Teaching the

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Teaching the Ten Steps to Better Web Research
By Mark E. Moran Shannon A. Firth Dulcinea
Media
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Links to studies articles discussed are at the
end of this presentation and at
http//bit.ly/teachtensteps The PowerPoint
version may be found at www.SlideShare.net/SweetSe
arch
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Dulcinea Media provides free content tools that
help educators teach students how to use the
Internet effectively. More about us and our
products http//www.DulcineaMedia.com Check out
SweetSearch, A Search Engine for
Students www.SweetSearch.com Sign-up for our
free daily newsletter http//www.findingdulcinea.
com/info/newsletter.html Follow us on Twitter
_at_findingDulcinea _at_findingEdu
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It is very likely that our students brains
have physically changed and are different from
ours as a result of how they grew up.
1 -- Marc Prensky
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Our generation
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Their generation
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• So, are digital natives experts at searching
  the Web?

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• After a year long information literacy program,
  most fifth grade students continued to rely
  entirely on Google and never questioned the
  reliability of the websites they accessed. 2
• -- Vrije University Netherlands

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• Even when high school students found a good
  source they did not recognize it and instead
  launched a new search. A high level of browsing
  is carried on at the expense of thinking and
  planning. 3
• -- Shu Hsien L. Chen

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• Electronic media can overwhelm youth with
  information that they may not have the skills or
  experience to evaluate. And literacy skills
  overlap with safety skills. 4
• -- Harvards Berkman Center for Internet
  Society, March 2010

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• Students without access to librarians teaching
  Web research skills show up at college beyond
  hope.they have learned to get by with
  Google. 5
• -- University College London

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• Not one of the 600 college students surveyed
  "could give an adequate conceptual definition of
  how Google returns results.the word magic came
  up a lot. 6 --ERIAL study (Illinois)

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In 2010 Dulcinea Media Surveyed 300 middle school
and high school students in New York.
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How do you begin your search?

• Almost half of middle school students chose I
  type a question.

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If a search doesnt give you good results...
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... what do you do next?

• I try another search engine.
• I try different keywords but if I still can't
  find an answer, I just think real hard for an
  answer.
• I focus on the encyclopedia.

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I punch the screen. Just kidding, LOL.
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How do you decide if an online article is a good
source to use for a school report?
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Its a good source.

• if it has the information I need then its good
  for me.
• if it sounds good, I know its right, and it has
  good vocab.

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Actual Answer I dont know. I just go with
it.
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How often do you check the author of an article?
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• About 2/3 of students rarely or never check
  the author.

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It doesnt really matter who wrote it...
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How often do you check to see when an article
was written or last updated?
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• Half of high school students and about 3/4 of
  middle school students say they rarely or never
  check the date of an article.

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I cant find it.
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In Conclusion.

• A majority of students
• dont know how to form a sound search query
• dont have a strategy for dealing with poor
  results
• cant articulate how they know content is
  credible
• dont check the author or date of an article.

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In other words...
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WERE LOST
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Improving Internet skills starts with educators
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• Students see educators
• modeling an effective
• research process and
• learn from it.
• Colette Cassinelli
• librarian/ technology teacher
• Portland, OR

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• Librarians must be
• able to retool and
• stay ahead of
• teachers and students.
• Joyce Valenza
• media specialist
• Springfield Township, PA

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• Recognizing reliable sources
• consider infinite options
• Understanding intellectual property rights
• Engaging modern audiences with conclusions
• EFFECTIVE USE OF THE WEB

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Models Resources for Web Research

• Review the Big6 model.7
• Share the Ergo search model with students. 8
• Teach Ten Steps for Better Web Research.
• http//www.SweetSearch.com/TenSteps

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How Do Effective Researchers Behave?

• Start general with several keywords
• Try new combinations in a systemic manner
• Use more precise, or even natural language. 9
• Look well beyond the first few results, and
  return often to favorite, reliable sites.

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No Quick Fix

• Effective web research skills cannot be learned
  in a week, a semester, or a year.
• They must be taught year-round, throughout
  primary school years, and can be mastered only as
  students mature and gain experience.

