1. Year 12 Information Learning Activity – Visual Art
This artwork is named The Journey 2011 by contemporary Indoneasian artist Uji Handoko Eko
Saputro ://www.qagoma.qld.gov.au/exhibitions/current/apt7_asia_pacific_triennial_of_contemporary_art
Analysis and recommendations for
the teaching of Information Literacy
and Inquiry Skills
2. “Inquiry draws on student’s life experiences, beginning with things that
Information literate learners are matter to them and that motivate them to want to know more.
able to access, process, organise, Motivation and interest are key elements in inquiry learning”
create and present information in (Kuhlthau, 2006, p.3)
a range of ways that make
meaning for them and all the
construction of personal
knowledge. Information skills must
be embedded across the school
curriculum andexplicitly taught in
the context of teaching and
learning programs.
ASLA , Oct 10, 2012
http://www.asla.org.au/policy/information-literacy.aspx
http://seaviewartgallery.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/Out-in-the-elements-by-Raelean-Hall.jpg
Kuhlthau, C.(2006) ‘Information Literacy through Guided Inquiry: Preparing Students
for the 21st Century’, IASL Report, Rutgers University, USA.
3.
4. Task
Concept – Social Commentary or Issues of the 21st
Century
Focus : Student Choice
This task was the final unit of the course and students
were asked to make another Body of Work. They could :
• extend on either body of work already submitted but they
were not allowed to finish or rework a previous piece.
• add to either body of work (1 and 2) in terms of concept or
focus.
• increase the size of a body of work
• work in the same media or explore new media that they were
not so experienced with.
6. Methodology
Information was primarily gathered using the S.L.I.M
Toolkit
Questionnaires were administered two times.
Further information was collected through observation
and informal conversation between myself, the classroom
teacher and students.
7. Participants
The students attended a co-educational, independent
secondary college.
Out of a class of 18, 14 students were tracked as they
completed both questionnaires.
The participants were of mixed ability level. There were
no students identified as gifted or special needs within
the cohort.
9. Question 2 : How interested are you in the topic?
9
8
7
6
5
Q. 1
4
Q.2
3
2
1
0
Not at all Not much Quite a bit A great deal
10. How much do you know about this topic?
12
10
F
r 8
e
6
q Q.1
u 4 Q.2
e
n 2
c
0
y
Not at all Not much Quite a bit A great
deal
11. Question 4: What did the students find easy?
Develop their own opinions
Integrate new information
Q.2 into one’s knowledge
Able to evaluate information
critically and competently
Able to access information
efficiently and effectively
Q.1 Able to develop questions
that lead to appropriate
information
0 2 4 6
12. “for this particular assignment I have a
book about the history of graffiti and how
“I researched artists that had the same ideas and go on influential
it is perceived that I want to use and I websites ,read books and comics”
really enjoy discussion as it helps me
through my creative ideas”
Examples of Participant
answers. What skills do
the students feel
confident about?
“Google the internet”
“I find researching on the internet the “I find it easy to find information on the topic”
easiest, looking at websites and Google books.” “I can find sites that are reliable”
13. Question 5: What did the students find difficult?
Q.2
Q.1
0 1 2 3 4 5 6
Communicate information and ideas in the appropriate format
Organise the information
Can determine the accuracy of information
Respects intellectual property rights
Able to evaluate information critically and competently
Uses Information Technology
Able to access information effectively and efficiently
Able to develop questions that lead to appropriate information
14. “, what to research and artist
influences, usually I have to search for an
influence after because I have already made up “Finding accurate and reliable
my ideas” websites, tracking down artists”
Not an authentic learning experience
Student
responses, what
skills did they not
feel confident about?
Piecing together all the gathered information
to start the piece of work “Just starting to research, eg. What to type
in as an initial focus”
organisation
15. Recommendations
Positive Outcomes
•Most students were interested in the topic and confident with their
knowledge.
•Class generally said that they enjoyed sharing ideas with their peers.
•Students were very comfortable with reflective practices
•Students valued researching information effectively and efficiently
•Students researched using a variety of online formats, such as Google
books, blogs and Google.
16. Ways to Improve teaching
Students had little knowledge of information literacy which meant that
they did not consider how effective they were at finding information
No student mentioned search strategies in the questionnaires – I feel
they have limited knowledge of using search strategies .
Whole school plan – needs explicit teaching of information literacy
with a focus on digital literacy as many students rely on the internet
for research purposes.
Teaching topics to be addressed (by school librarian?)
•Authentic, reliable and relevant websites
•Search strategies and using Boolean operators effectively
•Why using books is for research purposes is still useful
Teaching Topics to be address by the classroom teacher:
• How to incorporate ideas from artists while respecting intellectual
property rights
Editor's Notes
Guided inquiry is an inquiry based learning approach to teaching that encourages students to ask their own questions and think critically . The teacher’s role is to give the students skills to create good critical questions, to identify and collect appropriate evidence, to analyse and interpret the results, formulate conclusions and to evaluate the importance of those conclusions. (Lee et al. 2004) The teacher scaffolds the students development process. (Lupton 2012) Rather than giving students information and answers, the teacher’s role is to equip students with critical thought processes to find and use information to create.
Kuhlthau’s Information Seeking Process described six stages of feelings and thoughts that are commonly experienced in the Information seeking process. Thoughts begin vague and clarifty as the student works through different stages.
The students were expected to start with their existing knowledge and experiences (including previous two artworks, appraising task), then frame and focus their own questions based around the cocepts of Globalisation or Issues of the 21st Century. While researching, students search for information, locate it, organise and analyse evidence. While developing, students create connections between the information they have gathered. This is done by evaluating, synthesising and documenting conclusions. Resolving processes involve creating images or objects or appraising written work. The student’s visual diary has a vital role, it is used to record evidence and reflect higher order thinking.
Using the tool kit I was able to show the classroom teacher how her students developed knowledge and understanding of their curriculum as well as illustrate the development of information seeking and using skills.(Todd,Kulhthau and Heinstrom, 2005, p5)
Information literacy skills – students did not write many responses, most popular one is able to access information efficiently and effectively
