Google Announces Online 'Power Search' Course

[V_R]

Become a Google power searcher

You may already be familiar with some shortcuts for Google Search, like using the search box as a calculator or finding local movie showtimes by typing [movies] and your zip code. But there are many more tips, tricks and tactics you can use to find exactly what you’re looking for, when you most need it.

Today, we’ve opened registration for Power Searching with Google, a free, online, community-based course showcasing these techniques and how you can use them to solve everyday problems. Our course is aimed at empowering you to find what you need faster, no matter how you currently use search. For example, did you know that you can search for and read pages written in languages you’ve never even studied? Identify the location of a picture your friend took during his vacation a few months ago? How about finally identifying that green-covered book about gardening that you’ve been trying to track down for years? You can learn all this and more over six 50-minute classes.

Lessons will be released daily starting on July 10, 2012, and you can take them according to your own schedule during a two-week window, alongside a worldwide community. The lessons include interactive activities to practice new skills, and many opportunities to connect with others using Google tools such as Google Groups, Moderator and Google+, including Hangouts on Air, where world-renowned search experts will answer your questions on how search works. Googlers will also be on hand during the course period to help and answer your questions in case you get stuck.

Power Searching with Google blends the MOOC (Massive Open Online Course) learning format pioneered by Stanford and MIT with our social and communication tools to create what we hope is a true community learning experience.

Visit the course homepage to learn more. By the end of this course, you'll know several new techniques that will make you a Google Power Searcher and help you find out information about whatever you can imagine—from how to prepare for a new family pet to where moss grows on Stonehenge or how to grow katniss in your garden. Sign up now!

http://googleblog.blogspot.ca/2012/06/become-google-power-searcher.html

Bit late as it starts today! But it could be interesting, think I'll sign up.

 

[Becky]

That looks really interesting, let us know what you learn if you do decide to do the course

 

[V_R]

Well i did the first day yesterday after posting the OP. As suspected the first class was very basic, general stuff that most of us would probably know already, Search basics essentially.

I'm not sure how advanced its going to get, or if it will keep my attention til the end, but i'll give it a go, its not difficult.

There are 6 Classes, each consisting of 6 Lessons. Schedule below.

Schedule

Pre-class assessment

Class 1 - Introduction

Class 2 - Interpreting results available July 11

Class 3 - Advanced techniques available July 12

Mid-class assessment

Class 4 - Find facts faster available July 17

Class 5 - Checking your facts available July 18

Class 6 - Putting it all together available July 19

Post-class assessment

The first class took about 30-40 mins, and most of that was watching the videos.

I shall let you know how i get on will the next one!

 

[V_R]

Well, i just passed with a score of 100%!!

Post class assessment was actually a bit tricky! Some really random question which required you to search though books then search what you just found out to get to the answer they are looking for!

Certificate for me!

 

[Ian]

Nice work

Would you say it was worth doing and you learnt new stuff from it? I can't see if any of the vids are still available, but I'm sure they'll have ended up on YouTube by now .

 

[Becky]

Excellent work, well done!

Did you learn anything useful?

 

[V_R]

The videos are all on YT, their just not public. I can post one up if you want.

Yes and no, I learned one or two new things, not so much search tools like operators and filters, but more ideas of how to get the result your looking for.

It was about using things like site:, filetype:, OR, Date/time filtering, quotes and the minus sign etc. If anything it will make me thing about how i search for things in the future rather than just typing something in and hitting search if that makes sense..

It would be good for people that didn't have a clue or had little knowledge of how to use Google effectively, like maybe the 'older generation' as they would have the most to learn.

If nothing else i can say i am a power searcher! Hmmmm, i wonder if i could put it on my C.V!?

 

[Ian]

I don't want to get you in to trouble if they aren't already in public .

I must admit, the filetype: and site: filters are extremely handy, although I only learnt that there are also number filters a few weeks ago. For example, if you wanted to search for Office 2003,2007 and 2010 threads on PCR, you can search for:

[B]site:pcreview.co.uk "Office 2003..2012"[/B]

The two dots between numbers allow you to search for ranges. Handy .

 

[V_R]

Tbh, i'm sure it wont be an issue, but i was thinking more about the site if i post one of them up, i just dont want you or PCR getting in any kind of trouble, though i would be very suprised if anything would come of it..

Yep thats it, that and the - sign are very handy, and even though i did know about htem i still didn't actually use them as often as i could/should have. Which now i intend to change!