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A New Approach?

• Authors of ERIAL study teach broad concepts and
  strategies, not use of specific tools.

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"Unless we can demonstrate some measurable payoff
to searching, students arent going to do it.
6 - Lisa Rose-Wiles librarian Seton Hall
University
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Use better interfaces and more sophisticated
indexing methods to nudge students,
incrementally, toward competence. 6 - Casper
Grathwohl Oxford University Press
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Step 1 Where to Search

• The Internet may not be the best place to start
  databases may help you find what youre seeking
  far faster.

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Step 1 Where to Search

• Dont count on search engines to do all the work
  for you. Ask a librarian or teacher to recommend
  individual sites.
• Use student-friendly tools for aggregating your
  own favorite sites. e.g. Symbaloo or Diigo.

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Step 1 Where to Search

• Give students
• a list of 10 sites include
• two poor sources.
• Students must defend their sources and point out
  weak links.
• - Michelle Baldwin
• Vocal Music Teacher
• Omaha, NE

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Step 2 Try Several Search Engines

• Suggest a two-week Google Holiday to lessen
  dependency.
• Introduce meta-search engines (eg. Zuula).
• More about search engines http//bit.ly/bO7FbB

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Step 2 Try Several Search Engines..

• SweetSearch searches 35,000 websites that
  research experts have evaluated and approved.
• SweetSearch4Me features sites for emerging
  learners.
• We created these, yet dont use them exclusively
  we use the full range of resources.

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Step 3 Dig deep for the best results

• Many websites rank high for reasons unrelated to
  the quality of their content.
• Professionals and academics dont practice
  Search Engine Optimization.
• Dont stop at the first page!!

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Step 3 Dig deep.

• Google and other search engines optimize their
  results for adults, who want to know what
  happened today. Google recently promised to
  deliver 50 fresher results.
• For school research, fresher is not usually
  better.

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Step 3 Dig deep.

• With Yolink users can browse search results in
  context without opening them. ALL educators and
  students should use it.
• Integrated into SweetSearch, Yolink can be used
  on other sites through a browser add-on.
• SweetSearch better indexing, Yolink
  better interface suggested by Oxford University
  Press.

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Step 4 Think Before You Search

If you dont know where youre going, youll
probably end up somewhere else. - Yogi Berra
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Step 4 Think Before You Search

• Define your task.
• Have students rewrite
• assignments in their
• own words.
• - Angela Maiers
• education consultant
• Maiers Education Services

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Step 5 Make Search Engines Work for You

• Connectors AND and OR can be moderately
  effective.
• Quotation marks are a critical tool students
  should know when to use.
• But advanced search options are the best way to
  mandate or exclude certain words.

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Step 5 Make Search Engines Work for You

• Learn the AROUND function.
• Search Kennedy" AROUND(10) moon and the top
  results will be ones in which Kennedy appears
  within ten words of moon.
• NOTE both search terms must be in quotes, AROUND
  must be capitalized, and the number must be in
  parentheses.

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Step 5 Make Search Engines Work for You

• As you search, add new keywords.
• Avoid looping by documenting your search with
  a bookmarking tool, or keep a written record.

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Step 6 Dont Believe Everything You Read

• Students should think like a detective.
• A dose of healthy skepticism is required.
• Information is only as good as its source.
• No single element determines credibility.
• ALWAYS verify critical information with several
  sources.

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Step 7 Find Primary Sources

• Think of primary sources such as photos, diaries
  and newspapers as eyewitness accounts which
  are generally more reliable than second-hand
  information.
• More http//bit.ly/6CnTrq

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Step 7 Looking at the Original Source?

• If you suspect a site may not be the original
  source of information, google a key phrase.
• If the phrase appears on another site, evaluate
  the credibility of that site.
• More http//bit.ly/9k6a2v

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Step 8 Who Published the Article?

• Do editors or experts review the information? Is
  it thorough?
• Do the author and publisher have a
  well-established reputation? Search their names
  in a search engine.

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Step 8 Who Published the Article?

• If the site does not provide the name of the
  publisher and its editors you cannot rely on it.
• Even if it looks good or sounds good.

