CEP 806 Inquiry CEP 806 Inquiry Project 1: Project 1:

Do Students Really Do Students Really “Know” How to “Know” How to

Evaluate Internet Evaluate Internet WebsitesWebsitesMichelle PerryMichelle Perry

Motivation Behind the Motivation Behind the InquiryInquiry

Would the current generation be able to Would the current generation be able to survive without the internet?survive without the internet? To the majority of the students in my classes, the To the majority of the students in my classes, the

internet is an irreplaceable part of their livesinternet is an irreplaceable part of their lives Parents don’t need to “ground” a child anymore, they Parents don’t need to “ground” a child anymore, they

take away their technologytake away their technology They use it for research, connect with other people, They use it for research, connect with other people,

communicate, publish their ideas, and many times communicate, publish their ideas, and many times they exploit themselves on unfiltered sites such as they exploit themselves on unfiltered sites such as facebook and myspacefacebook and myspace

Students are accustom to the “instant Students are accustom to the “instant gratification” of the internetgratification” of the internet

Technology continues to get fasterTechnology continues to get faster The “information connection highway” continues to The “information connection highway” continues to

expandexpand

Do students really know how to evaluate Do students really know how to evaluate all the information that the internet all the information that the internet provides for them?provides for them? What type of “readers” of the internet are What type of “readers” of the internet are

they? (Bertram C. Bruce 2001)they? (Bertram C. Bruce 2001) ExegeticalExegetical DogmaticDogmatic AgnosticAgnostic DialecticDialectic

How can teachers help students to become How can teachers help students to become “dialectic” readers?“dialectic” readers?

When students perform research on the When students perform research on the internet are they aware of the different internet are they aware of the different search engines available or do they just search engines available or do they just use the “easy” or “popular” one?use the “easy” or “popular” one? What criteria do students employ to evaluate What criteria do students employ to evaluate

the websites that the search engine provides?the websites that the search engine provides? Do they ever use more than one search engine?Do they ever use more than one search engine? Do they base their choice of search engine on Do they base their choice of search engine on

what they are researching?what they are researching?

PredictionsPredictions

The most popular search engine used The most popular search engine used will be Googlewill be Google This should not be surprising since it is This should not be surprising since it is

now a word now a word →→ to “google” something to “google” something Most students will not use wikipedia as Most students will not use wikipedia as

a sourcea source Teachers in the district have emphasized Teachers in the district have emphasized

the unreliability of wikipedia as a resourcethe unreliability of wikipedia as a resource

Students will demonstrate some Students will demonstrate some understanding as to how to evaluate a websiteunderstanding as to how to evaluate a website Other classes have had them use the internet to Other classes have had them use the internet to

perform research and have provided guidelines for perform research and have provided guidelines for useuse

Students may have developed their own set of Students may have developed their own set of guidelines to evaluate a website since the internet guidelines to evaluate a website since the internet has become such a major part of their liveshas become such a major part of their lives

Why is it important that my Why is it important that my students develop an students develop an

understanding of how to understanding of how to evaluate a website?evaluate a website?

In science, as in many fields, there is a In science, as in many fields, there is a constant influx of information. constant influx of information. The students need to be able to research The students need to be able to research

information from reliable and current sources. information from reliable and current sources. Since they will perform most of their research Since they will perform most of their research

on the internet, they must be able to evaluate on the internet, they must be able to evaluate the websites they encounterthe websites they encounter

Even if students do not choose a science Even if students do not choose a science career, it is important that they learn how career, it is important that they learn how to evaluate information and its source. to evaluate information and its source.

Description of Inquiry PlanDescription of Inquiry Plan The students will start the project by The students will start the project by

answering the following questions on a answering the following questions on a worksheet:worksheet: You are about to research stem cell technologies, You are about to research stem cell technologies,

what search engine would you use?what search engine would you use? Start your search. Write the first 10 websites Start your search. Write the first 10 websites

listed below:listed below: Which one of the websites might you use for your Which one of the websites might you use for your

report and why?report and why? Now go to the two science databases listed on the Now go to the two science databases listed on the

Media Center website. Repeat your search and Media Center website. Repeat your search and list the first 10 articles.list the first 10 articles.

