[Sigia-l] Youth research

[Surla, Stacy]

Linda,

Linda, I would also be very interested in any research or commentary you
have on site usability for kids.  And links to exemplary sites.

I'm in the early stages of developing a government policy site for a
middle-school to high-school audience.  Our interesting task is to pose the
question, what would it be like to work for the feds in the policy arena?
Content will include material that can be used for debates and reports, and
also local-level stuff (like "vending machines in schools - introducing and
influencing policy in your community" or whatever).  

Current federal kids' sites (mandated a few years ago and since largely
ignored) offer limited ideas.  Homework sites and such haven't impressed me
too much.  Some museum sites organize dense information in interesting ways,
and flashy, interactive merchandising sites seem to suggest a standard of
some kind.  However, my understanding so far is based on my own notions, not
on any feedback from kids or research I've seen.  I'd love to get input!

By the way, I remember that Nam-ho Park started an IA-Kids listserv after
last year's summit, but I don't know if anything came of that.

Here are links to some sites I've pondered - not necessarily exemplary, just
offered for conversational purposes.  Random samples:

Cool but slow-loading History Wired http://historywired.si.edu/index.html
Explore a Viking Village http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/vikings/village.html
GPO's kids' site - talking down to high school kids?
http://bensguide.gpo.gov/9-12/index.html
FBI kids' site - they've got better content than this
http://www.fbi.gov/kids/6th12th/6th12th.htm


~Stacy



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Snakes, Drama, Basketball.  What's your anti-drug?
www.mediacampaign.org/messagemaker/intro_pets.html
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~