Task Definition and Information Seeking strategies
4th Week: 1st Session Class Topic: Task Definition and Information Seeking strategies
1.Task Definition
What is exactly
Define the Problem
Identify the Information requirements of the problem
Helpful questions for teachers to think through:
Helpful questions for students to think through
Task Definition Task Definition refers to the information need or the problem to be solved. Task Definition is the ability to determine the purpose and need for information.
#1.1 Define the problem What does your teacher want you to do? Make sure you understand the requirements of the assignment. Ask your teacher to explain if the assignment seems vague or confusing. What is the problem to be solved? This is the initial question that students must answer in order to solve an information problem. Defining the parameters of what is required is the key to beginning the process. How the information problem is initially defined will determine the kinds of solutions or decisions to be considered throughout the process.
#1.2 Identify the information requirements of the problem. What information is needed in order to solve the problem or make the decision? It is necessary to diagnose the information needs before proceeding to the next skill so that maximum benefits are derived from the effort to collect information. Gathering too much information is as undesirable as gathering too little information. Once the parameters of the problem are determined, it is necessary to decide on the kinds and quantity of information that will solve the problem.
Task Definition is the stage at which students determine what needs to be done and what information is needed to get the job done. We find that the number-one problem situation students can have is not knowing what is expected of them. There are a lot of reasons for this (e.g., students not paying attention, teacher not clear, task is confusing). Regardless of the reason, if students do not understand what they are to do and do not understand the basis upon which their work will be graded, they are at a tremendous disadvantage.
Helpful questions for teachers to think through:
What do we want students to know and be able to do?
What curriculum content outcomes are to be met?
What skills will students be expected to have?
Which of these skills are new and need to be taught?
What kinds of information will students need (facts, opinions, pictures, primary sources)?
Helpful questions for students to think through:
What is my task?
What is the problem I need to solve, or question I need to answer?
What do I already know about my question or problem?
What do I need to know to solve the problem or answer the question?
What types of information do I need (facts, opinions, pictures, primary sources)?
Basic Activities: graphic organizers There are many other graphic organizers that will help students visualize their thinking and brainstorming process. Consider using Inspiration® software to facilitate the visualization of ideas. Big6 icons are now a symbol library in Inspiration version 7! Here's an interactive example of using a graphic organizer to enhance vocabulary and understanding of the relationship between words and their synonyms: The Visual Thesaurus.
Advanced Activities: ask essential questions Ask essential questions to "promote deep and enduring understanding." Teacher Resources Questioning Toolkit Questioning strategies from Jamie Mackenzie Asking Questions Worksheet from CRLS Library Research Questions worksheet KWHL Chart Explanation of adapting KWL to help students define their research task based on a question and identify how (what resources) they'll pursue their research. KWHL worksheet Assignment Organizer Developed by St. Andrew's Library; must print before closing window, does not save work. Graphic Organizers Helpful tools
Information Seeking Strategies Information Seeking Strategies refers to determining the alternative information sources available that are appropriate to the information need. It is a mind expanding stage that encourages students to think broadly and creatively. #2.1 Determine the range of possible sources What are all possible sources of information? Determining the universe of information sources appropriate to solving the information problem is an essential step after clarifying the task at hand. Knowledge of sources as well as imagination and creativity are important to successfully completing the step of determining likely sources. Examples Students demonstrate the ability to generate a list of potential information sources, text and human, for a given information problem. ■ Students demonstrate the ability to determine that an experiment is the appropriate way to gather information. ■ Students demonstrate the ability to recognize various Internet capabilities (e.g., World Wide Web, e-mail, Q&A, or Ask a Librarian services) as valuable resources. #2.2 Select the best sources What are the best possible information sources in a particular situation and at a certain point in time? This is the key question in #2.2. It is not only important to determine the range of sources, but also it is vital to examine the sources and select those that are most likely to provide quality information to meet the task as defined Students demonstrate the ability to decide that the National Geographic CD-ROM is the perfect source to complete the homework assignment. ■ Students demonstrate the ability to decide that a segment from a current Public Broadcasting Service program is a better source of information about whales than a magazine article from 10 years ago. Once students understand the task or problem and have some idea about the types of information needed, their attention must turn to the range of possible information sources. This is the stage when students examine the possible information sources, and then select the sources that are most appropriate and available. Once they get into it, students are generally quite good at brainstorming sources. The goal is to get them to think broadly.
Helpful questions for teachers to think through:
Which resources are available (textbooks, teacher lecture, interviews, guest speaker, library, online)?
Which tools do we want to introduce?
Helpful questions for students to think through:
Where do I go and find more information?
What are the resources do I need to use?
Do I need to use keywords for my searches?
What are my questions?
What am I feeling at this point?
Hints:
Encourage listing all possible sources (people, agencies, library materials, electronic databases, etc.).
Distinguish between primary sources (eyewitness, experiment, observation, original work, historic document) and secondary sources (dictionary, encyclopedia, atlas, almanac, newspapers, books, journals).
Discuss the source as to its possible content and reliability. Consider value of information from each source and its accuracy, authority, availability, ease of use.
Basic Activities: subject directories Students (and even adults) are often frustrated when a search engine retrieves overwhelming amounts of irrelevant information. Encourage new users to use a subject directory of evaluated resources which organizes information hierarchically. Some good starting points for educators and students are: Kathy Schrock's Guide for Educators focuses on web sites useful in K-12 schools. The Internet Public Library has merged with Librarians' Internet Index. KidsClick! web search for kids by librarians. Multnomah County Library Homework Center Use Google's directory rather than its search engine. Direct students to start with "Kids and Teens."
Compare the results from trying the same search in a variety of subject directories.
Identifying the range of all possible sources and even selecting the best sources can be fun, but it is not very helpful for solving a problem unless the students are able to actually retrieve the information they need. The Big6 recognizes this dilemma by requiring that students have the skills to locate and access information. That is the next stage of the Big6.