Exploring and evaluating online resources

Exploring and Evaluating Online Resources

Patricia Serafini &Monique Flaccavento

Librarians @ the OISE Library

Outcomes

Knowledge of…

Strategies to help your students evaluate websites

Strategies to help your students improve their Google searches

Student-friendly resources beyond Google

Agenda

Evaluating Websites

Improving Google Searches

Alternatives to Google

Online Resources Available Through School Board Library Sites

Discussion

What are some of the issues / challenges your students will face when searching the internet?

A search for

Immigrants Toronto

in Google…

…yields over 2.4 million results!

Evaluation of Websites

Tree Octopushttp://zapatopi.net/treeoctopus/

Martin Luther Kinghttp://www.martinlutherking.org/

Tools for Evaluating Websites

pp. 31-32

Improving Google Searches

Improving Google Searches

- (to exclude) “ ” (phrase search)

OR

google site:.edu

* (Obama voted * on the * bill)

Alternatives to Google

http://www.google.com/Top/Kids_and_Teens/

http://www.yippy.com/

http://www.quintura.com/

http://www.dmoz.org/Kids_and_Teens/

Activity

http://www.google.com/Top/Kids_and_Teens/

http://yippy.com/

http://www.quintura.com/

http://www.dmoz.org/Kids_and_Teens/

Activity

What makes this search engine better / worse than Google (for your students)?

Be prepared to share your findings with the class.

Free Internet vs. Licensed Resources

Internet Licensed Resources

No editor or gatekeeper (not filtered)

Sponsored hits / advertising

No censorship (no criteria – anyone can post anything)

Professionally created / edited

Materials carefully selected (censorship; quality control)

Current / continuously updated

Indexed with Subject Headings

What are KO Licensed Databases?

http://www.tdsb.on.ca/libraries/cat.asp?schoolNo=9

Licensed Databases

http://www.library.utoronto.ca/oise/

Student Resource Centre Canadian Edition(now called Canada in Context)

Student Resource Centre, Canadian Edition (aka Canada in Context)

1. Click on “Immigration” (under “Social Issues”). What types of resources do you find?

2. Is this a good search strategy for finding resources about immigration in Toronto? Why? Why not?

Student Resource Centre, Canadian Edition (aka Canada in Context)

3. Try to find information about immigration in Toronto written since 2001at the intermediate level using the Advanced Search screen.

4. Describe your search strategy.

A Few other KO Resources available through the OISE Library

CPI.Q

InfoTrac Student / InfoTrac Student (Graphic Interface)

Teen Health & Wellness

Other things to Consider…

The importance of…

Formulating a clear research question / topic (pages 12 – 16 of Research Success @ Your Library)

Selecting the “right” keywords and synonyms (see pages 10 & 11 of Research Success @ Your Library)

Other things to Consider…

Creating effective search strategies (pages 21 & 22 of Research Success @ Your Library)

Questions? Contact us! We’re here to help!

Pat Serafinipat.serafini@utoronto.ca416-978-1903

Monique Flaccaventomonique.flaccavento@utoronto.ca416-978-1867