-
- Contributed By: Curriki Team
There are multiple methods for finding curricular
materials, communities, and other resources in Curriki. These methods will
depend on where you are on Curriki and on what you are looking for.
Searchable materials on Curriki are organized into the following
categories, as you can see in the screen grab from search results:
Search and Browse functions always return results within a single category. For instance, if you search for “education” using one of the methods that looks for learning resources (such as the simple search), only learning resources will be returned. To search for groups about education, you will need to switch to the groups tab of your search results.
Each method and the details for how to use it are explained in the following sections within this Help folder: “How to Search & Browse Curriki”. You may also want to watch the following video tutorials: Before you get started, remember—while you do not have to be logged in to your account in order to view resources, open groups, or other materials, you will need to be logged in if you want to work with the results you find, such as adding resources to one of your collections, building them up with your own additional content, or editing them. Also, it is important to note that the number of resources and members you see under "Watch Curriki Grow" may not equal the number returned in your search results. This is because the few inactive members Curriki has are not returned, and some resources may be "hidden" from search when they are meant for private groups or in draft phase. Although there may be items that cannot be searched, the results returned will be more relevant to help you find what you are looking for.
- Learning Resources
- Groups
- Members
- Curriki Pages
Search and Browse functions always return results within a single category. For instance, if you search for “education” using one of the methods that looks for learning resources (such as the simple search), only learning resources will be returned. To search for groups about education, you will need to switch to the groups tab of your search results.
Each method and the details for how to use it are explained in the following sections within this Help folder: “How to Search & Browse Curriki”. You may also want to watch the following video tutorials: Before you get started, remember—while you do not have to be logged in to your account in order to view resources, open groups, or other materials, you will need to be logged in if you want to work with the results you find, such as adding resources to one of your collections, building them up with your own additional content, or editing them. Also, it is important to note that the number of resources and members you see under "Watch Curriki Grow" may not equal the number returned in your search results. This is because the few inactive members Curriki has are not returned, and some resources may be "hidden" from search when they are meant for private groups or in draft phase. Although there may be items that cannot be searched, the results returned will be more relevant to help you find what you are looking for.
If you are not sure where to begin, we recommend reading
through the “About Finding & Collecting” page, linked under “FIND” on the
left navigation menu or on the Home page. This page will guide you through some
of the fastest, best ways to find the content you are looking for in Curriki’s
repository. This list discusses several of those methods, as well as other ways
to find additional materials on Curriki.
You may also want to start by watching the video tutorial "Search Basics".
A) Simple Search
for Resources
At the top of every screen you will see an orange rectangle that allows you to enter a simple key word search. Using this methodology will return Learning Resources that match your terms. Simply enter the term you are looking for and hit “Go.” Your results will load in the next page, and you will be able to further refine your search using the filters explained in the next few sections. B) Advanced Search Underneath the orange Simple Search box you will see a link for “Advanced Search”. Click this link to be taken to a new page, where you will be able to search for all of the materials available on Curriki: Resources, Groups, Members, and Curriki Pages. You will also be able to enter filtering criteria to further refine your search. The options available to find each of these types of materials are explained in detail in the next few sections, or you can watch the How to Use Advanced Search video tutorial. C) Browse Resources & Groups To Browse Resources, in the left navigation menu, click “FIND” so that the sub-menu opens, then click “Browse Resources by Subject”. You can also click the “Browse Subjects” link underneath the orange Simple Search box at the top of every page. If you are looking for groups instead, in the left navigation menu, click “CONNECT”, then select “Browse Groups by Subject” from the sub-menu. On the next screen, simply select your subject of interest. You will be taken to a Search Results page, where you may further refine your criteria using the filters explained in the next few sections of this Help folder. D) Featured Resources, Groups, & Partners Within the “FIND”, “CONNECT”, and “PARTNERS & SPONSORS” sections of the left navigation menu, you will see links to Featured Resources, Featured Groups, and Featured Partners. Each link will allow you to find materials the Curriki Team recommends, for instance resources that were created by individual, group, or partner contributors and are known to be of high quality, or groups that are particularly active. E) Reviewed Resources To quickly access the top-rated resources by the Curriki Review System (CRS), click “FIND” in the left navigation menu, then select “Reviewed Resources” from the sub-menu. You will be taken to a search results page that lists all of the resources in the repository that have received a CRS score of 2-Good and 3-Exemplary. F) Partner Resources Curriki’s Partners have contributed many excellent resources to the content repository. In the left navigation menu, click “PARTNERS & SPONSORS” so that the sub-menu opens, then click “Partner Resources”. On the next page, you will see a list of search results that have been contributed by our Partners and are known to be of high quality. More Like This Remember that if you find a Curriki member whose resources you consider valuable, you can view that member's My Curriki (as long as they have allowed this feature); there you will be able to view the member's available contributions and collections. Any time you see a contributor's name, click it to access his or her My Curriki, then view his or her Contributions and Collections tabs.
