Peer Review

Dictionary

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Overall Rating:

Content Quality:

Effectiveness:

Ease of Use:

Overview:: A searchable online Dictionary and Thesaurus, which is supported by commercial
ads. There are links to a translator, other online dictionaries, games, and a
word of the day.
Type of Material:: Resource/Reference
Recommended Uses:: This site provides basic references for anyone who needs correct spellings,
definitions of words, or finding a synonym or antonym
Technical Requirements:: No special plug-ins required.
Identify Major Learning Goals:: Users will be able to learn the meaning of words and/or find a synonym or
antonym for a word.
Target Student Population:: Useful for all learners who need to use a Dictionary or Thesaurus.
Prerequisite Knowledge or Skills:: None. Even if the user is not able to spell a word correctly the search engine
will offer suggestions to choose from.

Rating:
Strengths:: This online Dictionary if free and easy to use, if you can ignore the
advertising. Users just type in a word this website offers definitions of the
word from 9 different web-based dictionaries including the 4th Edition of the
American Heritage Dictionary (2000) and Webster?s Revised Unabridged Dictionary
(1998). Or, users can choose the 1st edition of Roget?s Interactive Thesaurus
(2002) and look up synonyms and antonyms for a given word. There is also a word
of the day at the top of the screen. Using this site also allows you to link to
the 10 most popular sites for you word using AskJeeves as a search engine.
Concerns:: Unfortunately, there are many pop-up ads that appear while using this site. It
offers premium service at a cost, so that users can sign up for an ad-free
subscription to Dictionary.com that comes with several additional features. The
site is not unabridged.

Rating:
Strengths:: This online tool makes it very easy for regular Internet users to look up the
definitions of words and to use a Thesaurus to improve their writing.
Instructors can suggest this online reference tool for all their students to use
in just about any course they teach.
Concerns:: This site only allows users to look up single words one at a time. Therefore,
teaching dictionary skill development, such as alphabetizing, comparing and
contrasting meanings, and finding guide words cannot be addressed at this site.

Rating:
Strengths:: Very simple interface! The site is easy to use. Users just type in a word,
select Dictionary or Thesaurus, and click the blue button. If the user is not
able to spell the target word correctly, the search engine will offer
suggestions to choose from. Users are granted permission to link to this site
from their own webpages, and from WAP-enable mobile phones.
Concerns:: The visual organization of the site can be misleading to some. The dictionary
search engine is found within the banner at the top of the page above a blinking
ad. Related and additional links are found below this commercial ad. Because
many ads are placed at the top of sites, some users may look below the blinking
ad and have to search a bit before they find the search engine above.

Other Issues and Comments:: This is a good and basic online dictionary. It does not have supporting
material or links that deal directly with teacher education.
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