“The world as we have created it is a process of our thinking. It
cannot be changed without changing our thinking.”
― Albert Einstein
It
is human nature to need and desire information about the world we live in.
Research shows that students tend to construct meaning from topics they are
interested in and therefore are more motivated to research them more deeply. Inquiry experiences
provide valuable opportunities for students to improve their understandings. Inquiry
is based on a constructivist approach where the student is at the centre of
deep learning, higher order thinking and reflection (Kuhlthau, Maniotes &
Caspari, 2007). The implementation of inquiry learning presents a number of
significant challenges to both teachers and students.
Based
on the analysis of this ILA, as well general observations, the following
recommendation are made.
Development of Information Literacy Skills
The Council of
Australian University Librarians (2001) defines information literacy as “an understanding and a set of
abilities enabling individuals to recognise when information is needed and have
the capacity to locate, evaluate, and use effectively the needed
information." An information literate person is able to:
- recognise a need for information
- determine the extent of information needed
- access the needed information efficiently
- evaluate the information and its sources
- incorporate selected information into their knowledge base
- use information effectively to accomplish a purpose
- understand economic, legal, social and cultural issues in the use of information
- access and use information ethically and legally
- classify, store, manipulate and redraft information collected or generated
- recognise information literacy as a prerequisite for lifelong learning
The Reflection Sheets revealed that students rely heavily on the
internet for sources of information and were reluctant to utilise resources
from the library. However, observation of students showed that they need
explicit teaching of search strategies, how to read websites, databases and
other options to Google. Oblinger (2008) put forward that even though our
society, and in particular our Net Generation, seems comfortable with the
digital technology that does not mean they know how to use it effectively and
to its fullest potential. Savolainen (2007) stated that “people
tend to be satisficers: they stop information seeking after finding information
that is good enough, given the time constraints in specific situations.” We
want our users to have success with finding quality information and not just
settle for “good enough”, therefore we need to explicitly teach them how to
locate it.
It is
recommended that the explicit teaching of information literacy skills from the
Generic and Situated window approach (Lupton & Bruce, 2010) be taking place
during all research projects. The application of Bruner’s spiral curriculum,
where basic ideas are revisited over and over, built upon and elaborated to the
level of full understanding and mastery is recommended for the development of
effective information literacy skills. These information literacy skills need
to be clearly embedded in the programming of units.
Recommendations
are also made for the inclusion of information literacy professional development
for teachers so that they have the skills and knowledge to guide students and
provide timely intervention.
Inquiry Awareness
Inquiry is
an integral element in several key learning areas of the Australian Curriculum.
Figure 1 shows that a search for “inquiry” on the site reveals 126 results. However
many teachers are more comfortable with a teacher-directed approach to learning
or a guided approach. It is important that all staff have a clear understanding
of inquiry and how it pertains to their subject. Professional development is
essential for this. As a teacher librarian, I have been provided with many
opportunities to be immersed in inquiry learning, and am still grappling with
how to implement it effectively within the classroom. Classroom teachers have
had little, if any in-service, and are expected to implement it with their
students. As a school,
the staff needs to develop their understanding of inquiry by sharing
what inquiry approaches they are aware of and are currently using in their
subject areas, as well as exploring other information literacy models. It is recommended that
teachers identify what is common in the approaches they take to inquiry
learning and use this knowledge to support students.
Figure 1
 |
World Wide Web
|
books
|
|
magazines
|
|
online resources
|
|
internet
|
|
dictionaries
|
|
people
|
|
artefacts
|
|
exhibits
|
|
newspapers
|
|
videos
|
|
films
|
|
CD ROMs
|
Collaboration
Ideally
collaborating with a teacher-librarian will effect greater improvement in
students’ independent inquiry skills. The teacher-librarian’s expertise could
be utilised during planning, implementation and evaluative phases of the guided
inquiry process. However, within this school the teacher-librarian role has
been rescinded. This being the case, it is recommended that collaboration occur
within and between departments to develop the inquiry skills of the students.
This collaboration would provide support for both teachers and students with
intervention and guidance through the different phases of the inquiry. This
collaboration may include posing inquiry questions, advanced Internet searching,
evaluating websites, note-taking and bibliographies. The collaboration would
provide a better understanding of student inquiry requirements between subject
areas.