At the top of every screen you will see an orange rectangle that allows you to enter a simple key word search. Using this methodology will return Learning Resources that match your terms. Simply enter the term you are looking for and hit “Go.” Your results will load in the next page, and you will be able to further refine your search using the filters explained in the next few sections. B) Advanced Search Underneath the orange Simple Search box you will see a link for “Advanced Search”. Click this link to be taken to a new page, where you will be able to search for all of the materials available on Curriki: Resources, Groups, Members, and Curriki Pages. You will also be able to enter filtering criteria to further refine your search. The options available to find each of these types of materials are explained in detail in the next few sections, or you can watch the How to Use Advanced Search video tutorial. C) Browse Resources & Groups To Browse Resources, in the left navigation menu, click “FIND” so that the sub-menu opens, then click “Browse Resources by Subject”. You can also click the “Browse Subjects” link underneath the orange Simple Search box at the top of every page. If you are looking for groups instead, in the left navigation menu, click “CONNECT”, then select “Browse Groups by Subject” from the sub-menu. On the next screen, simply select your subject of interest. You will be taken to a Search Results page, where you may further refine your criteria using the filters explained in the next few sections of this Help folder. D) Featured Resources, Groups, & Partners Within the “FIND”, “CONNECT”, and “PARTNERS & SPONSORS” sections of the left navigation menu, you will see links to Featured Resources, Featured Groups, and Featured Partners. Each link will allow you to find materials the Curriki Team recommends, for instance resources that were created by individual, group, or partner contributors and are known to be of high quality, or groups that are particularly active. E) Reviewed Resources To quickly access the top-rated resources by the Curriki Review System (CRS), click “FIND” in the left navigation menu, then select “Reviewed Resources” from the sub-menu. You will be taken to a search results page that lists all of the resources in the repository that have received a CRS score of 2-Good and 3-Exemplary. F) Partner Resources Curriki’s Partners have contributed many excellent resources to the content repository. In the left navigation menu, click “PARTNERS & SPONSORS” so that the sub-menu opens, then click “Partner Resources”. On the next page, you will see a list of search results that have been contributed by our Partners and are known to be of high quality. More Like This Remember that if you find a Curriki member whose resources you consider valuable, you can view that member's My Curriki (as long as they have allowed this feature); there you will be able to view the member's available contributions and collections. Any time you see a contributor's name, click it to access his or her My Curriki, then view his or her Contributions and Collections tabs.
The Search Results page has several exciting features that will help you find the exact information you are looking for. This section will discuss the features in general. For each type of material (i.e. Resources vs. Members), refer to the next sections within this folder for information about exact filters that are available.
Searching with Tabs
Search Results are organized using a tab display.
Each tab allows you to search for a different type of material within the website. For instance, if you are on the “Resources” tab, the search will find all Learning Resources that have been contributed to Curriki’s repository that match the criteria you enter. If, however, you are on the “Groups” tab, the search will return any Curriki Group listings whose keywords or contents match your criteria. Tabs available include:
Search Tips Link To the right of the Search Terms entry box, you will see a link to “Search Tips”. Click this link to read about some tricks that will help you get the best results possible using Boolean operators. Make sure that your browser allows popups in order to view these tips.
