Selecting Information Using the Internet — Open Awards Essential Digital Skills Digital Skills & IT Revision
This subtopic focuses on equipping learners with the fundamental ability to search for information on the Internet and critically assess the validity of on
Topic Synopsis
This subtopic focuses on equipping learners with the fundamental ability to search for information on the Internet and critically assess the validity of online sources. Practical application includes using search engines to locate answers to everyday queries and making informed decisions about which websites to trust, based on simple indicators like domain type and author clarity.
Key Concepts & Core Principles
- Hardware and software: Understand the difference between physical components (like the monitor, keyboard, and mouse) and programs (like web browsers and word processors).
- Internet navigation: Learn how to use a web browser to visit websites, use search engines, and follow links to find information.
- Email communication: Know how to compose, send, receive, and reply to emails, including attaching files and using the address book.
- Online safety: Recognise risks such as viruses, scams, and identity theft, and know how to protect yourself with strong passwords and by not sharing personal information.
- File management: Be able to create, open, save, and organise files and folders on a computer or storage device.
Exam Tips & Revision Strategies
- When completing an assignment, capture screenshots or printouts of your search steps and highlight the clues you used to judge a source’s reliability, such as the URL or publication date.
- Experiment with different keyword combinations before finalising your search, as this demonstrates effective search strategy and can be logged as part of your evidence.
- Always look at the web address: sites ending in .gov, .org, or .edu are typically more authoritative for facts, while personal blogs or forums may be opinion-based.
- Always check a website’s ‘About Us’ or ‘Contact’ page to assess its authority and purpose before using it as a source.
- Use specific keywords and, where appropriate, simple search operators (e.g., quotation marks for exact phrases) to refine your search results.
- Before the assessment, practice evaluating sample websites against a simple checklist of reliability criteria (e.g., who wrote it, when, and why).
- Practice searching for everyday information like local bus times or supermarket opening hours to become familiar with search engines.
- When evaluating a website, check if the information is up to date and if the author is named, not just the website name.
Common Misconceptions & Mistakes to Avoid
- Typing entire questions into the search bar rather than using discrete keywords, which often returns less focused results.
- Assuming that all information found online is automatically true and accurate without any verification of source or date.
- Clicking on the first link in search results without considering whether it is a sponsored ad or a credible source.
- Assuming all information found online is trustworthy without checking the source or authorship.
- Using vague or overly broad search terms, resulting in a large number of irrelevant results.
- Neglecting to verify the date of information, which can lead to reliance on outdated data.
Examiner Marking Points
- Award credit for clearly describing at least two features that indicate a website is trustworthy, such as a government (.gov) or educational (.edu) domain, or visible author contact details.
- Award credit for successfully performing a keyword search that retrieves relevant results, showing awareness that shorter, specific terms yield better outcomes than full sentences.
- Award credit for correctly identifying and avoiding sponsored or paid advertisement links in search results, demonstrating understanding of their non-editorial nature.
- Award credit for identifying key indicators of source validity, such as author credentials, date of publication, or site domain (e.g., .gov, .edu).
- The learner should demonstrate the ability to use search engines effectively by entering relevant keywords and evaluating the relevance of search results.
- Credit should be given for explaining why a particular source is or isn’t trustworthy, referencing criteria like bias, accuracy, or currency of information.
- Award credit for correctly identifying at least three features of a reliable website (e.g., clear authorship, date of last update, domain ending like .gov or .sch).
- Award credit for performing a successful internet search using relevant keywords and opening an appropriate result.