Rachel Mainero

IT 6140
Wayne State University
04 October 2015
Educational Website Evaluation
Cite Lighter vs. EasyBib
WEBSITE DESCRIPTION
CiteLighter Pro

EasyBib

CiteLighter is an online bibliography and citation

source that allows students to organize online
research. CiteLighter Pro cost $80 a year and
includes all the research features. Without the Pro
account, teachers do not have access to assign
writing tasks, share writing lessons, or monitor
students progress in the writing process.

The EasyBib website is intended to assist

students in all steps of the research process. It
is designed to help students learn how to
become effective and organized researchers.
The online platform provides citations, a note
taking section, and an outline for the research
paper. Students must have access to an
EasyBib Pro account to access all the research
tools. Without the Pro account, the website
just serves as an avenue to organize an MLA
bibliography.

RATIONAL FOR CLASSROOM SETTING

CiteLighter Pro is intended to help students break
down a writing task into manageable parts. This
online website would be utilized by students
during quarter three when they begin the quarter
long research process. Many writing lessons are
built into site to help students to develop stronger
writing habits.
Teacher could create writing assignments and
rubrics that seamlessly align with CCSS.

For quarter three, seventh grade students must

conduct a research project. EasyBib would
provide a platform for all research information
to be housed in one place. Students can receive
their own login and use the tools in school and
at home. This website would help students to
become organized researchers.

EVALUATION OF QUANTITATIVE RATING AND TEXTUAL JUSTIFICATION

See Appendix A

See Appendix B
ISTE STANDARDS

ISTE3: Students apply digital tools to gather,

evaluate, and use information.
ISTE4: Students use critical thinking skills to

ISTE3: Students apply digital tools to gather,

evaluate, and use information.
ISTE4: Students use critical thinking skills to

plan and conduct research, manage projects, and

solve problems to make informed decisions using
appropriate digital tools and resources.

plan and conduct research, manage projects,

and solve problems to make informed
decisions using appropriate digital tools and
resources.

COMMON CORE STATE STANDARDS CONNECTIONS

This website reinforces the following standards:
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.W.8
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.6-8.7
Conduct short research projects to answer a
question (including a self-generated question),
drawing on several sources and generating
additional related, focused questions that allow
for multiple avenues of exploration.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.6-8.8
Gather relevant information from multiple print
and digital sources, using search terms
effectively; assess the credibility and accuracy of
each source; and quote or paraphrase the data and
conclusions of others while avoiding plagiarism
and following a standard format for citation.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.6-8.9
Draw evidence from informational texts to
support analysis, reflection, and research.

State standards are connected to the website;

however it correlates with several research
writing standards.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.6-8.7
Conduct short research projects to answer a
question (including a self-generated question),
drawing on several sources and generating
additional related, focused questions that allow
for multiple avenues of exploration.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.6-8.8
Gather relevant information from multiple
print and digital sources, using search terms
effectively; assess the credibility and accuracy
of each source; and quote or paraphrase the
data and conclusions of others while avoiding
plagiarism and following a standard format for
citation.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.6-8.9
Draw evidence from informational texts to
support analysis, reflection, and research.

EVALUATION OF ACCESSIBILITY
Website does not provide any assistance for ESL
learners or special needs students. Students can
search for sources in other languages, but all
instructions and directions are in English. The
website does not offer any special adaptability for
special needs students. Student must be able to
type, use a mouse, and navigate through different
browsers.

Website does not provide any assistance for

ESL learners or special needs students. The
website does not offer any other language but
English. Students do have the potential to
research articles in other languages, but all
directions and tools are in English. Students
must be able to type, use a mouse, and navigate
through the note taking section in order to
access the full potential of the site.