Advanced Search Toggle For each tab where detailed filtering options are available, you will see an “Advanced Search” Toggle just below the Search Terms box in the blue search area. Click this toggle to either show or hide the additional filters. Note that there are no filtering options available when searching Blogs and Curriki Pages, so the Advanced Search Toggle will not be displayed on those tabs.
Filtering Options
On each tab, when you toggle the “Advanced Search” button to extend the blue display, you will see three or more filtering options. The filters are specific to the tab, and are discussed in the next few Help Sections within this folder.
Working with the Search Results Table
After entering your search terms and clicking “Search”, a list of results matching your terms will appear in a table below the blue search area. The columns displayed in this table are specific to the tab you are using, and are discussed in the next few Help Sections within this folder, however here are a few points about general functionality of the table available on each page:
Refining your Search
Curriki has set a maximum of 500 matches returned at a time in order to improve performance. When a user submits a very open ended query (i.e., does not enter search terms or apply any filters), there could 18,000 resources or more found, which would take a long time for the site to load and for the user to sift through. Although you will see the total number of resources available that match your search on the tab at the top of the page, the results table will only display the top 500 matches in order to ensure site performance is at its best.
If your search did not return the type of results you were expecting, or returned too many results, try refining your terms and filters. More information is available in the next few sections “Refine your Search for…” which describes how to narrow down the results for each type of search (i.e. Resources vs Groups).
Searching with Tabs
Search Results are organized using a tab display.
Each tab allows you to search for a different type of material within the website. For instance, if you are on the “Resources” tab, the search will find all Learning Resources that have been contributed to Curriki’s repository that match the criteria you enter. If, however, you are on the “Groups” tab, the search will return any Curriki Group listings whose keywords or contents match your criteria. Tabs available include:
- Resources – Find learning resources that have been contributed to the Curriki Repository
- Groups – Find groups you would like to join in order to collaborate with other members with similar interests
- Members – Find members in order to view additional content they have contributed
- Curriki Pages – Find specific information about Curriki
Search Tips Link To the right of the Search Terms entry box, you will see a link to “Search Tips”. Click this link to read about some tricks that will help you get the best results possible using Boolean operators. Make sure that your browser allows popups in order to view these tips.
Advanced Search Toggle For each tab where detailed filtering options are available, you will see an “Advanced Search” Toggle just below the Search Terms box in the blue search area. Click this toggle to either show or hide the additional filters. Note that there are no filtering options available when searching Blogs and Curriki Pages, so the Advanced Search Toggle will not be displayed on those tabs.
Filtering Options
On each tab, when you toggle the “Advanced Search” button to extend the blue display, you will see three or more filtering options. The filters are specific to the tab, and are discussed in the next few Help Sections within this folder.
Working with the Search Results Table
After entering your search terms and clicking “Search”, a list of results matching your terms will appear in a table below the blue search area. The columns displayed in this table are specific to the tab you are using, and are discussed in the next few Help Sections within this folder, however here are a few points about general functionality of the table available on each page:
- Columns may be re-ordered: Click on the column header, then drag to the appropriate location. Release your pointer only when you see the double arrows. This will drop the column into the order you have selected.
- Columns may be hidden or unhidden: Hover your mouse over the far right of each column until you see a small, downward pointing arrow. (Note that different color settings on your computer may cause the arrow to be less visible on some tabs than on others.)
- Click the arrow, then hover over “Columns”. Select or unselect the columns you would like to display or hide. All columns that have a check mark next to their name will be displayed in your table. Click away from the column header to hide the menu again; if you click directly on the column header or you will re-order your columns in addition to closing the menu.
- Sort results by column: Your search results will be automatically sorted by the default column until you select a new column to sort. Next to the column name, you will see a small arrow pointing either up or down to represent that this column is the current sort column and whether it is sorted lowest to highest or highest to lowest.
- Click on the currently sorted column header switch the direction your results are sorted, or click a different column header re-sort the results.
- Navigate through results pages: At the bottom of each page, you will see a footer that tells you the page you are currently on, the number of pages of results, and the number of items displayed per page.
- Navigate through the pages by clicking the next or previous links.
- You may also skip to a page by clicking in the text box, entering a new number, then clicking “Enter”.
