USING ICT TOOLS by Busungu Joseph

 

USING ICT TOOLS TO SEARCH FOR INFORMATION SEARCH ENGINES

A search engine is a soft-ware program that helps users find information on the internet. It is a coordinated set of programs that searches for and identifies items in a database that match specified criteria. Examples of search engines include;

ü Google

ü Yahoo

ü Wikipedia

ü Bing

ü YouTube

ü TikTok

ü Opera min

ü Microsoft edge

ü Firebox, etc.

FEATURES/ELEMENTS OF SEARCH ENGINES

a)    The search bar: This is the place where people type in their keywords or questions. This is the main entry point for a search

b)   The Search filter: This allows users to refine their search results by narrowing down options in categories like the location, date, content type or price range (if shopping for goods and services). Filters help you to find specific information like hotels, flight costs.

c)    The search results page: This is a page where everything comes together. This page displays results in easy-to-to digest format organized by the search engines’ ranging system.

TYPES OF SEARCH ENGINES

a)    Crawler-Based Search Engines: This type of search dominates the World Wide Web (www) by providing general searches. Examples of crawler-based search engines include; Google, Bing, Yahoo, Yandex and Baidu. It is useful for users looking to gain comprehensive information about a certain topic.

b)   Privacy-Based Search Engines: These are search engines used by users concerned about privacy. They include options like DuckDuckGo, Start page and Swiss cows. These engines protect user’s browsing histories or collecting personal data.

c)    Social-Based Search Engines: These engines provide access to crowdsourced information, trending topics, and intriguing multimedia content. Examples of Social-Based Search Engines include; Wikipedia, YouTube, and TikTok. They are used to answer questions for the current generation and learn about current events through video content. E.g. someone can YouTube for product reviews or TikTok for baking inspiration.

d) AI-powered search engines: These engines use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to improve search results by understanding user intent and providing more relevant answers. They can provide answers in a conversational manner, and learn from user interactions to improve accuracy over time. Examples of search engines which uses AI include perplexity and Exa.

ICT TOOLS

ICT tools are technologies that allow users to access, store and access information. The acronym ICT stands for Information and Communication Technology.

Examples of specific ICT tools for information search

Ø Search engines: Google, Bing, DuckDuckGo (a search and privacy focused software company that aims to protect user’s online privacy)

Ø Academic databases: JSTOR (stands for Journal Storage), ScienceDirect (a database that provides access to scholarly research in the form of journal articles and books. It covers a wide range of subjects)

Ø Digital libraries: Google Scholar, Internet archive

Ø Online reference tools: Wikipedia, Merriam-webster Dictionary.

Ø Social media platforms: Twitter, Facebook

Ø Email: For contacting experts or requesting information.

Ø Video conferencing platforms: Zoom, Skype for remote search

USES OF ICT TOOLS FOR INFORMATION SEARCH

1.   Education

ü ICT tools can help students develop digital skills and learn more efficiently. They can be used to create presentations, quizzes and other educational materials.

2.   Accessing a wide range of sources

ü Search engines provide access to a variety of websites, articles, documents and multimedia content from the internet.

3.   Precise keywords searching

ü Users can use specific keywords and phrases to narrow down search results and find relevant information more efficiently.

4.   Digital libraries and databases

ü Specialized databases like academic databases, government repositories and other reliable information can be collected.

5.   Online reference tools

ü Dictionaries, encyclopedias and other books can be accessed online and provide quick definitions and related terms.

 

 

6.   Citation management tools

ü Software helps researchers to organize citations, store references and organize biographies automatically.

7.   Social media for information gathering

ü Platforms like Twitter and Facebook can be used to access current events, expert opinions and discussions on specific topics.

8.   Collaboration tools

ü Online documents sharing like Google docs enable collaborative research and information exchange among members.

ü ICT tools can also help people work together on projects such as creating presentations or sharing contents.

USES OF INTERNET IN EDUCATION

1.   It helps students in research

Ø This makes it easy to search for information in relation to the project work, assignments or educational videos incase of preparing yourself for exams.

Ø Secondary sources research can also be conducted using particular search engines found on the internet such as Google scholar.

2.   Access to information

Ø Most of materials are found in the world wide web. It supports individual learning because through internet learners are compelled to look for information on their own.

3.    Communication

Ø This was very successful during Covid-19 lockdown where students were obliged to learn through internet. The students can use WhatsApp, zoom, google meet, and so on.

4.   Online education

Ø Online education is very cheap. The available courses have quizzes, online discussions, interactive sessions help students to share their opinions and listen to other students as well.

5.   Job opportunities

Ø Some students of the university who are going to finish the period of study can register and get information about several positions.

Ø They can turn on the internet to interview for the jobs

VOCABULARIES

a)    Daze: Means unable to think properly

b)   Flight mode: This is a setting on a smartphone or tablet for use when on board in which a device does not receive or transmit wireless signals.

c)    Signal: Means something such as sound or gesture that conveys notice or warning. It is a movement or sound that is made to give somebody information, message or warning.

d)   Pinpoint: This finds the exact location or position of something/somebody or the exact time of an events.

e)    Landlocked: This is a country or region almost or entirely surrounded by land. It can be a lake or harbor enclosed by land.

f)      SOS: This is a signal or message that a person sends when they are in danger and needs a help. It stands for Save Our Soul.