Final Reflection

When this class began I had great confidence in my ability to conduct advanced and highly precise searches.  I started this class knowing how to convert my search query into a question, and then separating the question into two to three key concepts.  I knew how to then create a concept analysis chart using those key concepts.  I also knew a number of search strategies which I could apply to my search query such as, building block approach, citation pearl growing approach, and successive fraction approach.  I thought that each search would dictate which search strategy to use.  However, I have learned that the search interface of the database can strongly dictate the actions that I can take in the database.  Not every database allows you to refine the search by using Boolean logic, truncation, proximity operators and field searching.  Therefore, in order to expand or limit the search you must become familiar with the features of the database.  I believe that the best way to become familiar with the database is by accessing their help menu.  On the other hand, a "Quick and Dirty" search can also reveal whether the database supports fuzzy searching and/or weighted searching, as well as whether it supports natural language or if it encompasses a controlled vocabulary.  Ultimately each database is unique.  However, I believe that to a large extent, familiarity is the key to usability. Hence, a database must be easy to use, easy to learn and easy to remember.
  

Throughout the course of this assignment I was able to find information by using the search terms from my concept analysis chart in the majority of the databases featured in this blog. However, at times it became necessary to only use these terms in order to find the appropriate term for a database’s controlled vocabulary before searching a particular database. For example, in PsycINFO and DIALOG, I had to search for the appropriate terms in the database thesaurus prior to refining my search. Moreover, the only search in which I chose to change my search query was in the social database Smashfuse. I simply wanted to take my research in a new direction; therefore I adjusted my search query. Ultimately, after extensively researching my search query in various databases I have come to the conclusion that this topic is very well covered.  

Today, I have a new understanding of my search topic due to this assignment. The various personal interviews found in many of the articles that I read revealed that students with learning disabilities have a remarkable self-awareness of their disorder. Furthermore, when given the right learning strategies they can achieve academic success. For example, in the article, “Class Placement and Academic and Behavioral Variables as Predictors of Graduation for Students with Disabilities,” the interview data found that most of the participants, regardless of their current educational setting, indicated that they learned best in inclusive settings. The quantitative data indicates that academic history or achieving passing grades was the only significant predictor of graduation within this population of students, when statistically controlling all the other specified variables. Consequently, placing student with learning disabilities or emotional behavior disorders in inclusive classroom settings may give these students the opportunity to achieve passing grades and increase their chances of graduating. That said, many of the articles concluded that students with learning disabilities drop out at higher rates than non-disabled students, which indicates that having a disability creates a particular set of circumstances that can potentially make it more difficult to graduate, and thus have limited employability skills.     

 

Social Media Search Engines

About SMASHFUSE:

Smashfuse is a new social media search engine.  It allows its users to search various different social media websites at once or individually. 

My Search Query: Is there a correlation between students that are identified as having a learning disability and the high school dropout rate?

I have been concentrating on finding case studies, statistic information and other research based information about my search query, but this search engine has presented a new medium which I can use to take my research in a different direction.  I want to search for a personal story about a person with learning disabilities and how it has affected his/her life.  Therefore, I changed my search facets.  Since this database only allows keyword searches in a basic interface, I choose the phrase “high school dropout personal story”.  I then limited my search to YouTube. 

 
I do not know how many hits were retrieved because this database does not itemize its result list.  I found my best hit after scrolling down for a little bit.   

Best hit is : Finding Academic Success

URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C0FphkcfCj4

What I learned: Content

Billy Wilson was diagnosed with ADHD which is considered a learning disability.  However, despite being diagnosed at an early age it appears that he had to take matters into his own hands in order to become academically successful in school.  The high schools in his home town divides students into two categories (levels), Applied and Academic.  The Applied level is for those students who are merely getting ready to get a job, were as the Academic level is for students who are getting ready to go to college.  Wilson was placed in the Applied level due to his learning disability.  In tenth grade he decided to repeat the grade at the Academic level, because he wanted to go to college.  It was only while in the course of repeating tenth grade that he realized that he learns after a high level of repetition.  Realizing this learning strategy has enabled Wilson to become academically successful. 

I learned that students like Wilson simply do not learn like other students.  I think that as educators we learn to teach the strategies that work best for the majority of students.  However, this video demonstrates why it is so important for teachers to learn how to differentiate their lesson plans to meet the need of all their students.  These students require individualized learning strategies and above all they simply require more time to learn.

