LUE 1001

UNIVERSITY ENGLISH I

UNIT FOUR
Intended Learning Outcomes (p.1)
1. evaluate a webpage using some criteria
2. explain criteria by defining & dividing them into different
categories

For Writing Coursework (II), before you use some criteria to

evaluate two chosen webpages, you have to:
1. define the criteria
2. group them according to their similar nature
3. explain why they are important
 4.1 Website evaluation
Task 1 Your experience of browsing websites (p.1)
1. Types of websites you usually browse?
2. Qualities that make them appealing to you?
Rich Attractive Easy
content layout navigation

Set of characteristics used to make your judgement:

CRITERIA
Task 2 Reading a website review (p.1)
1. Matching paragraphs with main ideas
 General info about the website (B)
 Good things about the website (C)
 Some of the problems with the website (D)
 A conclusion & overall opinion (A)

2. Facts vs Opinions?
B, C vs. A, D
3. Opinions – subjective or objective?
Subjective evaluation Objective evaluation
based on personal experience based on norms or criteria
(with explanation or justification)
used together with personal pronouns focus on the object being evaluated
(I, She, Him)
I love dancing. It is a beautiful sunset.
This new university policy terrifies me. The website has a very boring design.
Task 3 Subjective or objective evaluations? (p.3)

Subjective evaluation Objective evaluation

(A) … my favourite website is … (B) It’s great because … your favourite songs.
(C) One of the drawbacks is that …

(D) Another bad point is that … a lot of advertising

…
(E) … an excellent website if you like …

When writing academic papers (e.g. your webpage evaluation

report), you have to:
1. explain the criteria clearly
2. make objective evaluations – with justification/reasons
Task 4 Identifying criteria (p.3)
1. Select a product (with different brands)
watch, skin care, mobile phones, sneaker

2. Identify 3 criteria to judge the product

e.g. price, quality, style, function, easy of use
brand reputation, warranty, product support

3. Use evaluative words (adjectives) for each criterion

 Price – expensive, inexpensive, pricey, reasonable
 Quality – functional, shoddy, durable, reliable
 Style – ordinary, trendy, outdated, classy
 Brand reputation – renowned, untrustworthy, prestigious, nameless
Task 5 Reading: Web Evaluation Criteria (p.4)
Source (1)
Criteria What is it?
L anguage Choice of words to present information
L ayout & graphics How elements are visually represented
I nformation architecture How the website content and features are arranged
U ser interface How easy to navigate through the content
G eneral General practice of website design & maintenance

Source (2)
Criteria What is it?
Text The size, colour, font and font style
I mages The placement, size, format and resolution
Links Tell the web browser to connect to another site of folder
T ables Allow web designers to organize & group information
Task 12 Reading: 6 Criteria for Websites (p.10)
Six criteria that deal with the content of websites  rather
than the graphics or site design 
Content Criteria What is it?
Authority Person, institution or agency responsible for a site

Purpose To inform, persuade, state an opinion, entertain, or parody

something or someone
Coverage The depth in a site, through the use of links

Currency How current the information presented is

How often the site is updated or maintained
Date of creation & When a site was created and last updated
update If all the links are current
Objectivity Present information with a minimum of bias
 Your LUE1001 webpage evaluation

1. Choose three - four criteria for your webpage evaluation

Where to find more criteria?
Searching for more criteria for webpage evaluation

Where to find academic references?

 electronic databases*
 Google Scholar*
 Electronic databases
Go to Library website  Collections  E-resources 
Databases

Academic resources: ProQuest, EBSCOhost, Emerald

 How to conduct a search on database ?
1. Enter key words/phrases in quotation marks
“web evaluation”; “drug abuse”

2. Use AND for combined subjects

Marijuana AND “medical use”; “Webpage design” AND criteria

3. Use OR for synonyms of key words

“assisted suicide” OR euthanasia; Webpage OR Website

Website
Web Design Criteria
evaluation/
design qualities
review
 Changing setting of Google Scholar
Go to Library website  Collections  Explore Library
Collections  Findit@Lingnan-Google Scholar  Set your
Scholar preference
http://libguides.ln.edu.hk/google_scholar
 4.2 Definition & Division
What is “Definition”?
 A statement to describe or identify the essential qualities or meaning of
something.

Different ways to define criteria (Task 5)

Language/General refers to **
Layout & graphics/Information architecture/ User interface pertains to
**
Hyperlinks tell … to …
Links are what allows … to …
Tables allow … to …
Common forms of definitions (p.8)
X is Y that …
Y that …. is X.
A type of Y which …. is X.
X is….
X is known as …
X is called …
X is a form/type of …
X can be defined as …
 Two ways of writing definitions (p.7)
1. Advertising is the activity of producing advertisements for
products or services.
2. The activity of producing advertisements for products or services
is called advertising.
How do you define this?