Collaborative
student learning experiences are also recommended. One of the six guiding
principles of Kuhlthau’s Guided Inquiry model is that students learn through
social interactions with others (Kuhlthau, Maniotes & Caspari, 2007). It is recommended that students
be given opportunity to share what they are learning and using throughout the
inquiry. Collaborative learning engages the students in subject specific discussions with peers and assimilates multiple views to deepen knowledge and promote critical thinking
Development of Effective Teacher and
Student Questioning
Central to inquiry
learning is knowing how to ask and answer questions. If it is true that the
questions we ask often determine the answers we get – then we need to know how
to ask good questions.
Teachers and
students need to be aware that we use different questions for different
purposes. Effective teacher questioning guides student inquiry. Although
rhetorical questions may be useful to orientate students to the subject matter,
open questions provide opportunity for broad, more personal responses. They
generate discussion and investigation. The use of Bloom’s
Taxonomy to assist in structuring questions to encourage the use of higher
order thinking skills is recommended.
To be effective
questioners, students need to be aware of the types of questions they ask.
Making the purpose of different types of questions explicit helps students to
frame their questions appropriately. Student
questions are pivotal to all forms on inquiry. They help students focus their
research and promote deeper thinking and understanding.
As
observed in this unit, the students experienced difficulty developing questions
to help frame their research. Often in the classroom context, students are used
to answering questions posed by the teacher, rather than asking the questions
themselves. Two factors are important in assisting students develop appropriate
questions. These factors are modelling and engagement. It is recommended that
teachers regularly model the framing of different questions. Teachers also need
to provide appropriate contexts for the students to practice the framing of
questions. It may take awhile for some students to develop these skills;
therefore the students need to experience success in a supportive environment. Some
examples of different models of question types to scaffold student learning is
available on pages 9 and 10 in Inquiry
Approaches in Primary Studies of Society and Environment Key Learning Area.
Summary
Making
recommendations forms a fundamental part of the evaluative cycle. Without
recommendations it is difficult to achieve change. They assist to define and
prioritise actions that will enhance our teaching practice and student’s
learning. Implementation of the mentioned recommendations
would effect significant improvement in students’ skills and knowledge.
References
Gordon, K. Inquiry Approaches in Primary Studies of Society and Environment Key Learning Area, Occasional paper prepared for the Queensland School Curriculum Council. (pp9-10).
Kuhlthau, C. (2010). Guided inquiry : school libraries in the 21st century School Libraries Worldwide, 16 (1), 1-12.
Kuhlthau, C.C., Maniotes,
L.K., and Caspari, A.K. (2007). Guided Inquiry: Learning in the 21st Century,
Westport: Libraries Unlimited. Chapter 2: The Theory and Research Basis for
Guided Inquiry (pp. 13-28).
Lupton, M., & Bruce, C.
(2010). Windows on Information Literacy Worlds: Generic, Situated and
Transformative Perspectives. In A. Lloyd, & Talja, S. (Ed.), Practising
information literacy: bringing theories of learning, practice and information
literacy together (pp. 3-27). Wagga Wagga: Centre for Information Studies.
Murdoch, K 'Inquiry learning – journeys
through the thinking processes', , Accessed 19th October 2013, Source: from
http://r.righthere.com.cn/3/204/76/149c9c78-545c-41d8-8b39-bf83417200a2.pdf
Oblinger,
D. (2008). Growing up with Google: What
it means to education. Emerging technologies for learning. Volume 3.
Savolainen, Reijo. (2007). Filtering and withdrawing:
strategies for coping with information overload in everyday contexts.
Finland: Journal of Information Sciences.
'Bloom's Taxonomy', Government of
South Australia, 2013, Accessed: 22nd October 2013, Source: from: http://www.decd.sa.gov.au/assessment/pages/assessmentstrategies/taxonomy/?reFlag=1
Information Literacy Standards.
Canberra: Council of Australian University Librarians, 2001.
'Jerome Bruner: Constructivism &
Discovery Learning ', Theories of Learning in Educational Psychology, Accessed:
17th October 2013, Source: from:
http://www.lifecircles-inc.com/Learningtheories/constructivism/bruner.html
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