- Change the number of results per page by selecting a new option from the dropdown menu.
- Note: in some cases you may not be able to view all of the listings that were found. For instance, you may see that there were 400 results found, but only be able to see resource titles on the first few pages of results. This happens when resources are marked Private (so that only the creator or their group members can view the resource) but are not properly hidden from search. In this case, the number of resources available is counted exactly without looking at the access setting, then results are displayed based on the user’s access rights. Due to technical limitations we are unable to provide an exact count of pages that will display results, so once a user browses through all the listings he/she has access to, the next page of results will appear blank. Curriki is continuing to work to find a solution to this problem.
- Navigate through the pages by clicking the next or previous links.
Refining your Search
Curriki has set a maximum of 500 matches returned at a time in order to improve performance. When a user submits a very open ended query (i.e., does not enter search terms or apply any filters), there could 18,000 resources or more found, which would take a long time for the site to load and for the user to sift through. Although you will see the total number of resources available that match your search on the tab at the top of the page, the results table will only display the top 500 matches in order to ensure site performance is at its best.
If your search did not return the type of results you were expecting, or returned too many results, try refining your terms and filters. More information is available in the next few sections “Refine your Search for…” which describes how to narrow down the results for each type of search (i.e. Resources vs Groups).
Once you have completed a search or clicked on a link for Learning Resources, you will see your results on the “Resources” tab of the Search page. Here you will see the search terms you entered, as well as additional Advanced Search filtering options. You will also see a list of resources from the Curriki Repository that match your terms.
The filters that are available to you on this tab include:
Your results will appear in the table below the criteria you selected. The behavior of this table is described in the Help section “Working with Search Results”, but the columns and information available in this table are custom to the Resources tab. Here is what you will find on this tab:
The filters that are available to you on this tab include:
- Subject: Choose one of the top-level subject areas to narrow down resources whose contributor selected that subject as one of the Information Settings.
- Sub-Topic: After selecting a subject, an additional filter will appear below that allows you to choose one of the Sub-Topics available in your chosen Subject. This filter will narrow down the resources even more to those that have your chosen sub-topic selected in the Information Settings.
- Education Level: Choose one of the grade bands to narrow down resources whose contributor selected that grade band as one of the Information Settings for the resource.
- Instruct. Type (ICT): Select one of the Instructional Component Types (ICTs) to find specific types of Learning Resources.
- ICT Sub-Type: After selecting an Instructional Type (ICT), an additional filter will appear below that allows you to choose one of the Sub-Types available in your chosen ICT. This filter will narrow down your search to resources classified by both the ICT and Sub-type within the Information Settings.
- Language: Select one of the languages to find resources in that language.
- Reviews & Ratings: This filter allows you to refine your search to find resources that are known to be high quality. Select “Top-Rated by Curriki” to find resources that were rated 2 and 3 (on a 3-point scale) by the Curriki Review System, select “Partners” to find resources contributed by Curriki’s Partners, or select "Top-Rated by Members" to find resources that were rated 3, 4, or 5 (on a 5-point scale) by members of the community.
- Special Filters: This filter allows you to search for resources that you contributed, search for full collections, or find resources that were recently updated.
Your results will appear in the table below the criteria you selected. The behavior of this table is described in the Help section “Working with Search Results”, but the columns and information available in this table are custom to the Resources tab. Here is what you will find on this tab:
- Title: This column displays the title of the Learning Resource that was found, along with an icon to help you determine whether it is a standalone Resource (i.e. text-based
, attached file 
, or video 
), a folder within a collection 
, or a full collection 
. An arrow to the left of the icon indicates that the resource is part of one or more larger collections.- Hover over the title to see a description of the Resource.
- Click the arrow to expand the title to discover what folder or collection the resource is a part of.
- Click the title name to be taken to the resource. Remember that if you would like to do more than simply read the resource (i.e. save the resource as a favorite or add it to one of your collections) you will need to be logged in to your member account.
- Instruct. Type (ICT): This column displays the Instructional Component Type (ICT) of the resource.
- Contributor: Here you will see the name of the member who contributed the resource. Click on the contributor’s name to access his or her My Curriki.
