taming the beast - bending the internet toward academic enlightenment not scholastic doom

Taming the BeastBending the Internet toward

Not

Scholastic Doom

Academic Enlightenment

The Internet – Pet or Beast?

When it comes to your academic work, is the Internet a pet or a beast?

What are its positive attributes? What is it good for?

What are its problematic attributes?

Tame the Beast

You must have FEAR!

Tame the Beast

1. Effective, efficient Internet searching

Become the Web Whisperer

Successful Internet searches are:

PLANNED

Public domain image from http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Kent_Plan.gif

1. Write out your topic.2. Circle the keywords that give

your topic meaning.3. Use these words as your

search terms. 5-8 is optimal!4. Venture off the Google path.5. Try page 2+ of the results list.

Become the Web Whisperer

Internet Search Guide: http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/TeachingLib/Guides/Internet/Strategies.html

Worksheet: http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/TeachingLib/Guides/Internet/AnalyseTopicForm.pdf

A comprehensive plan

Creative Commons Image by Ed Sanders from http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:London_Underground_Zone_1.png

1. Use distinctive phrases in “ ” where possible – e.g. “affirmative action”.

2. Search for organizations that may have published information on your topic.

3. Include synonyms, acronyms, etc. associated with your topic keywords.

4. Try, learn, revise!

Become the Web Whisperer

Try the Search Engine Guide:http://www.searchengineguide.com/searchengines.html

Create your own search engine:http://www.google.com/cse/

http://www.rollyo.com/

Some alternate search engines:

Become the Web Whisperer

Successful Internet searches are:

FOCUSED

YOU ARE HERE

EXIT

Public Domain Image fromhttp://www.utopia-britannica.org.uk/pages/New%20Harmony.htm

1. Explore avenues that will get you to your goal.

2. Surfing/Social Media = LATERUse bookmarks/favorites to remember interesting but unrelated sites.

3. Use bookmarks or a CITATION MANAGER to keep track of where you’ve been!

Bad Site!

2. Separating the wheat from the chaff

Bad Site!

Believe it or not…This step is one of the keys to your entire

academic career.

Creative Commons Image by Luekk from http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lenzkirch-Key.jpg

Employers want to hire people with the

ability to critically analyze information.

AuthorityBias

CurrencyCredibility

Scope

Bad Site!

Evaluation Vocabulary

MediaConstructCreative LanguageEmbedded

Five Core Concepts•All media messages are constructed.•Media messages are constructed using a creative language with its own rules.•Different people experience the same messages differently.•Media have embedded values and points of view.•Media messages are constructed to gain profit and/or power. Source: Center for Media Literacy (CML).

Bad Site!

From the CML MediaLit Kit:

Bad Site!

•Who wrote this? Can you find the name of the author?•Does this author have AUTHORITY? Are they BIASED?•Who published this? Is the author alone or affiliated with a

larger organization? What is the PURPOSE of that organization and this site?

•When was this written? Does this information have CURRENCY?

•Is this information CREDIBLE? Does it conform to what you already know?

•What is the SCOPE of information offered? Is it general or in-depth?

Key Questions

Bad Site!

•Content – words, vocabulary, images, multi-media•“About” page – self-description of publisher•Style – banner, colors, logo•Domain – http://www.igoldrush.com/alt_ext2.htm •Links – sites this page links to•Organization – navigation, labeling, sections

Where to look for answers

Bad Site!

Evaluate these sites with the criteria just discussed. Which would you use in an assignment about the dangers of smoking?

The Challenge

1. http://www.lung.ca/protect-protegez/tobacco-tabagisme/facts-faits/index_e.php

2. http://www.smokingsection.com/issues1.html#smoke3. http://

www.bupa.co.uk/health_information/html/healthy_living/lifestyle/smoking/smoking_health.html

4. http://quitsmoking.about.com/od/tobaccostatistics/a/tobaccofacts.htm

5. http://www.davehitt.com/facts/index.html6. http://myquitsmokingblog.com/

Bad Site!

http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/TeachingLib/Guides/Internet/Evaluate.html

A comprehensive plan:

http://www.library.american.edu/tutorial/index_4.html http://lib.nmsu.edu/instruction/evalcrit.html

Step-by-step evaluation resources:

…but it’s so cute!

Even bad sites need a home.Sites which you deem to be •unauthoritative, •uncredible, •biased, or •lacking in currency

can still be used.

However, your evaluation and reasons for inclusion should be

explicitly stated!Creative Commons image by Sannse from http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pug_black_600.jpg

Can I keep it, Mom?

3. Can and should I use this?

Can I keep it, Mom?

Questions to help the assessment process:

•Is it relevant to my approach to the topic?•Will it enhance my project?•Is it credible? If not, does it have some

other value?•Is it available for my intended use?

Can I keep it, Mom?

Signs of the Times

Can I keep it, Mom?

•This media is owned.•This media is fixed.•To use this media,

you must obtain permission of the owner.

•This media is available for use*.

•This media is available for remix*.

•To use this media, you must attribute the creator.

*See specific license for usage and remix rules.

•This media is available for use.

•This media is available for remix.

•To use this media, you don’t have to tell anyone or do anything.

copyright creative commons public domain

Can I keep it, Mom?

Creative Commons website:http://creativecommons.org/Wikipedia’s Public Domain entry:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_domain

Copyright, CC, Public DomainAdditional resources

A very interesting movie about copyright vs. creative commons:http://www.archive.org/details/RipRemixManifesto

Can I keep it, Mom?

The Students’ Savior: Fair UseFactors which determine whether something is “fair use”:

•The purpose and character of the use, including whether such use is of a commercial nature or is for nonprofit educational purposes.•The nature of the copyrighted work -- A particular use is more likely to be fair where the copied work is factual rather than creative.•The amount and substantiality of the portion used in relation to the copyrighted work as a whole.•The effect of the use upon the potential market for or value of the copyrighted work Source: http://w2.eff.org/IP/eff_fair_use_faq.php

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CJn_jC4FNDo

Can I keep it, Mom?

For a quick & fun overview of this topic, watch A Fair(y) Use Tale:

Created by: Professor Eric Faden, Bucknell University

http://www.slideshare.net/aamarie/copyright-law-fair-use-creative-commons-and-the-public-domain

For more information comparing the usage rules, watch this presentation:

The Resource Petting Zoo

How to search for cc/pd contenthttp://www.labnol.org/internet/find-public-domain-content-with-creative-commons/8996/http://search.creativecommons.org/

Image and Multi-media Resourceshttp://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Main_Page

Image Resourceshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Public_domain_image_resourceshttp://www.public-domain-image.com/http://www.public-domain-photos.com/ http://publicdomainclip-art.blogspot.com/

Multi-media Resourceshttp://internetarchive.org http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Free_sound_resources

Google Advanced Search

The Resource Petting Zoo

Use the “Usage Rights” area of the Google Advanced Image Search.

Web Field Book

4. Record and give credit to your sources

Web Field Book

Citation Managers:

http://www.fhsu.edu/library/tlc/zotero-intro/index.html

•Firefox Add-on•Automatically downloads citation data from the web.•Word plug-in allows one-click cite and bibliography, output in HUNDREDS

of citation styles, also customizable.

Word 2007 includes a citation manager (Reference tab)•You have to input the citation data.•Maintains a library for use on multiple assignments.•One-click cite and bibliography, output in most popular citation styles

Additional Credits

Title card and template images from:http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_path_to_enlightenment.jpghttp://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Muhammad_face.gif http://www.photos8.com/

This presentation was created by the Learning Commons at Fort Hays State University.