What Internet tools can engage students and teachers in searching for information and researching? What research skills could be encouraged and assessed by teachers? What are the benefits of both types of tools, as argued in this scenario?
A tool can be defined as â&#x20AC;&#x153;an element of a computer program (as a graphics application) that activates and controls a particular function <a drawing tool>.â&#x20AC;? Merriam-Webster (2007) . http://jaguar.eb.com/dictionary/tool
Consistent with constructivism, there are many ways in which Internet search tools can support the teaching and learning process. They can be beneficial to the teacher as well as the learner. Through using selected tools, the Internet can facilitate research and therefore be useful for knowledge production. It is important that the information used in generating new understandings be authentic. It would therefore be useful to be able to evaluate these tools as well as the information they provide.
What Internet tools have you used in your teaching and learning experience? Would you classify Google for example, as a tool?
In workshop #7 you will explore a range of Internet search tools and demonstrate the usefulness of some in subject-area lessons.
What Are "Meta-Search" Engines? How Do They Work? In a meta-search engine, you submit keywords in its search box, and it transmits your search simultaneously to several individual search engines and their databases of web pages. Within a few seconds, you get back results from all the search engines queried. Meta-search engines do not own a database of Web pages; they send your search terms to the databases maintained by search engine companies.
Are "Smarter" Meta-Searchers Still Smarter? "Smarter" meta-searcher technology includes clustering and linguistic analysis that attempts to show you themes within results, and some fancy textual analysis and display that can
help you dig deeply into a set of results. However, neither of these technologies is any better than the quality of the search engine databases they obtain results from. This is the topic of an insightful article titled, "Some Cautionary Notes on Vivisimo," by librarian and professional researcher, Rita Vine of Working Faster. But here is another viewpoint favoring meta-searching by saying "More heads better than one." Few meta-searchers allow you to delve into the largest, most useful search engine databases. They tend to return results from smaller and/or free search engines and miscellaneous free directories, often small and highly commercial. Although we respect the potential of textual analysis and clustering technologies, we recommend directly searching individual search engines to get the most precise results, and using meta-searchers if you want to explore more broadly. The meta-search tools listed here are "use at your own risk." We are not endorsing or recommending them.
Better Meta-Searchers Meta-Search Tool Clusty clusty.com
What's Searched (As of date at bottom of page. They change often.) Currently searches a number of free, search engines and directories, not Google or Yahoo.
Complex Search Ability
Accepts and "translates" complex searches with Boolean operators and field limiting. Dogpile Searches Google, Yahoo, Accepts Boolean www.dogpile.com LookSmart, Ask.com, logic, especially MSN search, and more. in advanced Sites that have purchased search modes. ranking and inclusion are blended in. Watch for Sponsored by... links below search results.
Results Display Results accompanied with subject subdivisions based on words in search results, intended to give the major themes. Click on these to search within results on each theme.
Meta-Search Engines for SERIOUS Deep Digging What's Searched Meta-Search (As of date at Tool bottom of page. They change often.) SurfWax A better than www.surfwax.com average set of search engines.
Complex Search Ability
Results Display
Accepts " ", +/-. Default is Click on source link AND between words. I to view complete recommend fairly simple search results there.
Can mix with educational, US Govt tools, and news sources, or many other categories.
Copernic Agent Select from list of www.copernic.com search engines by clicking the Properties button following Advanced Search search box.
searches, allowing SurfWax's SiteSnaps and other features to help you dig deeply into results.
Click on to view helpful "SiteSnap™" extracted from most sites in frame on right. Many additional features for probing within a site. ALL, ANY, Phrase, and Must be downloaded more. Also Boolean and installed, but searching within results Basic version is free under Refine (powerful!). of charge. Table comparing versions.
CSEs: Make Your Own Meta-Search Engine Google Custom Search Engines (CSEs) focus on selected websites within the Google database. They are easy to make at Google Custom Search. You will need a Google account or Gmail account. Make specialized search engines instead of using giant meta-searchers or huge search engine databases. Use them to focus on pages on a subject. For more details, see our Getting Started Creating a Custom Search Engine (PDF).
How Do You Find Custom Search Engines Search Google using the following limiter commands, followed by keywords focusing on your topic: inurl:cse inurl:cx site:google.com anthropology inurl:cse inurl:cx site:google.com physics Try searching or browsing in one of these CSE Directories: •
Guide To Custom Search Engines (CSEs)
•
www.customsearchguide.com Large number of CSEs, good content. Reviews & ratings. No search box. Navigation inconsistent: some have search boxes, some require click on "CSE location." CustomSearchEngine.com
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www.customsearchengine.com Large number and variety of CSEs. Easy to use. Searchable. Lacks reviews; few ratings. Most have brief descriptions. CSE Links Directory - Custom Search Engines www.cselinks.com Sparsely populated directory. Has search (top), ratings, comments, pop-up previews.
Recommended General Subject Directories: Table of Features Web ipl2 Infomine About.com Google Directory Directorie www.ipl.or infomine.ucr.ed www.about.co directory.google.co s g u m m
Yahoo! dir.yahoo.co m
Size, type Over 40,000. Highest quality sites only. Useful, reliable annotations . Formed by a merger of the Librarians' Internet Index and the Internet Public Library.
Over 125,000. Useful, reliable annotations. Compiled by academic librarians from the University of California and elsewhere.
Over 2 million. Generally good annotations done by "Guides" with various levels of expertise.
About 5 million. Selected by the Open Directory Project and enhanced by Google searching and ranking. Often useful to find "better" results, especially on broad or widely covered topics.
About 4 million. Very short descriptions. Often useful, especially for popular and commercial topics.
Phrase No. searching (what's this?)
Yes. Use " " |term term| requires exact match
Yes. Use " "
Yes. Use " "
Yes. Use " "
AND implied No. between words. Also accepts OR, NOT, and ( ).
OR, capitalized, as in Google's web search engine.
Yes, as in Yahoo! Search web search engine.
Truncatio No. n (what's this?)
Use *. Also Use *. stems. Can turn Not accepted stemming off. consistently. Use " " or | | to search exact terms.
No.
No.
Field No. searching
Select options under search box to limit to Author, Title,
Same as in Google's web search engine.
As in Yahoo! Search web search engine.
Boolean logic (what's this?)
OR implied between words. Also accepts AND and NOT. Nesting with ( ) does not work.
No.
Subject, Keyword, Description, various subject categories, and more.
How to Find Subject-Focused Directories for a Specific Topic, Discipline, or Field There are thousands of specialized directories on practically every subject. If you want an overview, or if you feel you've searched long enough, try to find one. Often they are done by experts -- self-proclaimed or heavily credentialed. Here are some ways to find them: Use any of the Subject Directories above to find more specific directories. Here are some tips: • In ipl2 or Infomine, look for your subject as you would for any other purpose, and keep your eyes open for sites that look like directories. Read through the descriptions. Sometimes these resources are identified as "Directories, "Virtual Libraries," or "Gateway Pages." • In Yahoo! and Google directories, try adding the terms web directories to your subject keyword term:
•
EXAMPLES: civil war web directories weddings web directories In About.com, search by topic and look for pages that are described as "101" or "guides" or a "directory." About.com is written by "Guides" who, themselves, often are experts in the sections they manage. Sometimes they write excellent overviews of a topic.