ENGAGING

  DEFINING

  INITIATING

  LOCATING

  EXAMINING, SELECTING, COMPREHENDING, ASSESSING

  RECORDING, SORTING, ORGANIZING, INTERPRETING

  COMMUNICATING, SYNTHESIZING

  EVALUATING

Information Literacy

Steps in the inquiry process of problem-solving for an information need.

The process of...    INITIATING

Student Skills and Strategies

The student demonstrates these skills and strategies.

Brainstorms, clusters, webs, uses concept maps or outlines to define the focus of the investigation:

• identifies characteristics and attributes, define the topic
• organize ideas
• visualize relationships
• develop vocabulary depth, including synonyms, truncation, wildcards

Develops a search plan...
Designs analytical search using:

• Boolean AND (key words, subject headings, descriptors, related concepts, subtopics)
• Boolean OR (synonyms, alternate spellings)
• Boolean NOT (excluded terms)

Identifies potential engines and sources based on strengths and needs:

• general overview
• subtopic resources
• experts
• specialized sources
• proponents of a position

Develops criteria for evaluating sources:

• scope of the information need
• timeliness
• type of publication
• primary or secondary sources
• format
• point of view
• level of difficulty
• sponsor: domain (free  #1, #2)
• purpose of your product (inform, persuade, entertain) related to the content and audience.

Develops questions to structure and clarify the search.

Develops a time frame (tools: flow chart, timeline, calendar)

Student Outcomes

Longitudinal competencies that can be observed in the learner.

Can develop a search plan appropriate to the problem and the product:

• generates a "rich" description
• selects relevant attributes, procedures and tools to guide data gathering
• plans logically
• modifies strategies based on goals
• thinks metacognitively
• uses computer as a tool for planning
• logically incorporates resources (electronic, print and human) into plan

Curriculum and Teaching Design

The curriculum and teaching supports the process, skills and strategies to build long-term competencies.

• peer education (peer-coaching, peer collaboration, cooperative learning) configured to ensure full participation of each student
• facilitated discussion
• reflective teaching
• team teaching
• think alouds, skill modeling
• teaching for transfer
• technology and research skills taught as needed