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Students typically begin research with everyday conversational questions, which is a natural and intuitive way to think about information needs. However, search tools do not always interpret natural language the way people do, and this can affect our search results. This two-part activity teaches students how to run advanced searches using Boolean operators, truncation, and phrase searching. It also situates these search strategies in relation to how algorithms rank results, prompting students to think about why they matter from a technical and social perspective.
Students first read an illustrated zine (5-7 minutes), either as a flipped classroom assignment or during class. This resource is paired with "Boolean's Pizza Palace," a gamified assessment activity (3 minutes) where students play as pizza employees who translate customer orders into search strings.
Learning Objectives: By the end of this activity, students will be able to:
- Identify the function of Boolean operators (AND, OR, NOT), truncation (*), and quotation marks ("") in a search query.
- Recognize the role of advanced search strategies in retrieving more relevant results from algorithm-driven systems.
- Apply the correct Boolean operator or symbol to a stated search need.
Framework connection:
- Searching as Strategic Exploration: students learn to match search strategies and language (Boolean, truncation (*), phrase searching ("") to their information need.
- Information Has Value: the zine's framing of algorithmic ranking connects to the Framework's concern that information systems can systematically underrepresent certain voices or perspectives.
Time required: 7-10 minutes independent reading (before or at the start of session) plus 3 minutes in class game.
Materials needed:
- Zine: Canva template to download and/or remix (digital and print versions included): https://canva.link/yogdqk8a90o9ymk
- Game Instructions (for students and instructors): Canva template with the student game instructions to show students and Quick Start for Instructors: https://canva.link/t28gofha9wwp6x1
- A Socrative account for the instructor, a projector, and student devices: https://www.socrative.com/