Working with Information - Presearch or research

Presearch or research - who should do the searching?

Many educators have complained that one or more lessons have been wasted after learners have spent the entire time searching fruitlessly for information. There are two responses to this. Firstly, how well-directed was the search for information in the first place? Did the educator and/or learners ask specific questions and plan their search before using a search tool? Secondly, how well-developed are their search skills?

How does one address this issue? The educator has several options:

search for resources before the learners come to class and provide them with a pre-defined list of websites to search - this is called directed searching.
use small web-based activities that introduce learners to the background information of the topic - this is also directed searching.
provide the learners with the skills required for defining information needs and web searching and allow them to browse independently, but bear in mind that the web is a poorly catalogued resource and independent searcing on the Web is going to not be cost efficient anyway.

The third option is attractive from the point of view of lesson preparation. It is an easy option to just decide that the learners will search the Web for information, but a) do you have the time to waste and b) can the school afford this? Learners could potentially find much more information than with a directed search, but directed searches do not mean that learners may not encounter other sites - it just focuses their initial efforts. Independent searching is only really advised

when you specifically want to teach Web search skills, or
if you have a particularly advanced class, or
when students are defining their own topics and questions, which means that you cannot prepare sites in advance.

When you structure learning activities, it would be most cost effective and educational to choose directed searches. The second option, providing small web-based activities, is useful for younger learners. This will still incur online costs, but the students will be focused on their content. Click here to read about how to save online costs.

Directed search activities

The following three activities usually focus on very specific information background and, in most cases on lower order thinking skills. However, they could be useful for providing background information and could also be adapted for more advanced cognitive skills. The main purpose is to offer learners something interesting to do, read, or see.

Treasure Hunts

A Treasure Hunt is a web based activity for learners revolving around one topic. If your learners are interested in and excited by the topic and need to acquire specific background information, then integrate the resources of the Web into your curriculum by creating this type of activity.

Educators research websites and create one or more key questions to be answered from the information on that page. Learners are directed to a specific Web page to quickly locate the answer to the question. The teacher then can engage the students into classroom discussion to synthesize the material they have gathered and shape it into a broader understanding of the topic.