 

Search Tip:

While using Smashfuse, I found that it was faster to search individual networks, rather than search everything at once.  Another useful tip is that if you have been on the site for a while, you can click the refresh icon and get the latest hits without having to initiate a new search.          

Reflection:

Smashfuse lets its users search Facebook, Twitter, Google+, YouTube, Pinterest, Vimeo, Tumblr, Flickr, Instagram and Vine either individually or in combination.  One of the advantages to using this search engine is that it displays the results in an icon display that looks like a box.  Inside the box you can see information about the hit and the icons of the social network site in which the hit can be found.  The disadvantage to using this search engine is that it is slow to retrieve the items due to the number of material that it is uploading.  Additionally, this site does not have a help icon or menu.  I have come to rely on the help menu of the various databases which I have explored.  I cannot help but feel that this site is incomplete and unreliable due to the fact that it does not offer its customers any support options. 

Video Search

VAST: Academic Video Online:

VAST: Academic Video Online was started by Alexander Street Press in 2011.  It is a multidisciplinary database which contains over 20,000 full videos (9,000+ hours of content).  This database also contains the transcripts of all of its videos.  Additionally, materials are added monthly in order to maintain its currency.¹ 

VAST: Academic Video Online provides two search interface basic and advanced.  The basic search feature allows the user to filter the search by discipline.  While the advanced search offers the users a number of filter options.  

Search Query:

• Is there a correlation between students that are identified as having a learning disability and the high school dropout rate.

Due to the content of this database I decided to search for any relevant videos that featured how learning disabilities affect the life’s of those diagnosed with a disability.  That said I believe that my original concept analysis is relevant to this database.  Therefore, I began my search query as follows:

I conducted my first search using the advanced search interface.  I began my search by inputting the term; learning disabilities in the words anywhere box.  I then placed the following limits:

·         Discipline – Psychology & Counseling and Social Sciences
·         Language of edition – English
·         Date published / released –  (2010 – 2014)


181 hits were retrieved.

While reading the titles of the videos that were retrieved I noticed that the term learning
disabilities had been retrieved independent of each other.  Thus, my intended meaning of the term was lost.  For example, some of the videos were about physical disabilities.    

Thus, I tried a second search using the term learning AND disabilities.  I also applied the same limits as my first search.  I thought that by using the Boolean operator AND, I would be able to refine the search to hits containing my terms in my intended form.  I learned from this search that this database does not recognize Boolean operators, when used in the words anywhere box.  Therefore, the results of this search were the same as my first search.   

On my third search I inputted my search term, learning disabilities into the subject box.  Additionally, I did not place any limits on this search.  16 hits were retrieved.  I noticed that the database automatically applied the Boolean operator AND to this search.  The majority of the hits were relevant because the database searched for hits with the term learning disabilities as one unit.  

Best hit: Life and Learning with Autistic Spectrum (AS)

Link: Life and Learning With Autistic Spectrum (AS)  presented by Wendy Lawson (London, England: Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 2008), 2:33:59 mins

 

What I learned: Content

This video was very enlightening.  The presenter Wendy Lawson was diagnosed with Autism at an early age.  She begins by talking about what it is like to live with this disorder.  It was fascinating to listen to her perception of the world.  After the introduction, the presentation centers around a comparison of the learning styles found in typically developing children and the learning styles of children that are on the autism spectrum.  Although, this video does not address the correlation between students that are identified as having a learning disability and the high school dropout rate, it does give the viewer insight into the challenges those students that are on the autism spectrum face.  This insight leads you to understand why these students are at risk of dropping out of high school.     

What I learned: Searching

I learned that it is better to search this database using its controlled vocabulary rather than natural language.  Therefore, it is important to take the time to search for appropriate subject terms before starting your search.   

Reflection:

I believe that this database is not user friendly in so far as it requires a user to have some experience using its interface before a user can conduct a successful search.  Thus, it took some trial and error before I was able to figure out how to use the advanced search interface.  For example, although the advanced search interface does allow the user to employ various search boxes and limiters; I could not easily guess what the difference is among the search boxes, by simply reading its title.  Additionally, the help menu of this database does not contain information about the various differences among the search boxes that are provided in the advance search interface.  However, once I learned how to use the advanced interface I was able to find relevant videos.  I believe that this database should revise its help menu in order to assist first time users.  



