Digital research involves gathering online information through repetitive searching, filtering, and citation of sources with a critical mindset. It requires skills like effective searching, resource management, and distinguishing primary and secondary sources. Surveys have shown that many 21st century learners struggle with formulating queries, evaluating results, and determining a source's value. For students to thrive in today's digital world, educators must help them develop strong digital research abilities through practice.
Digital Research Skills are Essential for 21st Century Learners
1. Digital Research
Wilbert C. Jenkins, Jr.
American InterContinental
University Online
Unit 3 IP
2. Digital Research
Definitions
Looking something up using the internet
(IR, n.d.)
Gathering information for further
understanding (IR, n.d.)
Repetitive & continuous searching, filtering,
& citing sources with a critical and skeptical
mindset to discern useful content (Gil, 2012)
3. Digital Research. A
21st Century Skill
Content is digital, voluminous, &
ubiquitous in this 21st Century
Success is linked to quick successful
separation of useful information
Digital research skills are acquired the
old fashion way—Practice use daily
4. Digital Research & Education!
What’s the Connection?
The 4C’s-and 3R’s are involved
Discerning worth and relevance of information is
at stake
Surveys of 21st century learners identify:
an inability to formulate sound search queries,
have poor to no strategies for poor results,
have difficulty deciding value of resources discovered
(Moran & Firth, 2011)
5. Research Context Sources
Web sites
Pages of mixed-media content-text and media
http://www.allabouthistory.org/native-american-history.htm
Blogs
Single or group of authors write about an interest subject
http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetorch/2012/07/23/156913101/lighting-the-torch-
Wiki’s
Multi-author pages easily edited which allow easy publishing
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal:Technology
(Unit 3 Activity, 2012)
6. Research Content Sources
(cont)
Pod Casts
Audio recordings posted to web to be accessed by
computer or mobile device
http://www.npr.org/rss/podcast/podcast_detail.php?siteId
=9911203
Resource Data Bases
Online collections of content
http://eric.ed.gov/
(Unit 3 Activity, 2012)
7. Digital Research Components
Data Sources
Primary & Secondary
Resource Management
RSS & Atom
Research Process
Search Engines
Strategies
8. Data Sources--3
Primary
Document/artifact created at time of occurrence—inside view/actual
source of information
i.e. Autobiographies, Films, Clothing, Manuscripts, Raw Research Data
Secondary
Interpretive/analysis of primary data—1 step removed data
i.e. Encyclopedia’s, Political Commentary, Text Books
Finding Tools
Research tools leading to discover primary & secondary sources
i.e. Online Library Catalog, Specialized Data Bases
(Primary Sources, 2010)
9. Resource Management
Really Simple Syndication RSS
Service to Push change data to subscriber
Web page services indicator (RSS, n.d.)
Atom—2 Standards
Syndication standard=XML language for
Web feeds
Protocol standard=HTTP protocol to create
and update web resources (IR, n.d.)
10. Research Process
Search Engines:
Standard/Common
Google.com, Live.com, MSN.com, Yahoo.com
Meta Search Engines
Dogpile.com, Metacrawler.com
Comparative Search Engines
Pandia.com, Searchenginewatch.gom
CreativeCommon Search Engine
Not a search engine; access point to search engines
11. Research Process (cont)
Strategies for Effective Searching
Boolean Search
Phrase Search
Homonyms, Synonyms, & Variations
Search within results
Domain & Site results
(Web Search, n.d.)
12. Research Process (cont.)
Strategies for Effective Searching (cont)
Trimming a URL
Title & URL Searching
Advance Searching
Alternative Search Engine
Meta Searching
(Web Search, n.d.)
13. Digital Research and Learning
Digital Research
Skills are essential
skills to create a
culture of learning to
acquire and
maintain the 21st
century learner a
competitive ability in
the global economy
of this digital time (Unit 3 Activity, 2012)
14. Conclusion
Digital Research is an ability of
essential skill for the 21st Century
Learners of the 21st Century need
strategies to acquire research skills
A culture of learning is a cyclic process
Research skill acquisition is a
competitive edge for 21st Century
learners in every regard
15. References
Atom (Standard) (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atom_%28standard%29
Creative Commons Search (n.d.) Retrieved from http://search.creativecommons.org/
Gil, P. (2012). How to properly research on the internet. Retrieved from
http://netforbeginners.about.com/od/navigatingthenet/tp/How-to-Properly-Research-Online
Internet research (IR) (n.d.) Retrieved from http://
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_research
Moran, M. E. & Firth, S. (2011). Sweetsearch web research tutorial. Retrieved from
http://www.slideshare.net/sweetsearch/sweetsearch-web-research-tutorial
RSS (n.d.). Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rss
Unit 3 Activity (2012). AIU Course Materials. Retrieved from https://mycampus.aiu-
online.com/Classroom/Pages/multimediacoursetext.aspx?
classid=451340&tid=207&uid=329981&HeaderText=Course%20Materials:
%20EDU639-1203B-01%20:%20Twenty-First%20Century%20Learning
Web Search (n.d.). Retrieved from http://student.dcu.ie/~emmetty2/websearch.htm
What is a Primary Source (2010). Retrieved from
http://knowledgecenter.unr.edu/help/using/primary.aspx
Hinweis der Redaktion
Wilbert C. Jenkins, Jr. Hello, I am Wilbert C Jenkins, Jr., a Masters’ of Education student here at American University Online. Today, I will be presenting a talk on the topic Systematic Instructional Design Process.