EVALUATION OF LEARNER-CENTERED
The website can be used in whole group, small
group, and individual learning. Its purpose is to
develop strong writing skills that will enhance the
research process. Students must engage in higher
order thinking skills to complete the writing tasks.
They will analyze evidence to see if it will prove

The website is designed for individual learning

opportunities. Students do not have the ability
to work together for small group writing
projects. The purpose of the site is to help
students work effectively and create organized
notes. The website evaluates sources for

their claim. They apply information they learn

from built-in research lessons to their writing
process. Students must also think critically to
develop a strong evidence based paper. Students
can use this website on their own or teachers can
assign specific writing task for students to
complete for classwork. The website is designed
to be used with any grade level.

students so they do not analyze evidence.

Students can use the website on their own for
anytime they need to create a bibliography.
Teachers do not have access to grade students
work on their own. Students would have to
login to their account for a teacher to see their
progress. The website is designed to assist
students in any grade level.

TESTIMONIALS AND REVIEWS

CiteLighter is being used in over 3,000 schools
and has received 6 national awards from some of
the most prestigious educational organizations,
such as the ISTE, SIIA, Miken, Penn, and the
New Media Consortium. Dr. Clare Kruft, a
Elementary Technology Coordinator, believes
that CiteLighter is a powerful research tools that
can be used in any grade level. "We were able, in
about two weeks, to get the kids to go from
knowing nothing -not even how to sign on to the
site- to producing high-quality research papers.
With many national prestigious organization
recognizing this online website, one is able to see
that it is highly admired for its ability to assist
students in the writing process. Teachers and
technology personnel as well see the great
potential this website has to offer.

EasyBib is used to improve citation and notetaking skills. While no scholarly reviews were
available for this site, there were several
teacher testimonials.
Jen Wodlinger, a former librarian at Redlands
Middle School, believes EsayBib is the tool
that helps students truly understand the
research process. Research is painful for
middle schoolers and I've seen too many kids
get burned out. When I taught my first class of
seventh graders how to set up an Easybib
account, I saw the light bulbs go on.
Similarly, Anne Abney, a Media Specialist
from Creekview High School, feels EasyBib is
the most user-friendly citation tool out there. I
have used other citation tools in the past and
have found EasyBib to be, by far, the easiest
and most user friendly for students and
teachers in all departments.
One negative feature about this website is the
ad bar. Polly Conway a Graphite Expert
Reviewer says, The sidebar ads can be
distracting and they're a little pushy about
upgrades if you're using the free service.

OVERALL RECOMMENDATION
After reviewing several aspects of both of these websites, the better one to use would be
CiteLighter. Its built-in lessons and teacher monitoring makes it far better than EasyBib. It scored a
32.8/36 on the qualitative rating, while EasyBib only scored a 26.8. CiteLighter is recognized by
many prestigious educational organizations. The number of schools that use this website continues
to grow. Because the website is designed to support learning from elementary to Higher Ed, this is
a tool that can be used throughout the entire span of ones education. It breaks down writing into
steps that are easy to understand. This process helps students to communicate their thoughts with
clarity and purpose. Gone are the days when students struggled to fully understand how to write a

research paper. With the help of CiteLighter, students can analyze evidence, think critically, and
develop strong research papers. One of the downsides is a yearly subscription is needed to access
the full bank of resource tools. In addition, it provides little to no adaptability for ESL learners and
special needs students. However, the website can be used in whole group, small group, and
individual learning settings.

Sources
CiteLighter Reviews, Retrieved from https://www.citelighter.com
EasyBub Reviews, Retrieved from http://www.easybib.com
Polly Conway Review, Retrieved from https://www.graphite.org/website/easybib

Academic Content

Appendix A: CiteLighter Pro

Unsatisfactory-1
No instructional
content
Does not align with
district curriculum
Does not align with
CCSS
Objectives are
difficult to
understand
Information is
outdated and
inaccurate

Support

Relevancy

No positive review
from credible
sources
Does not monitor or
record students
progress or time on
task
Offers no help
assistance
Program provides
zero additional
resources to help
improve skills
Content is not
relevant to learning
task
Website is not
relevant to the
desired learning.

