Big6 & Info Lit

Using the BIG6 to help students develop critical thinking skills.
Information Literacy

ACRL’s Information Literacy Competency Standards
Determine the extent of information needed
Access the needed information effectively and efficiently
Evaluate information and its sources critically
Incorporate selected information into one’s knowledge base
Use information effectively to accomplish a specific purpose
Understand the economic, legal, and social issues surrounding the use of information, and access and use information ethically and legally
www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/acrl/standards/informationliteracycompetency.cfm

BIG6 Skills
1. Task Definition
2. Information Seeking Strategies
3. Location and Access
4. Use of Information
5. Synthesis
6. Evaluation

I. Task Definition
Define the information problem
Identify information needed to solve the problem
Develop and refine a range of questions to frame the search for new understanding.
Display initiative and engagement by posing questions and investigating the answers beyond the collection of superficial facts.

Receiving Instructions & Brainstorming
Teachers can give specific guidelines for assignments
Show end products from previous semesters/students
Encourage free writing, concept maps, spider web graphs, etc.
Brainstorm ideas and do not feel like you have to commit immediately to a topic

II. Information Seeking Strategies
Determine the range of possible sources (brainstorm).
Evaluate the different possible sources to determine priorities (select the best sources).
Find, evaluate, and select appropriate sources to answer questions.
See “ISU Research Tips & Access Points” handout.
Evaluate information found in selected sources on the basis of accuracy, validity, appropriateness for needs, importance, and social and cultural context.

Which sources might help most?

Find basic background information
Search for more information
Consult specific sources
Weigh gathered information

with personal and other’s
experience
OWN EXPERIENCE & INTERVIEWS
ARTICLES
BOOKS
REFERENCE MATERIALS

Planning Your Keyword Search
What is your research question?
Choose keywords from your question.
Think of synonyms
Boolean searching
- object lesson
- AND, OR, NOT
- (medication or prescription) and abuse
- (synonym or related term) and keyword and keyword

Evaluating Information—Applying the CRAAP Test
Group Activity
- Evaluate abstracts
- Is the information timely/current?
- Will it help to answer my research question?
- Is the information accurate? How can I know?
- Who wrote the article/book? How are they qualified?
- Why did they write it? Do they have a bias?
http://www.isu.edu/library/help/ineteval.htm
See the handout.
Medication abuse: is tighter regulation of prescription drugs needed?

Location and Access
Locate sources (intellectually and physically).
Find information within sources.
Demonstrate mastery of technology tools for accessing information and pursuing inquiry.
Seek divergent perspectives during information gathering and assessment.

Use of Information
Engage (e.g. read, hear, view, touch) the information in a source.
Extract relevant information from a source.
Make sense of information gathered from diverse sources by identifying misconceptions, main and supporting ideas, conflicting information, and point of view or bias.
Apply critical-thinking skills (analysis, synthesis, evaluation, organization) to information and knowledge.
Follow ethical and legal guidelines in gathering and using information.

Synthesis
Organize information from multiple sources
Present the information
Use technology and other information tools to analyze and organize info
Use technology and other information tools to organize and display knowledge and understanding in ways that others can view, use, and assess.

Evaluation
Judge the product (effectiveness)
Judge the information problem-solving process (efficiency).
Assess the processes by which learning was achieved in order to revise strategies and learn more effectively in the future.
Assess the quality and effectiveness of the learning product.

Taxonomy of Significant Learning