Get started with Search Coach
Applies To
In a world that is increasingly dependent on online resources, and continually threatened by false and misleading information, Search Coach is a tool that provides context and guidance for students to ask effective questions and discover reliable sources.
How do I use Search Coach in my classroom?
Search Coach is designed to teach students how to compose efficient search queries and evaluate their results. The patterns taught in Search Coach can be applied in traditional search engines like Bing and Google, as well as academic search engines.
- From the general channel of any class, select +.
- Search for and select Search Coach.
- Select Add then select Save.
Search Coach will appear as a tab app in your class. Repeat these steps for any additional classes you want students to have Search Coach in.
Note
If you're not able to add Search Coach, ask your IT Admin to check if it's enabled under Microsoft Apps. Search Coach will not appear if your IT Admin has disabled Connected Experiences.
Once Search Coach is added to your class, take a few minutes to explore how it works. Building your own background knowledge is a great first step before embedding this into lessons. Then embed Search Coach in your existing lessons, try one of our suggested lesson starters, or create your own to help students build efficient search skills and learn to evaluate sources.
What to consider when preparing a Search Coach lesson
Search results change frequently, so what worked last week may return different results this week. We recommend trying your lesson in advance to ensure the results reflect your expectations.
Tip
When you submit a search query, watch for the Search tip at the top of the results page. Search tips are sometimes general suggestions for improving your results, and sometimes specific to your query. Encourage students to watch for Search tips as well!
Lesson starters
To get a quick start understanding Search Coach and expanding students' digital literacy, sample lesson starters. Keep an eye out for additional lesson starters soon!
Information literacy lessons
For ready-made lessons that use Search Coach, use the Information literacy fundamentals course. It includes lessons on lateral reading, verifying social media claims, and using internet sources wisely.