Research is important in many career fields and certainly for college degree programs, where students are accustomed to online research. While information from the “Open Web” is immeasurable, most of the Internet’s information is not available there.  Most of it, in fact, is buried within the Web and difficult to find.

Research from the Deep Web — also called the Hidden Web and the Invisible Web — is essential for most courses today.

“The Web is revolutionizing scholarly research, yet can be a confusing place for beginning and even established researchers,” says Fred Stielow, Ph.D., M.L.S. Stielow is vice president of libraries at the online school(s) American Public University and American Military University.

“Google, Bing, Yahoo and other public search engines offer unprecedented searching power — but can also be an ‘intellectual mess’ for scholars. How can you extract the academically credible resources for a research paper from millions of hits?” he says. 

Stielow has a corps of research librarians who offer these tips on where and how to search the Hidden Web.

Start in an Academic Library Site. The first rule is to check out the university library.

• Article Databases & E-Books: The library will have millions of pages of materials licensed and purchased from the Deep Web.
• Department and Course Portals: Librarians often work with faculty to tailor “electronic pathfinders” into both deep and Open Web resources for a university’s programs and even individual courses. For example, AMU and APU guides at http://apus.libguides.com/. See if the school has such supplemental tools, as they can significantly simplify and enhance your studies.

Ten Top Open Web Resources.
Here are tools that AMU and APU librarians find useful for general research purposes:

• CIA Factbook, a rich great international resource
• Directory of Open Access Journals, more than 5,000 free scholarly journals
• Google Scholar, an academically targeted version of the world’s leading search engine
• IPL2, update of the Internet Public Library
• Library of Congress, Access to the resources of the world’s largest library
• MERLN, the Military Education Research Library Network
• USA.Gov, the main access portal to U.S. governmental resources
• WolframAlfa, specialized knowledge search engine
• World Cat, from OCLC has the world’s most complete list of published books
• Wikipedia (The hidden sin. Use it for background and leads, but in keeping with Style Manual guidelines do not cite or, normally, quote)

Whether you are a college student or simply interested in lifelong learning, the Deep Web offers an incredible new world of discovery.

- Fred Stielow, Contributing Writer
Associate VP & Dean of Library & Educational Materials at American Public University (APU)

Though not a common thing to hear about, cheering for an online university, school spirit for your school is still something to consider. When you invest your time, life, and money you want something more than a degree in return. You may want some new friends, or a chance to cheer for something other than no new assignments over the weekend. And since specifically online schools, not affiliated with a traditional brick and mortar institution, don’t have sports teams it makes it harder to “root for the home team.” But there are other ways to get involved, even though it may not involve painting your face to match your schools colors, to express your *love* for your new Alma mater.

Have a mascot? If you don’t know the answer to this, then it’s time to investigate. Ask around if your school is sporting a gruff bulldog, or maybe a determined looking laptop as a mascot. Network with other classmates that might be more informed on the matter than you. If there isn’t one, start a campaign to get a mascot for the school. Nothing says school spirit like being able to tell your coworkers you’re a proud “flying wombat” [or insert your school mascot here]. If the school doesn’t plan on elaborating on what they chose to represent the school as then go to the online school store, most online schools will have one, and purchase a T-shirt with the school name or get a bumper sticker to display.

Get involved.A majority of students just do the minimum, and that doesn’t just apply to online students.  Online schools still have clubs and honor societies, you just need to be proactive and join them. Even though you wont be walking across the quad to meet up with the group doesn’t mean you can’t get a lot out of being apart of a humanitarian club, or business networking group for students. Facebook and LinkedIn are great places to start or check for these groups at your school. Check the resource portal for students to see what your school is sponsoring in terms of groups and clubs and gather what you need to apply to get in. One more way to meet other students, especially if your one among many thousands, and to put names to faces of people that are in your classes.

Are you a big talker? Put your words to good use and see about meeting up with students in your area for study sessions, coffee chats, or maybe an “I Love My Online School” monthly cheesecake meet. It doesn’t have to be an official club with the school. Use your extroverted ways to get other students in your school together to solidify a bond over something you all collectively share…a love for your online school; or so we hope.

Follow them. We’re not talking about stalking here, more like following the schools twitter feed, news reports, and alumni events. Keep up to date with what’s going on with your school. It’s never a bad thing to be informed, and that way you can be an ambassador to students new to the school.

