In this session, bogus and legitimate web sites are visited and evaluated by well-established criteria. The PowerPoint presentation provides an overview of the Web and its "content" and search engines in general. Also, the concept of intellectual property and some copyright law is explained and applied to the Web. A system for citation is reviewed. An internet quiz designed by the librarian and administered by the professor and TA on Blackboard is included. The Google/Intute Search Assignment is reviewed and graded by the librarian.

This lesson was originally designed for a sophomore sociology course at Le Moyne College (Syracuse, NY), titled Career Practices & Professional Computing (SOC 200); the course prepares majors for the study and work of their future professions. Students create resumes, familiarize themselves with the professional journals of their field, create personal web pages, listen to guest speakers from the fields of anthropology, criminal justice, and/or sociology, and learn the best and extensive uses of the Internet.

Title of lesson based on Sendak, M. (1963). Where the wild things are. New York: Harper & Row. (Without permission.)

Students will:

• understand that intellectual property/copyright laws ("creative works of the mind") apply to Web resources as well as print resources.
• make use of the "visible web" and recognize that an "invisible web" exists with its own search mechanisms.
• be aware that the body of literature in the social sciences that comprise funded research reports are freely published on the web, sometimes without a print counterpart.
  

 

 

• Library web site
• One example of commercial database mounted on the library web site
• Google search engine
• Intute invisible web database 
• PowerPoint presentation
• Internet Quiz
• Google versus Intute Assignment 

Librarian selects 5-6 search topics appropriate to the course for 1) for possible use to help find examples for good and bogus web sites, or to use in class, and 2) for students to choose among for the Google versus Intute Assignment.

 

Class presentation by librarian: Using the PowerPoint file provided, librarian can modify the examples used depending on the class focus/needs. As part of the PowerPoint presentation, the librarian leads the class through the examination and evaluation of a set of good and bad/bogus web sites. Clarify offensive web sites, such as http://www.martinlutherking.org, as those that may very well be legal according to libel law regarding public figures and explain intellectual property concept and show how it applies to the Web.

 

Internet Quiz is done outside of THIS class by professor using courseware or using print version in a later class session or as part of cumulative exam.

 

Google/Intute Assignment: This is distributed as a class handout to those who want a copy and is made available through courseware by the professor (as is the PowerPoint presentation slides so students can go back through it for help and answers).

 

 

Internet Quiz is graded by professor or TA and results are reported to librarian for possible revisions in the Librarian's PowerPoint/class session.

Librarian grades the Google/Intute Assignments and gives feedback to each student. Librarian also gleans student search skills and attitudes about Google and scholarly sources in general.

Dr. Jeffrey Chin, Sociology Department, Le Moyne College; Kari Zhe-Heimerman, Science Librarian, Le Moyne College