Needs Improvement-2
Little instructional
content
Some aspects align
with district
curriculum
Some aspects align
with CCSS
Objectives are
somewhat easy to
follow
Aspects of the
instructional
information are
current and accurate
Very few positive
reviews from
credible sources
Monitors or records
students progress or
time on task
Very little
assistance available
Program provides
very little additional
sources to help
improve skills

Content is
somewhat relevant
to learning task
Website is
somewhat relevant
to the desired
learning.

Good-3
There is a descent
amount of content
Majority of content
aligns with district
curriculum
Majority of content
aligns with CCSS
Objectives are clear
Information is
current and accurate

Excellent-4
There is a
significant amount
of content
Aligns with district
curriculum
Aligns with CCSS
Objectives are
extremely clear
Information is
extremely current
and accurate

Some positive
reviews from
credible sources
Monitors or records
students progress
and time on task
Aspects of help
menu available
Program provides
student with a few
additional recourses
to help improve
skills

Content is relevant
to learning task
Website is relevant
to the desired
learning.

Positive reviews
from credible
sources
Monitors and
records students
progress and time
on task
Help menu always
available
Program provides
students with
several additional
resources to help
improve skills
Content is very
relevant to learning
task
Website is very
relevant to the
desired learning.

Score and Comments

Score: 3
The website is developed to
support CCSS. The lessons
offered on the site are built to
align with the standards.
The site offers a handful of
lessons; majority of the site is
devoted to students interacting
with the citations tools. The
information provided on the
website is current and accurate.

Score: 3.3
The site requires students to
create their own login so it can
keep track of their work. The site
can be accessed wherever there
is an Internet connection.
The site does not record
students time on task. It just
saves the citations and note
students create.
There are a few video lessons
available for students to watch
so they can improve their
research skills.
Score: 4
The content on the site is
relevant to the research process
and helps to break the writing
process down into manageable
sizes to help students better
understand the process of
research.

Appendix A: CiteLighter Pro

Engagement

Appropriateness

Flexibility

Adaptability

User is not engaged

with website to
learn
Website does not
motivate learner

Website is not
developed for target
grade level
Reading level is not
appropriate for
target grade level
Instructions are
unclear and difficult
to follow

Learner cannot save

at regular intervals
and re-enter
instructions
Website does not
offer a whole group
or small group or
individual learning
opportunities
Allows for no
differentiation
Content is not
culturally diverse
Website does not
incorporates
different languages

User is somewhat
engaged with
website to learn
Website rarely
motivates learner

Reading level is
somewhat
appropriate for
target grade level
Aspects are
somewhat
developed for target
grade level
Many instructions
are clear with
several confusing
Learner can
somewhat save at
regular intervals and
re-enter instructions
Website offers a
whole group or
small group or
individual learning
opportunities
Allows for little
differentiation
Content is
somewhat culturally
diverse
Website
incorporates a few
languages

User is engaged
with website to
learn
Website often
motivates learner to
improve skills

Reading level is
appropriate for
target grade level
Most aspects are
developed for target
grade level
Most instructions
are clear with a few
a bit confusing

Learner can mostly

save at regular
intervals and reenter instructions
Website offers a
whole group or
small group, and
individual learning
opportunities
Allows for
differentiation
(multiple
skills/ability levels)
Content is mostly
culturally diverse
Website
incorporates several
languages

User is highly
engaged with
website to learn
Highly motivates
learner to improve
skills

Reading level is
highly appropriate
for target grade
level
Website is
developed for target
grade level
Instructions are
clear and developed
for target grade
level
Learner can save at
regular intervals and
re-enter instruction
at same point
Website offers
whole group, small
group, and
individual learning
opportunities
Allows for several
differentiation
(multiple
skills/ability levels)
Content is culturally
diverse
Website
incorporates a
variety of languages

Score: 4
User is highly engaged with the
learning tools throughout each
step of the research process.
Teachers can instantly grade
student assignments and provide
feedback to help motivate and
improve skills.
Score: 4
The website is designed for a
vide range of reading levels. In
fact this tool can be used from
grades K to grade 20. This is a
writing tool that students can use
even as adults.
The instructions are clear and
easy to follow.

