This is a small scale research project on the affect of website filtering on access to information in schools. We tested the following web site in several of our schools, and noted which ones were blocked. We also associated each website with a one of the following categories: Social Networking, Health Information, News and Current Affairs, and Utilities.
Below are our test sites, with comments as necessary:
Social Networking (Source: Wikipedia ) Rationale: Top 4 social networking websites from Wikipedia's entry on the subject, sorted by estimated number of users. Accessed Nov. 8, 2009.
Health Information (Source: Living Positive Resource Centre (n.d.) Little Black Book. Kelowna, BC: Ehmann Printworx) Rationale: This booklet is distributed in schools and by social assistance groups in Kelowna. We tested several potentially controversial websites in this book to see if they would be blocked.
Below are our test sites, with comments as necessary:
Social Networking (Source: Wikipedia )
Rationale: Top 4 social networking websites from Wikipedia's entry on the subject, sorted by estimated number of users. Accessed Nov. 8, 2009.
Health Information (Source: Living Positive Resource Centre (n.d.) Little Black Book. Kelowna, BC: Ehmann Printworx)
Rationale: This booklet is distributed in schools and by social assistance groups in Kelowna. We tested several potentially controversial websites in this book to see if they would be blocked.
News and Current Affairs
Utilities
Websites That Should Be Blocked