Information Literacy Information Literacy Process ModelsProcess Models

Information Literacy Information Literacy Process ModelsProcess Models

An analysis of The Big6, Pathways to An analysis of The Big6, Pathways to Knowledge, and I-SearchKnowledge, and I-Search

By: Tammy DuvallBy: Tammy Duvall

What are Information Literacy Process

Models?• Models for teachers to use to help

their students access and process information gathered through internet research

The Big6• An information problem-solving

strategy• Six steps: Task definition,

Information Seeking Strategies, Location & Access, Use of Information, Synthesis, Evaluation

• Appropriate for middle and high school students

• Follows normal problem-solving or decision making process

• Can be used as a linear model, or steps can be done out of order

• A study done at Yale University found that students using this model outperformed students who used other models

• Aligned with Bloom’s taxonomy and Piaget’s three stages of cognitive development

Pathways to Knowledge• A constructivist model that

requires students to use knowledge from a variety of sources to create an end product

• Six Steps: Appreciation, Presearch, Search, Interpretation, Communication, Evaluation

• A non-linear process model. Students use the evaluation step throughout the process to revise their searching. You don’t have to use all of the stages!

I-Search• An affective model that

requires students to find their own research topic.

• Five steps: Let a topic choose you, Search for information, Test the information, Write a paper in first person, Edit the paper

• Final product tells what the student wanted to know, why they chose the topic, how they searched for information, and how they used the information to answer their question

• Motivating, and non-threatening to students who struggle with research, or special-needs students

Similarities• All models are resource based• Holistic• Appropriate for middle and high school

students• Support information literacy acquisition• Align with AACPS curriculum• All models allow students to chose their

topic

Differences• Big6 and Pathways are non-linear, I-

Search is linear• Big6 and I-Search focus more on final

product• Pathways to Knowledge focuses more

on the process• I-Search requires students to chose

their topic. Pathways and Big6 could be used with an assigned topic.

AACPS Curriculum Alignment

• Standard 2.0 Comprehension of Informational Text

• Students will read, comprehend, interpret, analyze, and evaluate informational text.

References• Education Development Center, Inc. (2000). Make it Happen: The I-Search Unit.

[Online] Available http://www2.edc.org/fsc/mih/i-search.html, December 8, 2008.

• Eisenberg, M. and Berkowitz, R. (2008). The Big6. [Online] Available http://www.big6.com/, December 8, 2008.

• Milam, P. (2004). “Destination Information: A Road Map for the Journey.” Library Media Connection. Accessed online December 8, 2008 at http://tuila.collectivex.com/uploads/files/x/000/00f/0fb/roadmap.pdf.

• Pappas, M. and Tepe, A. (2008) Pathways to Knowledge. [Online] Available http://www.pathwaysmodel.com, December 8, 2008.