Which one of the articles might you use for your Which one of the articles might you use for your report and why?report and why?

After doing their own search, the After doing their own search, the students would work with their lab group students would work with their lab group to develop a rubric to evaluate websites.to develop a rubric to evaluate websites. This would incorporate both group This would incorporate both group

discussion and full class discussiondiscussion and full class discussion Our guest speaker will be our head librarian Our guest speaker will be our head librarian

who will discuss with the students what they who will discuss with the students what they should be looking for in their evaluationsshould be looking for in their evaluations

The students will finalize their rubricThe students will finalize their rubric I will compile their rubrics into a final “class” I will compile their rubrics into a final “class”

evaluation form for internet evaluation which evaluation form for internet evaluation which we will use for our first report.we will use for our first report.

Summary of DataSummary of Data Class background:Class background:

Biology I classBiology I class All sophomoresAll sophomores Supposedly similar backgrounds in internet researchSupposedly similar backgrounds in internet research

And the winner is …And the winner is …

Every student selected Google as their search Every student selected Google as their search engineengineWhen asked why…When asked why…Because it is “easy”Because it is “easy”

I was surprised by some of their logic as I was surprised by some of their logic as to which websites to use from Google:to which websites to use from Google: ““I would use stemcells.nih.gov because it I would use stemcells.nih.gov because it

seems to be a real site about the topic”seems to be a real site about the topic” ““I would use [various sites] because it I would use [various sites] because it

has .edu so it is an educational site”has .edu so it is an educational site” ““all of them so I have a better chance of all of them so I have a better chance of

finding what I want”finding what I want” ““www.stemcells.com becuse it is the first www.stemcells.com becuse it is the first

website brought up and it is usually a sign of website brought up and it is usually a sign of accuracy”accuracy”

““Contractassay.com because it has big words Contractassay.com because it has big words which mean smarter people with more which mean smarter people with more information”information”

Others provided deeper insight into their Others provided deeper insight into their choices:choices: ““I would use I would use www.sciencedaily.comwww.sciencedaily.com because because

the scientists reporting to this website are the scientists reporting to this website are from Harvard and Columbia. I believe that from Harvard and Columbia. I believe that these Universities are up-to-date on these Universities are up-to-date on technology and research and they could technology and research and they could provide me with more information.” provide me with more information.”

““I’d use advancedcell.com because it I’d use advancedcell.com because it provides me with scientific papers, research, provides me with scientific papers, research, and updates. It also has many links. The and updates. It also has many links. The site has a great fact sheet and a gallery. site has a great fact sheet and a gallery. There are a lot of available options and links.There are a lot of available options and links. Another student had a similar comment on the Another student had a similar comment on the

site and also noted that the research was site and also noted that the research was “actually done by scientists.”“actually done by scientists.”

When looking at the library databases When looking at the library databases (EBSCO Science and Facts On File) the (EBSCO Science and Facts On File) the students noted that most if not all of the students noted that most if not all of the articles could be usedarticles could be used Seemed to be from a “valid” sourceSeemed to be from a “valid” source CurrentCurrent ““straight forward”straight forward” ““All about stem cells”All about stem cells” ““Has all the information I need for a report”Has all the information I need for a report” ““Scientists wrote the articles”Scientists wrote the articles” ““All of the articles have titles which go along All of the articles have titles which go along

with the topic of my research.”with the topic of my research.”

From here we started to discuss how we From here we started to discuss how we could “really” evaluate the sites and they could “really” evaluate the sites and they were quick to offer criteria:were quick to offer criteria: Credentials of the website ownerCredentials of the website owner Accuracy of the informationAccuracy of the information Currency of information?Currency of information? ValidityValidity

Students were quick to offer terms, but Students were quick to offer terms, but most could not provide explanations most could not provide explanations when they first started working in their when they first started working in their groupsgroups

First going group to group and then as a First going group to group and then as a class discussion, it was realized that students class discussion, it was realized that students knew what they might look for, but they did knew what they might look for, but they did not know what it necessarily meant.not know what it necessarily meant. When I asked one group what they would look for When I asked one group what they would look for

under credentials, one student responded “I don’t under credentials, one student responded “I don’t know because I don’t know what credentials are.”know because I don’t know what credentials are.”

