As more schools get connected
to the Internet, they need to find effective ways to
use this tool in the classroom. The Internet offers
a wealth of current information, online journals, magazines
that the school budget may not cover, and more. However,
it also can be difficult to navigate and contains some
inappropriate material.(1) Still,
considering the wealth of information available(2)
and the need to teach information literacy, teachers
must find ways to use the Internet in the classroom.
So how can you use the
Internet effectively? First, students need direction.
They should never be allowed to use the Internet without
a curriculum-specific purpose or task. Here are two
ways to guide students as they do research on the Internet.
Organize Research Ahead
By organizing research,
teachers can control over the sites students visit.
This makes efficient use of classroom time since the
sites are listed in advance. However, it requires more
preparation, as the teacher must find and approve Web
sites.(3) Also, each has to research
the same topic.
One way to organize the
research is to create a hotlist, or list of sites pertaining
to the topic of study. Use your browser's Bookmarks(4)
or Favorites to create folders for each topic of study,
such as animals, zoos, and appropriate search engines
for young people.(5) Or you can create a hotlist of active links in your favorite
word processor.(6) Students then
open the word processing document and read the assignment.
To answer a question, they click Web site link, find
the information, and switch back to the wordprocessor
to type their answer.
Another way to organize
the research is to create a treasure hunt with questions
to be answered at various sites. This can serve as the
introduction to a lesson, a review, or an investigation.
For an example of a treasure hunt, visit a site I created
for learning about and praying for countries in the
10/40 window.(7) It includes
questions such as:
Visit Azerbaijan International and scroll
down to Topics. Choose Just for Kids and read the
article about Red. Name some reasons why red is the
important color in Azerbaijan. If you were going to
choose a color for your country, what would it be?
Write about why the color is important in your country.
In this example, the italicized words link to the appropriate
Web page. These examples show how to create questions
that require students to not only find information,
but also to apply what they have learned. By organizing
student research ahead, you can provide a rich learning
experience while protecting students from inappropriate
material.(8)
Having Students Conduct Their Own Research
When students choose
their research topics, you will need to plan carefully
and structure the assignment so that they are less tempted
to "surf the Net."
First, think carefully
about the research project. Assignments should require
more than fact-finding because students can find whole
term papers on various cheat sites on the Internet.(9)
If the assignment requires critical thinking and synthesis,
it will offer fewer opportunities to cheat.
Next, as part of the
pre-writing activities, have students brainstorm questions
and keywords related to their topic. Rather than gathering
all information about the subject, have them select
key questions so that they obtain only pertinent information.
Focus questions on big issues that begin with "Why?"
"How?" and "Should?"(10) Before they use a search engine, have students list 20
to 30 keywords from books, magazines, journals and other
sources to guide their research. I recommend requiring
a defined number of Internet sources and print materials.
Have students prepare a research planner, and include
this in your assessment.(11)
As students do their
research, have them prepare an electronic version of
"note cards" to keep track of Internet resources.
In a word-processing document,(12) they can create a table like the one shown on this page
for each reference.
Item |
Date |
Author |
Title |
URL |
article about research |
downloaded: 1/25/99
published: Vol 7, No. 8, May 1998 |
Jamie McKenzie |
The New Plagiarism:
Seven Antidotes to Prevent Highway Robbery in an
Electronic Age |
http://www.fno.org/may98/
cov98may.html |
Everything from the Internet
should be documented, including graphics, sound, and
video clips. These electronic "note cards"
can later be used to create a bibliography. It is important
to teach students to obey copyright law and to give
credit for materials from the Internet, just as they
would with articles and quotations from other sources.(13)
Evaluating Web Sites
Finally, whatever method
you select, keep in mind the need for students to acquire
information literacy. This is a new concept for teachers
and students alike. We are accustomed to editors verifying
the accuracy of information before it is published.
However, on the Internet, anyone can publish anything.
Many people assume that if it's on the Internet, it
must be true. For example, have you received an E-mail
offering free Gap clothes, a trip to Disney World, or
$1000 from Bill Gates? How many have forwarded the such
offers to friends, thinking they were legitimate? To
help you decide if the E-mail is a hoax before passing
it on, visit a site such as the Computer Incident Advisory
Capability prepared by the U.S. Department of Energy.(14)
You can evaluate the
quality of information on the Internet based on the
URL (Uniform Resource Locator) or the Web site address.
For example, by looking at the following Web address
for an scientific image gallery, http://www.uq.edu.au/nanoworld/images_1.html,(15) I can tell that the site is sponsored by either a university
or a college in Australia. It is more likely that the
information is accurate and correct because it is published
by a university.
Students can also evaluate
sites by asking questions like these:
- "Who provided this information? Why?
- Is someone trying to sell us a product or point
of view?
- What possible biases may be detected here?
- If quotes or data are provided, are they appropriately
referenced?
- How can we find other information with which to
compare and evaluate accuracy?
- How do the visuals influence the way we receive
this information?
- Is emotion a part of the design?
- Are sound effects intended to influence our thinking?
- Do the visuals and the text convey the same message?"(16)
Help students analyze
the purpose of Web sites. The type of site can offer
a clue. For example, news pages provide current information;
advocacy pages attempt to sway opinion; and business
pages attempt to sell you a product.(17) You can help students evaluate Web sites by taking them
to a site that is incorrect and asking them to evaluate
it. A graduate level class in Mankato, Minnesota offers
a few good examples, such as a site advocating that
we "ban dihydrogen monoxide."(18)
By organizing your students'
research and structuring their activites on the Internet,
you can help them learn to effectively use the wealth
of knowledge available and to become information literate.