Peer Review

National Sleep Foundation

Material Detail page

Reviewed:: Nov 18, 2014 by Psychology

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Ratings

Overall Rating:

Content Quality:

Effectiveness:

Ease of Use:

Overview:: This is a comprehensive website (information, products and activities) related to sleep and sleep disorders. The site is sponsored by the National Sleep Foundation and serves both informational and sales purposes. The National Sleep Foundation “is dedicated to improving the quality of life for Americans who suffer from sleep problems and disorders. This means helping the public better understand the importance of sleep and the benefits of good sleep habits, and recognizing the signs of sleep problems so that they can be properly diagnosed and treated.”
Type of Material:: Reference Material (a website including informative articles, blogs and sleep activities/tests)
Recommended Uses:: • The website resources would be most valuable for use in a general psychology class discussing sleep and sleep disorders or for an advanced class examining states of consciousness. The quizzes and activities would provide good supplemental activities that general psychology students could complete as assignments to apply their knowledge of sleep to their own lives. • Anyone interested in normal sleep and sleep disorders could benefit from using the site. An easy search helps one find professionals in their area. There is a link for sleep professionals as well. The site includes online video and audio clips explaining different issues.
Technical Requirements:: The reviewers used both Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox on a PC running Windows 7. They accessed the site with no problems. Note that Java is required to participate in the quiz activities.
Identify Major Learning Goals:: While there are no established learning goals associated with this website, users can search (and learn about) sleep facts and information related to both normal sleep and sleep disorders.
Target Student Population:: Any students interested in sleep would benefit from the materials on this site. Students from junior high through advanced degrees would find useful information as would medical professionals. The activities/quizzes would be particularly useful in a general psychology course.
Prerequisite Knowledge or Skills:: No prerequisite knowledge is needed.

Content Quality

Rating:
Strengths:: • The content is very accurate and relevant. Articles are primarily written by MD professionals and provide scholarly citations. • The presented information is current, up-to-date, and well-organized. It reflects the field well.
Concerns:: • Information is presented primarily in text-based formats. Some students may perceive this presentation of information as a bit dry.

Potential Effectiveness as a Teaching Tool

Rating:
Strengths:: • The site provides valuable information concerning many aspects of sleep that will help an individual recognize problems with sleep. The site also provides information regarding how to improve sleep as well as the importance of sleep. • The site engages the learner with text, video, and audio clips. • The quizzes and activities are good supplements for discussions on sleep and sleep disorders.
Concerns:: • The articles, blogs and information pieces provide a basic overview but do not add extensively beyond what is already available in most general psychology texts.

Ease of Use for Both Students and Faculty

Rating:
Strengths:: • The site is very easy to use and intuitive. The website is well-organized with a plethora of resources. • It is easy to toggle between the site for Health Care Professionals and the site for Everyone. Sections have clear, logical labels for ease of finding information.
Concerns:: • Once viewers click into the product area (intentional or accidental), it is difficult to return to the information website. The site clearly has a marketing focus with the goal of selling products (in addition to education of the general public). • Some links take the user far enough away from the main page that multiple “back button” presses are required to return to the home page.

Other Issues and Comments:: This website provides beneficial information on sleep as well as tools and activities to better understand sleep and sleep disorders.The sleep tools and tips provide good classroom supplement activities to help students apply their understanding of sleep to their own life. Other tabs and resources are less likely to add extensive value to a typical discussion of sleep in a psychology course.
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