Information Retrieval (IR) is one of the most evolving research fields and has drawn extensive attention in recent years. Because of its empirical nature, the advance of the IR field is closely related to the development of various toolkits. While the traditional IR toolkit mainly provides a platform to evaluate the effectiveness of retrieval…

This paper introduces Ontoolsearch, a new search system that can be employed by educators in order to find suitable tools for supporting collaborative learning settings. Current tool search facilities commonly allow simple keyword searches, limiting the accuracy of obtained results. In contrast, Ontoolsearch supports semantic querying of tool…

Three hosted federated search tools, Follett One Search, Gale PowerSearch Plus, and WebFeat Express, were configured and implemented in a school library. Databases from five vendors and the OPAC were systematically searched. Federated search results were compared with each other and to the results of the same searches in the database's native…

The main method of locating information on the World Wide Web is to use a search engine. Given a set of terms, a search engine will return a list of documents containing those terms. Often, though, this list of documents is extremely large. Unfortunately, there are currently no tools to assist the information seeker in determining whether these…

Although it has become very common to use World Wide Web-based information in many educational settings, there has been little research on how to better search and organize Web-based information. This paper discusses the shortcomings of Web search engines and Web browsers as learning environments and describes an alternative Web search environment…

Electronic databases have grown tremendously in both number and popularity since their development during the 1960s. Access to electronic databases in academic libraries was originally offered primarily through mediated search services by trained librarians; however, the advent of CD-ROM and end-user interfaces for online databases has shifted the…

As the Internet becomes a resource in the classroom, students must learn to glean maximally from that information using skills that enhance their understandings. Students engage in activities involved with Internet searching to the degree that they are skilled and motivated. This article reports on a research study that demonstrates that the model…

Illustrates the importance of students knowing how to effectively search electronic resources. Discusses a Web site created at Chico High School and describes the three major components of the organization of electronic resources (outreach, training, and planning interview). Gives an example of a class research assignment and discusses other…

Expert users of the Internet were studied to identify the strategies they used to locate specific information. Participants' searching actions were recorded, including counts of each movement from Web page to Web page and within Web pages. Three patterns appeared: keyword searching, hierarchical searching, and meandering. Implications for the…

Describes a conceptual model of information retrieval. Includes a model of the Internet to help college students form mental models so they perceive information retrieval as a process and are able to decide when to use the Internet and to decide on suitable search strategies for different question types. (Author/LRW)

Alternative browsers are gaining significant market share, and both Apple and Microsoft are releasing OS upgrades which portend some interesting changes in Web development. Of particular interest for language learning professionals may be new developments in the area of Web browser based applications, particularly using an approach dubbed "Ajax."…

Interactive visualization is a powerful educational tool. It has been used to enhance the teaching of various subjects from computer science to chemistry to engineering. In computer science education, this powerful tool is used almost exclusively in programming and data structure courses. This paper suggests that visualization could be very…

The components and features of ERIC on CD-ROM are discussed. Search techniques and the value of this resource are described. Different systems available are noted. (CW)

Discusses how to extract relevant information as part of the Big6 process of teaching information problem-solving. Highlights include extracting information from print sources compared to computer-based information resources; identifying relevant information; and extracting information from other multimedia sources such as interviews, audio…

This article describes nine tactics for utilizing technology to manage increasing amounts of information while attempting to discern what information is most pertinent. Specific products are highlighted to provide a glimpse of the potential power and value of these tools for enabling educators to stay apprised of new developments. (Contains one…