- Member Rating: If the resource has been rated one or more times by Curriki members, the rating will be displayed in this column.
- Updated: This column displays the date that the resource was last updated, which includes edits to the content, Information Settings, or comments.
Once you have completed a search or clicked on a link for Groups, you will see your results on the “Groups” tab of the Search page. Here you will see the search terms you entered, as well as additional Advanced Search filtering options. You will also see a list of open and closed groups that match your terms.
The filters that are available to you on this tab include:
Your results will appear in the table below the criteria you selected. The behavior of this table is described in the Help section “Working with Search Results”, but the columns and information available in this table are custom to the Groups tab. Here is what you will find on this tab:
The filters that are available to you on this tab include:
- Subject: Choose one of the top-level subject areas to narrow down groups whose organizer selected that subject as one of the Information Settings.
- Sub-Topic: After selecting a subject, an additional filter will appear below that allows you to choose one of the Sub-Topics available in your chosen Subject. This filter will narrow down the groups even more to those that have your chosen sub-topic selected in the Information Settings.
- Education Level: Choose one of the grade bands to narrow down groups whose organizer selected that grade band as one of the Information Settings for the group.
- Membership Policy: This filter allows you to search for groups with either open membership (any member may join) or closed membership (members must be invited or accepted to join).
Your results will appear in the table below the criteria you selected. The behavior of this table is described in the Help section “Working with Search Results”, but the columns and information available in this table are custom to the Groups tab. Here is what you will find on this tab:
- Policy: This column displays whether the Group has an open or closed membership policy. For more information on the Membership Policies, see the Help Section “Membership in a Group”.
- Name: The name of the group. Click on the name to move to the group’s home page. In order to join the group or request membership into a closed group, you will need to be logged in to your account.
- Description: This column displays the description of the group’s purpose that the group organizer entered when he or she set up the group.
- Updated: This column displays the date that the group was last updated, which includes edits to the group’s collections, messages, new members, and more.
Once you have completed a search for Members, you will see your results on the “Members” tab of the Search page. Here you will see the search terms you entered, as well as additional Advanced Search filtering options. You will also see a list of Curriki Members that match your search terms.
The filters that are available to you on this tab include:
Your results will appear in the table below the criteria you selected. The behavior of this table is described in the Help section “Working with Search Results”, but the columns and information available in this table are custom to the Members tab. Here is what you will find on this tab:
The filters that are available to you on this tab include:
- Subject: Choose one of the top-level subject areas to narrow down members who selected that subject as one of their interests.
- Sub-Topic: After selecting a subject, an additional filter will appear below that allows you to choose one of the Sub-Topics available in your chosen Subject. This filter will narrow down the members even more to those that have your chosen sub-topic selected as one of their interests.
- Member Type: Choose from Parent, Teacher, Professional, or Student to find members who stated that that member type best fit their role in education.
- Country: This filter allows you to search for members located within a specific country.
Your results will appear in the table below the criteria you selected. The behavior of this table is described in the Help section “Working with Search Results”, but the columns and information available in this table are custom to the Members tab. Here is what you will find on this tab:
- Picture: If the user uploaded a picture for their profile, it will appear in this column. Click on the image to move to the user’s My Curriki.
- Name 1: The user’s first name. Click on the name to be taken to the user’s My Curriki.
- Name 2: The user’s last name. Click on the name to move to the user’s My Curriki.
- Contributions: This column displays the number of contributions the member has uploaded or created on Curriki. It includes both individual resources and collections.
Once you have completed a search for Curriki Pages, you will see your results on the “Curriki Pages” tab of the Search page. Here you will see the search terms you entered and a list of pages within Curriki’s main site that match your search terms.
Please note that no Advanced Search filters are currently available on this tab.
Once you have entered or updated the criteria you are looking for, click the orange “Search” button to begin your search. Please be patient while the search completes.
Your results will appear in the table below the criteria you selected. The behavior of this table is described in the Help section “Working with Search Results”, but the columns and information available in this table are custom to the Curriki Pages tab. Here is what you will find on this tab:
Please note that no Advanced Search filters are currently available on this tab.
