The Internet As A Tool For Inquiry

Use these questions to guide your inquiry:

• How can learners take advantage of online services to locate needed information through the processes of browsing and searching? What can learners do to improve the efficiency of their searches?
• How can teachers and students keep track of the valuable web resources they have located?
• What are the differences between instructional resources and primary sources, and what role do these resources play in a learning environment?
• What guidelines might be applied to evaluate the information found on web pages?
• What information problem-solving skills are emphasized in the Big Six model, and how do these skills apply to an Internet inquiry task?
• What are the components of a WebQuest? How can you use a WebQuest with your students?

I. The World Wide Web and Web Exploration Tools (pp. 204-207)

The World Wide Web (WWW) interconnects information sources by way of hypermedia links. Special software, called a browser, is to required to connect to and interpret the protocol used by web servers. A browser provides a graphic interface so that following links from one web page to another is very easy and allows interactive involvement with a full range of hypermedia - text, images, video, audio.

The browser assembles and then displays the multimedia information sent from a server. Web servers send individual components (text, images, video) and the browser integrates these components to produce the display you see on the monitor. The instructions used in constructing this display are present in the HTML (hypertext markup language) that is part of the text information sent to the browser.

You can view the HTML by selecting View Source from the menubar (try View Source to examine the HTML for this page).

Helper applications and plug-ins

Web browsers are not able to present all of the information formats that the web offers. Companies creating software that generate information in these formats (e.g., a unique method for present sound, video, 3-D virtual experiences) also generate either helper applications or plug-ins to support the information source the company is promoting. A helper application is a presentation program that runs in parallel with the browser. When the browser receives a file type it is unable to present, it will launch the helper application to present the information. A plug-in functions within the browser so it is a way of adding a new capability to the browser. In nearly every case, the helper applications or plug-ins are free. Companies would find it difficult to convince web authors to purchase the software tools for developing these unique formats if the authors felt web users would be resistant to paying for the tools to experience what the authors created. It is typically easier for companies to make their money by selling tools to web authors.

Often, when web authors use a unique file format that requires a helper or plug-in, they will provide a link to a source for the helper or plug-in on the same page that provides access to the unique type of information. Users who are unprepared to take advantage of the web resource can then easily obtain the helper application or plug-in.

II. Keeping Track of Online Resources (pps. 207-209)

II.A Using bookmarks (favorites)

When using the web as an inquiry tool, there is typically an exploratory phase. During this phase the learner is looking around to try to see what useful resources might be available. It is important to have an efficient method for retaining a list of the sites that should be visited again. Saving a list of bookmarks (Netscape Navigator) or favorites (Internet Explorer) is an easy way to keep track of valuable resources.

A bookmark list is basically comprised of links that will take the user back to the web page associated with each link.

II.B Saving a bookmark

Adding a bookmark is accomplished by selecting an option from the bookmarks menubar option.

Note: The specific terminology used here refers to Netscape Navigator. Very similar actions are required when working with Microsoft Internet Explorer.

A recently added bookmark will appear at the bottom of the bookmark list available from this same menubar option. To return to the web page associated with the bookmark, simply select the bookmark from the list.

II.C Making a bookmark more informative

One of the problems in working with bookmarks is interpreting the bookmark titles stored on the bookmark list. The author of a web page assigns the title to the page and this title may have little meaning to you. To change a title, select Manage Bookmarks, select the bookmark you want to modify and then use the "Rename" option to replace the original title with one you find more useful.

You can also enter information describing the site associated with the bookmark and search bookmarks to locate bookmarks associated with specific terms you have entered.

II.D Organizing bookmarks

New bookmarks are added at the end of the list. As you acquire a long list of bookmarks, it becomes more and more difficult to locate the specific one you want. One way to improve your ability to locate a specific resource is to organize the bookmark list. Once in the Manage Bookmark window, you can simply drag bookmarks to a new location in the list and this procedure can be used to impose a structure on the list.

The Edit window also allows the creation of a hierarchical filing system based on folders. Folders can be assigned meaningful labels (e.g., Lesson ideas) using "Manage Bookmarks" and bookmarks can be moved into folders.

II.E Exporting bookmarks

You can turn your bookmark list into a web page using "Save As." There are several reasons for doing this. First, after investing a great amount of time in creating a bookmark list, you will have want to have a backup of your work. Second, the html page created by exporting a bookmark list can be passed on to others. For example, a teacher might want to create a bookmark list focused on a topic he/she wants the class to investigate and then pass this list on to students using the exported web page.

Online social bookmarking

III. Locating Information: Browsing and Searching (pp. 209-213)

Teachers and students must develop some skills to efficiently located resources within the web's vastness.

III.A There are two general techniques:

Browsing is based on a hierarchical directory of headings and subheadings. To locate information you select from these headings until you get to a listing of links appropriate to your interests.

