What You'll Find Here
Find Information is centered on helping students become reflective and strategic searchers.
What you'll find here:
Additional Readings: Algorithms of Oppression | Avoiding Confirmation Bias in Searches | Data Voids and "Google This!"
Exercises: Confirmation Bias in Keywords
Algorithms of Oppression
- Algorithms of OppressionIn Algorithms of Oppression, Safiya Umoja Noble challenges the idea that search engines like Google offer an equal playing field for all forms of ideas, identities, and activities. Data discrimination is a real social problem; Noble argues that the combination of private interests in promoting certain sites, along with the monopoly status of a relatively small number of Internet search engines, leads to a biased set of search algorithms that privilege whiteness and discriminate against people of color, specifically women of color.
Avoiding Confirmation Bias in Searches
- Avoiding Confirmation Bias in SearchesHow do the words we use affect our search results? What's the importance of the words we choose for keyword searching?
From "Web Literacy for Student Fact-Checkers" by Mike Caulfield
This reading supports Coming up with Keywords.
Data Voids and "Google This!"
- Data Voids and the Google This PloyLearn about "data voids" and how helping students choose search terms and think about the kinds of sources they want to find can help.
- Data Voids: Where Missing Data Can Easily Be ExploitedFrom Data & Society
Exercise: Confirmation Bias in Keywords
Goals:
- Students critically reflect on the importance of keyword choice for searching
- Students choose keywords that produce better search results
Time:
- 15 - 20 minutes.
Assignment:
This assignment supplements the Generating Keywords Worksheet (attached).
Students read "Avoiding Confirmation Biases in Searches." (link below). Students are encouraged to reference this reading during the exercise.
Students look at their own keywords from their Keywords Worksheet:
- Are there any keywords that might be prejudicing search results (i.e., "Millenials" and "Lazy")?
- What alternate words could be used?
Students trade their Keywords Worksheet with a partner:
- Students look at their partner's keywords and identify words that might prejudice search results. Students suggest new words for their partner to use.
Students test new keywords with their partner in a database, library search, or internet search engine.
- Student pairs share with the class any problems they faced in coming up with keywords, how they overcame those problems, and how their search changed with their new keywords
Optional Conclusion:
Quick Reflection Paper - A quick (no more than five minute) reflection on the assignment. What did they learn? Will they change anything about the words they choose? If so, what?
- Generating Keywords WorksheetWhen you're working with a partner, this tool will help you generate keywords from your research question.
- Avoiding Confirmation Bias in SearchesHow do the words we use affect our search results? What's the importance of the words we choose for keyword searching?
From "Web Literacy for Student Fact-Checkers" by Mike Caulfield