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Step 8 Who Published the Article?

• See 10 Reasons Why Students Cant Cite
• Wikipedia.
• More http//bit.ly/dlxX6i

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Step 8 Who Published the Article?

• Assessing the top level domain (.com. .gov,
  .org, .edu) is not as useful as commonly
  believed.
• Be wary of sites containing words like
  "free/discount/best/your/Web.
• Be critical of sites where advertisements blend
  with content.

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Step 9 Why Was the Article Written?

• Always ask, why did the writer write this?
• Is the site trying to sell you something?
• Does the site have any social or political
  biases? Eg. WhiteHouse.gov is not a neutral
  source for information on U.S. Presidents.

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Step 9 Why Was the Article Written?

• Many websites that appear to offer valid
  information but were created for another
  purpose. 
• More http//bit.ly/9dzELE

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Step 10 When was information written or last
revised?

• Determine when an article was published or last
  updated.
• If you cant, then confirm the currency of the
  information elsewhere.
• Use a news search engine, add the current year
  as a search term, or Advanced Search Options to
  restrict dates (imperfect).
• More http//bit.ly/9dzELE

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The End?
Yes, but its only the beginning of our efforts
to help educators teach students how to use the
Web effectively. We will offer versions of the
Ten Steps for emerging learners, and lesson plans
and videos. Sign-up for our newsletter to be kept
updated on our progress. http//www.findingdulcin
ea.com/info/newsletter.html
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Works Cited

• Prensky, Marc. Digital Natives, Digital
  Immigrants On the Horizon. NCB University
  Press, Vol. 9 No. 5, October 2001
• 2. Els Kuiper, Monique Volman and Jan Terwel.
  Students' use of Web literacy skills and
  strategies searching, reading and evaluating Web
  information. Information Research Vol. 13,
  No.3, (September, 2008.http//www.informationr.ne
  t/ir/13-3/paper351.html
• 3. Shu-Hsien L. Chen. Searching the Online
  Catalog and the World Wide Web. Journal of
  Educational Media Library Sciences, 41 1
  (September 2003) 29-43
• 4. On Empowering Parents and Protecting Children
  in an Evolving Media landscape Berkman Center
  for Internet Society. February 24, 2010.
  http//cyber.law.harvard.edu/node/5951
• 5. UCL. Information behavior of the researcher
  of the future 11 January 2008.
• http//www.jisc.ac.uk/media/documents/programmes/r
  eppres/gg_final_keynote_11012008.pdf
• 6. Steve Kolowich, Searching for Better Research
  Habits, Inside Higher Ed, September 29, 2010
• http//www.insidehighered.com/news/2010/09/29/sear
  ch
• 
  (contd)

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Works Cited
7. Eisenberg, Mike. What is the Big 6. The
Big 6 Information Technology Skills for
Student Achievement, (1997) http//www.big6.com/wh
at-is-the-big6/ 8. Research Skills. State
Library of Victoria. Ergo. (2010)
http//www.slv.vic.gov.au/ergo/research_skills 9.
Media Post Google Research Focuses on Search
Failures, September 21, 2010 http//www.mediapost
.com/publications/?faArticles.showArticleart_aid
136114nid118854 10. Kasman Valenza, Joyce.
PowerSearching 501 Springfield Township High
School Library http//www.sdst.org/shs/library/jvl
es.html
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Dulcinea Media Links
Dulcinea Media http//dulcineamedia.com/ Surve
y http//www.surveymonkey.com/s/researchhighsc
hool SweetSearch 10 Steps http//www.SweetSearc
h.com/TenSteps Yolink http//www.yolinkeducat
ion.com/education/ SweetSearch http//www.Sweet
Search.com SweetSearch4Me http//www.SweetSearc
h4Me.com Search Engines http//bit.ly/bO7FbB Pr
imary Sources http//bit.ly/6CnTrq Original
Source? http//bit.ly/9k6a2v Cant Cite
Wikipedia http//bit.ly/dlxX6i Who?
http//bit.ly/9dzELE Why? http//bit.ly/aTfA
Po When? http//bit.ly/cZDEig