Courage
Common way to define something in academic writing (p.7)

1. the topic - the word/thing/person you want to define & explain

2. the category/group to which the word/thing/person belongs
3. the characteristics that make it different from others in the
category/group

Term/Concept/Person Category / Group Distinguishing characteristics

The Underground a secret system … that helped slaves escape from
Railroad was … the South to freedom in the
North during the mid- 1800s.
Courage is … the quality … of being brave when you are
facing something that is
dangerous or that you fear.
Casual Friday refers the custom … of office workers wearing casual
to … clothes to work on Fridays.
 Your LUE1001 webpage evaluation
1. Choose three - four criteria for your webpage evaluation
Where to find more criteria? How to cite them?
2. Define your three – four chosen criteria
What forms/ways will you use? Do your definitions contain the three
elements (topic, category, characteristics)?
 Division (pp.9-10)
What is “Division”?
The separation of something into groups – members of each group share
similar attributes
Official Divisions Personal Divisions
 widely known or accepted categories  created by individuals to express personal
view of a subject
 created by the government, a company or
profession  based on individuals’ experience or
observation
 the grouping of JUPAS and non-JUPAS  the 12 Most Annoying Types of Facebookers
students
 the criteria chosen/invented by students to
 the registered medical practitioners on the evaluate a website
General Register and the Specialist Register
Task 11 Dividing subjects into different categories (p.9)

1. Students at your university:

majors, ethnic background, residence, the way they finance their
studies, …

2. Your neighbours:
age, ethnic background, family size, occupation, …
 Your LUE1001 webpage evaluation
1. Choose three - four criteria for your webpage evaluation
Where to find more criteria? How to cite them?
2. Define your three – four chosen criteria
What forms/ways will you use? Do your definitions contain the three
elements (topic, category, characteristics)?
3. Divide your three – four chosen criteria into categories
What is the basis on which your criteria are divided? What similar
attributes does each category share?
 Justifying your chosen criteria
Cause-Effect vocabulary & structures (Unit 3)
1. Cause (X)  Effect (Y) a) within one sentence
b) in two sentences
2. Effect (Y)  Cause (X) a) within one sentence

You need to explain:

1) why the criteria are important?
2) how they affect the visitors?
 Task 5 Writing criteria for webpage evaluation (p.5)

Criterion 1: Information architecture

Definition: It “pertains to how the website content and features are arranged”
(Roy & Crabbe, 2014, p.133).
Reason: A well-organized layout can help users find the information they need
quickly and create a positive user experience.

Criterion 2: Graphics
Definition: It refers to the artistic quality of the design, including images and
animation.
Reason: Graphics can add visual interest and make a webpage more attractive,
which can help to engage and retain users.
 Task 5 More criteria for webpage evaluation (p.5)
Search for two more criteria & write your definitions, with
justifications
Criterion 3: Being informative
Definition: An informative website allow visitors to obtain information relevant to the
product advertised.
Reason: When a website provides accurate and reliable information, it can produce a
positive reputation and bring about more visits.

Criterion 4: Easy of use

Definition: A website that presents information in a clear, concise and easy way for the
users to access and read is easy-to-use.
Reason: By designing websites that are easy-to-use, web designers can create positive
user experiences that help to achieve the website’s goals.
 Giving objective opinions (with reasons)
Cause-Effect vocabulary & structures (Unit 3)
1. Cause (X)  Effect (Y) a) within one sentence
b) in two sentences
2. Effect (Y)  Cause (X) a) within one sentence

The web page is not overcrowded, allowing users to move easily from one
element to the next.
The web page displays clear titles in the title bar of the browser, resulting in
easy navigation.
The web page uses an effective and uncluttered layout, which enhances
readability.
 Your LUE1001 webpage evaluation
1. Choose three - four criteria for your webpage evaluation
Where to find more criteria? How to cite them?
2. Define your three – four chosen criteria
What forms/ways will you use? Do your definitions contain the three elements (topic,
category, characteristics)?
3. Divide your three – four chosen criteria into categories
What is the basis on which your criteria are divided? What similar attributes does
each category share?
4. Add justification/reasons to your definitions of criteria
Why is the criteria important for a webpage? How do they affect its purpose or the
visitors?
5. Proofread your definitions of criteria using SCRIBO
 A sample of webpage evaluation criteria
2.1 Criteria
A total of five criteria were chosen. Definitions are listed below.
Layout refers to the positioning of elements in relation to each other, including modes of
navigation. It helps with the logic and coherence of a webpage, ensuring that the most
important features stand out.
Responsiveness is the ability of the site “to respond to any device [of any size] that it is being
viewed on, both in terms of appearance and usage” (Rauv, 2017, para. 3). This expands the
reach of the content, since accessibility is not limited by technical issues related to a user’s
device.
Colour relates to the overall colour scheme, including contrast. It helps attract attention,
communicate significance, and increase attractiveness of the site and the message.
Font refers to the size and style of the text. Font conveys level of formality, and can even
communicate emotion, atmosphere, and a sense of modernity or antiquity.
Images include graphics and animation. They can add feeling and depth to a message, in
line with the saying “a picture is worth a thousand words”.
 Task 8 After class reading (p.8)
The 12 Most Annoying Types of Facebookers
(available on Moodle Class Page  Unit 4)
How are the types of Facebookers defined and divided?
Ten questions to find out how much you understand Unit
4:
 Additional Self-study Materials
(at the end of the unit)

1. Attitude: subjectivity & objectivity in written texts

2. Grammar for academic purposes – connotations
3. Understanding adjectives
4. Adjective order
5. Categorization (division)