Moving Forwards: Using Search Tools on the Classroom

The digital era we live in has resulted in multiple academic and commercial efforts in the form of technology meant to ease learning (Burnett, 2016). One example is search tools, from search engines like Google to educational environments like Wizenoze (Wizenoze, n.d.). At their core, search tools are the starting point towards the democratization of information. These tools lower the barriers to access to up- to-date resources—beyond textbooks—that can complement classroom instruction by helping students connect curriculum topics with real-life facts (Brown, 2016). While much has been documented about search tools and their theoretical potential to support and improve learning (Madrazo Azpiazu et al., 2018; Karatassis, 2017), little effort goes into understanding teachers’ preferences on these tools, their willing- ness to adopt them, how they use search tools to support learning (in and outside the classroom), and teachers’ efficacy to seamlessly integrate these tools to enhance learning (Murgia et al., 2019b).