Module 5 – Information Resources of the Internet

The purpose of this module is to introduce the student to two of the major methods of gathering information on the Internet: Mailing Lists (e.g.,Groups, Forums) and Search Engines (e.g.,Google, Yahoo)

References

NVDA Shortcuts
Internet Browser Shortcuts
Windows XP Shortcuts

NVDA

Windows key+m, tab, then space bar brings up start menu.
ArrowDown to NVDA and hit enter
Notes

ins-q exits NVDA, ctrl key stops speech
(ins+m) to turn off speech over rollover
(ins+q) exits NVDA

Mailing Lists

Approach

Discuss the functions provided by mailing lists. Note some of the major mailing lists.
It is a verbal presentation that reviews major concepts. Examples are given verbally.

Approximate time:

15 minutes

Script

Why a mailing list? Email is the most commonly used medium on the internet. Email can be accessed by more people, is less resource-consuming, easier, and more reliable than most other means of communication. Mailing lists allow you to easily stay in touch with your friends, customers, or class or group members, and easily send almost any type of information to them.

An example of a popular mailing list is freelists.org

Other popular lists are: Google Groups and Yahoo Groups. You can join any public group (most are public). Google and Yahoo have links in their home page to view and/or join groups. When you join a group you can select whether you want to receive email posts immediately when posted; or, be sent as a digest (an accumulation of the day's postings). There are strong posting etiquette rules. Each group has a moderator to ensure that the rules are not violated.

These groups/lists are very valuable resources for gathering and exchanging information.

Search Engines

Approach

Discuss the functions provided by mailing lists. Note some of the major mailing lists.
Discuss the functions of search engines and demonstrate how basic searches are created.
Slide presentation?
It is a verbal presentation that reviews major concepts. Examples are given verbally.

Approximate time:

45 minutes

Script

Select a topic

Don't expect or even let students have a topic set-in-stone before they begin their search. Most students I worked with had only a vague or general idea of what they wanted to research before starting the actual search process. As they looked at the different documents available to them, they were able to narrow down their topic and specifically state what they wanted to research. Students starting out with a specific topic from the beginning sometimes met with success, but sometimes were frustrated by a lack of resources on their topic. It might be best to have students brainstorm a variety of possibilities from the same topic.

Brainstorm Topics
Discuss refining and restating the topic. Give an example and let them propose further refining.

Search on a topic

Give an example of a Topic
Describe the results to show where definition is important. Show the results, possibly as a slide.
Call their attention to how many results there were. Possibly use a biographical example and ask them which are the 3 most important links.
Especially when students are using commercial search engines, it is important to help them recognize the obvious signs of an unreliable source. The following evaluation methods do not require a high language level. Start with the website address itself. If the address ends in:
.edu (It sometimes means it is related to educational or research material. However, it could also mean that it is a student's personal webpage.)
.gov (It usually means it is related to government resources )
.com (It used to means it was related to commercial products. Now it can be either a personal page or a commercial page.)

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