Search engines can simplify the process of teaching basic research to students who require guidance on how to navigate the Web. Students start using search engines early on, making elementary school the perfect time to teach research skills. Sorting through content for relevance and accuracy will provide students researching skills that become a foundation for a lifetime of learning.
According
to Concordia Online Learning there are five ways teachers can help improve
research skills in elementary age children: define the task; discover keywords;
use appropriate tools; teach about source hierarchy and evaluation; and take
notes and compile information.
It
is pertinent for teachers to discuss with their students exactly what is to be
researched and how to get specific results.
It is too easy for students to get lost while researching if they don’t
know exactly what they are looking for.
From
my personal experience, discovering keywords is a struggle for elementary
students to grasp. Some search engines
will only find results if the correct keyword(s) are used. Students need to learn how to come up with
those words to get the results on the topic they are researching. Teachers can
create an entire lesson around keywords, including what they are, how they
work, and how to find them.
The
most popular search engines are Google and Bing; however, they may not be the
best for teaching research skills to students. Google is my personal favorite. Designed
specifically for students and educators iSeek is a non-commercial search engine
that delivers editor-reviewed results from universities, government sites, and
other noncommercial providers.
Students
can comprehend the tiers of validity related to information gathering. Teachers will need to explain about the
primary courses, original research and the reliability of information found on
the web. This will give students the
opportunity to learn how information travels from research papers to news
sources to blogs and so on.
The
complexity of note taking skills will depend on the grade level of the
students; however, even younger students can learn to take notes. Note-taking will become easier when the
students get better at finding quality sources.
Citing sources appropriately is important for students to learn.
Learning good researching skills will give students a skill that will serve them over a lifetime. This skill will be useful in their everyday lives.
Concordia
Online Learning. Five Ways to Teach Research Skills to Elementary School Children. 2013.
Retrieved for the World Wide Web on September 7, 2015 from http://education.cu-portland.edu/blog/reference-material/five-ways-to-teach-research-skills-to-elementary-school-children/
