In many libraries, teaching topics about Internet has become a standard part of the instruction mission. This type of instruction can range from teaching the mechanics of navigating the Internet to using the Web for research. Different libraries have included a vast assortment of instruction topics about the Internet in their lessons.
The following list of potential Internet topics will give you an idea of the possibilities.
FIGURE 2.9
Assignment Specific Research Skills Tutorial
From Z. Smith Reynolds Library, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Available:
http://www.wfu.edu/Library/referenc/art_history/.
Introduction to the Internet
Even though the Internet may seem to ubiquitous to us, there are still many people who seek instruction on how to access and use it. For instance, only 22 percent of sen- iors are online,9but those who do go online are enthusiastic and often turn to their public libraries to learn about the basics of the Internet, such as
How can I connect to the Internet?
What is the World Wide Web?
What are hypertext and hyperlinks?
What is a URL?
What is a Web browser and what does it do?
What are protocols, what do they do, and how does each (e-mail, telnet, ftp, Usenet, http) differ?
What is an ISP (Internet service provider) and how do I select one?
History of the Internet
Tutorials that cover the history of the Internet and the World Wide Web can help stu- dents understand that it is not a single entity, but rather a noncentralized global net- work of networks.
Internet Skills
There are many different skills that new Internet users need to learn to function effi- ciently on the Web.
Web Browser Navigation As with any software application, people who are new to the Internet often find it helpful to receive instruction on how to function in a Web browser. The interfaces in the various available browsers are not always the most user- friendly. Highlighting the features and functions available will assist new users.
Communication on the Internet One of the top uses of the Internet for many peo- ple is to communicate with others. There are multiple methods to engage in online communication, including e-mail, instant messaging, chat, and discussion groups.
Netiquette Unique sets of social rules surround appropriate behavior while on the Internet. These come into play particularly when e-mailing, chatting, and posting to dis- cussion groups. Although they may seem like common sense once they are introduced to a new user, a vehicle to learn them before making an online faux pas will be appreciated!
Research on the Web
Using Web Search Tools New search engines, directories, and indexes are intro- duced regularly. There will continue to be a need to instruct people to use them as they are introduced.
Web Search Strategies Without a solid understanding of the most efficient tech- niques to conduct searches, users easily are overwhelmed by the amount of informa- tion a Web search returns.
Evaluation of Web Resources Because anyone can publish to the Web, it has never been so important to teach students the criteria required to assess the quality of infor- mation retrieved from the Internet.
WebQuests The term WebQuests, coined in 1995, describes an “inquiry-based activity that involves students in using Web-based resources and tools to transform their learning into meaningful understandings and real-world projects.”10 It has become a popular tool for organizing Web searches by educators. There are six criti- cal components to a WebQuest:11
an introduction to set the stage and provide background information a task that is doable as well as interesting
a set of information sources that will help with the task
a description of the process the learners should go through in accomplishing the task. The process is broken down into clearly defined steps
guidance on how to organize the acquired information
a conclusion that brings closure to the quest, reminds students about what they’ve learned, and encourages them to extend the experience into other domains Figure 2.10 shows a WebQuest designed for middle school library users to teach them about Web site evaluation. A large collection of examples by age group can be examined at the WebQuest Portal (http://www.webquest.org).
From Elizabeth Farquhar. Available: http://www.albany.edu/~ef8043/webquest.htm.
FIGURE 2.10
What’s It Worth? A WebQuest about Website Evaluation
Invisible Web or Deep Web The Invisible Web comprises the “text pages, files, or other often high-quality authoritative information available via the World Wide Web that general-purpose search engines cannot, due to technical limitations, or will not, due to deliberate choice, add to their indices of Web pages. . . . Sometimes also referred to as the ‘deep Web’ or ‘dark matter.’”12Often this happens because the content is con- tained in dynamically driven databases. Increasingly, content is created in databases because it is more efficiently managed this way. There is danger of students being unaware of the Invisible Web’s existence without instruction.
Making and Publishing Web Pages and Sites There are a wide variety of topics that can be included in this category: creating basic Web pages, using specific HTML editors, Cascading Style Sheets, creating accessible Web pages, controlling access to pages and sites, creating Web graphics, design and layout principles, writing for the Web, and more. In fact, an online instruction could be created for almost every sub- ject you will encounter in this book!
More Recent Internet Trends
File Sharing File sharing has become a major issue in campuses across the nation.
