World Book Encyclopedia Online (Database)
Author Biography:
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Usage Level: Grades 6 and Up
Reader’s Annotation:
The World Book Encyclopedia Online provides all of the reference materials of the print version of World Book in an easily searchable online format. Much of the information found is kept fairly terse, and is often accompanied by “print this section” links to make retrieving information a breeze. A subscription is required to access this database.
Overview:
As students scramble to complete their research papers and science projects, they’re often required by their teachers to use accurate, reliable information. The major caveat, though, is that they cannot use Wikipedia as the information cannot be considered trustworthy. Many students use Wikipedia since the information can be easily and quickly retrieved but, since it is essentially maintained by a community of individuals with questionable credentials, teachers usually balk at its use. World Book Encyclopedia Online functions much like Wikipedia, as information can be retrieved with simple search strings, but also contains other resources such as timelines, dictionaries, science project ideas, and more. For general topics such as states, World Book Online provides all of the basics such as language, currency, important dates and holidays, flags, maps, and the organization of governments.
Users can double click words to receive an instant definition, can have entire passages read to them, and can also have entries translated to the language they need. An outline of each entry is posted to the left side of the screen, making navigation easy and retrieval for time-strapped students a breeze. Finally, each entry has a link to suggested books students can search in case they need additional resources for their projects.
Critical Evaluation:
World Book Online makes an excellent stand-in for students used to conducting their research online and through Wikipedia. Many common topics such as states, famous government figures, and international destinations can be quickly and efficiently retrieved using simple search strings. Searching for “Hawaii” for example will bring up the Hawaii entry at the top of the results list, but also include other sections such as Hawaii University and the like. The information on each entry should be enough to satisfy most research paper requirements, but the pages are frequently peppered with print buttons, making the pages look messy.
Science project information is useful, and often provides step-by-step guides on how to conduct the project. Students can also retrieve timelines on historical figures – such as a complete timeline of Bill Clinton from birth until current events – or construct their own. While the interface is fairly simple to grasp for those who are computer literate, those who have trouble using internet and software resources may need some assistance in performing tasks such as uploading and posting images to the timeline.
Overall, World Book Online is an excellent resource for students, and can be highly useful in helping them complete their assignments.
Useful for:
Challenge Issues:
None
Defensive Maneuvers:
n/a
Book Talk Ideas:
n/a
Why This Database?
Many students are familiar with Wikipedia, but are usually barred from using it by teachers. Students can use all of the research abilities they have developed in using Wikipedia and easily apply them to World Book Online to find the information they need. With the wealth of entries and services, World Book is worth subscribing to.
n/a
Usage Level: Grades 6 and Up
Reader’s Annotation:
The World Book Encyclopedia Online provides all of the reference materials of the print version of World Book in an easily searchable online format. Much of the information found is kept fairly terse, and is often accompanied by “print this section” links to make retrieving information a breeze. A subscription is required to access this database.
Overview:
As students scramble to complete their research papers and science projects, they’re often required by their teachers to use accurate, reliable information. The major caveat, though, is that they cannot use Wikipedia as the information cannot be considered trustworthy. Many students use Wikipedia since the information can be easily and quickly retrieved but, since it is essentially maintained by a community of individuals with questionable credentials, teachers usually balk at its use. World Book Encyclopedia Online functions much like Wikipedia, as information can be retrieved with simple search strings, but also contains other resources such as timelines, dictionaries, science project ideas, and more. For general topics such as states, World Book Online provides all of the basics such as language, currency, important dates and holidays, flags, maps, and the organization of governments.
Users can double click words to receive an instant definition, can have entire passages read to them, and can also have entries translated to the language they need. An outline of each entry is posted to the left side of the screen, making navigation easy and retrieval for time-strapped students a breeze. Finally, each entry has a link to suggested books students can search in case they need additional resources for their projects.
Critical Evaluation:
World Book Online makes an excellent stand-in for students used to conducting their research online and through Wikipedia. Many common topics such as states, famous government figures, and international destinations can be quickly and efficiently retrieved using simple search strings. Searching for “Hawaii” for example will bring up the Hawaii entry at the top of the results list, but also include other sections such as Hawaii University and the like. The information on each entry should be enough to satisfy most research paper requirements, but the pages are frequently peppered with print buttons, making the pages look messy.
Science project information is useful, and often provides step-by-step guides on how to conduct the project. Students can also retrieve timelines on historical figures – such as a complete timeline of Bill Clinton from birth until current events – or construct their own. While the interface is fairly simple to grasp for those who are computer literate, those who have trouble using internet and software resources may need some assistance in performing tasks such as uploading and posting images to the timeline.
Overall, World Book Online is an excellent resource for students, and can be highly useful in helping them complete their assignments.
Useful for:
- Research papers
- Science projects
Challenge Issues:
None
Defensive Maneuvers:
n/a
Book Talk Ideas:
n/a
Why This Database?
Many students are familiar with Wikipedia, but are usually barred from using it by teachers. Students can use all of the research abilities they have developed in using Wikipedia and easily apply them to World Book Online to find the information they need. With the wealth of entries and services, World Book is worth subscribing to.