1 21cif.imsa.edu Search Wizard Evaluation Wizard Citation WizardSearch WizardEvaluation WizardCitation Wizard Advanced Search Five Things Digital Natives Cannot Do (And What You Can Do To Help) Carl Heine, Ph.D. Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy

2 21cif.imsa.edu Search Wizard Evaluation Wizard Citation WizardSearch WizardEvaluation WizardCitation Wizard Advanced Search What digital natives don’t do well What they tend to do instead Turn a question into a query Rush ahead toward an answer, either grabbing the whole question “as is” or missing an important part of it Choose the right databaseEnter words or phrases into Google Recognize information when they find it Rush past important information and clues, continue to browse Find better keywords Stick with their original words and browse Verify the credibility of information Accept what they find at face value, hoping somewhere in the information there is an answer

3 21cif.imsa.edu Search Wizard Evaluation Wizard Citation WizardSearch WizardEvaluation WizardCitation Wizard Advanced Search Google ‘digital natives’ and the top hit is: %20Digital%20Natives,%20Digital%20Immigrants%20-%20Part1.pdf Digital Immigrant instructors, who speak an outdated language (that of the pre-digital age), are struggling to teach a population that speaks an entirely new language.

4 21cif.imsa.edu Search Wizard Evaluation Wizard Citation WizardSearch WizardEvaluation WizardCitation Wizard Advanced Search Translating a question into a query Choosing the best database Finding better keywords Recognizing information that’s relevant Verifying the credibility of information

5 21cif.imsa.edu Search Wizard Evaluation Wizard Citation WizardSearch WizardEvaluation WizardCitation Wizard Advanced Search 1  Starts with a question or a problem to solve.  Task: Translate a natural language question or statement into language that is understood by a search engine.  Search engines differ in how they process queries, but for the most part, what works on one big commercial search engine tends to work on the others.  Search engines perform a variety of literal matching functions with Boolean and special operators. 1. Translating a question into a query

6 21cif.imsa.edu Search Wizard Evaluation Wizard Citation WizardSearch WizardEvaluation WizardCitation Wizard Advanced Search 1 Which of the following is the most effective query for 'find the top speed of earth's fastest animal'?  speed fastest animal  what is earth’s fastest animal  top speed earth’s fastest animal 1. Translating a question into a query

7 21cif.imsa.edu Search Wizard Evaluation Wizard Citation WizardSearch WizardEvaluation WizardCitation Wizard Advanced Search 1  36% recognized the optimal query from a list of three queries. Only 14% of incoming 9th graders at a local high school identified the optimal query.  31% grasped that search engines perform literal matching.  17% regularly use natural language queries.  12% misinterpreted the research question. 1.Translating a question into a query Research Findings (IMSA second semester sophomores)

8 21cif.imsa.edu Search Wizard Evaluation Wizard Citation WizardSearch WizardEvaluation WizardCitation Wizard Advanced Search 1  This failure occurs before submitting the first query.  Task: Predict where expert information may be found.  No search engine performs a live Internet search when you submit a query. (Otherwise, how could they come back with a page that’s not found?)  That which is stored in one search engine’s database is invisible to another search engine (also called Enterprise Data) 2. Selecting an adequate database

9 21cif.imsa.edu Search Wizard Evaluation Wizard Citation WizardSearch WizardEvaluation WizardCitation Wizard Advanced Search 1  When permitted, most students prefer to “Google” 2. Selecting a good database Research Findings (anecdotes from teachers)

10 21cif.imsa.edu Search Wizard Evaluation Wizard Citation WizardSearch WizardEvaluation WizardCitation Wizard Advanced Search 1  This failure occurs when a student looks at the results returned by a search engine.  Task: Match findings with expectations, evaluate relevance  Information on the Internet is not always found in predictable places.  Computers are made for speed, which encourages haste.  Hyperlinks and graphics can be distracting. 3. Recognizing relevant information

11 21cif.imsa.edu Search Wizard Evaluation Wizard Citation WizardSearch WizardEvaluation WizardCitation Wizard Advanced Search 1  36% were able to identify web pages that contain supporting research facts from a selection of three pages.  25% -- same task, middle school students 3. Recognizing relevant information Research Findings (junior honors students)

12 21cif.imsa.edu Search Wizard Evaluation Wizard Citation WizardSearch WizardEvaluation WizardCitation Wizard Advanced Search 1 4. Finding better keywords  This failure occurs throughout the search process: before the initial query is submitted and as students look at the results returned by a search engine.  Task: Select and try increasingly specific keywords  Frequently, effective keywords go unnoticed in snippets.  Our claim: Effective searching depends on keyword selection more than any other factor.

13 21cif.imsa.edu Search Wizard Evaluation Wizard Citation WizardSearch WizardEvaluation WizardCitation Wizard Advanced Search 1  14% of IMSA sophomores used alternate keywords when searching.  7% of junior honors students chose effective alternate words to find information. 4. Finding better keywords Research Findings (high school)

14 21cif.imsa.edu Search Wizard Evaluation Wizard Citation WizardSearch WizardEvaluation WizardCitation Wizard Advanced Search 1 5. Evaluating credibility  This failure occurs after information has been located.  Task: Check the credibility of information, authorship  Typically, students forego this decision altogether and uncritically accept whatever information they found.  Depending on which database the information was taken from, information may be unedited, unendorsed and inaccurate.  Special operators (link:) makes external evaluation easier.

