Image posted by Orbitgal @ Flickr under (cc)If we are to believe the “independent ‘state of the search’ survey” quoted in this article about suffering from information overload, then 72% of consumers are frustrated with their online searching. What does this mean to us as writing and research teachers? Although our students say they’ll just “Google” it, they realize they are not finding the “right” information and are possibly giving up in exhaustion.
Obviously it is our job to help students learn to negotiate resources available through academic libraries; however, now that there is so much legitimate information (as well as junk) available on the web, is it our job to teach them the information management skills to more efficiently and effectively navigate the web?
Is anyone teaching the following types of things in their research based writing courses:
- Google Search Tricks
- Use Alternative Search Engines
- Make your own Search Engine with something like Rollyo
I confess, at this point I’m only pushing the fact that Google Scholar exists, but I’m seriously considering incorporating some of the above. Your experiences & ideas?
1 comments:
I started incorporating Web search strategies in my Freshman Comp II classes over a year ago. It is extremely important to show them how to sort through all that informaiton. Google Scholar can be frustrating in its own ways--yes, the sources are reliable in an academic sense, but many are still inaccessible depending on where they are stored and where the student's point of access is.
I've found two approaches particularly useful:
1) For standard research type work on the Web, I encourage students to use the databases provided by our own school library. Most community colleges have increasing numbers of these and will add more if you ask. This ensures students will be able to get to the sources they find.
2) For broader searches (for those willing to expand you and your students concept of what research and researched writing is, I encourage students to create their own databases and searches using RSS feeders on topics of interest, and create social networks within which they can ask knowledgeable persons to suggest reliable sources.
Love to hear other ideas as well.
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