A conceptual model for learning Internet searching on the Internet

Although the Internet offers many exciting opportunities for communication and exploration, learning how to use it effectively is a daunting task for novices. The volume of information and its lack of organization present a real danger of cognitive overload. Searching for information is even more frustrating. How can we help novices to search the Internet effectively? One solution is to develop a courseware, using conceptual models based on constructivism, to teach them how to search. This paper describes the process we used to design and develop the conceptual models to teach Internet searching. We begin with a brief review of constructivist learning, mental models and conceptual models. This is followed by the process we used to develop the necessary conceptual models, using the Courseware Engineering Methodology (CEM). Next an evaluation of the conceptual models is given. The paper concludes with suggestions for future research.