Kuiper, Volman, and Terwel (2005) conducted a literature review of 66 relevant works aimed at answering the central question: What demands does the use of the Web as an information resource in education make on the support and supervision of students’ learning processes? The authors categorized the works included as a means to organize the literature. Major themes included: how do school children search the web?, how do children assess the information they find on the web?, student characteristics, task characteristics, and system interface/characteristics. Across the selected studies, Kuiper and colleagues identified trends including students consistently struggling with identifying relevant information, searching through the web often differed by gender, as well as the characteristics of the task assigned being a factor in motivation for many students. They concluded that students need specific skills to effectively identify and use information and students often do not consider the reliability of their searches. In both cases, educators have a role in addressing these needs for students. Kuiper et. al (2005) also focused on identifying web characteristics. Factors like the size and accessibility of the web lend students to a wide variety of information, which increases the need for strong search skills even further. The use of hypertext as the structure of the internet also requires students to think critically about the reliability of results they are finding. The authors focus primarily on evaluating a largely untapped corner of web-based research: processing. As a result, they leave the reader with recommendations of a shift in how search skills are exposed to students in the classroom and more research is required in the learning environments of web-based research.

In regards to the methods used, Kuiper, Volman, and Terwel (2005) focused primarily on literature within the scope of K-12 education and elementary–middle school grade levels. Through the use of key words such as a “web(-based)”, “information (-seeking, -searching, skills, retrieval)”, a search was conducted identifying and narrowing their literature review to 66 relevant works. One aspect of these works to note in particular is that the authors identified the majority of the studies as descriptive which helped to provide a lot of context to these studies. The additional context that can be added to a literature review of this size is beneficial as it increases the depth of the review without increasing the number of studies included by allowing for more to be known about each study. The presentation of the various works throughout the review is clear, and provides ample information to draw conclusions from. One of the concerns I see within the review is the size of many of the reviews included. A number of studies included only a handful of participants which can be questionable as a sample size for quantifiable results. The article also does present a number of guidelines for which educators can follow, according to the research, to support students in the identified areas. These guidelines are a strength of this article as it leaves the reader with actionable items to take away from the review. 

One of the primary interests I have begun to develop throughout the first weeks of my doctoral journey has been the constructivist theory of learning. I am intrigued by the learning process in which students are learning through inquiry and curiosity and using authentic experiences to develop knowledge for students. I find that Kuiper et. al’s (2005) review lends to this thinking, even if in a small way. With inquiry and curiosity often driving web-based research, these notes regarding the literature’s findings help me to see what students are experiencing in comparison to task instructions. When students are given opportunities to pursue and inquire on their own interests compared to a directed task, how do students’ experiences change in web-based research? I found this idea particularly interesting throughout and it validates a lot of common experiences educators like myself are seeing in the classroom in regards to inquiry and autonomy being linked to motivation. As I consider constructivist ideas and inquiry-based learning through technology as an avenue my research could go down, this article in particular is one I will keep in mind.

Sources
Kuiper, E., Volman, M., & Terwel, J. (2005). The Web as an information resource in K–12 education: Strategies for supporting students in searching and processing information. Review of Educational Research, 75, 285–328.

Link to article