Reference List:

  1. “Databases A-Z List.” Texas Woman’s University. accessed October 21, 2014. http://twu.edu/library/databases.asp. 

      

 

Images

 

Google Image:
Google Image is a search engine that enables users to search the internet for images. 

Search Query:

• Is there a correlation between students that are identified as having a learning disability and the high school dropout rate? 

I conducted a natural language keyword search in Google image using the terms: learning disability and the high school dropout rate.  I designate the following limiters: size - medium and color - full color. 

Screen shot of my search strategy:

 

Best Hit:

Image Citation:  “What the Numbers Tell Us,” accessed November 2, 2014, http://ideas.education.alberta.ca/media/63195/6disability2009-2013_649x390.jpg

What I learned: Content
This image distinguishes the difference between the graduation rate of All Students, Learning Disability and Emotional/Behavioral Disability.  It demonstrates that the graduation rate of all students and students with learning disabilities has steadily increased slightly from the 2008/2009 school year to the 2012/2013 school year.  In contrast, the completion rate of students with emotional/behavioral disabilities has markedly increased from 2008/2009 to 2012/2013.  Nevertheless, the rate of completion for this subset of students is less than half its population.  This graph also clearly demonstrates that students, who have been identified as having an emotional/behavioral disability, are at the greatest risk of dropping out of high school.        

Searching Tip:
Given the number of images that can be retrieved from Google image it is best to employ as many relevant limiters as possible.  

Reflection:
I have used Google image many times before this search, however before this search I did not know that I could apply limiters.  The most important feature that I learned about is the copyright limiter.  The “usage rights” limiter allows the user to limit the search to images which can be legally reused.    Before now, I discouraged my students from using Google image to find content for their projects.  However, now I know that if the “usage rights” limiter is applied to the search, then the image can be legally obtained.      

 

 

 

Number / Stats

 

National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)     

About NCES:   
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) is a branch of the U.S. Department of Education and the Institute of Education Sciences.  This branch is responsible for collecting, analyzing and reporting statistical information about education in the US, as well as reviewing and comparing international educational data.¹       

My Search Query:

• Is there a correlation between students that are identified as having a learning disability and the high school dropout rate?

Since my search query is relevant to this database I did not feel that I had to change my search facets.  However, I did have to learn how to search this database because it only contains a basic search interface.  It is very difficult to control the search in this type of interface.  However, after getting familiar with this database I learned that this database has been designed using a hierarchical database model, which allows the user to follow a path in order to obtain the desired information.  For example, think of a tree with many branches.  Each branch is a connection to the next level of more specific information.  In the course of getting to know the database, I realized that the publication and product tab contained the information that I was searching for.  Thus, I chose to enter the publication and product tab. I then followed this path: annual reports > High School Dropout and Completion Rates in the United States > Digest of Educational Statistic > Digest and of Educational Statistic website > List of Tables and Figures (I selected the year, 2013) > Table 219 – High school completers and dropouts > Table 219.90.

 

Best Hit:
 

 

citation:“Table 219.90. Number and percentage distribution of 14- through 21-year-old students served under Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Part B, who exited school, by exit reason, age, and type of disability: 2009-10 and 2010-11,” National Center for Education Statistics, accessed November 2, 2014, http://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d13/tables/dt13_219.90.asp.

 

 

What I learned: Content

 

The statistics in the table breaks down how students with disabilities exited school (graduated with diploma, received certificate of attendance, reached max age, dropped out and died).  Additionally, it breaks down the high school dropout rate of students with disabilities by types of disabilities.  It also allows you to compare the information from the 2009-10 school year to the 2010-11 school year.  Therefore, I learned that between the 2009-2010 school year and the 2010-2011 school year there was a reduction in the number of students dropping out of high school with the following type of disabilities: emotional disturbance, hearing impaired, intellectual disability, orthopedic impairment, specific learning disability and speech or language impairment.  Unfortunately, there was an increase in the number of students dropping out of high school in all of the remaining categories.  The percentage distribution of the total shows that over all the number of students with an identified learning disability, who exited high school with a regular diploma increased, while the percentage of students with an identified learning disability, who dropped out decreased between the 2009-2010 school year and the 2010-2011 school year. 

