Critical Thinking About Web Research

Use the Critical Thinking exercises to apply the concepts presented in the chapter to real-world situations. Analyze each of the following situations below using personal experiences, videos, podcasts, and articles on the Web or in print. The Collaboration exercise should be completed with a team. To discuss the Critical Thinking exercises in this chapter with other Discovering Computers students, visit scsite.com/dc2009/ch2/forum and post your thoughts or questions.

1. Class Discussion   Although Internet Explorer may be the most widely used Web browser, it is not the only Web browser program in use. Evaluate and compare reviews of other Web browsers such as Opera or Firefox with Internet Explorer. Discuss the major differences between the browsers you researched and Internet Explorer. Include in your discussion which browser you would recommend and the reasons for your recommendation.

2. Class Presentation Many retailers, such as Best Buy, Barnes and Noble, and Toys R Us, are brick-and-click businesses. That is, they allow customers to conduct complete transactions at a physical location as well as online at a Web site. Choose a local brick-and-click business in which you have shopped at the physical location and visit the Web site of the business. Compare the type, availability, and cost (include tax and ship¬ping) of products or services available. Analyze the advantages and disadvantages of dealing with, the physical location versus the Web site of a brick-and-click business and then present your recommendation of whether you would rather shop at the physical location or at the Web site. Note the factors that influenced your decision.

3.Research   Web search engines use different techniques for searching Web resources. If you were designing a search engine, what would you have the engine look for when determining whether a Web page successfully matches the search text? Visit the Help pages of Google, Ask.com, MSN Search, and Yahoo! to learn about what criteria they use. Compile a list containing the criteria you would have your search engine use to determine whether a Web page is a successful match for keywords. Write a brief report that summarizes your findings. Include brief explanations for each of your criterion.