Web Search
Infopeople Online Workshop
Course Instructor: Sarah Houghton-Jan
Tuesday, May 10, 2011 – Monday, June 6, 2011
Fee: $75 for those in the California library community and Infopeople Partners, $150 for all others.
(An Infopeople Online Learning Course)
The landscape of web search changes every week…
- Do you Google, and Google, and Google again -- without using the many additional tools that can make your web searching more effective and efficient?
- Do you know what's changed in the last year in Google and Bing?
- Do you know the different search engines' advanced search commands?
- Do you know how and when to search for answers within social media sites or video and photo sites?
- Do you know what specialty search engines exist and how to search the invisible web--those thousands of sites that basic search engines never cover?
In this course you will learn these things and more:
- What's new in search engines and when to use the latest tools
- How and when to use web search engines' best advanced search techniques, including limiter commands and other tools
- The value of subject-specialized search engines and databases, and how to find them
- When to explore the "invisible web" of databases and websites
- Tools for keeping up with the future of web searching
- Managing search strategy across multiple platforms, including search engines and social networking media
This course will make you a more efficient and effective searcher. You will be required to use social media for some class work.
Course Description: This four-week online course will provide you with the opportunity to learn the best and most current features of search engines and other web search tools. You will complete assignments exploring how these tools can help you with real customer needs. Through discussions you will share your own tips and tricks and discover those of your classmates as well. The instructor will provide resources and tips that can be applied immediately to your own searching challenges and needs. The learning process will include readings, assignments, and discussion forums.
Preliminary Course Outline: Using an Internet connection and web browser, you will log in to the Infopeople online learning site and complete the following learning modules:
- Week 1: Major Search Engines
- Review of major search engines (Google, Bing, and Yahoo)
- Strengths & weaknesses of major search engines
- Using Twitter and Facebook in the searching process
- Choosing the right search engine as a starting point
- Week 2: Searching Skills on Steroids
- Advanced search techniques
- o Advanced commands
- How to manage search progress and discussions which move across multiple platforms
- o Developing complex search strategies
- Week 3: Specialized Engines & the Invisible Web
- Finding and searching specialized search engines
- Finding and searching the invisible web
- Week 4: Social Information
- Searching blogs, microblogs, and wikis
- Searching social media sites
- Searching multimedia sites
- Keeping up on search engine developments
Time required: To complete this course, you can expect to spend 3 to 3½ hours per week. You can work on each module at your own pace, at any hour of the day or night. However, it is recommended that you complete each week's assignments within that week to stay in sync with other learners.
Who Should Take This Course: Library staff practiced in basic reference skills and who have intermediate Internet searching skills, including comfort with participating in such social networking forums as Facebook.
Online Learning Details and System Requirements may be found at:
http://infopeople.org/learning_details.
Course Start: This 4-week-long online learning course starts on Tuesday May 10, 2011.
After the official end date for the course, the instructor will be available for limited consultation and support for two more weeks, and the course material will stay up for an additional two weeks after that. These extra weeks give those who have fallen behind time to work independently to complete the course.
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