Online Research at the Secondary Level: Access to a World of Information

by Pamela Jones

S chool Media Specialists have traditionally taught students how to access information through the card catalog and printed in- dexes. The advent of menu-based and/or user-friendly online information systems

in the past two years has created a new method of accessing information by the end-user. Thus, many educators see the need for the development of an overall student awareness of the vast amount of information that is available through telecommunications as well as a need for student instruction in online search strategy. Today's stu- dent must be prepared to choose the proper ac- cessing tool for the required information based upon criteria such as cost, availability, currency desired, coverage, speed, complexity, and easy u s e .

Simply described, an online search uses a com- puter which is connected by phone line to a ven- dor of databases. By calling up the database and entering some key descriptive terms (keywords) linked in sequences (Boolean logic) one can have the computer do a rapid high-powered search for all the information in that database related to a chosen subject. Usually a vendor will offer access to hundreds of different databases.

Online searching can be expensive. Aside from the initial hardware and software investment there is often a hook-up fee, a monthly subscription fee, an hourly online rate which varies according to the database selected, and phone line charges. However, a recent phenomenon in the online in- dustry is the vendor offering of low-cost access for training and instruction purposes in schools. For example Classmate from Dialog is available to schools for $15 per hour which includes phone charges. There is no hook-up or subscription fee.

Pamela Jones is an education media major at Southern Oregon State College in Ashland.

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Ann Caputo, a Dialog representative, claims that a school can give introductory online instruction to a group of 600 to 800 students for $100 to $300. (This assumes that hardware is in place.) For an- other $100 to $200 every student could be allowed a solo search. Average search cost is estimated at $2.50. This relatively inexpensive access to infor- mation utilities has made it possible for some schools to introduce online research to secondary students.

At Montgomery Blair High School in Maryland online research is being incorporated into the li- brary skills curriculum. Some of their findings: students have become more aware of the variety of information sources available, they have used higher order thinking skills necessary for search formulation and execution, the process of search design helps define research topics, the online search has led students to outside sources for in- formation (although, not being able to obtain the information was frustrating), and research online was viewed as less tedious than book searching.

Kathleen Craver taught online bibliographic searching in four different high schools and they surveyed the students. 87% felt that they had learned enough from a one week course to formu- late an independent search. 98% had scores of 80% or above on the final exam. Craver cited the importance of emphasis on a well defined search strategy as a key program component and con- cluded that high school students can and should be taught the strategies of online searching.

At Thurston Junior High School in Westwood, Massachusetts, Media Specialist Roxanne Men- drinos saw the need for online databases as a sup- plement to print sources to find current facts, eg., biographical information on world leaders such as Gorbachev. Before going online students must search both print and CD ROM sources and have at least five keywords prepared as well as two pages of information about their topic. Average and special needs students, highly motivated to re- trieve their information online, spent their free

COMPARISON OF ONLINE/CD ROM ACCESS TO INFORMATION

ONLINE

INITIAL APPROX. $15/HR COST" $2.50/SEARCH

$500/500 STUDENTS

CURRENCY UPDATED EA. 4-6 WEEKS

SUBJECT 100'S OF DATABASES AREA

# OF USES LIMITED BY COST

SEARCH LIMITED BY COST TIME

PREP THOROUGH PREP NEEDED NEEDED

SEARCH SOPHISTICATED: METHOD LINKING POSSIBLE

HELP SUPERVISION NEEDED REQUIRED

ALT. USE TELECOMMUNICATIONS: OF EQUIP. ACCESS TO NETWORKS,

BULLETIN BOARDS, INTERNATIONAL EXCHANGE

CD ROM

$300-$1700/DISC/YEAR

WITH EACH NEW DISC PURCHASED/YEARLY

ONE DATABASE/DISC

UNLIMITED

UNLIMITED

NO PREP NEEDED

CAN BE LIMITED TO SUBJECT ONLY

AFTER INITIAL INSTRUCTION INDEPENDENT SEARCH POSSIBLE

OTHER CD ROM MATERIALS

time searching print sources in order to prepare for the online search.

A Salem, Oregon High School introduces the entire 9th grade class of 500 students to Dialog in one week for a cost of $500. Research is done in conjunction with a written report assignment in Health Class. Extensive preparation goes into for- mulating a research strategy. Searches usually supply 15 to 20 references and of those the library is able to produce three to four from their collec- tion. Again, the search process is seen as a valu- able aid in focusing the research topic.

Clearly, the introduction of secondary students to online search strategy has a number of positive outcomes. Program goals of; introduction of stu- dents to Boolean logic and higher order thinking, teaching how to narrow and define a research top- ic, generating enthusiasm for the research process, expanding the student's concept of the variety of information available, teaching the searcher the when and why of manual versus online search, in- tegrating online search into existing reference in- struction, and applying online search to regular course-work appear to be achievable goals at the secondary level. The cost of online information is the limiting factor.

CD-ROM databases are sometimes viewed as the solution to the cost problem. Comparison of cost between CD and online search is difficult. The CD version of Academic American Encyclo- pedia is $299. Dialog is coming out with CD ver- sions of a few of their databases which will cost about $1680 each. One must add to that initial ex- penditure the cost of yearly replacement discs to keep the information relatively current. Yet, once paid for there is unlimited access to the informa-

tion source, so the actual cost per user could be significantly less with CD-ROM than with online. However, Roxanne Mendrinos points out in her article that while CD-ROM searches may some- times be less expensive than online searches, the online databases are updated much more frequent- ly and are the source of very current information.

Jim Rible, librarian and electronic search spe- cialist at Southern Oregon State College Library, commented on the relative merits of an online search versus a CD-ROM search,

"They are just not the same thing. With an online search you have access to a vast amount of information which is very current. CD-ROM searches are limited in their scope; however, if you are just talking about instruc- tion in keyword searching and Boolean logic then CD-ROM or even an online simulation may be adequate." Pauline Rey, Media Specialist at Ashland High

School, plans to introduce computerized searches to her students next school year. She also sees the advantages of having access to both search sys- tems,

"CD-ROM offers a more manageable technol- ogy, less frustrating. The kids can take all the time they need to play with it. But they also need access to the very current information, and they need to be exposed to the enormous amount of information that is being printed." Online search or CD-ROM search; each has its

own unique characteristics. The best information system would combine the use of print and CD- ROM sources with the judicious and well planned use of online search as an enrichment tool and for access to very current information.m

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