Internet Research

Internet Research for TechQuest Project


As I conducted internet research for my TechQuest project, I used Joyce Valenza’s words of wisdom to guide me through the process--I don’t want to settle for “good enough”. It is more than just finding some information on the internet to reference; it is filtering through all of that information and making sense of it. Inasmuch, it can all be a little overwhelming. There is literally an overabundance of information at our fingertips but it is the task of filtering through all this information that is so critical for success.

My strategy for locating information was to thoughtfully identify what I believe are the most important points related to my project. This included identifying which instructional strategies to use, gathering information of others who have attempted similar projects and identifying some key words related to using PowerPoint to create Stand-Alone Instructional Resources (StAIRs). The important words I identified include tutorial, PowerPoint, Stand-Alone Instructional Resource (StAIR), instructional strategies, educational, e-learning and training, I used key words in conjunction with Boolean operators AND, OR. I also included quotation marks around specific words. In addition, I searched for PDF documents and/or reports related to any similar projects. Each method produced different results. Of course, Google is a fine search engine but Valenza motivated me to dig deeper using a variety of other search engines such as Yippy, A9 Product Search, Librarians’ Index to the Internet, Google Scholar and FindArticles (many of which I hadn’t previously used). I also searched in Michigan State University’s Library Electronic Resources.

Results from these internet searches are as follows:

Marzano’s Instructional Strategies

This website highlights the various instructional strategies that can be used in the classroom based on the research done by Robert J. Marzano, Debra Pickering and Jane Pollock. Of particular interest to me are teaching strategies that I can embed into the StAIRs. These include ‘Identifying Similarities and Differences’ and ‘Providing Feedback’ which have shown to have positive effects on learning.

Using the World Wide Web to Enhance Classroom Instruction by Norman Mathew and Maryanne Dohery-Poirier, First Monday, Volume 5, Number 3 – 6 March 2000

Although this article is ten years old, it does a nice job of highlighting both the pros and cons of web-based instruction. This article also refers to the six principles of instructional design according to L. Briggs, K. Gustafson and M. Tillman, 1991. Instructional Design Principles and Applications. These six principles include:

• establishing the objectives, instruction and evaluation criteria

• using a planned approach

• having a systematic approach but remaining flexible for needed changes

• must be based on solid research

• evaluation must be built into the design of the project

• final project must be compared to initial objectives to determine effectiveness

I see the instructional design as important so this is why I found this article useful despite its date.

Active Learning with PowerPoint

The University of Minnesota, Center for Teaching and Learning hosts this site which outlines the various components to creating an active learning experience using PowerPoint including instructional strategies and assessment.

Improving Learning and Reducing Costs

The Center for Academic Transformation at Renesselaer Polytechnic Institute conducted research on redesigning instructional approaches using technology such as online tutorials. This PDF report describes their findings. Of particular interest to me were the implementation problems encountered. One is referred to the ‘Institutional Readiness’ which refers to the willingness of those involved. I’ve thought about how I may also encounter this issue as I move forward with implementation of my project.

To my delight, I also found several resources that I believe will help guide and assist me in the details of this project. In fact, I found many sites with tips and techniques for using PowerPoint as a tutorial and/or presentation. In addition, there are literally hundreds of videos demonstrating various advanced features of PowerPoint that could be used to enhance a presentation such as the one I am proposing. These advanced PowerPoint features will allow me to incorporate the various instructional strategies. Below are links to some of these websites:

PowerPoint tips, PowerPoint tutorials, PowerPoint techniques

Ellen Finkelstein is a well-known author and considered an expert in creating presentations. She is a regular contributor to the Presentations magazine. At this website she provides tips, tutorials and techniques for PowerPoint. The site is nicely organized with various links to specific information related to creating an effective PowerPoint presentation.

Microsoft PowerPoint Tutorials by ElectricTeacher.com

Electric Teacher hosts this website providing PowerPoint tutorials. The Electric Teacher was created by teacher, Cathy Chamberlain. Education World describes Electric Teacher as a good resource for teachers trying to integrate technology into their classrooms. I see this as a good resource for PowerPoint tutorials.

PowerPoint Tutorial Videos

The above link is a Google search that resulted in several PowerPoint tutorial videos ranging from creating a presentation as a beginner to using more advanced features.

PowerPoint in the Classroom

The above link is to a website featuring a fun PowerPoint tutorial. ActDEN (Digital Education Network) has created this tutorial which is set up similar to a WebQuest making it fun for students to learn PowerPoint. I think I could use this site as a resource for other staff members who are interested in learning more about PowerPoint.

Using A9 Product Search, I also found a book that references Stand-Alone Instructional Resources--“Successful Instructional Diagrams (Educational and Training Technology Series)” by Ric Lowe. This book sounds interesting. It is described as a good resource for developing and designing instructional diagrams and applying those to specific development problems including examples and activities demonstrating this process. I’ll need to order this book but it sounds like it is worth looking into.

Unfortunately, I didn’t find any direct information documenting that others have attempted similar projects to that which I have proposed. Many of the searches resulted in primarily other students’ Stand-Alone Instructional Resource projects enrolled in the Michigan State University program. Nevertheless, the lack of information in this area prompted me to think more critically about this project. In my mind, this further reinforces the importance of first piloting this idea with staff and getting input from educators out in the field before moving too far along with this project.

Furthermore, this research process helped me to consider the importance of organizing all of the information I have retrieved from the internet and I find that Delicious.com is an excellent resource for bookmarking these sites. In fact, using http://delicious.com/ to neatly keep these filed away is awesome!

I am so glad that I recently read Joyce Valenza’s article which was a tremendous help through this process. I wish I could say I was an experienced researcher but I am not. In fact, I am embarrassed to say how much of Valenza’s article was new to me. Inasmuch, I think my lack of experience hindered me through this process. Next time I will seek guidance from colleagues or others with more research experience. In addition, time was not on my side. I wish I had more time to dedicate to this important task but there are only twenty-four hours in a day.

I definitely see the internet as a resource in the planning of my project. This process, in terms of pulling together all related information, was one that I found very useful. I’ve learned the importance of planning ahead by identifying my intended outcomes. I have also discovered there are a plethora of tools to use when conducting an internet research. I could have stopped after an initial Google search yielded limited results but I chose not to settle for “good enough”—I feel comfortable that I have tapped all available resources and in the process have utilized higher level thinking skills to move this project further into the next stage of implementation.