Give yourself a reason to cheer for your school. It shouldn’t be a means to an end. Turn your experience online into something that will last longer than the timeout window on your final exam. No football team, no problem! Nickname your school if you don’t have a mascot; but make sure the name is positive and reflects the quality of the school. Get to know your classmates. If you find someone feeling down about the school reach out to them. It’s no different from the depressed roommate you may have had freshman year at your undergrad institution. What did you say to talk them out of leaving school? Leverage your sentiment and knowledge of the institution to keep others upbeat about their prospect of graduating with something more than a diploma to add to a resume. Become a champion of your online school, and if it helps, start by adding your schools bumper sticker to your car or cube and tell people about why you chose the school you did.

- J. Mason

After Graduating with a B.S. degree in Marine Biology from Corpus Christi State University (now Texas A&M – Corpus Christi) in 1979 AMU student Howard “Tony” Wood decided to make his way in an environmental profession. He already had minors in Chemistry and Geology and didn’t see graduate school as his best option at the time. One of his professors at the National Spill Control School located on campus helped him get the interview he wanted most, with Chemical Waste Management, Inc. Early the following year Tony married Michele Smith and they have since raised two daughters and recently celebrated their 30th anniversary with a cruise to Cozumel.

After a few years Tony followed a Chemical Waste Management vice-President and mentor into the environmental consulting field. Over the course of his career Tony initially worked with industrial waste disposal, recycling, and environmental business development. But he also enjoyed assessments, field work, and site development and planning. He has sampled mining sites inside the Grand Canyon, helped to close landfills at the Pantex Nuclear Weapons facility, managed safety on a 650 degree confined space entry project, managed or supported work on 14 Superfund sites, trained over 2500 students in hazardous waste management and safety, and served on local, state, national, and international environmental advisory boards. He has been integrally involved with national and international environmental pollution control projects and has a passion for regional water resource management issues. He still serves on the Region L Water Planning Board in Texas and is the current president of Bexar Audubon and past president of the Audubon Foundation of Texas.

Tony was never one to shy away from adventure in his career and when offered the opportunity to work on reconstructing the Iraqi wetlands in the Tigris-Euphrates delta in 2004, he volunteered. That project didn’t develop but later in 2004 he was offered another consulting assignment in Iraq as a consultant to the Air Force Center for Engineering and the Environment. Before that assignment he had never really considered going back for his Master of Science degree but while in Iraq he was introduced to AMU. In all he has spent 19 months in Iraq and 9 months in Afghanistan, most of it while continuing to pursue the AMU MS degree. He expects to achieve his M.S. in Environmental Policy and Management from AMU by next March. He really appreciates how it fits with his work and travel schedule.

Mr. Wood has been a mentor to other students in the AMU/APUS program over the last year and has enjoyed the opportunity to “give a little bit back” in what he considers a rewarding environmental career. Like his mentoring and being a scoutmaster before his own children were born, he recently came across another opportunity to give back some of the blessings of his career.

A few months ago he was offered the opportunity to apply for the position as Director of the National Spill Control School, the very same place where he had completed his undergraduate academic pursuits and started his professional career in 1979. And he had recently bought a small ranch near Corpus Christi and wanted to begin building a home and constructed wetland on it and planning for his retirement in 10 years or so. He thought that this would be a nice quiet pre-retirement approach to his remaining productive years. His credentials, experience, and references, as well as his current pursuit of his MS degree from AMU, won him the position.

About a week after he applied for the position, the Deepwater Horizon sank to the floor of the Gulf of Mexico and he found himself front and center in the national media. Since that time he has been interviewed by numerous press agencies including the ABC Evening News. He now spends his time developing briefings for senatorial and congressional aids, developing grant applications, and redeveloping the course curriculum of the National Spill Control School to support the scientific research that is expected to follow from the disaster in the Gulf.

While it’s not what he expected when he applied for the position, Tony is up to the challenge. He says it is every bit as demanding as the work in Iraq and Afghanistan and he looks forward to more Federal and State command and control processes being applied to the efforts in the Gulf after BP shuts down the flow. Once the effort changes from crisis management to response and research he knows that communities, volunteers, industrial responders, transporters, and the oceanographic research community will need the kinds of training that the National Spill Control School provides. He anticipates that new regulations will help to propel the NSCS to provide more technically oriented programs that will keep pace with the drilling, transportation, and research efforts that will result from modern deep exploration and production.

