Welcome to Information Overload: How do you know when a site is right? a web-based activity created to help children and adolescents learn to evaluate sources they find on the Web as well as gain a basic understanding of how search engines work. Read on to learn more about this site and how you can use it to help build these skills in your home or classroom.

Audience
Designed for 6th through 8th grade, but appropriate for any web user. Younger children may need assistance with some of the concepts.

Content
Information Overload teaches kids how to evaluate the credibility of web resources based on the three factors of:
Who (official and appropriate source)
What (relevance of information to topic)
When (timeliness of source)

Activities
Information Overload is organized into three sections:
•Search Engines: How do they do that?
An engaging demonstration of how search engines find results based on query strings.
•Play the Game: Which site should I use?
An interactive experience where users learn the factors to look for when choosing web resources.
•Take the Quiz: Are you a search expert?
A scenario-based quiz, where users test their ability to evaluate sources for specific contexts.

Applications
•Use as a follow-up experience to a trip to the World Wide Wonder gallery at The Tech.
•Use as an in-class introduction to evaluating Web resources before beginning a research project.
•Use as an interesting home activity to begin a discussion about information on the Web.

Rationale
Given the wealth of information accessible via the internet, people need critical information evaluation strategies. Learning and practicing these skills in an engaging technology-based environment can help kids become more information literate and prepared for Web research. Information Overload addresses several of the International Society for Technology in Education’s National Educational Technology Standards (NETS). Including: NETS Grades 6-8 Performance Indicators- 10. Students will: Research and evaluate the accuracy, relevance, appropriateness, comprehensiveness, and bias of electronic information sources concerning real-world problems. (2, 5, 6)

In addition, it provides essential background support for the California State Standards related to the acquisition of research skills.
For full text of standards:
The National Educational Technology Standards (NETS) Project http://cnets.iste.org/currstands/cstands-netss.html
California Department of Education Content Standards
http://www.cde.ca.gov/standards/

Assessment
Assessment in Information Overload is embedded and fun. Searchy gives ongoing positive and humorous corrective feedback to help kids sharpen their evaluation skills. The scenario-based quiz can be used as a pre-test, post-test, or practice activity.

Authors
Eric Bailey, Todd Jackson, and Peter Worth, three Stanford University graduate students from the School of Education and Department of Computer Science, created Information Overload in collaboration with The Tech Museum of Innovation. The project was designed and built for Dr. Shelley Goldman’s course on collaborative design of technology-integrated curriculum.