About the Webhound...
It is now no great secret that there is an abundance of information available on the Internet (and much junk!) and the graphical World Wide Web browser software makes it easier at least to jump around. And around and around. However, when it comes to specifically locating information, things get complicated or frustrating for most people.
The Internet itself is nothing more than a giant network of computers. Wires and wires. The World Wide Web is nothing more than a way to send and receive information from anywhere on this network via an easy to use, hypertext, graphical environment.
The webhound guide is designed to show people how to organize an information search and then to select and use the web search tools. We have tried to construct it in a flexible format that could be used self-paced, individually or in a class/workshop session. All of the materials can be downloaded to a local computer for faster access or they may be accessed from the webhound's home.
This guide is written to familiarize anyone that might want to lead a webhound workshop. A webhound leader does not have to be a guru, but he/she should be very comfortable with using a web browser and explaining it to others.
We wrote the webhound in February 1996, as a workshop for teachers we visited at Douglas College. It has been used, linked, and praised often since then. In the summer of 1996, we updated some links and added more search tools and sites that had sprouted since the webhound was born.
Intended Audience...
The webhound was designed as an workshop for adult learners but could be used by anyone. The audience does not need extensive Internet experience, and it is of value to advanced Internet veterans as well. It helps if the audience is familiar with opening and operating multiple software applications, opening and saving files, and finding their way around in Macintosh or Windows desktop environments.
The first two sections (described below) are optional exercises for those that are less experienced in the web. The activities provide an opportunity to learn the ropes of web navigation as well as generating a fun spirit of exploration. Even for intermediate or advanced groups, they serve as excellent warm-up activities.
We suggest planning on at least 2 hours for a workshop that covers the basic webhound sections and one of the opening activities. The length may vary with the size of the group, the familiarity with computers, and experience of the group. The majority of activity is hands on. It is helpful to have a few assistants to wander around and help the participants.
The workshop could be delivered over a series of sessions or it may be assigned as independent exercises.
Instructional Objectives...
Successful webhound participants will be able to:
- articulate the nature of the Internet as a distributed information system
- frame an information search as a question and list relevant descriptive key words
- develop a methodology for tracking discovered information
- locate specific information by using large Internet sites that are organized by subject (hierarchical query)
- locate specific information by using web search tools (boolean query)
Organization...
The basic webhound includes 5 lessons plus two optional activities which can be done beforehand to familiarize users with web concepts and navigation.
Optional Activities
Either or both of these may be used as initial "warm-up" activities.
- The Good, Bad, and Bandwidth-Hogging Ugly
Participants visit existing web sites and share what they like/dislike about them. While the group is doing this, it provides you the opportunity to find out how comfortable they are in the web environment. This section is also appropriate for advanced users, so they can discuss the content merits of different sites.
- Scavenger Hunt
This is another activity for visiting at different web sites; in this case to hunt for a piece of specific information. It helps to offer small prizes! This activity is good for generating a fun atmosphere. Or it may be used as a pre-test.
Basic Webhound
The following should be presented in order. For each, there is some introductory material, selected examples to read, and an activity with a worksheet. You should print a copy of the worksheets for each user.
- Scouting the Range
A brief introduction to the nature of information on the Internet . There are no activities but you may choose to have a brief question and answer session.
- Scoping the Search
Discussion of how to take a topic of interest and frame it as a query with identified keywords. Includes an activity and worksheet.
- Using Your Tools
Introduce techniques for organizing and recording information while searching the web. Includes an activity and worksheet.
- Starting Points
Looking for the information by using sites that are organized by topic. Includes hands-on activity and worksheet.
- Searching with Engines
Using web search programs to look for information about the topic. Includes hands-on activity and worksheet.
Assessment...
Since the webhound is designed for those without Internet search skills, a pre-test is not included. As an introduction you may ask the audience how many have tried to find something specific on the Internet.
You may wish to collect the worksheets as a means of assessing the performance of the participants. You may also use the attitudinal survey that should be administered at the end of the workshop.
Next...
How to set up for a webhound workshop.
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