In French-speaking Belgium, one of the new tasks of the teacher will be to develop the informational skills of learners. Therefore, the main purpose of this research is to identify the variables that affect the performance of online information retrieval so that teachers can plan appropriate teaching activities. The statistical Classification and…

The present study targeted the online reading strategies of upper-elementary and middle school students with and without learning disabilities in the U.S. and in Taiwan. Several aspects of the comprehension process were studied, including: (1) Internet navigation strategies and behaviours, (2) sensitivity to the organisational structure of…

The present study investigated the effects on learning in a sheltered Internet environment using so-called WebQuests in elementary school classrooms in the Netherlands. A WebQuest is an assignment presented together with a series of web pages to help guide children's learning. The learning gains and quality of the work of 229 sixth graders…

It is increasingly clear that the Internet will be the defining technology for reading, writing, and communication in the 21st century. But without the ability to locate information in an efficient and effective manner, students' access to information on the Internet is limited. This article introduces SEARCH, a strategy classroom teachers can use…

Reports on research into the information-seeking habits of primary school children conducted under operational conditions. Findings reveal: the novice users favored browsing over analytic search strategies, although they showed some sophistication in construction of the latter; online help was ignored; and the children demonstrated a very high…

Reports the results of an empirical study into gender differences in collaborative Web searching, conducted in a Canadian school. Searches undertaken by same-sex groups of two or three sixth-grade students. Analysis of search sessions reveals the boys formulated queries comprising fewer keywords than the girls; boys spent less time on individual…

Describes a study comparing information retrieval from print and CD-ROM versions of Compton's Encyclopedia. Forty-eight sixth-grade students searched four questions in both versions. The results showed that the searches took the same amount of time in both. The novice searchers were able to use an information retrieval system with minimal…