Now that you’ve learned about VQE, practice applying this method of evaluating information on some websites using the worksheet below.
Instructions:
- Visit the two websites provided below.
- Evaluate each website using the VQE method.
- Follow the prompts below for Visual, Quality, and Ethos. There are suggested questions to consider for each level of evaluation.
Website Number 1 (10 mins)
Link: Is College Worth It?
Website Number 2 (10 mins)
Link: First Generation Students?
VISUAL
What is it? The URL may be helpful, otherwise, look at the home page for an “About” link. (For this, you want to identify the type of web source it is -- for instance, is it a personal blog? A newspaper article (and if so, what kind of newspaper article)? An e-book? A social media post? Etc.
Who made it? Look for an author, or the owner, of the site.
QUALITY
Where did they get their information? Look for sources in the text, or a reference list. If it is original information, think about how the information was created.
Who is the intended audience? How can you tell? The vocabulary and sources used might give you clues.
How is the information reviewed, or vetted, prior to posting/publishing? (You might have to do some digging for this.)
ETHOS
Why does this information, or site, exist? The “About” page may give you clues, but you might want to do some online searching to learn more.
Who has funded the site? Look again at the “About” page.
What bias does the author, owner, or site have? This is going to be the hardest to identify. Start by looking for a distinct perspective, or an asserted opinion. Keep in mind that everyone has biases; what we are interested in here is whether the information presented is slanted -- are they trying to get you to ignore evidence in any way?