name_________________________
In today's workworld, it is expected that employees are both computer and
information literate. That means that employers want you to be able
to use computers to accomplish basic office tasks (e.g., wordprocessing,
scheduling, use of spreadsheets). They also want you to be able to
solve information problems using electronic resources.
This exercise will give you practice in information problem-solving,
using a computer and the Internet.
|
Business
Directories in Santa Cruz
|
| PROBLEM Your company is new here
in Santa Cruz. Your boss wants to make sure that the business gets
listed in the appropriate Santa Cruz business directories. You come
to work one day and find a note on your desk: "Please identify Santa Cruz
and/or Monterey Bay Internet business directories where this company should
be listed. Note if there is a special section for insurance companies.
Email me the information you find. Thanks!"
YOUR SOLUTION You use Internet
search engines to identify the approptiate directories.
Optional -- If you have Web-based email, send your instructor the Web addresses
you find. [Go to Getting
a Web-based Email Account if you don't have Web-based email
and would like to have a free account.] |
Most communities have directories that make it easy to identify businesses
in the area. Gaining experience with finding and using these kinds
of resources will provide good preparation for workplace realities.
-
Read carefully through the section below "How to Use Internet Search Engines."
-
Following directions given below, go to where Internet search engines are
listed and described on the Cabrillo College Library Web pages
-
Using one or more of the search engines, find the Web addresses for at
least two business directories for Santa Cruz. Explore to
see if there is a special section for insurance agents, as your boss asked
you to do.
1. How to Use Internet Search Engines
Internet search engines, unfortunately, don't all work in the same
way. However, in the ones you are going to use in the assignment,
the following search parameters all apply:
-
Use quotation marks (" ") to keep words in phrases together
-
If you want the search engine to recognize a letter as a capital, capitalize
it. Otherwise, use lower case
-
Use a plus sign (+) in front of a term to require it in the search result;
use a minus sign (-) in front of a term to disallow it in the search result.
NOTE
Plus signs are not required in the search engine Google;
Google automatically puts an AND between the terms you enter in your search
statement
2. Getting to a list of Internet Search Engines
-
Be on the Cabrillo College Library homepage http://libwww.cabrillo.cc.ca.us
(If you are at an information workstation in the library, just click on
HOME at the top of the screen)
-
Click on Search the Internet
-
Click on Search Engines
3. Select one or more of the following search engines to use for this
exercise
-
AltaVista: simple
-
FAST Search
-
Google
Search terms you might use (from brainstorming):_________________________
______________________________________________________________
1. Directory name__________________________________________________
URL _______________________________________________________
If you have Web-based email, get on your account and email the instructor
the Web address; sign the email using your full name.
Does it have a special section for listing insurance business?
If so, describe how you get to that section from the main homepage for
the directory.
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
2. Directory name___________________________________________________
URL ________________________________________________________
If you have Web-based email, get on your account and email the instructor
the Web address; sign the email using your full name.
Does it have a special section for listing insurance business?
If so, describe how you get to that section from the main homepage for
the directory.
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
|
Responding
to a Customer's Question
|
| PROBLEM You are an office assistant
in an insurance company. One of your customers comes in to discuss
his needs for various kinds of insurance. He has life insurance,
but what other kinds of insurance might he be interested in? While
you refer him to your boss for professional advice, you want to also be
helpful by providing access to information resources.
YOUR SOLUTION You use Internet
search engines to find quality resources to which you can refer your customer. |
- Click on Evaluating
Internet Resources and read the criteria
-
Following directions given above, go to where Internet search engines are
listed and described on the Cabrillo College Library Web pages
-
Using one or more of the search engines, find three quality links that
your custgomer might want to use to become more informed about various
types of insurance.
1. Name of Web site_____________________________________________
URL_____________________________________________
Why do you think this site would provide quality information that is
useful?
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
2. Name of Web site_____________________________________________
URL_____________________________________________
Why do you think this site would provide quality information that is
useful?
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
3. Name of Web site_____________________________________________
URL_____________________________________________
Why do you think this site would provide quality information that is
useful?
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
This web exercise has been designed by Topsy
N. Smalley April 2000
The URL for this page is http://www.cabrillo.cc.ca.us/~tsmalley/ProbSolvInsurOff.htmll |
