"America's Jazz Heritage Website (Collection/Historical Database) is part of a project generated by a partnership of the Lila Wallace-Reader's Digest Fund and the Smithsonian Institution that is focussed on the preservation and presentation of the history of jazz. This site includes audio clips, interviews, schedules of exhibitions and performances, extensive bibliographies, and links to related sites." It was never intended to be a teaching module. Still, it is an excellent reference tool with links to other Smithsonian sites and archives and NPR archived programs, bibliographies, and other related sites.
Technical Requirements:
Collection/Historical Database
Identify Major Learning Goals:
Historical overview of Jazz, performers and issues, as a part of a greater collection focussed on the preservation and presentation of the history of jazz.
Target Student Population:
High School and College students of Jazz History
Prerequisite Knowledge or Skills:
Navigational web skills
Content Quality
Rating:
Strengths:
It is aesthetic in its layout. It presents a great amount of information in a fair and open manner. Its links to supportive and related material was first rate. With a name like "Smithsonian" there is an expectation of excellence, and this site does not disappoint.
Concerns:
The database is very large, many topics are not tied together. It is easy to get lost in content that is interesting but not related to the initial intent of the researcher.
Potential Effectiveness as a Teaching Tool
Rating:
Concerns:
Because this is a wonderful reference site, one should not expect it to be a teaching site. It offers a great deal of information but relies on the student to connect the information into meaningful concepts. A teacher should consider using this site in a manner one would use any well-developed reference material.
Ease of Use for Both Students and Faculty
Rating:
Strengths:
The site is very engaging, of high design, and there is no need for instructions?it is easy to "surf."
Concerns:
The site is not interactive. When "clicking" on the musical examples from the Smithsonian part of the site this user could not listen immediately to the performance. For some reason the only way to hear them was by downloading them to the "desktop," getting out of the site, and then opening them on the "desktop." Only they could be played. One hopes this could be rectified.
Creative Commons:
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