Evaluation of Children's Educational Websites in Qatar Based on the Developmental Perspective

Autor/in	Ihmeideh, Fathi
Titel	Evaluation of Children's Educational Websites in Qatar Based on the Developmental Perspective
Quelle	In: E-Learning and Digital Media, 16 (2019) 1, S.26-45 (20 Seiten)Infoseite zur Zeitschrift PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	2042-7530
DOI	10.1177/2042753018812686
Schlagwörter	Web Sites; Child Development; Foreign Countries; Usability; Navigation (Information Systems); Institutional Characteristics; Instructional Design; Educational Technology; Elementary School Students; Student Attitudes; Qatar + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Web-Design; Kindesentwicklung; Ausland; Lesson concept; Lessonplan; Unterrichtsentwurf; Unterrichtsmedien; Schülerverhalten; Katar
Abstract	In this digital era, educational websites have become one of the important learning resources which facilitate children's learning experiences. Although the use of educational websites in supporting children's learning has progressively increased in Qatari schools, these websites are used without being evaluated in terms of their appropriateness for children. The aim of this study is to evaluate children's educational websites used in Qatari schools based on the developmental perspective. It also intends to describe what children think about these websites and what types of online activities they undertake. A developmental scale was designed to evaluate how developmentally appropriate these websites are for children. Later, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 50 children to achieve a better understanding of their perceptions about the educational websites used in their schools. Findings of this study revealed that children's educational websites are moderately appropriate. The websites were the most developmentally appropriate in the domains of "easy to navigate" and "technical design", while "accessibility" and "instructional design" were the least appropriate domains. Moreover, there were significant differences in the appropriateness of children's websites due to websites source and school types. Most children involved in the study expressed their satisfaction with some elements of the websites they use. Finally, academic activities were found to be the most common type of activities children participate in while using these websites. Recommendations for developing children's educational websites in Qatar are discussed. (As Provided).
Anmerkungen	SAGE Publications. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; e-mail: journals@sagepub.com; Web site: http://sagepub.com
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2020/1/01