Searching involves the use of an online database. A user submits a query and then examines web sites that match the terms provided in the query.

III.B Browsing Example - Yahoo!

III.C Search services

III.C.1 Search engine and directory combinations

Some search services are based on a cataloging system very much like that maintained by conventional libraries. Human editors examine web sites and catalog them. A search engine is applied to this database. The Yahoo! database can be examined in this fashion.

III.C.2 Index search engines

An index search engines relies on a computer-generated index of the content of web sites. A computer program explores the web and generates a database users can search. Example: Google

III.C.3 Meta-index

A meta-index accesses and returns the results from several search engines. Example:Metacrawler.

III.C.4 Searching skills

There are several ways to improve search productivity:

III.C.4.a Narrow a search with quotation marks

Enclosing a phrase in quotation marks causes the search engine to match the phrase rather than individual terms.

III.C.4.b Use Boolean combinations

A boolean search combines terms using boolean operators - AND, OR, NOT. A combination of terms targets pages more accurately.

III.C.4.c Search forms

Some search engines provide forms which allow phrase, boolean, and other search techniques to be conducted in a very convenient manner. The form allows the user to select options rather than requiring that the user enter the terms (AND, OR, NOT) and operators ("", +, -) for submitting more complicated searchers. Example: Hotbot (Note: Use "advanced search" to conduct boolean searches.)

IV. Using the Web in Your Classroom (pp. 213-222)

Encouraging students to make use of the Internet will require additional skills of educators. These challenges include: a) broader content knowledge (because students can encounter so many different things), b) greater sensitivity to differences in individual student knowledge and skills, c) tracking growth in student understanding, and d) creating learning experiences that are responsive to b and meet content expectations.

IV.A Categories of Web Resources

The Internet can be used to deliver a variety of learning resources. Our focus is mostly on resources that can be used in traditional classrooms, but the interest in tutorials is growing

IV.A.1 Tutorials and Instructional resources

Tutorials and instructional resources have been developed to serve an instructional purpose. In a way, such resources have been preprocessed for students. That is, the resource developers have:

• identified educational goals
• selected content related to these goals and anticipated learner background
• organized the content for presentation so that key concepts are carefully developed.

IV.A.2 Primary sources

In contrast to instructional resources, primary sources might be considered "raw" information. The information has not been developed with an educational purpose or student audience in mind and may not even represent a "fair" treatment of the issue being considered.

The argument is not that instructional resources are not better suited to efficient instruction, but that inquiry skills may be better developed through opportunities to work with primary sources. Primary sources place more responsibility on the learner.

V. Issues in using Internet resources

Both instructional materials and primary sources are available on the Internet. Chapter 6 focuses most directly on the issues involved in using the primary sources.

Typically, the Internet offers a great and increasing amount of information with at least some connection to topics students are investigating. An important educational challenge is in finding ways to improve the efficiency of the student's experience in working with this content.

There are at least two methods for achieving reasonable efficiency:

• Development of student skills

Student information processing skills (search efficiency, evaluating information quality, etc.) can be developed. The development of such skills is an important educational goal and as such skills are developed Internet resources become more effective because of increased time efficiency.

• Imposed structure

Tasks involving use of primary sources can be structured for students. Educators or others responsible for educational experiences can do some of the work - locating resources, identifying the possible purpose to which designated resources might be put, etc. - for students.

V.A The Big Six: Skills for Information Problem Solving (pp. 222-228)

V.A.1 Understanding the Big Six

The Big Six describe a set of concrete tasks that are accomplished in solving information problems. The individual skills require the identification of an information problem; the location, processing, organization, and application of information resources in an attempt to solve the problem; and the evaluation of the success of the solution. The approach was developed with a focus on were commonly known as "library skills", but the model generalizes to many types of information problems.

Task definition

Task definition involves the recognition that an information problem exists and what information is needed.

Information seeking

Information seeking requires the identification of resources that are likely to provide practical and appropriate resources appropriate to the problem.

Locating information

The problem solver must find the potentially useful resources.

B.1.d Use information

Once located, information must be processed (read, examined), a decision must be made regarding whether or not the source will be useful, and relevant elements must be extracted (stored in some form).

Organization and communication

The problem solver must integrate what has been learned and attempt to apply this knowledge to solve the problem.

Evaluation

The problem solver makes a personal determination of the success of the problem solving process and determines if another attempt should be made and how successful the tactics applied were in achieving a successful outcome.

V.A.2 The Big Six and the Internet

The goal in this section is to take the general skills identified by the Big Six and translate these skills as they might apply to the use of Internet resources.

Locating and accessing Internet resources

There are two ways to think about how this Big Six stage applies when using Internet sources. The first would be to address the "computer literacy" skills that are involved. Here the emphasis would be on developing skill in using various search engines and search procedures (e.g., Boolean operators).

