Peer Review

Great Lakes Information Network

Material Detail page

Reviewed:: Mar 9, 2005 by Biology

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Ratings

Overall Rating:

Content Quality:

Effectiveness:

Ease of Use:

Overview:: The Great Lakes Information Network (GLIN) is an extensive web site offering information on all aspects of the Great Lakes system. It is designed to be a partnership that offers one place online for people to find information relating to the Great Lakes?St. Lawrence region of North America. GLIN offers information about the region?s environment, economy, and tourism. Each of these topic pages include links to current news, resources, agencies, and publications pertaining to the choosen topic. In addition, a side bar menu offers links to more specific topics. For example, the link for Environment offers links to Air/Land, Water, Flora and Fauna, Pollution, and References. Under the Flora and Fauna heading are links to biodiversity, endangered species, invasive species, mapping, people, plants and wildlife. There are also education pages and a link to maps and GIS information on the region. The site uses an ?ecosystem approach? in its design, recognizing the integrated nature of the resources of the region. The site makes a wide variety of resources available and easily findable with several navigation bars on each page.
Type of Material:: This site does not lend itself easily to classification. It has aspects of both a tutorial as well as a collection/data base.
Recommended Uses:: The site contains a very wide range of information suitable for many purposes. The material presented by this website allows the user to conduct a thorough
investigation of any of the Great Lakes and surrounding waterways. This could be
used to introduce topics such as invasive species, teach research skills, or
simply as a great source of information about this region of the United States. One of the strengths of the site is to allow students to integrate many aspects of the Great Lakes area that are connected?such as environmental and economic issues.
Technical Requirements:: Basic site requires only current internet browser.
Identify Major Learning Goals:: None specifically listed. The intent of the site is to make resources concerning Great Lakes facts and issues available to those needing them as easily as possible. However, the Education link offers links to T.E.A.C.H., an education and curriculum website. This website offers on-line tutorial links and assessment opportunities, links to other educational sites, and a glossary of terms.
Target Student Population:: The target population is middle school through undergraduate. However, the links
to current research might be helpful to graduate students conducting literature
reviews.
Prerequisite Knowledge or Skills:: The site is designed to be accessible to a wide range of users. Use of web browser will be required.

Content Quality

Rating:

Strengths:

Extensive information on any topic relating to the Great Lakes and their watershed in a well organized and
consistant manner.
Links are to newspapers, magazines, government agencies, colleges and universities?the site takes you to the source information rather than trying to become an encyclopedia.
Contains TEACH Great Lakes pages that provide resources related to Environment, History and Culture, Geography, Pollution, and Careers and Business.
Education pages also contains a question and answer section extending back over three years.
Maps and GIS pages provide images to download as well as online tools and GIS data for some of the lakes.
The Site of the Month and Daily News links from the home page help keep users current.

Concerns:

Information available when clicking on map of lakes differs from what is given when using side bar to access information about a specific lake.
There is little interactivity on site pages.

Potential Effectiveness as a Teaching Tool

Rating:

Strengths:

Use of this site is limited only by the imagination of the instructor. This site does a great job of organizing a lot of information. It would be very easy for an instructor to require students to gather important information on a variety of topics for one specific location.
Each page ends with a list of other sources of information.
The information is presented consistantly from one lake to another. This makes for easy comparative studies between lakes.
The side bars present on each page identify other relevant links.
TEACH Great Lakes pages provide educators with both information and suggestions on how to integrate site into curriculum; links for educators open up a whole new realm of information.
The general resources link allows students to go right to the source of
current research. Great tool for teaching the difference between primary sources
and secondary sources when conducting internet research.

Concerns:

Specific assignments may be needed to focus younger students as the amount of material can be overwhelming.
Learning objectives were not found in the TEACH Great Lakes pages; they would help teachers determine how to use site.
The assessments offered through the T.E.A.C.H. link are not consistant. Some
lesson plans have quizzes and others do not.
Problem solving is not directly addressed.

Ease of Use for Both Students and Faculty

Rating:

Strengths:

Navigation is clear and intuitive with extensive use of side bar menus.
Site shows excellent understanding of the best uses of the internet?provides links. information sources and offers links to relevant additional information on each page.
Map based interface to information on specific lakes is very easy to use.
Every topic includes references to related issues.
The organization would make developing lesson plans easy for the instructor.
All links checked were active. Easy to navigate through the many links. Links are direct links, without a lot of pop-up windows.

Concerns:

Map presentation not always consistant. It is not easy to locate specific
maps.

Other Issues and Comments:: The Great Lakes Information Network is an excellent site. It is kept up to date and new material is added regularly. You always know the age of the information with which you are working. The sidebar links always provide other directions to go in exploring the information available. The site does an excellent job of pointing out how different aspects of the region are integrated?you can?t discuss pollution without political, economic, and social issues being a part.
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