What I learned: Searching

One of the advantages of the hierarchical databases model is that once the user knows which path to take it is very easy to find the desired information.  Conversely, the biggest disadvantage is that it is difficult to retrieve information via natural language searches due to the rigid structure of the database. 

 Reflection: 

I believe that this database is very straight forward in so far as a naïve user can easily read and follow the various search paths.  However, this is not an efficient database, even if a user knows the design he cannot easily perform complex searches which can lead the user directly to the desired information.  Additionally, it is very difficult to recover from errors in this database.  If the user follows the wrong path he will have to return to the home screen before trying another path.  Moreover, if the desired information is buried too deep in the database, the user may give up the search before finding the information.  Given the importance of the information maintained in this database I think that it should be restructured in order to support a structured retrieval interface such as, an advanced search based on fields and limiters.





Reference List:

1. “About Us.” National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed November 2, 2014. http://nces.ed.gov/about/.

 

 

LexisNexis

 

About LexisNexis:
LexisNexis is a part of Reed Elsevier and it is considered one of the world’s largest online electronic libraries of legal opinions, public records, news and business information.¹  The content includes “legal cases, statutes, regulations, citations, tax materials, newspaper, scholarly and professional peer reviewed articles, patents, European law, law school directories, company financial data and analysis, company profiles including contact information for company executives, SEC filings and reports, news, wire services, transcripts, briefings, blogs videos, and other information”.²  Accordingly, it provides access to full-text material in the following content types: newspapers, state and federal cases, law reviews and company profiles.   

Due to the content of this database I decided to search for any relevant news articles.  That said I believe that my original concept analysis is relevant to this database.  Therefore, I began my search query as follows: 


Search Query:

• Is there a correlation between students that are identified as having a learning disability and the high school dropout rate?

I created this concept analysis for my search using natural language: 

	Facet 1	Facet 2
Concept	high school dropout rate	learning disability

Hit = (high school dropout rate) and (learning disabilities)

209 hits were found using natural language key word phrases in the basic search option.  

I then searched the thesaurus for relevant subject terms. I incorporated the thesaurus terms with the natural language terms.  I then selected the advanced option and conducted a search using Build Your Own Segment Search option.  I created the following statement:

Hits = (learning disabilities or learning disorder) and (high school dropout rate or graduation rate)

I applied the following limits:  

• Date range: 10/21/2012 – 10/21/2014
• Index terms: education & training; speech & language disorder; graduation rates

7 hits were retrieved; however I should note that the first 3 hits were all the same article. The best hits were the first three articles: Graduation Disparities Loom Large for Students with Special Needs. The authors of this article examined the gaps in the graduation rates reported for the 2011-12 school year across the United States. They noted a significant difference among students with special needs and those in regular education classrooms. ³
 
I then tried a third search to test the use of proximity operators and Boolean operators.  I
again used the Build Your Own Segment Search in the advanced search interface.  Then I searched using the Boolean statement: (learning w/5 disabilities) AND (graduation rate w/p high school).  The only limit that I placed was no duplication.  486 hits were retrieved.  I then limited the search by the following subject sub set, school drop outs.  This action reduced the hits to 48.  I liked that this search retrieved 486 hit vs. 878 hit retrieved in my initial search.  Then finding a subject sub set school dropout was like finding a little gem.  It significantly reduced the number of hits to 48.  However, this action also skewed my results.  Many of the 48 hits dealt with the general topic of high school dropout rates.  I then limited this result list with the subject sub set, learning disabilities.  This action reduced the number of hit to 27 and significantly increased the precision of my search. 

The best hit was #3. Study Reveals Gaps in Grad. Rates. 

What I learned: Content

This article talks about the national dropout rate of students with learning disabilities and it singles out some of the states with the highest dropout rates. Although, this is a very short article; it does contains a lot of statistical data that reveals a clear picture about the graduation rate among students with learning disabilities as compared to students without learning disabilities.  Furthermore, it states that “many states fall short of the national average of 68 percent for students graduating in the disability category.”⁴

Search the News:

I then searched the Search the News option, using the keyword terms: learning disorder graduation rate.  I also limited the source type to newspapers and turned on the duplication option to high.  878 hits were retrieved.  Since the result list was so large I limited the search by geography to Texas, USA.  8 hits were retrieved.  Nevertheless, none of the Texas hits were relevant to my query.  Therefore, I returned to the original result list from this search in order to look for the best hit.   

