Website Evaluation Assignment Tutorial

Getting Started

1. Log in to Canvas and navigate to our course.
2. Click Modules in the left sidebar.
3. Find and click the Website Evaluation assignment for the current module (e.g., "Website Evaluation 1: Advocacy or Business").
4. Download the Web Evaluation Template linked in the assignment instructions. Type directly into the document — do not change the formatting.

Choose a Website to Evaluate

1. Read the assignment description carefully — it will tell you what type of website to find (e.g., a business or advocacy website).
2. Click the "6 types of webpages" link in the assignment for guidance on selecting an appropriate site.
3. Navigate to the website you have chosen and complete items 1–3 in the assignment template (webpage design, content, and connectivity).
4. You may not use the same website as the provided example.

Check for Broken Links — W3C Link Checker

For Question 4 (Web Analytics), you will use several tools. Start with the W3C Link Checker to find broken links.

1. Return to the Canvas assignment page and click the W3C Link Checker link (validator.w3.org/checklink).
2. Paste the full URL of the website you are evaluating into the address field.
3. Click Check. It will look like nothing happens at first — scroll down to watch the checker go through each link.
4. Use what you find to answer the first bullet point for Question 4: "Are there any broken links?"

Look Up Domain Information — ICANN WHOIS

1. Return to the Canvas assignment and click the ICANN WHOIS link (whois.icann.org/en).
2. Paste only the domain name into the search field (e.g., raspberrypi.com). Do not include http://, www., or anything after .com.
3. Click Lookup.
4. Use the results to answer the second bullet point for Question 4: "What information is available about the webpage?"

Analyze Backlinks — Open Link Profiler

1. Return to the Canvas assignment and click the Open Link Profiler link (openlinkprofiler.org).
2. Paste only the domain name into the "Enter domain name" field (e.g., raspberrypi.com) — no www. or protocol.
3. Click Get Backlinks. If prompted to log in, use the shared course credentials provided in Canvas.
4. Scroll through the list of backlinks. Identify two websites that link to the page you are evaluating.
5. Use what you find to answer the final bullet point for Question 4: "How many other webpages link to this page? List two examples."

Submitting Your Assignment

1. Return to the Canvas assignment page and click Start Assignment.
2. Click the Upload File button.
3. Click Choose File, select your completed Word document or PDF, and click Submit Assignment.

Double-check that you have answered all items in the template before submitting. Refer to the Web Evaluation Rubric at the bottom of the assignment page to make sure you haven't missed anything.