A second perspective would consider how to allow authentic content area problem solving tasks to be accomplished even before advanced "computer literacy" skills are available. Here instructors are encouraged to "scaffold" web explorations for students by taking some responsibility for locating and accessing Internet resources.

These two goals (developing student search skills and accomplishing authentic projects) can be combined and over time students can be expected to take more and more responsibility for finding their own resources.

Using Internet information

At the stage of "using information", students carefully process the Internet resources they have located and extract the information that is appropriate to the problem-solving task.

There are several issues that are somewhat unique to Internet resources:

Potential for misuse of intellectual property

The ease with which digital information can be copied and pasted has been a concern for some educators. We propose that educators:

• clearly outline their expectations for how on-line resources will contribute to assignments
• interact with students during all stages of their work
• make certain students know how to cite their on-line resources so that the relationship between these resources and student products can be identified

Importance of critical thinking

The "quality" of Internet resources can be an issue. Internet resources are not subjected to the same editorial review process that is typical of instructional materials or even typical of most primary sources (e.g., journals, magazines, newspapers).

It can be argued that information problem solving tasks typically involve some "critical thinking" because problem solvers have to make some judgments in selecting and evaluating resources. Critical thinking skills must be used to a greater extent in working with Internet resources because of the lack of systematic review.

V.B. Evaluating Web Information (pp. 228-231)

V.B.1 Editorial review of web content

Filtering options

Schools can invest in filtering software (see Chapter 10) that will prevent students from accessing objectionable material.

Some companies sponsoring search sites offer methods for searching only sites that have been reviewed.

Yahooligans

Use Resources Provided by an Educational Portal

Blue Web'n

Use Digitized Primary Sources Provided by Reputable Institutions

e.g., government agencies such as National Weather Service

V.B.2 Making your own decisions

There are situations in which students may not be able to rely on reviews. Reviews exist for only a small portion of Internet sites. Older learners will often be expected to operate independently and will be using whatever search engine they prefer.

Some criteria for use in the subjective process of content evaluation:

• Who is the author?

Is the identify of the author available and what are the author's qualifications?

• Is there an organizational sponsor?

The identity of the organization sponsoring a web site can be used to make inferences about possible biases in content.

• Does the content included references or links when making claims based on the work of other authors?
• If the document presents a conclusion based on data, is the method used to gather the data explained?
• Does the author indicate when personal opinions are personal opinions?
• Are alternate positions acknowledged even when a particular position is advocated?

VI. Using The Web For Active Learning (pp. 232-238)

VI.A Rationale for scaffolding

For web explorations to be both productive and practical, the task must be challenging yet the time and skill demands placed on students must be reasonable. We present the concept of scaffolding as a way to argue that effective instruction involves the search for an appropriate balance among these key goals.

Part of the process is to recognize the demands a particular task might place on students.

Teachers should consider:

• the content area knowledge and skill potentially available as a consequence of working on the task
• the technology skills that might be required to operate the appropriate software, search the Internet for resources, etc.
• the general cognitive skills that might be required to interpret relevant sources, integrate key ideas, etc.
• the amount of time that can be devoted to accomplish the task

Expecting students to complete many challenging tasks without scaffolding would either make the tasks too inefficient as learning activities or frustrate students because the skills necessary to complete the task could not be developed in the time allowed.

You might think of scaffolding as providing support when:

• the time necessary to accomplish a needed task would be excessive
• the skills necessary to perform a needed task are not well developed

Support might take the form of:

• doing some of the work for students
• allowing collaboration to reduce the time and skill burden placed on any given student
• providing hints, guidelines, etc. that assist students with skills that have not been mastered.

VI.B WebQuests - A scaffolding technique for Internet-based information problem-solving

VI.2.a What is a WebQuest

The WebQuest, an instructional model developed by Dr. Bernie Dodge, has become a very popular strategy for scaffolding student Internet information problem-solving experiences. A WebQuest which is often presented to students as a web page consists of at least 4 components:

• an introduction which establishes a context for the student's task
• an inquiry task culminating in a task or activity
• a set of high quality web sites providing information related to the task/activity
• a description of how students should attempt to process the information found on the web sites (e.g., what to look for)

Other components often associated with WebQuests:

• suggestions for other information resources
• a rubric to be used in evaluating the task/activity

A sample webquest - Snow Goose WebQuest

QuestGarden - description of site for locating existing webquests and creating new webquests

D.2.b How is scaffolding involved?

A WebQuest involves the use of scaffolding to improve efficiency and to guide student processing. Examples of scaffolding include:

• the instructor searches the Internet to save the student time and to select quality resources appropriate to the task/activity
• the instructor gives the students suggestions for what might be gleaned from each web resource and how this information relates to the task

D.2 c Teacher time

The issue of the time involved in creating instructional resources is important. Expecting teachers to produce online instructional materials without compensated release time would often be inappropriate. The time involved in generating WebQuests requires a more reasonable teacher commitment to generate a quality learning experience.

6/19/06