Score: 4
Because the website requires
students to login each time they
us it, it saves their work so they
can re-enter at anytime.
Teachers can desire whole
group, small group, and
individual writing and learning
opportunities.
Score: 1.5
Website does not offer any
additional languages. All
directions and performances are
in English.
Depending on what students are
researching, the content could be
diverse.
There is no differentiation
feature offered.

Appendix A: CiteLighter Pro

Graphics and Layout

Currency

Website is cluttered
with ads
Background and
white space is
cluttered
Layout is not easy
to navigate
Layout is
inconsistent

Website is not
updated to provide
current information

Website displays a
handful of ads
Background and
white space is
somewhat neat
Animation
somewhat
complements
learning
Layout is somewhat
easy to navigate
Layout is somewhat
consistent
throughout
Website is
somewhat updated
to provide current
information

Website has a few

adds
Background and
white space is neat
Layout is mostly
easy to navigate
Layout is mostly
consistent
throughout

Website is updated
to provide current
information

Website does not

have any adds
Background and
white space is tidy
and neat
Layout is easy to
navigate
Layout is consistent
throughout

Score: 4
The website does not have any
ads to distract the learner.
The layout and background
make it easy to concentrate.

Website is updated
constantly to
provide current
information

Score: 4
The website was created in 2011
and is continually updated to
provide current and relevant
information to students.

Total Score: 32.8

Scale: Excellent Educational Website 36-33 points
Good Educational Website: 32-29
Okay Educational Website: 28-25
Unacceptable Educational Website :Below 24

EXCELLENT/GOOD EDUCATIONAL WEBSITE

Academic Content

Appendix B: EasyBib

Unsatisfactory-1
No instructional
content
Does not align with
district curriculum
Does not align with
CCSS
Objectives are
difficult to
understand
Information is
outdated and
inaccurate

Support

Relevancy

No positive review
from credible
sources
Does not monitor or
record students
progress or time on
task
Offers no help
assistance
Program provides
zero additional
resources to help
improve skills
Content is not
relevant to learning
task
Website is not
relevant to the
desired learning.

Needs Improvement-2
Little instructional
content
Some aspects align
with district
curriculum
Some aspects align
with CCSS
Objectives are
somewhat easy to
follow
Aspects of the
instructional
information are
current and accurate
Very few positive
reviews from
credible sources
Monitors or records
students progress or
time on task
Very little
assistance available
Program provides
very little additional
sources to help
improve skills

Content is
somewhat relevant
to learning task
Website is
somewhat relevant
to the desired
learning.

Good-3
There is a descent
amount of content
Majority of content
aligns with district
curriculum
Majority of content
aligns with CCSS
Objectives are clear
Information is
current and accurate

Excellent-4
There is a
significant amount
of content
Aligns with district
curriculum
Aligns with CCSS
Objectives are
extremely clear
Information is
extremely current
and accurate

Some positive
reviews from
credible sources
Monitors or records
students progress
and time on task
Aspects of help
menu available
Program provides
student with a few
additional recourses
to help improve
skills

Content is relevant
to learning task
Website is relevant
to the desired
learning.

Positive reviews
from credible
sources
Monitors and
records students
progress and time
on task
Help menu always
available
Program provides
students with
several additional
resources to help
improve skills
Content is very
relevant to learning
task
Website is very
relevant to the
desired learning.

Score and Comments

Score: 2.8
The website was not developed
with CCSS in mind, but it does
correlate with several research
writing standards.
The website does not offer any
instructional lessons on how to
improve the writing process.
It only provides a platform to
find sources, cite them, and then
write a paper outline.

