In 1969 there were only four nodes/computers on the infant network,
named ARPANET, after its Pentagon sponsor. These four computers could transfer
data on dedicated high-speed transmission lines. Today there are tens of
thousands of nodes in the Internet, scattered over forty-two countries,
with more coming on-line every day. Three million, possibly four million
people use this gigantic mother-of-all-computer-networks. A PowerPoint
presentation on the History
of the Internet is available.
Footprints
in the Sand: A Primer for Surfing the Net is a WebQuest
designed to help you learn the basics of "surfing the net". By the end
of the lesson, you will become an "expert" and will be able to share that
skill with others. There's much to learn on the "net", but you must be
able to find your way around. During the "Footprints" WebQuest, you will
learn: how to use and/or add a bookmark, what to expect when you
begin exploring on the web, what colored, underlined printing means on
a page, how to use the special buttons at the top of the computer screen,
how to get back and forth in your Netscape Navigator exploration, how to
do a search on your topic, and how to gather information by exploring hot
links.
Because the Web is not indexed in any standard manner, finding information
can seem difficult. Search engines are popular tools for locating web pages,
but they often return thousands of results. Search engines crawl the Web
and log the words from the web pages they find in their databases. Because
some search engines have logged the words from over 100 million documents,
results can be overwhelming.
Without a clear search strategy, using a search engine is like wandering
aimlessly in the stacks of a library trying to find a particular book.
Successful searching involves two key steps. First, you must have a clear
understanding of how to prepare your search. You must identify the main
concepts in your topic and determine any synonyms, alternate spellings,
or variant word forms for the concepts. Second, you need to know how to
use the various search tools available on the Internet. For example, search
engines (e.g., AltaVista) are very
different than subject directories (e.g., Yahoo).
Even search engines themselves can vary greatly in size, accuracy, features,
and flexibility.
A complete "Finding
It Online: Web Search Strategies" tutorial is available that presents
an easy-to-follow process on using search engines and subject directories
for finding what you need on the World Wide Web.
Specifically, during this phase of the course you will learn to:
-
Use subject directories and describe the difference between a subject
directory and a search
engine.
-
Use implied
and full Boolean logic, phrase searching, truncation, and field searching
effectively.
-
Identify key
concepts, synonyms, and variant word forms in your search topic.
-
Use key search engines effectively, including AltaVista,
Infoseek,
HotBot,
Northern
Light, Excite, and Google.
-
Use meta-search
engines effectively, including Dogpile,
Profusion,
Mamma,
and Ixquick.
-
Use specialty
databases when appropriate.
-
Apply search strategies and techniques in a scavenger
hunt exercise. (In September 1992, Rick Gates, then a library
school student at the University of California in Santa Barbara, began
a
contest called “The Internet Hunt.” It was basically an old-fashioned
scavenger hunt, but with a modern twist -- instead of collecting a variety
of prescribed objects, participants answered a set of questions by using
information resources available only on the Internet.)
New Information about Metasearch
Engines
Guide to Metasearchers: If
one engine is good, then a dozen should be better. That's the theory behind
metasearch and megasearch sites. Metasearch pages let you build a single
search and then apply that query to multiple sites simultaneously. Megasearchers
also store several engines under one roof, but that's strictly a convenience:
you conduct searches one engine at a time. Full
story and more details.
Multi and Meta Search Engines Sorted by IQ
Score: Meta Search engines are search tools which look
across multiple databases and often eliminate redundant listings. All of
the top 12 meta search engines are good bets. Which one you use depends
on the features you like the most. Remember an IQ score of 100 is average.
Full story
and more details. This is what ZDNet.com had to say about one
of my favorites, Ixquick: "Ixquick
IQ 140 This meta search engine is fast, comprehensive and ranks findings
by relevance! Searches 14 engines. Results ranked by relevancy and includes
information about which search engine it came from. Currently one of the
few meta search tools that supports regular searches, natural language
searches, and advanced boolean searches, and knows which engines can handle
which types of searches. If a page is listed in more than one search engine,
Ixquick tells you which engines and how it was ranked. Does include some
redundant listings, but overall one of the best metasearch engines. Currently
the default search engine on our browser (ZDNet.com)."
Metacrawlers: Unlike search
engines, metacrawlers don't crawl the web themselves to build listings.
Instead, they allow searches to be sent to several search engines all at
once. The results are then blended together onto one page. Listed
are some of the major metacrawlers.
Additional Technology Projects in EDU506:
Project
One -- Electronic Mail: Hotmail, the world's largest provider
of free Web-based email, is the program selected for EDU506's e-mail projects.
Hotmail provides email access that is easy and possible from any computer
connected to the World Wide Web.
Project
Two -- Finding Information on the World Wide Web: Because
the Web is not indexed in any standard manner, finding information can
seem difficult. Without a clear search strategy, using a search engine
is like wandering aimlessly in the stacks of a library trying to find a
particular book. A "Finding
It Online" Tutorial is available.
Project
Three -- Powerpoint Presentations: These PowerPoint Presentations
have been built by the EDU 506 graduate students to illustrate the capabilities
of Microsoft Office 97's PowerPoint software program. A PowerPoint
Tutorial by ChalkSoft is available.
Project
Four -- SpreadSheet Exercises: These SpreadSheet Exercises
have been designed for the EDU 506 graduate students to illustrate the
capabilities of Microsoft Office 97's Excel software program. An Excel
Tutorial by ChalkSoft is available.
Project
Five -- WebQuests: WebQuest is an inquiry-oriented activity in
which the EDU506 graduate students design short-term, single discipline
webpages that can be used immediately in their classrooms. Some samples
are available for viewing and comment. Thorough instructions for
both Windows-PC
and Macintosh
operating systems are provided for Netscape Communicator's Composer.