For more on Tony’s compelling work, watch his video.

- Guest post by Tony Wood

Recently a writer for U.S. News & World Report constructed a list of questions that should be addressed before you decide on an online instructor. It’s one way to ensure you aren’t wasting your time with the wrong teacher, and that you’re getting your money’s worth for the time you’re putting in.

Repost by: Rebecca Kern of U.S. News World & Report

6 Questions to Ask When Choosing an Online Instructor

With the growing amount of online colleges and courses to choose from, how can you make sure you don’t waste your time or money on a badly taught course? Some highly experienced online instructors and students suggest asking an instructor these six questions before signing up.

1. Are you proficient at using a variety of software programs?

It’s vital for online instructors to be up to date with all software systems, including Windows 7 and the new Microsoft Office 2010 package, says Bob Barrett, an online instructor who teaches at the American Public University System and teaches and trains instructors at Franklin University. “The more software packages you know, the better instructor you’re going to be because every online student has a different software package and they to want you to know their package,” he says.

2. How quickly do you respond to students’ E-mails?

Barrett says it’s important for online instructors to be online and checking their E-mail as often as possible because not all online learners are able to do school work during the normal working hours on Monday through Friday. “There are no snow days in online learning,” he says. “Online learning is a continuous process; you don’t really turn your computer off.” Susan Wegmann, an assistant professor at the University of Central Florida who won the 2009 Sloan-C Excellence in Online Teaching Award, one of the most prestigious online instruction awards, says she has a policy of responding to her online students within 24 hours on weekdays, and within 48 hours on weekends. More than half of UCF’s 53,500 undergraduate and graduate students took one or more fully online or blended course (taken both online and in the classroom) during the 2009-2010 school year, says Joel Hartman, the chief information officer and vice provost for information technologies and resources at UCF.

Perla LaGuardia, who is pursuing her online master’s in nursing education at UCF, says she appreciates the quick and constant feedback she receives from her teachers. “They’re available via course E-mail, college E-mail, and telephone. There are a variety of ways you can contact them.”

Leslie Shillington, an undergraduate student majoring in athletic training at UCF, has taken several classes online. She says the response time from her online instructors has often been faster than her face-to-face professors, and these online professors also have office hours if she needs to meet them in person.

3. Do you utilize new technologies in the course?

Online instructors should receive ongoing training and professional development to learn the school’s online learning management system and any technology updates the school may make, Wegmann says. She also says they should incorporate new, interactive technologies into the course, such as creating Wikis and conducting real-time discussions through programs such as Adobe Connect, Skype, and Second Life.

Barrett, of American Public University and Franklin University, also says it’s a good practice for online instructors to attend training forums and online learning conferences to learn new technologies. “Don’t just work from home; be out there and be in the news,” Barrett says. “Don’t just attend conferences online; attend live conferences so you can exchange ideas.”

4. How flexible are you with adult learners?

Barrett says online instructors should be understanding of adult learners who often are balancing full-time jobs and family responsibilities, including taking care of their kids or their adult parents. “Flexibility is important because not all adult learners have a perfect schedule,” he says. He also says more and more online learners are members of the military or are students with disabilities, who can have different schedules and specific needs.

The courses should also be focused on student-centered learning, Barrett says. LaGuardia, of UCF’s master’s in nursing education program, says she enjoys that the students are the ones who participate the most in her courses’ online discussions, and the instructors mainly facilitate their student learning experience.

5. Do you set clear expectations and instructions for students?

Teachers should clearly denote what they expect from their students and what students should expect from their teacher, LaGuardia says. They should also provide a schedule of the course and detailed coursework instructions. “You need to make sure their feedback guides your learning experience,” she says.

6. How do you help build an online community?

The instructor needs to help create a community within the course, LaGuardia says. “You’re learning together, but also learning from each other.” She says that at the beginning of the course, it helps connect the community when every member—including the instructor—posts introductions about themselves and describes their background on the course discussion boards. She also says that online chat sessions help introduce the students to the instructor and allow students to answers questions about the syllabus and schedule.

Wegmann, of UCF, says her online chat sessions help her relate to her students. “Students appreciate being able to get a question answered immediately,” she says. “When they hear my voice, it just seems to give a different feel to the class.” She says instructors should incorporate their voice into their content to help build community by sharing stories and relating the material to real-life experiences.