Appendix D: Evaluation Example

Sample 3: Grade 10

Topic: Evaluating Information for Bias

Prescribed Learning Outcomes

Foundations

It is expected that students will:

demonstrate the ability to formulate questions and to use a variety of sources and tools to access, capture, and store information
practise handling Internet information in an ethical way

Process

It is expected that students will:

use information technology tools to gather and organize information and produce documents
develop guidelines for evaluating and using information in an ethical way
develop criteria to evaluate information for bias

Presentation

It is expected that students will:

create multimedia documents using a variety of electronic sources
demonstrate the ability to use special effects in multimedia presentations to influence a message
apply ethical and legal principles when presenting information

Planning for Assessment and Evaluation

While studying a novel in English class about racism, students investigated bias on the Internet. They were asked to explore Internet postings and capture, save, and download evidence of bias (e.g., racism, sexism, ageism).

Students shared their evidence in groups and discussed three critical questions:
- From whose viewpoint is the article written?
- What are the possible consequences of this article?
- What is your responsibility with respect to handling this information?
Class discussions were held to share and develop ideas about biassed information and its ethical handling.
Students had an opportunity to create short presentations on their findings, using a variety of multimedia tools (e.g., overhead projector, TV and VCR, video camera, audiotape, slides), and receive constructive feedback.
Students worked in teams, each team focussing on one particular type of bias (e.g., gender, culture, ability, age). Each team developed a multimedia presentation to share evidence of bias, its origins, and its impacts. Each team also developed a set of criteria for evaluating information in order to detect bias and a code of ethics for handling biassed information.

Defining the Criteria

Accessing Information on the Internet

To what extent does the student:

accurately enter Internet addresses
use "bookmarks" or "hotlists" to mark relevant sources
download data from the Internet
communicate courteously in e-mail correspondence

Multimedia Presentation

To what extent does the student:

use a variety of information technology tools
use information technology tools effectively to enhance a presentation
cite electronic sources of information correctly
synthesize and present information clearly and in a logical sequence

Evaluating Information for Bias

To what extent is the student able to:

identify examples of bias
identify types of bias (e.g., culture, gender, race, ability)
speculate about possible origins of bias
develop evaluative criteria that are clear, succinct, and easily applied and that address relevant issues

Assessing and Evaluating Student Performance

Accessing Information on the Internet

While students were engaged in accessing information on the Internet, the teacher used a checklist to record observations.

Multimedia Presentation

During the presentations, both the teacher and peers used a rating scale to assess the presenter's work.

Evaluating Information for Bias

During class discussions, the multimedia presentations, and the development of evaluative criteria, the teacher used a scale to record students' abilities to evaluate information for bias.

Accessing Information on the Internet

Criteria Rarely Sometimes Always

accesses a variety of electronic sources

enters Internet addresses accurately

uses "bookmarks" or "hotlists" to mark relevant sources

downloads data from electronic sources

is courteous in e-mail correspondence

Multimedia Presentation

Presenter: _________________________________________________________________
Topic: ____________________________________________________________________

Criteria Rating Comments

used a variety of information technology tools

used information technology tools effectively to enhance the presentation

cited electronic sources of information correctly

synthesized information and presented it in a logical sequence

Multimedia Presentation
Presenter: _________________________________________________________________ Topic: ____________________________________________________________________
Criteria	Rating	Comments
used a variety of information technology tools
used information technology tools effectively to enhance the presentation
cited electronic sources of information correctly
synthesized information and presented it in a logical sequence

Key:

5Excellent

4Very good

3Good

2Satisfactory

1Minimally acceptable

0Not evident

Evaluating Information for Bias

Rating	Criteria
3	can identify subtle and complex examples of bias and offer insights into their origins criteria developed are clear and succinct, easily applied, and show insight into the issue of bias
2	can identify most forms of bias and offer some understanding of their origins, although explanations may tend to be simplistic or deal only with surface issues criteria are clear and can be applied in a variety of situations
1	identifies obvious examples of bias but may not recognize more subtle ones, or may tend to recognize some forms of bias but not others may have difficulty speculating on origins of specific examples of bias, or may offer very simplistic explanations criteria are simplistic, difficult to apply, or fail to show insight

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Revised: January 26, 1999

BC Ministry of Education Home Page

Criteria	Rarely	Sometimes	Always
accesses a variety of electronic sources
enters Internet addresses accurately
uses "bookmarks" or "hotlists" to mark relevant sources
downloads data from electronic sources
is courteous in e-mail correspondence