Electronic files (most often audio and video) are made available for download via the Internet. They are most often stored on individual users’ computers and shared using a peer-to-peer model via services such as Kazaa. The difficulty arises because much of the downloaded material is copyrighted and is therefore illegal to share without per- mission. Educating people about the legal and moral aspects of file sharing has become, by necessity, an important topic.
Internet Safety Internet safety is an important topic, especially with regard to chil- dren using the Web. Figure 2.11 is an example from the Chicago Public Library that illustrates a tutorial that prompts children to answer questions about the safety of var- ious activities on the Web.
Phishing Phishing describes hackers creating a replica of an existing legitimate Web page (often a commercial site such as a bank) to fool a user into submitting personal, financial, or password data. It is a scam that has become prevalent and that users need to be educated about.
RSS RSS is an acronym for Rich Site Summary, or RDF (Resource Description Framework) Site Summary, an XML format for distributing news headlines and new content on the Web. It’s also known as Really Simple Syndication and Webfeed. This technology can be set up to help stay abreast of new information by having it deliv- ered to and constantly updated via a news aggregator, a piece of software freely avail- able via the Web. Tutorials can be valuable to help users set up their own feeds or to instruct information providers to set up an RSS feed for their content. Figure 2.12 shows an RSS tutorial from LawLibTech that is posted on the Boley Law Library’s legal research blog site for students.
Spam Spam is unwanted, unsolicited, junk e-mail addressed to a large number of recipients. It has become so prevalent in the past few years that it has become more than just an annoyance. Learning how to minimize one’s chances for attracting spam,
From Chicago Public Library. Available: http://www.chipublib.org/008subject/003cya/sign/safety.html.
FIGURE 2.11 Internet Safety
From Paul L. Boley Law Library, Lewis and Clark Law School, Portland, Oregon. Available: http://lawlib .lclark.edu/boleyblogs/index.php?p=479.
FIGURE 2.12 RSS and Weblogs
how to filter it, and what to do with it when it is received are necessary skills in today’s electronic world.
Spyware Spyware is a technology that surreptitiously collects information about a person without his or her knowledge. A software program is installed on the user’s computer, often when the user is downloading another program. Also known as adware, spyware gathers information and shares it with third parties, often advertisers who use the information to target their marketing. Besides being a serious concern over user privacy, this software can affect the performance of the computer on which it is installed, sometimes going as far as to hijack the Web browser and slow perform- ance considerably. Tutt Library combined the closely related subjects of spam and spy- ware in its presentation “Spam, Pop-ups, Spyware, and Other Internet Annoyances”
(see figure 2.13).
Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) VoIP is a technology for transmitting ordi- nary telephone calls over the Internet. It takes analog audio signals, like the kind you hear when you talk on the phone, and turns them into digital data that can be trans- mitted over the Internet.13Because it bypasses the regular phone system, long distance calls are free. As this technology becomes more widely available, expect to see an increase in interest in learning about how it works.
From Tutt Library, Colorado College, Colorado Springs. Available: http://www.coloradocollege.edu/
library/instruction/spam.html.
FIGURE 2.13 Spam and Spyware
Weblog The weblog is a concept that has been around since the mid-1990s. Originally blogs were personal communication tools operated by individuals (bloggers) who compiled lists of links to sites of interest to them and intermingled this with informa- tion and editorials.14 As the idea caught on, their purpose has expanded to more seri- ous uses including politics, corporate communication with customers, and collabora- tive space.15Educators, including librarians, are exploring the value of blogs. Teaching students about blogs—their history, purpose, and potential—may become a component of information literacy instruction. Estep cites his experience teaching an information lit- eracy class about weblogs by having students evaluate the information found on selected political weblogs.16Blogs will be discussed in greater detail in chapter 7.
Wi-Fi Wi-Fi is short for wireless fidelity and is used commonly when referring to the IEEE 802.11 wireless networking specification. This is the technology that allows PCs and PDAs (personal digital assistant) to share a high-speed Internet connection over a distance of about 300 feet and connect a local network without wires. Many libraries are moving toward incorporating this technology into their buildings because it can be more cost effective than a wired network (especially in retrofitting an existing building) and can provide patrons with both mobility to connect throughout the building and access to difficult-to-reach areas. As more people become interested in having a wireless network in their homes, they will seek instruction on how the tech- nology works.
Wiki A wiki is a collaborative Web site comprising the perpetual collective work of many authors. It is similar to a weblog in structure and logic. However, it allows any- one to edit, delete, or modify content, including work of previous authors. The collab- orative nature of a wiki has great potential in educational settings and for group proj- ects. Wikis will be discussed in more detail in chapter 7.