Score: 3
The site requires students to
create their own login so it can
keep track of their work. The site
can be accessed wherever there
is an Internet connection.
The site does not record
students time on task. It just
saves the citations and note
students create.
There are no video lessons
available for students to watch
so they can improve their
research skills.
Score: 3
The content on the site is
relevant to the research process.
Its helps students to organize
their sources and notes so they
can create a well-written paper.

Appendix B: EasyBib

Website is not
developed for target
grade level
Reading level is not
appropriate for
target grade level
Instructions are
unclear and difficult
to follow

Learner cannot save

at regular intervals
and re-enter
instructions
Website does not
offer a whole group
or small group or
individual learning
opportunities
Allows for no
differentiation
Content is not
culturally diverse
Website does not
incorporates
different languages

User is somewhat
engaged with
website to learn
Website rarely
motivates learner

Reading level is
somewhat
appropriate for
target grade level
Aspects are
somewhat
developed for target
grade level
Many instructions
are clear with
several confusing
Learner can
somewhat save at
regular intervals and
re-enter instructions
Website offers a
whole group or
small group or
individual learning
opportunities
Allows for little
differentiation
Content is
somewhat culturally
diverse
Website
incorporates a few
languages

Engagement

User is not engaged

with website to
learn
Website does not
motivate learner

Appropriateness

Flexibility

Adaptability

User is engaged
with website to
learn
Website often
motivates learner to
improve skills

Reading level is
appropriate for
target grade level
Most aspects are
developed for target
grade level
Most instructions
are clear with a few
a bit confusing

Learner can mostly

save at regular
intervals and reenter instructions
Website offers a
whole group or
small group, and
individual learning
opportunities
Allows for
differentiation
(multiple
skills/ability levels)
Content is mostly
culturally diverse
Website
incorporates several
languages

User is highly
engaged with
website to learn
Highly motivates
learner to improve
skills

Reading level is
highly appropriate
for target grade
level
Website is
developed for target
grade level
Instructions are
clear and developed
for target grade
level
Learner can save at
regular intervals and
re-enter instruction
at same point
Website offers
whole group, small
group, and
individual learning
opportunities
Allows for several
differentiation
(multiple
skills/ability levels)
Content is culturally
diverse
Website
incorporates a
variety of languages

Score: 2.5
User is engaged with the website
to find sources and information
to use as evidence for the writing
piece.
Very little motivation is offer to
the student to help the learners.
Students need to be self
motivated to complete the
assigned task.
Score: 4
The website is designed for a
vide range of reading levels.
The instructions are clear and
easy to follow.

Score: 3
Because the website requires
students to login each time they
us it, it saves their work so they
can re-enter at anytime.
Website only offers an
individual learning opportunity.
Score: 1.5
Website does not offer any
additional languages. All
directions and performances are
in English.
Depending on what students are
researching, the content could be
diverse.
There is no differentiation
feature offered.

Appendix B: EasyBib

Graphics and Layout

Currency

Website is cluttered
with ads
Background and
white space is
cluttered
Layout is not easy
to navigate
Layout is
inconsistent

Website is not
updated to provide
current information

Website displays a
handful of ads
Background and
white space is
somewhat neat
Animation
somewhat
complements
learning
Layout is somewhat
easy to navigate
Layout is somewhat
consistent
throughout
Website is
somewhat updated
to provide current
information

Website has a few

adds
Background and
white space is neat
Layout is mostly
easy to navigate
Layout is mostly
consistent
throughout

Website is updated
to provide current
information

Website does not

have any adds
Background and
white space is tidy
and neat
Layout is easy to
navigate
Layout is consistent
throughout

Score: 3
The website has some ads that
could distract the learner.
The layout and background
make it easy to concentrate.

Website is updated
constantly to
provide current
information

Score: 4
The website was created in 2011
and is continually update to
provide current and relevant
information to students.

Total Score: 26.8

Scale: Excellent Educational Website 36-33 points
Good Educational Website: 32-29
Okay Educational Website: 28-25
Unacceptable Educational Website :Below 24

OKAY EDUCATIONAL WEBSITE