I've got a bit fed up with student-bashing about search habits. There is an Infographic that loads of people are tweeting at the moment that crams in some statistics about search habits, plagiarism etc., and when I looked at it I thought ... hmmm.
For one thing, I don't think it is a terribly good infographic: it is rather more like several Powerpoint slides one on top of the other (as opposed to something which conveys a clear message in a powerful graphic style; see e.g. Edward Tufte, the godfather of information graphics).
Secondly, although I too experience students who start by thinking they know more about searching than they actually do etc. etc., they are human, they learn, and it should be remembered that the vast majority of them do not plagiarise.
And thirdly, I use Google every day, loads of people use Google every day. I know it's also about how you use Google, and I grumble about the way Google search is going, but still ... the fact remains that you often find good stuff via Google. Using Google is often a rational choice.
So I made this graphic/ poster. If you like it, feel free to download etc., under a non-commercial Creative Commons licence from here.
P.S. "numpty" is an expressive Scottish word meaning fool or idiot (I'm not Scottish but I lived there for a while).
5 comments:
I too use Google a lot. It finds things I know exist but have temporarily lost track of very quickly. It's not so good at some of the more obscure stuff but that is not the point. Given the chance students WILL learn as, indeed, the rest of us have had to.
Remember the days before Google existed?
Excellent, Sheila! I absolutely agree;) Will print it and display it in my library!
Yes indeed Hazel, I even remember edge-notched cards! & thanks Eva ;-)
THANK YOU! I have gotten in many arguments concerning this very topic. Love the graphic.
xo,
SL
Thanks. I can't very well tell students not to use Google when I use it every day.....
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