Questionnaire 3 (05 October 2011)

My thoughts and feelings about my topic

An examination of the various models for information literacy and inquiry-based learning led me to believe that ‘learning to learn’ is the nexus between information literacy and inquiry-based learning. Essential to ‘learning to learn’ is the ability to reflect upon what is already known and what needs to be known (the ability to formulate questions or identify problems for investigation) and to seek solutions and reflect on the appropriateness of those solutions.

Solutions usually come in the form of information which is available from many sources and takes many forms. Sources can be people, places or things. I asked the  Prep children’s When you want to know something, where can you get information? Their responses to the question could be best categorised as people, places or things. Forms include our personal experiences (our own senses and emotions), the personal experiences of others (conversations with people through face-to-face dialogue or transactional texts like letters, postcards, email, blogs, discussion boards, debates, narrative and non-narrative texts in text, still and moving images and sound).

Some forms and sources of information are more easily accessed than others. For children, the easiest sources of information to access are their parents and teachers. They are aware of other sources such as books and computers, but need help to access them.

Some forms and sources of information are more difficult to access than others. Storage of information for easy retrieval requires the development of systems. People often need to be taught how to access these systems. At a simple level, a book is an information storage device. The Prep children often said that reading was difficult for them. At a complex level, libraries and the Internet are storage systems for information. Teachers need to model information retrieval from these systems, and children need opportunties to practice information retrieval processes.

To better understand how to retrieve and interpret information effectively, children also need to practice the processes of recording and communicating information.

Critical reflection on information is also important. This involves understanding the relationships amongst the forms of information that affect its accuracy, currency, credibility and appropriateness to the intended purpose. For example, a fact presented in an encyclopedia might be seen as more accurate than a similar fact presented on a web page. However, in some cases, like population of a city or country, the respective dates of publication of the fact might be a more effective guide to the reliablity of the information than the source.

The type of source will also influence the degree of specificity of information. I found adequate support for inquiry based learning in the research literature. It seemed obvious that inquiry-based learning comes in many forms and that students are generally capable of effective and efficient open inquiry after being guided through processes by teachers. However there was scant advice on day-to-day practice to demonstrate how teachers support learning in the preparatory year. I thought there might be more specific advice in  professional journals. While there was a lot of praise for inquiry-based learning and play-based learning, once more there was little information about how to implement such an approach.

I then looked to models of information literacy, thinking skills and philosophical thinking. While these provided steps and suggested resources, it was still hard to get a clear picture of information literacy and inquiry-based learning in Prep. More specific advice was provided by curriculum documentation, particularly scope and sequence documents and case studies.

Examining the curriculum documentation for evidence of or support for information literacy and inquiry based learning made me wonder which aspects of inquiry-based learning and information literacy are curriculum and what is pedagogy?

Some approaches such as play-based learning and philosophy for/with children can complement but not replace inquiry-based learning. These approaches provide teachers with opportunties to scaffold learning within an inquiry-based approach. I would like to explore the development of metacognition and meta-language, and the use of philosophical thinking to develop critical thinking and reflection.

My interest level for this topic

Not at all ☐      not much ☐    quite a bit ☐    a great deal R

Guilty, like many primary school teachers, of underestimating what young children can do. Now that I have a better appreciation of the principles underpinning early childhood education, I am very interested in learning more about how to scaffolded learning appropriately. I would also like to learn more about the connection between metacognition and inquiry learning. If we are learners from the day we are born, then children are already accomplished learners by the time they get to school. So, what is it about learning that we need young children to learn? Is it to identify and articulate their own learning needs and to communicate what they have learnt effectively? Is this their learning need or merely the accountability requirements of an education system?

My knowledge level about this topic

Nothing ☐        not much ☐    quite a bit R    a great deal ☐

I would like to be able to say that I know a great deal about the topic. But the more I learned, the more I was aware of further areas for exploration. I feel as if I am still

Things I find easy when researching

I’m pleased to be able to say that I have a much better understanding of advanced searches in a range of academic databases. I find it much easier to identify keywords and synonyms and related topics for searches. I am becoming more practiced at using search histories to track my searches in a methodical way, selecting relevant sources from those returned by searches, and organising the information I gather so that it is easy to retrieve and reference.  Though I do find it easy to get side tracked by identifying new areas for exploration.

Things I find difficult when researching

Recording videos without mistakes – I really don’t like doing these.

Collecting data from preparatory year students.