Getting More From Your Google Searches: Advanced Search Techniques and Tools Catherine Grandgeorge Training Module Part B LIS 560 Autumn 2013 Table of Contents 1.0 Introduction ............................................................................................................................. 3 2.0 Lesson Plan: Advanced Google Search Techniques and Tools ............................................. 3 2.1 Outcomes .............................................................................................................................. 3 2.2 Skills ...................................................................................................................................... 3 2.3 Target Audience ................................................................................................................... 3 2.4 Materials needed.................................................................................................................. 4 2.5 Program ................................................................................................................................ 4 3.0 Conclusion & Evaluation ......................................................................................................... 7 4.0 Further Training ...................................................................................................................... 8 5.0 Bibliography ............................................................................................................................. 8 Appendices
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1.0 Introduction
For Training Module Part A, I explored the information behaviors and needs of upper level college students, specifically undergraduate juniors and seniors. I decided to focus on this group because they often have unique information needs that differ in comparison to first year students. Upper level students have already established their own research techniques and patterns, so teaching new skills must be done in an engaging manner. For Training Module Part B, I have designed a class that addresses the need for advanced searching skills to find materials using Google search. This class is based on the assumption that upper level students already have familiarity with basic search skills and use of library databases. Because students are already using Google to find materials, it is to their advantage to learn how to become advanced Google searchers. 2.0 Lesson Plan: Advanced Google Search Techniques and Tools 2.1 Outcomes At the end of this class, students will be able to: • Identify advanced search tools available in Google • Describe operators that can be used for Google searches • Apply advanced searching strategies to a query using Google 2.2 Skills Students will learn the following skills that build on their existing search skills: • Ability to understand and use Google search operators • Ability to conduct searches using Google’s Advanced Search page • Ability to conduct searches using Google Scholar 2.3 Target Audience For this lesson, I have selected undergraduate juniors and seniors as my target audience. This group is identifiable by age, as “traditional” undergraduate juniors and seniors are around 19 to 23 years of age. Students in this age range belong to the “millennial” generation, a group that exhibits unique information behaviors (Pew Research Center, 2010). Although all levels of college students can be considered millennials, college juniors and seniors have a unique set of information needs and behaviors that need to be addressed separately from first year students. The literature reviewed for Training Module Part A shows three key information behaviors for millennials: use of the web for research, the importance of time, and finding and evaluating sources for research. This course has been designed with these three factors in mind. Students want quick and easy access to web-­‐based sources. 3
In their study comparing the information needs of upper level college students and first year students, Pickard and Logan (2013) found that while seniors had a stronger set of information literacy skills than first years, many of them “still struggled with time management, topic selection, an unawareness of the library's available services and resources, as well as searching for and getting their hands on sources” (p. 411). This shows that despite having some skills, upper level students can continue to benefit from information literacy instruction. 2.4 Materials needed The primary material needed for this lesson is a computer lab with projector equipment. Students need to be able to sit at individual computers, but also have space to collaborate in small groups as well as see a projection of the instructor’s computer. Software requirements include access to the Internet through a web browser. 2.5 Program 2.5.1 Introduction As students walk into the computer lab classroom, they will find that each computer has a piece of paper taped over the monitor that shows different examples of a generic search queries that include operators. Examples will be: “search query”; -­‐query; site:query; link:query; related:query; query OR query. As students select a seat, they will be asked to form groups based on which example is on their monitor. Once in small groups, students will be asked to reflect on their last search experience: What went well? What did not go well? After discussing these questions for a few moments, we will come back together as a class and share the reflections and ideas. The instructor will then provide a short overview of what will be covered during the course of the class. Discussion The introduction to this class addresses the attention concept of Keller’s ARCS model by drawing students in through curiosity. When they enter the classroom and see something unusual, this builds “perceptual arousal” about what will happen during the course of the class (Small, 1997). This attention activity also gives the instructor a few moments to quickly evaluate what search strategies students are currently using. This introduction also address the relevance concept of Keller’s ARCS model in that it immediately asks students to reflect on their own personal experiences. Students need to be cognizant of their current search behaviors to understand, make connections, and see the value of learning advanced search strategies. The opening small group discussion is intended for students to build “familiarity” with the subject matter and establish the relevance of the skills (Small, 1997). 4
2.5.2 Body of the Lesson Skill 1: Ability to understand and use Google search operators Steps 1. Lecture: overview of tools and search operators 2. Individual activity: search practice using operators Tasks 1. Lecture: overview of tools and search operators Instructor gives a lecture introducing students to the search operators that will work with the Google search engine. While going through operators, instructor will explain when and why each of these tools would be helpful in a search. Topics include: • Use of quotation marks to search for an exact phrase • Use of dash to exclude a word • Use of “related:” to find similar pages • Use of “or” to search for either word • Use of two periods to search for a number range At the conclusion of the lecture, students will be provided with a list of links (see Appendix A) to the official Google documentation on searching so that students will have something to refer to while practice searching. 2. Individual activity: search practice using operators Instructor provides a topic and students will individually practice developing search terminology and phrases using operators in the basic Google search box. Skill 2: Ability to conduct searches using Google’s advanced search page Steps 1. Demonstration: overview of Google’s advanced search features 2. Small group activity: comparison searching 3. Class activity: discussion of findings Tasks 1. Demonstration: overview of Google’s advanced search features Instructor will provide a short demonstration of features available on Google’s advanced search page. Students will be shown how advanced search page essentially offers the same tools as search operators, but in an easier format. Topics include: • Filtering options (by words, phrases, or excluding words) • Narrowing result options (by language, date, reading level, file type, etc.) 2. Small group activity: comparison searching 5
