Direct Instruction: Internet Search
Overview
Teaching learners how to effectively search the internet is critical for helping them learn how to find accurate and relevant information and aids in developing information literacy. Learners need to learn to draw upon their Background Knowledge to frame a good research question, generate associated vocabulary, and create a search string that will bring up relevant information. Since an internet search requires sorting through extensive pieces of information, this task can be heavy on learners' Working Memory. Teaching adult learners search skills such as utilizing quotation marks, asterisks, and connecting words can help alleviate that load, as well as build a Learner Mindset for research. This skill is especially important to teach explicitly since just letting the learners explore does not help them make the mental connections necessary to search effectively, and this can be frustrating for them.
Use It In Your Learning Environment
Instructors can host internet workshops where students can practice effective internet searching skills by locating specific pieces of information before evaluating these sources. They can use more play-based activities such as webquests or more directly useful exercises such as integrating search skills as a part of a real-world project to teach these skills. Techniques such as modeling the generation of keywords through think-alouds, using graphic organizers to organize and brainstorm keywords, and even using the thesaurus to find alternate keywords can be useful ways to scaffold the search process while also fostering other academic skills and building stamina for the process.
Products can help students explore the features of search engines by letting them experiment with different search strings before figuring out which works best for their goals. Additionally, providing screencast tutorials may help students search the internet more effectively.
Additional Resources
Additional examples, research, and professional development. These resources are possible representations of this strategy, not endorsements.
Factors Supported by this Strategy
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When designing instruction for adults, expectations and goals should be clearly outlined to help learners focus on the material and make plans for success.
Competency-based learning is self-paced, focused on mastery, and centered around demonstrating learning outcomes and skills rather than where or how they were attained.
Formative assessment is "assessment for learning" rather than "assessment of learning".
Opportunities for students to practice skills in context, with instructor support and also independently, helps to move concepts and ideas into Long-term Memory.
Intentionally incorporating voice and choice into adult learning experiences is critical for making learning meaningful and relevant.
Metaphors and analogies can support learners by helping to form connections and to notice patterns and similarities that promote learning, self-concept, and higher order thinking.
Mindfulness is a practice to create internal balance and a sense of being present in the moment.
Instruction and training presented in multiple formats allows learners to activate different cognitive skills and Background Knowledge that are necessary to remember procedural and content information.
When instructors ask questions or have learners create questions before introducing a text, they activate interest, increase Motivation, and help them assess what they already know about a given topic.
Process-based writing focuses on how learners brainstorm, outline, draft, and revise their writing and is most effective when paired with feedback, especially for English language learners.
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Learning and studying information across multiple sessions that are spaced, or distributed in time, can promote learning and long-term retention of both basic and conceptually complex facts and concepts.
