Using Advanced Features of a Search Engine
Getting different results by using different search types and filters
Search engines offer more than just standard search. Specific cases require specific usages of search engine options.
In this WebQuest you will learn how to use different search options with different search filters to find exactly what you are looking for.
- Choose a topic that is fitting to your PE on which you can use the search engine.
- Use a search engine of your choice and bookmark the following results:
- An image with file type GIF.
- A news article that was published in the last 7 days.
- A video with a duration of more than 20 minutes.
- An article with a price between 20 and 50 Euros.
- Choose a topic that is relevant for your PE. Think of fitting search terms and tags.
- Work on these following search tasks. Google or Bing are good choices for this task, since both have many different filters, though you can of course use another search engine, if you want to.
Reminder: Search engines don’t always show all filters immediately, in some cases you must first search for them to show.
Bookmarks are set depending on the used browser. The menu is generally the right spot.
- Do an image search in your search engine of choice and set the “type” filter to GIF.
- Search for your term and filter for news. To receive last week’s results, set the filter for time to 7 days. If no results are found, search for results in the last 30 days.
- When you have searched for your term, you can filter the results for videos. In the next step, you can filter those results for, among others, specific durations.
- When you filter your search results for shopping, you can once again filter those results for price ranges. Choose an article in the appointed price range.
Knowledge:
- Awareness of different options (image, video…) in search engines.
- Knowledge about the possibility of filtering for results in the different search possibilities.
Skills:
- How to use different search options for more qualified searches.
- How to use search filters for more specific search results.
This WebQuest shows you that there are multiple options for specific searches in search engines and that filters can be used for optimal results.
Choosing images for your corporate website
Today, every corporation needs to have an online presence.
To catch potential business partners’ attention, having representative images on the website is a necessity.
During this WebQuest you will learn how to choose which images are fitting for your web presence and how to search for specific sizes in images
- Think about possible motives that fit your PEs web presence. Choose 3 to search for, one in small size, one in medium size and one in large size.
- Make a list of search engines that you know of.
- Find out which search engine fits best to your needs. Mind the legality of the downloaded/bookmarked images, try finding license free images.
- Download or bookmark the three requested images.
- Think about fitting and visually appealing images for your website. Right usage of photos, icons and graphics are essential for websites. Remember that images on screens must be equally fitting for monitors, tablets, and smartphones, as well as colours possibly being displayed differently on various devices. Pay attention to the following criteria: message, effect, positioning, format, responsiveness, colours, and resolution. You can filter for images in specific sizes or formats in most used search engines.
- Everyone has Googled before, but do you know alternative search engines?
If none of you knows any alternative search engines, you can find lists of general and image specific search engines in the resources. - Test the search engines regarding searching for free to use, license free images. Is it possible to filter for these images? An example for such filtering is found in the resources.
While a Creative-Commons-License is a good pointer, those too can differ in rights of usage. Always be aware of exactly what you are allowed to use the pictures for. An example for a license agreement is also found in the resources. - Once you find three fitting images, either download them (if so, allowed by your institution and the images’ owners) or simply bookmark them in your browser.
Knowledge:
- Be aware that there are several search engines from which can be chosen.
- Knowledge of advanced search options in general and in specifics (e.g. image sizes).
Skills:
- How to find advanced search options in different search engines.
- How to use said options.
Online search engines offer more than the standard search. This WebQuest taught you how to look for advanced options in engines and how to use them for your needs.