The ‘Exploring Government Websites’ module was designed using Adobe Captivate, and was published on the course Stream (Moodle) site in Semester 1, 2014. Students were required to complete the module and an accompanying worksheet (see Appendix) prior to completing the first field-trip report assessment. Feedback was then provided to students prior to when they undertook further assessments which involved sourcing information from government and other (predominantly scholarly) sources.
The module was designed to encourage students to explore the range of information found on websites with the domain name .govt.nz. It began by explaining to students the importance of carefully evaluating government-produced information and offered strategies for evaluating the quality of information, the purpose for which it was created, and any potential bias inherent on local, district or national-level websites. Then, the range of information types in the websites was categorised into the Government Websites Healthy Resources Pyramid (Figure 3). Examples of the different types of information available, as well as some advice on what to consider when selecting and using the sources, were outlined. The module ended with a reminder to carefully consider the purpose, audience and potential bias in information produced by, for and about government.
Students were then required to complete the worksheet task as they explored four government websites (local, district, national and parliamentary). They were asked to notice the range of information available and determine its relevance and limitations for assessment purposes. The final question on the worksheet was: From completing this
learning module, what are the key considerations when using government websites and information have you identified? Our hope for the module was that students would learn to
consider potential bias in government-created information, recognise the purpose and audience the information was created for, and recognise the value of balancing information from a range of perspectives to support learning. Student reflections in the worksheet task indicated we had achieved this goal:
Student 1: I have also learned to try to get an all-encompassing perspective before
referencing political, governmental, or regional topics. While most of these sites aren’t explicitly biased, they don’t typically publish criticism on their own ideals or policies. Naturally throughout this project, my curiosity led me to plug some topics (such as One Plan, for example) into a search engine, or even consult my notes from other classes. What I found is that while criticism of these topics may not always be a
41
100% credible resource, references within this critique may lead the reader to legitimate information on policies that one may not be able to find on government or region-sponsored websites. Sometimes it is useful to identify the pros and the cons of a topic before trying to understand it fully. Nevertheless, these websites provide an excellent starting point when working on a relevant research topic.
Student 2:
Read all articles in a Government website objectively and impartially.
Consider Government websites could provide biased information.
Carefully select what Government articles and/or data to use in assignments to support statements and ideas.
Gather supplementary information by reading independent research or articles on a topic or issue to get a more balanced understanding of information provided on a Government website.
Use Government information like Public discussion documents, legislations, consultations and research reports to become more informed about a topic.
Consider who the information is being provided for, what is being provided and then read it critically, to figure out whether the information provided is offering a balanced view
Consider my own prejudices, beliefs and opinions and try to be objective when critically reviewing or reflecting on information.
Further qualitative investigation into student responses on the module was conducted via a focus group in the second semester of 2014. The purpose of this further data collection was to identify to what extent students retained and used knowledge and skills learned early in semester 1 about how to evaluate government website information. Six students accepted an invitation to participate in a focus group that discussed the following:
What students could remember about the government website module
What they understood purpose of the module to be
How it was introduced in class
What they learned about government websites and how useful this was
Students’ feeling of confidence in evaluating different sources found on government websites
Criteria that they used when evaluating government sources
What improvements could be made
Overall, focus group participants indicated that the module was useful because it was directly connected with course content and future assessments (in particular, the first assignment). The module was viewed as a useful introduction for assignments in other papers they were enrolled in. The connection with the library skills training workshop and the fact that both the module and workshop had a specific planning focus was seen as particularly valuable, unlike the more generic library training that had been offered in one other non-planning course. They commented that the module helped raise awareness of what they needed to be considering when they looked at government information, but they still need to practise more. Students indicated that they can recognise different types of government information and they understand that there is a range of government information
42
available on the internet. They commented that the worksheet helped consolidate the information provided in the module and gave them immediate practice in exploring the websites. Focus group participants were quite confident they could evaluate and select government sources for assignments. In terms of the packaging of the information, they commented positively about the facility to be able to pause and re-listen to each section, and click to advance to the next slide when they were ready. They also said that they would not have listened to the presentation if it was not connected to the assessment. No significant changes were suggested. One international student thought the accompanying oral commentary was a little fast.