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The Case for Google Scholar

ByRichard Byrne

Social media can be good for entertainment. It can be good for getting some ideas that you might want to try in your classroom. But it isn’t great for depth of information.

When I want to dive deep into learning about a teaching strategy and or use of a particular type of technology in schools, I turn my search efforts to Google Scholar. That’s how in 2019 I discovered one of my favorite formative assessment activities, the Three Color Quiz.

What About Trending Topics?

You might be thinking, “sure, Google Scholar sounds great for topics that are established, but what about new topics like AI?” I’m glad you asked.

Often topics that have recently become popular in mainstream education social media discussions, were being studied long before they became popular on social media. For example, take a look at this list of Google Scholar search results for “Artificial Intelligence in education.”

I realize that I might be preaching to the choir on this one (here’s an explanation of that colloquialism for my friends who aren’t familiar with it). That said, if you haven’t looked at Google Scholar in a while, take some time this week and dive into a topic of interest to you. You might be surprised at what you discover.

Seven Google Scholar Features

And if you’ve never spent much time with Google Scholar, watch my new video that outlines seven key features of Google Scholar you should know how to use.

There is only so much that can be shared in a TikTok or Instagram video. Likewise, an infographic never tells the whole story. So look at that stuff for inspiration, but look to Google Scholar when you want to dive deep.

Teaching Search Strategies to History Students

In my updated e-book Teaching Search Strategies to History Students I outline activities that you can use in middle school and high school classrooms (grades 5-12). When you purchase a copy of the e-book you can use the activities exactly as written (you have permission to use the images I’ve included) or modify them to meet your students’ needs.