Information search

http://school.discoveryeducation.com/clipart/clip/comp-wiz.html

The computer wizard image was found at Discovery Education's web site. It represents what this blog's purpose well. All students can become computer wizards with the help of their school librarian!

Library Schools Work!

"The Illinois Study:
Powerful Libraries Make Powerful Learners
(LANCE, RODNEY, AND HAMILTON-PENNELL, 2005)
The above chart illustrates the some significant findings from the Illinois study. They capture, indisputably, the correlation of higher test scores at all grade levels in schools."

http://www2.scholastic.com/content/collateral_resources/pdf/s/slw3_2008.pdf


This information was included to demonstrate the importance of school libraries and media centers in raising achievement levels in school. The chart specifically shows the need for access via technology to school libraries.

Citation Pearl Growing/ASC Database

Known article from previous searches: Implications of an experimental information technology curriculum for elementary students
Default settings employed.
Ching, Gregory
Search au= Ching
ti= technology curriculum

Searched title,author and 1st subject heading "educational technology" with 3,448,523 results.

To expand the recall or "snowball" the results, it is necessary to return to original document and choose subsequent subject headings.

Because the purpose of Citation Pearl Growing is to expand the results, with over three million hits using the original title and the first subject heading, additional searches were deemed unnecessary.

The large amount of results in the first attempt was a surprise and made me wonder if the strategy was necessary for this query.

Successive Fractions Search Strategy/ World Cat Database

Search Query:
Information on integrating technology across the curriculum
Default settings used
integrating or teaching = s1 is broadest facet with 1,653,840 hits.
technology or computers = s2 next largest with 1,598,405 hits
curriculum or lessons= s3 had 470,00 hits

S integrating or teaching =s1 or 1,653,840 hits
S s1 and (technology or computers) = s2 or 63, 610 hits
S s2 and (curriculum or lessons) = s3 or 9234 hits
More narrowing with format category limit of "articles" reduced hits to 3.
This search strategy worked really well at narrowing the results down to where the application of limiters would really be of some value.

Most Specific Facet First Search Strategy/Lib Lit Database

Search Query:
Information on integrating technology across the curriculum
Most Specific Facet First

*curriculum or lessons 5625 hits.
*integrating or teaching
*technology or computers
Quick test set revealed that curriculum or lessons facet returned fewest results. Additional searches posed as (curriculum or lessons) + (integrating or teaching) + (technology or computers) = 288 hits. Further searching would be required using successive fraction or building block strategies.

Using the quick test to find the first specific facet was more time consuming than the final search so I was wondering why it was considered more efficient.

Building Block search strategy/ERIC Database

Search Query:

Information on integrating technology across the curriculum in elementary school.

Default settings
integrating or teaching = s1
technology or computers = s2
curriculum or lessons= s3
s1 + s2 + s3 = 8238 hits

Format limiter of Articles First and a date limit of 2005 -2009 returned 46 hits.

I found Building Block search to be the easiest of the search strategies even though it relies heavily on Boolean Logic for results. Relevancy of results is a problem using this strategy.