Modules >>
Internet I: Internet Browsing & Searching

Prerequisites

There are no prerequisites for this module.

Introduction

The "Internet" is defined in the Webopedia  as a global network connecting millions of computers. Visit the Webopedia website at http://www.pcwebopedia.com/ to read the complete definition or to search for other terms. This major computer network connects people across the world in a fashion similar to a giant spiderweb.

A "web browser" is a simple human/computer interface that allows people to access the World Wide Web. The World Wide Web (or WWW for short) is a hypertext medium, which means that text, pictures, and sounds can be linked together to allow the user to click on any of these components and be taken to a different hypertext document.

In this module, you will learn how to browse (or "surf") information on the Internet and to search for specific information. The browser used in this module will be Netscape, which is downloadable for free from http://www.netscape.com. Microsoft's browser, Internet Explorer, has the same basic features. You may use either browser to complete the module requirements.  If you have any difficulty finding comparable features, contact compined@uvic.ca for help on how to meet the requirements. 

Objectives

In this module, you will:

• set the preferences for your browser software
• know how to enter a URL to access a webpage
• save images and text off of webpages
• save a webpage to your computer
• interpret security information for a webpage
• search the World Wide Web (WWW) for information
• use bookmarks to manage your favourite websites

Lesson

Review the following sections by clicking on the links. Please follow the instructions within each section.

Setting browser preferences Basic browser operation Using bookmarks Searching the WWW

Click on these links to review each section

Assignment

1. Share your website evaluation with your peers by posting it to the "Internet - Website Evaluation" conference on the WebBoard. Include a brief description of what you thought of it.  The subject line of your post should describe what kind of website it is (e.g., "social studies lesson plan website"). Look first to see if someone else found the same website. If so, post your evaluation in a reply to their post.
2. Compose an email message addressed to compined@uvic.ca
3. Include your personal email address in the "Cc" field to send a copy of the message to yourself
4. The subject line of your email should be the three initials of *your* name followed by a short abbreviation of the module name. For example, Valerie Margit Irvine would use the subject line: VMInetI
5. Attach the following files:
   1. the image from the UVic homepage  (from lesson on basic browser operation).
   2. the "UVIC Plagiarism and Cheating" HTML file  (from the lesson on basic browser operation).
   3. the "XXXnet1" word processing document  (from the lesson on searching the WWW).
   4. the bookmark file in .html format  (from the lesson on bookmarks).
6. In the body of the email, identify the following:
   1. your computer platform (Macintosh or Windows)
   2. the browser you used and its version
   3. the word processing program and version you used
      - to find out what version you are using for a program, go to the Help menu in that program and select "About..."
   4. confirm that you have posted your website to the conference board
7. Send the email.

Congratulations on completing the second module!

Resources

Glossary of Terms

Webopedia: Online Computer Dictionary for Internet Terms and Technical Support
http://www.pcwebopedia.com/

Matisse Glossary of Internet Terms
http://www.matisse.net/files/glossary.html

Internet Browser Software

Netscape
http://www.netscape.com

Internet Explorer
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/ie/

Internet Browser Tutorials

Netscape 3 Handbook
http://home.netscape.com/eng/mozilla/3.0/handbook/

Netscape 4 Handbook
http://home.netscape.com/eng/mozilla/4.0/handbook/

Microsoft Internet Explorer: Browser Basics Part I
http://www.microsoft.com/insider/internet/

Search Resources

Critical Evaluation of Resources on the Internet
http://www.library.ualberta.ca/guides/criticalevaluation/index.cfm

Search Engine Watch
http://www.searchenginewatch.com/links/

Sink or Swim: Internet Search Tools and Techniques
by Okanagan University College Library
http://www.sci.ouc.bc.ca/libr/connect96/search.htm

Electronic Citation

American Psychological Association Electronic Style Guide
http://www.apastyle.org/elecref.html

General Tutorials

TILT: Texas Information Literacy Tutorial
http://tilt.lib.utsystem.edu/

Internet Basics 101 by the University of South Dakota
http://www.usd.edu/trio/tut/start/

Copyright © 2001-2002 Valerie Irvine. All rights reserved.
Revised: January 20, 2003.