
The site looks genuine. It uses photographs, graphics and text conventions to give the impression it is real. Students who click to find would happily 'get the facts' for their assignment and probably not venture past the first screen. Other sections of the website contain information that becomes increasingly more ridiculous.
Hence the need to teach students to 'read' all texts critically and to look more closely at the sites they choose to select for their research purposes.
As we skim and scan we notice familiar things on the website. Top left hand corner a familiar shape and top right hand corner Save the Octopus link (It must be honest with a link to that site). We need to teach the students to look for the contact us area and the copyright information before they use it for their research.
I can definitely relate to this issue. I have been handed an assignment from a year six G&T student on rainforests with a picture of, what looked like an obvious photoshopped picture of a bird with butterfly wings. The student argued that this was a 'real' discovery, she was convinced of this because she had found it on the internet! As some of you have already said, teaching the students to be more discerning is a major task we have facing us as more and more information gets posted to the web. (Kerena)
(just realised post did not work last week) redoing entry
This website certainly looks real.The layout, text, images and heading all contribute to making it look trustworhy. You would only know that this is not real due to our own background knowledge that we bring to the table e.g. the links to other websites such as the'Australian drop bear' (we as adults know that this is not true therefore we start questioning the websites reliability). As most students use the internet for research they have no background knowledge in relation to the topic they are looking up therefore it is very hard for students to tell what is the truth and what is not.
Everything about this website says "trust me". the colours are reassuringly green and environmental, the print layout is standard for an information text, there are hyperlinks 'Wikipedia' style using reference words.
ReplyDeleteVisually there are maps and the logo is very familiar to the ribbon worn by causes (such as pink ribbon day) so we immediately identify with and recognise it as a trusted symbol. There are even more pages with FAQs and activities proving to the audience that this is a well run organisation. How could you not believe in it :)
Jennifer Gregory @ Westmead
Wow looks like any trustworthy website. The layout, use of colour, bolded key words, links, using a symbol that is similar to other charity organisations.
ReplyDeleteWhy wouln't you believe this. Espeically a student who is just skimming for the 'facts'. Students 'know' what to look for and click on to get the right facts. Shows how easy it is to get sucked in.
Jodie Hartwig @ SOTA
The site looks genuine. It uses photographs, graphics and text conventions to give the impression it is real. Students who click to find would happily 'get the facts' for their assignment and probably not venture past the first screen. Other sections of the website contain information that becomes increasingly more ridiculous.
ReplyDeleteHence the need to teach students to 'read' all texts critically and to look more closely at the sites they choose to select for their research purposes.
As we skim and scan we notice familiar things on the website. Top left hand corner a familiar shape and top right hand corner Save the Octopus link (It must be honest with a link to that site). We need to teach the students to look for the contact us area and the copyright information before they use it for their research.
ReplyDeleteI can definitely relate to this issue. I have been handed an assignment from a year six G&T student on rainforests with a picture of, what looked like an obvious photoshopped picture of a bird with butterfly wings. The student argued that this was a 'real' discovery, she was convinced of this because she had found it on the internet! As some of you have already said, teaching the students to be more discerning is a major task we have facing us as more and more information gets posted to the web.
ReplyDelete(Kerena)
(just realised post did not work last week) redoing entry
ReplyDeleteThis website certainly looks real.The layout, text, images and heading all contribute to making it look trustworhy. You would only know that this is not real due to our own background knowledge that we bring to the table e.g. the links to other websites such as the'Australian drop bear' (we as adults know that this is not true therefore we start questioning the websites reliability). As most students use the internet for research they have no background knowledge in relation to the topic they are looking up therefore it is very hard for students to tell what is the truth and what is not.