Peer Review

What’s Going On in This Picture?

Material Detail page

Reviewed:: Sep 22, 2021 by ICT Literacy

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Ratings

Overall Rating:

Content Quality:

Effectiveness:

Ease of Use:

Overview:

The website shows intriguing Times images stripped of their captions -- and an invitation to students to discuss them live. Several videos, on-demand webinars, and lessons guide analysis.

Type of Material:

Workshop and Training Material

Simulation/Game

Recommended Uses:

Instructors post an intriguing New York Times image. Studens analyze the images, and converse online about the image, being prompted to find evidence to back up their stances.

Technical Requirements:

Works in Windows browser

Identify Major Learning Goals:

Students analyze news images.

Students communicate clearly and express themselves creatively for a variety of purposes using the platforms, tools, styles, formats and digital media appropriate to their goals.

Students develop and employ strategies for understanding and solving problems in ways that leverage the power of technological methods to develop and test solutions.

Target Student Population:

Grade School, Middle School, High School, College General Ed, Professional

Prerequisite Knowledge or Skills:

basic ICT literacy skills

Content Quality

Rating:

Strengths:

New York Times journalists provide four years of current intriguing images, along with expert explanations and contexts for them to help students develop creative thinking and research skills. Each week's image is self-contained, and can be used in several situations. Links work, and are appropriately attributed. The explanation provides enough information that a vision impaired user can participate.

Concerns:

Very specific content, very niche fit. Great content though.

Potential Effectiveness as a Teaching Tool

Rating:

Strengths:

The learning objectives are clear, and address core ICT literacy standards. Little pre-requisite knowledge is needed. The format is consistent for all the pictures, so while they do not build on each other, as users analyze a series of images they have opportunities to improve their visual literacy skills.The site offers very efficient and user-friendly learning. Instructors can easily create lessons from these images across curricular areas, and the New York Times also includes webinars and content for educators. The underlying concepts apply well to ICT literacy in daily life.

Concerns:

no concerns

Ease of Use for Both Students and Faculty

Rating:
Strengths:: The website is professional looking, clear, engaging, and easy to navigate independently; it is also searchable. Both in terms of the textual guidance and the opporutnity for online moderated discussion, the weekly images and discussions are very interactive, informative, and compelling. The images can also be managed with social media. The site includes a contact feature, and is accessible.
Concerns:: Site is only in English and none of the images are captioned so how can those who are blind or visually impaired use this website without the aid of a person to describe the image. I was unable to check the code to see if there are descriptors for screen readers but saw no indication.

Other Issues and Comments:: Starting this fall, users will need to pay for the online moderated discussion.
Creative Commons: