c1 - Finding Information On The Internet
Introduction
The internet has become one of the most important sources of information for us.
Be it news about current world events, test and experience reports on certain products and services, opinions, recommendations and discussions or detailed background information on every conceivable topic: All this and much more is just a click away.
In contrast to other media, the Internet enables information to be passed on and people to exchange information via forums, blogs, wikis and social media. Content is not only available at any time, but also at any location.
We no longer have to know everything, it has become much more important for us to understand how we can find the relevant information on the Internet. Already in 2018 there were over a billion websites worldwide. The sheer number of websites shows just how important it is for us to know different ways of getting the information we want.
The aim of this chapter is to develop strategies on how we can find suitable sources of information on the Internet, check them for their truth and information content and assess them according to their value.
Learning aims
| Learning aims | ||
| He/She is in the position to use a search engine in a self-determined way to find the desired information. He/She is able to name different sources of information in the internet and is able to decide which sources will be used in the individuell context. He/She has developed a sensibility for the value of a information in the internet and the source of the information | ||
| Knowledge | Skills | Competences |
He/She can
| He/She is able
| He/She is able
|
Learning material
Search engines
| Exercise | Short description | Type | Time needed | Description and material |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lesson 01 - How to google | In this lesson, students learn how to use search operators in search engines. By using different search operators the participants will learn how to use search engines more effectively. | Group or individual work | 30 min. | detail description.... |
| Lesson 02 - The search engine comparison | In this exercise the participants get to know different search engines. They will learn about alternatives to Google and compare and qualitatively evaluate the results of the different search engines | Group or individual work | 45 min. | detail description.... |
| Lesson 03 - Special search engines | Besides the classic search engines like Google and Bing, there are also special offers for certain use cases or search engines with other focuses. This exercise introduces some of these services. | single work | < 30 min. | detail description.... |
| Lesson 04 - Pictures reverse search | Searching for images for a specific search term is one thing. But it can be just as helpful to find out on which websites certain images are used. This is possible by using a so-called "reverse image search". | single work | < 30 min. | detail description.... |
| Lesson 05 - Change default search provider and browser | Worksheet: how do I change my default search provider? This exercise includes instructions for changing the default search engine in Chrome and Firefox browsers, and instructions for changing the default browser on Windows, Android and Apple devices | Worksheet | ~20 min. |
Sources of Information
| Exercise | Short description | Type | Time needed | Description and material |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lesson 06 - Information sources on the Internet | What types of information sources are there? Which concrete websites and web offers can be used as a source of information? What are the advantages and what risks do they bring? | Group work & plenum | 45 min. | detail description.... |
| Lesson 07 - Information source "Wikipedia" | In this exercise, learners are asked to engage with the Wikipedia platform as a source of information. | Group or individual work | 30 min. | detail description.... |
Verification of Information
| Exercise | Short description | Type | Time needed | Description and material |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lesson 08 - Verify Information | How can we assess the value of information? What criteria can we use to verify information in order to classify it? | Group work | 30 -45 min. | detail description.... |
| Lesson 09 - Recognise Advertising | In this exercise, the participants deal with different forms of advertising on the internet. | Group or individual work | 30 min. | detail description.... |