Supporting digital skills: Searching
In the discussion forum below, contribute some ideas that spring to mind around internet searching, which you might need to teach to a digital learner. Remember that no fore-knowledge can be taken for granted. How many different concepts might you need to explain? Please feel free to comment on or reply to any other contributions.
Discussion
Top search engines people use everyday.
How sites will have there own search engines within the site so that you can search just their site for information or a product you are looking for.
If they are interested in how searches work and would like to learn further, teaching them about Boolean searching - using AND OR & NOT.
AND - provides both terms in a search.
"Cat AND dog"
you will get items that have both those terms in them, not one or the other.
This provides a narrower search if you only need information that discusses both.
OR - provides either term in the search.
"Cat OR dog"
you will get items with just Cat or just Dog or both Cat and Dog.
This provides a broader range of results. this is handy when you are happy with results having one or the other and both.
NOT - provides just one term and excludes the other.
"Cat NOT Dog"
you will get only items with Cat, anything that has dog in it (even if it has cat) will be excluded.
This gives you a very narrow search.
If you require results with strictly just one topic and want to make sure it doesn't have other topics, this will limit it to just your one term.
search engines and how they function
key terms
refining results according to age, date, location
different types of searches: website, image, video etc.
discerning the veracity of site content, particularly for purposes of research
The difference between the address bar and the search bar.
How the search can be broad or specific and the results very different.
What to do with pop ups.
Show the variety of options that can narrow down their search e.g. Images/videos/news/books etc.
Explain that there are many search engines.
Start broad, and then narrow your search.
Using keywords, and brainstorming alternative terms.
Understanding the Search Results: ads, spotting gov or edu sites, etc.
How to get back to your search results after you've clicked on something.
Explain how not everything found on the Internet is reliable or true - show them some features of reputable sites eg ending in gov.au or org.au etc.
Explain what pop ups are and how to get rid of the unwanted ads.
How to save websites as favourites for ease of access
- What to do with pop up advertisements
How to treat pop-ups
What you could do if you get a pop-up saying "You're the 1 millionth visitor: you've just one $10 000 click here to claim prize"
How to identify websites listed in the search results - whether it's an add, a gov website, company or organisation website, PDF information, Utube etc.