From Lab to Library: the Web's Effect on Teaching the Internet

Internet-oriented courses and teaching materials tend to focus on technology. A typical approach covers the basic services (terminal emulation, file transfer, gopher, newsgoups, World Wide Web) and how to use the programs which support them. The development of integrated browsers which adapt to the different protocols of the Internet without the need for user knowledge or intervention has made this technological focus irrelevant for most students. As the Net becomes less of a challenge to computer science it has become much more a challenge to information science. Students now need to learn how to find and evaluate information rather than the mechanics of how to access it. This shifts the home for Net education from computer literacy programs to library skills programs.

This paper describes the evolution of a three credit Internet course offered at the University of Alaska Fairbanks by the Library Science program of Rasmuson Library and the Journalism department. As the course moves into its fourth year topics, tools, and teaching methods have changed drastically, particularly with the introduction of the World Wide Web and its browsers and search engines. Although the basic services and their mechanics are still covered, the course now emphasizes search strategies and information evaluation and use. The combined competencies of library and journalism professionals have eased this transition and provide an underlying structure for using constantly changing technology.

The presentation would be of interest to librarians teaching Internet use.