Mid-South Instructional Technology Conference
Teaching, Learning, & Technology
The Challenge Continues
March 30-April 1, 2003
The Internet as an Information Source: Potentials and Perils
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By: Larry Burriss |
Abstract
This presentation will (1) acquaint Internet users with the resources available through on-line sources, (2) show how to evaluate those sources, and (3) teach others how to use and evaluate these resources. The bottom line is that there is a lot of garbage on the Internet, but there is also a great amount of useful information . . .if you can find it, and then evaluate it. This presentation will show you how.
Description
Long gone are the days when we could say, "If your class begins to use
the Internet.." But the pervasive use of computers and technology has led
to other problems, one of which is the evaluation of Internet sources. For educators
this causes two problems:
classroom teachers need to be able to impress upon their students the need to
evaluate internet sources, and teachers themselves need to be taught how to
teach their students how to evaluate Internet sources.
Thus this is an introductory presentation designed to (1) acquaint Internet
users with the vast global resources that are available through on-line sources,
(2) show how to evaluate the reliability and validity of those sources, and
(3) teach others how to use and evaluate these resources. At the conclusion
of this presentation attendees should be able to successfully "navigate"
their way through a variety of on-line sources (including human, text and statistical)
to reach specific pieces of information.
Much of our on-line time is spent looking for documents, digging for information, then analyzing that information. This presentation covers investigative techniques, with the focus being on online procedures that facilitate retrieval of information. From the theoretical to the practical, we will explore each phase of information gathering on the Internet.
Who, What When, Where, Why, How:
Where does information come from and how do you get it? Understand that the
Internet is a source of information. This means we need to act like reporters
and use the reporters' basic skills:
- Check it out,
- The two-source rule.
- Distinguish information that is relevant from information that is critical.
The Internet for Beginners:
Basic information about how the Internet works, and how information gets on
the web. How your six-year-old can look like a Nobel Prize winner.
Formulating a Strategy:
Is Your Topic Even on the Internet? The Internet is good for information about
some topics (computers, natural sciences, government affairs, product/business
information and popular culture), but not so good for information about the
humanities and social sciences. How current is the information and how often
is it updated?
Basic Resources:
Using search engines. Mailing lists: experts for every subject imaginable.
Evaluating Internet Resources:
Some questions to ask in evaluating Internet resources: What kind of organization
produced the information (academic site, commercial site, the government, a
non-profit organization)? Who in the organization actually produced the information?
Is the source listed or cross-referenced anywhere else? What are the source's
credentials? Is there a bias or commercial interest? Who is the intended audience?
How current is the information? References, citations, links?
The bottom line is that there is a lot of garbage on the Internet, but there
is also a great amount of useful
information . . . if you can find it. This presentation will show you how.