Using the Internet
for Student Research
Peggy Maslow Only
a few years ago, I would assign students to examine a question (an
inquiry) by having them go to the library, find books, magazines,
and newspapers and write a research paper that would answer the
question. However, for the past two years, I have had my students
use the Internet instead of the library to find information.
For an example of a student research project go to
http://teachersnetwork.org/teachnet-lab/fklane/pmaslow/night/takeaction.htm.
To see the research papers produced on web pages go to
http://teachersnetwork.org/teachnet-lab/fklane/pmaslow/night/2002.htm.
While looking at the instruction web page note the elements in
a research paper that students must include- evidence of an audience
and purpose, notes using paraphrases and quotes, bibliography of
sources, and several drafts. These are all the same elements
I required for past students when they used the library. What has
changed is that now I supply them with links, a list of possible
sources on the Internet where they can go for information. For the
links for this research project go to
http://teachersnetwork.org/teachnet-lab/fklane/pmaslow/night/holocaustlinks.htm.
Another example of a student research project using the Internet
and student work published on the Internet is
http://teachersnetwork.org/teachnetnyc/pmaslow/orwell.htm.
Publishing student work is important because it provides students
with a motivation to do drafts of their research paper and to improve
it. As in years past, student work is published, but now it is in
a different medium. In the past we printed magazines with student
writing. Students read each other's work and their relatives and
friends also read our magazines with students writing. Now, the
student audience includes anyone with access to the Internet. My
students created web pages to publish their research reports. These
pages are posted together on a class web page that is then posted
on the school web site.
Another major difference with using the Internet is that teachers
will need to spend hours finding good links or sites on the Internet
and creating a list for students. But once the list is created it
can be used for years to come and it can be improved when the teacher
and
students find new links to add to the original list. Links do need
to be checked every year to be sure they are still active.
Another way for students to do research is to structure the research
paper into a web quest. For excellent examples and a template to
try this yourself go to:
http://webquest.sdsu.edu/webquest.html.
My next column will be on how to have students publish their work
by designing their own web pages as well as how teachers can make
their own web pages.
For more ideas on doing Internet research or for other resources
try the TeachNet lesson site at
http://teachersnetwork.org/TeachNet//
.
Two examples of lessons teaching how to Internet research are
at
http://web.archive.org/web/20060825170108/http://seed.mainecenter.org/
application/index.cfm?loc=viewpacket&type=adapt&ID=323
and
http://teachersnetwork.org/teachnetnyc/cposer/searching.htm.
Also, an excellent librarian's site is:
http://web.archive.org/web/20040913081748/
http://nuevaschool.org/~debbie/library/research/research.html. |