None of the groups could completely describe None of the groups could completely describe what should be present if a website was “valid”what should be present if a website was “valid”

Most defaulted on saying that the information present Most defaulted on saying that the information present was “valid” – I continued to ask what that would entail was “valid” – I continued to ask what that would entail and continued to receive information such as the and continued to receive information such as the author’s credentials and an “.edu” or “.org” at the end author’s credentials and an “.edu” or “.org” at the end of the URLof the URL

As our discussions continued, the As our discussions continued, the students came to realize many of the students came to realize many of the items listed in the article “Searching the items listed in the article “Searching the Web: New Domains for Inquiry” by Web: New Domains for Inquiry” by Bertram Bruce (1999)Bertram Bruce (1999) Anyone can make a websiteAnyone can make a website Not all information on the web is relevantNot all information on the web is relevant Commercial websites are supported by Commercial websites are supported by

people who want to make moneypeople who want to make money Not all websites are kept up-to-dateNot all websites are kept up-to-date It is easy to copy information found on the It is easy to copy information found on the

webweb

Impact of the librarian as guest speakerImpact of the librarian as guest speaker The students were prepared to ask questions The students were prepared to ask questions

since we had already discussed the topicsince we had already discussed the topic She helped clarify different categories for She helped clarify different categories for

evaluationevaluation AuthorityAuthority AccuracyAccuracy ObjectivityObjectivity CurrencyCurrency CoverageCoverage

The students were prepared to be active The students were prepared to be active participants during her presentation and she participants during her presentation and she clarified many of the questions they still hadclarified many of the questions they still had

Using the five categories presented by Using the five categories presented by the librarian, we were able to create a the librarian, we were able to create a rubric with which the class can evaluate rubric with which the class can evaluate websites.websites.

Emergent Ideas, Questions, Emergent Ideas, Questions, and Lessons about How and Lessons about How Students Find and Use Students Find and Use Internet InformationInternet Information

Students have been “drilled” on what to Students have been “drilled” on what to look for in a site since elementary look for in a site since elementary school.school. This does not mean that they understand This does not mean that they understand

how to evaluate a site, it may just mean that how to evaluate a site, it may just mean that they have memorized the different itemsthey have memorized the different items

Many of them do not use the criteria that Many of them do not use the criteria that they have been repeatedly exposed to and they have been repeatedly exposed to and rely on the website URLrely on the website URL

Students, like most Americans, like the Students, like most Americans, like the “easy” or “popular” route of internet “easy” or “popular” route of internet search engines.search engines. Many of them just go to the first site listed Many of them just go to the first site listed

not realizing that sometimes companies pay not realizing that sometimes companies pay to be priority listedto be priority listed

Unless another is provided by a teacher, the Unless another is provided by a teacher, the students stick to the search engine they are students stick to the search engine they are comfortable withcomfortable with

Some students may have achieved Some students may have achieved becoming agnostic readers of the web, becoming agnostic readers of the web, however, most of them have not become however, most of them have not become dialectic readersdialectic readers

Since the internet is such a major part of Since the internet is such a major part of students’ lives, it is important that they students’ lives, it is important that they learn to view the information critically.learn to view the information critically. Not just memorize what they were told they Not just memorize what they were told they

should do but to understand what they should do but to understand what they should do with every website they encountershould do with every website they encounter

CreditsCredits

Logos fromLogos from www.Google.comwww.Google.com http://Yahoo.comhttp://Yahoo.com http://Lycos.comhttp://Lycos.com http://About.comhttp://About.com http://Space.comhttp://Space.com http://Livescience.comhttp://Livescience.com

Graphics fromGraphics from Microsoft office clipartMicrosoft office clipart