The best hit was the first article, Studies Reveals Gaps in Grad Rates.  This is the same article that I found using the advanced search interface in my previous search.  I should note that I looked for my best hit from my first search and found it on page two of this result list.  I believe that the differences in the two result lists are due to the date range limitation that I was able to employ in the Advanced Search but not Search the News search.           

What I learned: Searching

The content of this database can be easily searched using either natural language or its controlled vocabulary.  This database has 5 search interfaces.  The Basic Search interface will default to searching the entire database which results in a very large number of hits.  This search interface can be employed by a user who is unfamiliar with a topic and is therefore looking for high recall, low precision. The Search The News, Look up a Legal Case and Get Company Info interfaces limit the search to a predetermine set of relevant sources for each category.  For instance, the Search the News interface allows the user to search for news articles; unfortunately it does not provide the user with a variety of limiters prior to the search.  These three search interfaces lead the user to a high recall, low precision result list which the user must then refine using the available limiters on the left side of the webpage.  The most flexible search interface is the advance search interface.  This interface allows the user to select the source, date range, and content type.  It also allows the user to build their search statement employing Boolean and proximity operators.  Additionally, this interface contains the database thesaurus.  I believe that this is the most versatile interface since it can be adjusted to search in the same predetermine set of relevant sources as the Search The News, Look up a Legal Case or Get Company Info interfaces, and it allows the user to employ a number of limiters prior to the search.        

Reflection:

LexisNexis is a reliable database; that supports four different types of search interfaces: Basic keyword search, Advanced Search Options, Search the News, Look up a Legal Case and Get Company Info.  Additionally, a user can browse the hot topics that are trending at the time of their visit to the site.   In addition, to features which help the user to set limiters, this database has a feature that allows the user to control for duplicate items.  It makes sense to have this feature in this database because it locates items from a large number of sources and sometime authors publish their products in a number of different sources.  This database also facilitates several output formats: print, e-mail, download document, copy document link, and send to cloud.  In addition, this database does have a help icon.  This icon has an embedded hyperlink which leads users to the LexisNexis support site. The Support Site contains ‘how to” user guides and a customer support line which is available 24/7 at 1-800-543-6862.  That said this is not a naïve user friendly database.  Although searches in this database default to a natural language feature, this database does not help the user to create a Boolean search.  This database only offers one search box in which the user can place their search term(s).  In order to be successful the user must know how to create a Boolean statement within this search box.  Another undesirable function of LexisNexis is its application of the terms AND, OR and NOT.  These terms are interpreted as Boolean operators whether they are in uppercase or lowercase. Unfortunately this means that the search engine will not handle unintended Boolean operators literally so phrases with these terms will most likely return poor results.  In addition, the only in-depth function that is supported by this database is the proximity operators search protocol.  Although this is a great feature, it is a feature that is most likely only used by an experienced/ trained user.  Additionally, this database does not have an automatic spell check feature.  Therefore, if the user commits a typographical error, the database defaults to a “no documents found” error message, rather than assisting the user. 

I think that with more practice this is a valuable database.  However, its search features can use an upgrade.  I believe that all databases should have an automatic spell check program.  I also believe that LexisNexis should have more search protocol available given that it is geared towards more experienced searcher.  That said I think that its content is unique and therefore it is a database worth exploring.       

 

 

Reference List:

1. “About LexisNexis.” LexisNexis. accessed October 21, 2014. http://www.lexisnexis.com/en-us/about-us/about-us.page.

2. “Databases A-Z List.” Texas Woman’s University. accessed October 21, 2014. http://twu.edu/library/databases.asp.  

3. Samuels, Christina A. "Graduation Disparities Loom Large for Students With Special Needs." Education Week, Bethesda, Md. February 4, 2014 Tuesday . Date Accessed: 2014/10/21. www.lexisnexis.com/hottopics/lnacademic.

4. Samuels, Christina A. "Study Reveals Gaps in Grad. Rates." Education Week, Bethesda, Md. May 22, 2013 Wednesday . Date Accessed: 2014/10/21. www.lexisnexis.com/hottopics/lnacademic.