Students will work in teams of two to compare the search results found from using search operators in the basic Google search box with those found using the same terms on the advanced search page. 3. Class activity: discussion of findings As a class, instructor and students will discuss what they found in the comparison searches and compare and contrast these search strategies. Skill 3: Ability to conduct searches using Google Scholar Steps 1. Demonstration: introduction to and overview of features available in Google Scholar 2. Individual activity: Google Scholar search practice Tasks 1. Demonstration: introduction to and overview of features available in Google Scholar Instructor will give a brief overview of features and tools available when searching using Google Scholar. Topics include: • Filtering results by relevance and date • Linking to full text articles available in library databases • Finding related articles • Citation chaining 2. Individual activity: Google Scholar search practice Students will be able to explore Google Scholar tools on their own by searching for materials related to an assignment they have, will have, or a personal interest. After individual searching, students will be encouraged to demonstrate what they discovered on the overhead computer to the class. Discussion This lesson addresses the confidence concept of Keller’s ARCS model by creating “success opportunities” for the students (Small, 1997). The lesson is designed to provide ample practice time so that students can apply what they are learning and thus build confidence on the subject matter. Furthermore, as this class is built to expand on their existing set of skills, the students will reinforce their confidence of basic search skills as well as the new advanced skills. Closely related to the confidence of the students is the concept of satisfaction in Keller’s ARCS model. Like confidence, satisfaction is addressed through the hands-­‐on practice time for students. The final individual activity focuses on students exploring Google Scholar by searching for materials for an assignment they will have to complete outside of this class. By having students use the tool in this manner, they are immediately applying the new skills to a real world example. Feedback and positive reinforcement will also be given to students throughout the class during class discussion activities. 6
The activities described in the lesson plan are based on the 4MAT learning styles described by Bernice McCarthy (1997). The lesson addresses each learning style in the following ways: Type 1 “Why” learners: The introduction of the class provides questions that allow students to reflect on their own experiences and feelings. These questions help “why” learners understand why the topic is relevant to their own search strategies. To help keep these learners engaged, the class is designed to have several shorter lectures and demonstrations that are interspersed with other activities. Type 2 “What” learners: The combination of lectures throughout the class are present to help give the “what” learners the facts. The lesson plan also includes element of comparison, which will help these learners think about the skills they are learning and exchange ideas. Type 3 “How” learners: The “how” learners will enjoy the ample time students have for exploring and experimenting with searching throughout the class. Furthermore, one activity encourages students to demonstrate their skills to the class, which was specifically designed with the “how” learners in mind. Type 4 “What if?” learners: The “what if?” learners are addressed in the class activities that allow students to explore the search functions and tools in an open-­‐ended manner. By discovering these tools using their own search queries, these learners will be able to examine the topics through trial and error. 3.0 Conclusion & Evaluation At the end of the lesson, the instructor will provide a short conclusion that reiterates the key topics of the lesson: students learned how to use search operators in a basic Google search box, what features are available on Google’s advanced search page, and what features are also available in Google Scholar. The instructor will explain that by using these advanced search techniques, students can save time and find better resources. At the same time, students will be reminded that these strategies should be a supplement to and not a replacement for valuable library resources. The instructor will encourage students to contact the library if they would like additional information or individual assistance in finding materials for class assignments. In order to find out what students thought of the class, they will be given a short evaluation at the end of class to fill out (see Appendix B). The evaluation is designed to solicit what parts of the class students enjoyed the most, the least, and their thoughts on how the course can be changed. This feedback can be used to further refine the instructor’s understanding about their gaps in knowledge and what they most enjoy to learn. 7
4.0 Further Training In addition to advanced searching skills, upper level college students can also benefit from learning more about how to evaluate sources. Students often select research materials based on time and convenience, so learning how to better judge the quality and usefulness of materials would improve their overall learning and academic work. An extension of this class could be a session that focuses specifically on evaluating sources found through web-­‐based searches, or sources outside of the library. 5.0 Bibliography McCarthy, Bernice. (1997). A tale of four learners: 4MAT's learning styles. Educational Leadership, 54, 6, 46-­‐52. Pew Research Center. (2010). The Millennials: Confident. Connected. Open to Change. Retrieved from: http://www.pewsocialtrends.org/files/2010/10/millennials-­‐confident-­‐
connected-­‐open-­‐to-­‐change.pdf Pickard, E., & Logan, F. (2013). The research process and the library: First-­‐generation college seniors vs. freshmen. College and Research Libraries, 74, 4, 399-­‐415. Small. Ruth V. (1997). Motivation in Instructional Design. ERIC Digests EDO-­‐IR-­‐97-­‐06. 8
Appendix A: Google Documentation Links • “Search Operators” retrieved from: https://support.google.com/websearch/answer/136861?hl=en • “Google Advanced Search” retrieved from: https://support.google.com/websearch/answer/35890?hl=en&ref_topi
c=3081620 • “Google Scholar Search Tips” retrieved from: http://www.google.com/intl/en/scholar/help.html 9
Appendix B: Class Evaluation What was the most interesting or helpful thing you learned today? What was the least interesting or unhelpful thing you learned today? Which class activity did you enjoy the most or find the most useful? What topics would you like to see added to this class? Are there any changes to the class that you would recommend? 10