Alan November(2001) in Empowering Students with Technology (page 61) states that the use of primary sources can lead to critical thinking on the part of the students. He states that the role of the teacher is more important than ever (to involve students in critical thinking). He suggests that answers may not be as important as questions and the process students use to approach those questions. He lists the following questions for teachers to record observations of student use of primary sources. Many of these suggestions may apply to searching the web in general:

• Do students understand the definition of a primary source?
• Do students have the skills to document the source of the primary source?
• Do students have a well-defined search strategy?
• Do students know when to use different search engines and data bases?
• Do students have the ability to make meaning from the primary sources that they found?
• Are students easily distracted or do they stay on-task?
• Do different students have different strategies?
• Where are students struggling?
• Where are they delighted?
• Are they using their imaginations? (e.g., asking "what if" questions)?
• Which students are taking the lead?
• Are the girls as involved as the boys? Are the boys as involved as the girls?
• What is the role of the instructor when student(s) ask for help?
• Are students working well together?

Return to Week 6 Homework