Once you have entered or updated the criteria you are looking for, click the orange “Search” button to begin your search. Please be patient while the search completes.
Your results will appear in the table below the criteria you selected. The behavior of this table is described in the Help section “Working with Search Results”, but the columns and information available in this table are custom to the Curriki Pages tab. Here is what you will find on this tab:
- Pages: This column lists the name of the page that matched your search terms. Click on the the page name to be directed to the result.
- Updated: This column displays the date that the web page was last updated.
To help you get the best search results, try using Boolean operators in your search terms. Boolean operators are words or marks typed into the search box along with your terms that help our search engine narrow down exactly what you are looking for.
Try these methods:
Use Quotes around Terms
To search for an exact phrase or title, use quotes, as in "The Sun Also Rises" or "George Washington"
Crop Terms Not sure of the exact word? Crop it to a shorter form. For example, 'Read' will return, Reads, Reader, Reading, etc.
Use Question Marks Not sure of the spelling? Use a question mark (?) to replace a single letter. For example, 'Read?' will return Reads, Ready, etc. You can even use multiple questions marks. For example, 'P??r' will return, Pour, Poor, Pear, Peer, etc.
Use a Minus Symbol Not happy with crossover results? Reduce the number of returns by using a minus symbol (-). For example, '"George Washington" -Carver', will remove any returns with the word Carver.
Add "OR" to Terms Use the word “or” to broaden a search. For example, 'England or Britain' will find resources with either one.
For very detailed searching, combine any of the above tips into your search box. Also, you may want to combine these Boolean operaters with your filter selections to refine your search even more.
Crop Terms Not sure of the exact word? Crop it to a shorter form. For example, 'Read' will return, Reads, Reader, Reading, etc.
Use Question Marks Not sure of the spelling? Use a question mark (?) to replace a single letter. For example, 'Read?' will return Reads, Ready, etc. You can even use multiple questions marks. For example, 'P??r' will return, Pour, Poor, Pear, Peer, etc.
Use a Minus Symbol Not happy with crossover results? Reduce the number of returns by using a minus symbol (-). For example, '"George Washington" -Carver', will remove any returns with the word Carver.
Add "OR" to Terms Use the word “or” to broaden a search. For example, 'England or Britain' will find resources with either one.
For very detailed searching, combine any of the above tips into your search box. Also, you may want to combine these Boolean operaters with your filter selections to refine your search even more.
Below are a few examples of searches for Learning Resources using the Boolean operators (described in the Search Tips section of Help) and the Advanced Search Filters (described in the “Refine your Results” section of the help). You can use the same principals from these examples to find other types of material, such as groups and members.
Example 1
Goal – find resources about a basic subject that are geared to a specific classroom setting and ready for immediate use
Tools to use:
Example 2
Goal – find specific types of resources for a basic subject
Tools to use:
Example 3
Goal – find resources about a very specific subject
Tools to use:
Example 1
Goal – find resources about a basic subject that are geared to a specific classroom setting and ready for immediate use
Tools to use:
- Subject Filter
- Sub-Topic Filter
- Education Level Filter
- Reviews Filter
Example 2
Goal – find specific types of resources for a basic subject
Tools to use:
- Instructional Type Filter
- ICT Sub-Type Filter
Example 3
Goal – find resources about a very specific subject
Tools to use:
- Subject Filter
- Sub-Topic Filter
- Boolean Operator – quotes
- Boolean Operator – OR
Variety is a good thing. If you are looking for new resources to intersperse with your current curriculum, Curriki can help you locate those materials that have been recently added or updated in the repository. Simply look for the date/time information for a resource, which is available in several locations: 1. For an individual resource, anyone can click "Revision History" at the top of a resource's Information tab to view a date/time-based display of when the resource was created and when subsequent updates occurred. 2. Members can view the date their contributed resources were created or edited in the My Contributions tab of My Curriki (or by clicking "View All Contributions" for a group via the Curriculum tab) in the Last Updated column. 3. Anyone can also use Advanced Search and then opt to include the Last Updated column in the search results table. For more information on this feature, see the Working with Search Results section of the Help Collection.