15 21cif.imsa.edu Search Wizard Evaluation Wizard Citation WizardSearch WizardEvaluation WizardCitation Wizard Advanced Search 1  0% were able to use special operators to evaluate the credibility of a web page. 5. Evaluating credibility Research Findings (high school honors students)

16 21cif.imsa.edu Search Wizard Evaluation Wizard Citation WizardSearch WizardEvaluation WizardCitation Wizard Advanced Search 1 What You Can Do To Help Question to query checklist 1.How many key concepts (important ideas) are found in the question? 2.How many key concepts will I search for? 3.What keywords are probably effective “as is?” 4.For which concepts are more effective keywords probably needed? 5.Are there hyponyms or professional language for any of the intermediate words? 6.Are there words that have multiple meanings? 7.Did I use any stop words or clutter words? 8.Did I spell the words correctly? 9.Did I put the most important words first?

17 21cif.imsa.edu Search Wizard Evaluation Wizard Citation WizardSearch WizardEvaluation WizardCitation Wizard Advanced Search 1 What You Can Do To Help Challenge: What is the top speed of earth’s fastest animal? 1.How many key concepts (important ideas) are found in the question? 2.How many key concepts will I search for? 3.What keywords are probably effective “as is?” 4.For which concepts are more effective keywords probably needed? 5.Are there hyponyms or professional language for any of the intermediate words? 6.Are there words that have multiple meanings? 7.Did I use any stop words or clutter words? 8.Did I spell the words correctly? 9.Did I put the most important words first?

18 21cif.imsa.edu Search Wizard Evaluation Wizard Citation WizardSearch WizardEvaluation WizardCitation Wizard Advanced Search 1 What You Can Do To Help Question to query tutorials

19 21cif.imsa.edu Search Wizard Evaluation Wizard Citation WizardSearch WizardEvaluation WizardCitation Wizard Advanced Search 1 What You Can Do To Help Choose the best database 1.What person would know the answer I am looking for? 2.Where would I find that expert? 3.Use Google/Yahoo to get there and then use the proprietary search engine to go farther. 4.To find a relevant database use keywords like DATABASE, ARCHIVE, INFORMATION in combination with subject matter. 5.Use Beaucoup.com to search for databases.Beaucoup.com

20 21cif.imsa.edu Search Wizard Evaluation Wizard Citation WizardSearch WizardEvaluation WizardCitation Wizard Advanced Search 1 What You Can Do To Help Challenge: Classical guitarist John Williams has scored the music for only one motion picture. What is the name of the movie? 1.What person would know the answer I am looking for? 2.Where would I find that expert? 3.Use Google/Yahoo to get there and then use the proprietary search engine to go farther. 4.To find a relevant database use keywords like DATABASE, ARCHIVE, INFORMATION in combination with subject matter. 5.Use Beaucoup.com to search for databases.Beaucoup.com

21 21cif.imsa.edu Search Wizard Evaluation Wizard Citation WizardSearch WizardEvaluation WizardCitation Wizard Advanced Search 1 What You Can Do To Help Recognize relevant information 1.Practice reading snippets: Snippet SleuthSnippet Sleuth 2.Use the FIND Command Challenge: Find the name of the poem that contains the line to tell just what it knows

22 21cif.imsa.edu Search Wizard Evaluation Wizard Citation WizardSearch WizardEvaluation WizardCitation Wizard Advanced Search 1 What You Can Do To Help Find better keywords 1.Practice with snippets and thesaurus: Soccer Challenge IISoccer Challenge II 2.Practice with snippets: Soccer Challenge III, Snippet SleuthSoccer Challenge III

23 21cif.imsa.edu Search Wizard Evaluation Wizard Citation WizardSearch WizardEvaluation WizardCitation Wizard Advanced Search 1 What You Can Do To Help Verify Credibility External validation of content: Links to this site from other sites Technique - link: 1.Practice using the link: operator Evaluation ChallengesEvaluation Challenges

24 21cif.imsa.edu Search Wizard Evaluation Wizard Citation WizardSearch WizardEvaluation WizardCitation Wizard Advanced Search 1 How, When and Where can skills be taught? Performance skills require hands-on practice  Search challenges  Interactive tutorials  MicroModules (example: FIND COMMAND)FIND COMMAND  Search Wizard When and Where can these skills be taught?  In the context of research paper preparation  Computer lab and non-digital applications

25 21cif.imsa.edu Search Wizard Evaluation Wizard Citation WizardSearch WizardEvaluation WizardCitation Wizard Advanced Search 1 keywords: information fluency

26 21cif.imsa.edu Search Wizard Evaluation Wizard Citation WizardSearch WizardEvaluation WizardCitation Wizard Advanced Search 1 Professional Development Events Webinars Face-to-Face Workshops Conference presentations – ISLMA, IETC, IPA, ICE Online Subscription Newsletter (coming Fall 2006)

27 21cif.imsa.edu Search Wizard Evaluation Wizard Citation WizardSearch WizardEvaluation WizardCitation Wizard Advanced Search 1 Contact Us! URL General info Bob Houston Dan Balzer Carl Heine Dennis O’Connor Gautam Saha Thank you for participating!