Dr. Christy Desmet

English 4830 Analysis of a Sample Web Page

2-23-99

Howard Gardner’s theory of Multiple Intelligences has developed a way of understanding and assessing intellect in various ways outside of the typical math and reading skills. Gardner is continually updating and adding different Intelligences to his list; as a result, the Internet is the perfect tool for quick, easy, and widespread communication about his theory. I chose the web page at http://edweb.gsn.org/edref.mi.th.html to analyze because I am aiming for a similar format. This web page, however, is not perfect and welcomes the opportunity for improvement. Its strengths lie in the simple design, short pages, and ease of use; it is limited in the use of graphics, detail of MI theory, and updated information.

The background of the web page is ‘educational’ white and the text is black, both of which alert the reader that this is an informational page. The color scheme is simple – a little yellow at the top in the header and traditional bright blue for the links. It begins with the uncomplicated title "MI – The Theory." The body of the page opens with a brief paragraph explaining the theory of MI. There are no graphics of any kind on the front page. Although this is an informational web page, Visual Intelligence is one aspect of this theory. I think the opening page is lacking in eye-catching interest by having solely text. A perfect opportunity for interesting graphics would be the listing of the seven, and now possibly eight or nine, Intelligences. The Edweb site simply centers a word listing of the Intelligences with links to pages about each Intelligence. Even a bulleted list would have been a more aesthetically pleasing design choice. The following paragraph of text is also centered for some reason. It should have regular margins, for there is no need for a regular text paragraph to be centered. The opening page ends with another centered listing of FAQ’s, or frequently asked questions, although it is not titled as such. The full sentence links are informative, yet the length causes the centered list to be somewhat bulky and unappealing. The end of the page concludes with a colorful link to the Edweb resources page aptly called ‘Homeroom,’ a link to the Edweb dictionary, and a link to a comment form on Edweb. The e-mail link does not indicate that it is an e-mail link until it is clicked upon.

Overall I think the design of the opening page about MI theory is simple, but not unappealing. I would spell out Multiple Intelligence in the header to eliminate confusion to those new to MI theory. Graphics could be incorporated to liven up the page without detracting from its educational purpose. Text could be further limited by creating a link to FAQ’s. The pages that link from this ‘home’ MI page are very similarly constructed. Each has a title with the yellow borderlines and a page of text. No graphics are included on any page.

Maneuverability between the different pages is easy. Links are easily identified. No graphics to load make for faster appearances of pages. However, no ‘MI homepage’ button exists; one has to continually click on the ‘Back’ key or go to the Edweb home. With 16 links on the first page, I think it would have been a good idea to have a ‘MI Home’ button on each of those links to ease navigation. Also frustrating is the inability to connect from one link to another without going to the ‘MI home.’ The lack of internal links in this site is definitely a flaw.

The content of the Edweb MI site is brief and easily understandable. The pages are short and require little or no scrolling. The definitions are not elaborate, but each Intelligence page includes an illustrative example situation or story. The brevity of the information on each topic is probably perfect for those seeking basic information, but researchers may find this site to be too limited. One of the pages I was most interested in is titled "How can MI be applied in a real-world context?". When I clicked on the link a note came up that the page was under construction. Rather than include this link, I think the web page author should not include it until the page is ready. That eliminates frustration on the part of the viewer.

The content of this site desperately needs to be updated. The two latest Intelligences are Naturalist and Existentialist Intelligences, but these are only mentioned in text and not clearly defined like the others. The page under construction has been so for weeks. There is no signature showing the last updated date.

If I were to give this web page a letter grade, it would have to be a solid B. All in all the information and design is effective in educating the viewer on Howard Gardner’s theory of Multiple Intelligences. The information is accurate, though it could be improved by being updated. The definitions and examples of the Intelligences could be a broader in scope, but overall it provides the viewer with a basic knowledge of MI theory. The outside links are helpful for finding all different kinds of materials and information on MI. Also included in the external links are pages covering topics outside of MI theory, such as informational links on Howard Gardner himself, Harvard's Project Zero, and other reform styles. Internal navigation could be improved by creating internal links. The structure is consistent throughout the linked pages and the material is presented in a comprehendible format. Although simplistic in design and brief in scope, this web site appears to accomplish its goals by educating the viewer about MI theory.