Hyper Links
I think it is important to check ALL hyper links posted to make sure they are classroom appropriate.
That is important! I had a class once that had used the same hyperlink to a motivational reading for about two years. One semester a student opened the link only to find it directed her to a porn site!!! The motivational site had been purchased by a porn site!! We updated quickly! So yes....do check your hyperlinks especially if they take you to a third party website!
Shelly, great example of the need to check hyperlinks before the class begins.
Also there are times when a particular legitimate link goes dead as the author voluntarily removed it.
I have had that happen a couple of times and it can be embarrasing if you are the instructor too!!
I think it is important to check all hyperlinks because by doing so
1.You can check for relevancy
2.You can avoid the embarrassment of broken links, error 404 pages.
3. If linked to pages in third party sites you can update the link URL to show the latest and current content and ensure it is not linked to outdated stuff.
Checking hyperlinks should be done for your own material and for links posted by the college/university. I found a few links to material that did not work correctly so reported them to the school and let students know.
Unfortunately, hyperlinks are a continual issue in all types of environments. Recently, a company's marketing division personnel moved several internal sites to a new server. The hyperlinks other divisions used to get to the marketing division's sites did not work, affecting external customers and worker productivity.
I always check website links I use in my online classes prior to live chats and posting course material. Clicking broken links can be frustrating and I do not want students to have to suffer through this. They have enough work to do and technological issues only increase stress.
Sincerely,
Stephen W. Volz
I am happy to see you check you hyperlinks....they can be stinkers at times!!
