Change of direction?

While I was really excited about the idea of using web 2.0 tools in classrooms and as new literacies, events of the day have really renewed my interest in focusing on elementary schools (nutshell:  my daughter's school has a library clerk for 12.5 hours per week--and that is the ONLY staff person focused on the library or technology on the campus).  After venting my frustrations on Facebook and on my class discussion board, and writing to the superintendent and my state legislators, I did a new search using the keywords:  teacher librarian and elementary.

The results are so much more focused on the role of the teacher librarian in elementary schools and on actual instruction.  I think these search results may be the key to finding the articles for my abstracts.  Some potential reads:

Herring, J. , & Bush, S. (2011). Information literacy and transfer in schools: Implications for teacher librarians. Australian Library Journal V. 60 No. 2 (May 2011) P. 123-32, 60(2), 123-132.

(I may already have listed this in a previous entry.)

Kotyk, A. (2004). Information Literacy: An Overview. PNLA Quarterly, 68(4), 10-37. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.

While this is an overview, there is a section specifically focused on ILI.

Carter, K. (2004). Case Study of the River View Elementary Media Center, Plainfield, Illinois. PNLA Quarterly, 68(4), 16-21. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.

From the abstract, I'm not sure there is enough focus on instruction in this article; still, I'd like to look at it.

Harris, F., Arp, L., & Woodard, B. S. (2003). Information Literacy in School Libraries. Reference & User Services Quarterly, 42(3), 215. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.

SAVAGE, L. (2011). A gold star experience: First grade activity plants many seeds. Teacher Librarian, 38(5), 34.

Hughes-Hassell, S. , Koehler, E. , & Barkley, H. (2010). Supporting the literacy needs of african american transitional readers. Teacher Librarian, 37(5), 18-23.

Focused on literacy (reading) rather than on informational literacy.  Ok?  Not ok?  Probably off-topic, but I might want to read it later.

Loertscher, D. (2010). Learning to read and reading to learn: Meeting the international challenge. Teacher Librarian, 37(5), 48-50.

Interesting because it (along with other findings) suggest that, at least at the elementary level, librarians should be focused on "reading" literacy instruction as well as ILI, so perhaps my previous idea that reading/literacy is "off topic" is not correct.  Maybe we can't separate the two at the elementary level.

Along those lines:

Haslam-Odoardi, R. (2010). Gifted readers and libraries: A natural fit. Teacher Librarian, 37(3), 32-36.

Herring, J. (2011). Year seven students, concept mapping and the issues of transfer. School Libraries Worldwide V. 17 No. 1 (January 2011) P. 11-23, 17(1), 11-23.

Pretty sure I listed this one before.

Miller, K. (2004). Novice teachers' perceptions of the role of the teacher-librarian in information literacy. School Libraries in Canada (Online) V. 24 No. 3 (2004) P. 13-36, 24(3), 13-36. 

Interesting to contrast what TLs think they do and what new classroom teachers expect.

Ok, I'm going to try to assemble my list of 5 from these.

Hundley: College Professor teaches media lit to 4th grade.

I thought this article would be spot-on, but now I'm not so sure.  While it was a delight to read (and an example of an ethnographic-style study), the focus was strictly on media literacy as used in commercials.  I think this might be outside the scope of the teacher librarian's role.

Asselin & Moayeri: Participatory Classroom

While I believe this article is focused on middle school, it is relevant in the elementary setting, particularly in the upper grades.

Asselin & Moayeri make a case for integrating web 2.0 into the classroom, using technology to engage students more actively in learning both during the school day and beyond.

"While social and entertainment- based literacies such as those used for social networking, photo sharing, gaming, and instant messaging are common practices amongst youth, learning-based literacies such as critical analysis and production of self-created content are practised only by a minority (Luckin et al., 2009; Ito et al., 2008; Samuelsson, 2010)."

"Castells (2002) argues that lack of opportunities to contribute to today’s networked society is ‘one of the most damaging forms of exclusion in the economy and culture’ (p. 3). Schools have a responsibility to address the inequities of new literacies competency amongst today’s youth."

"Our examples and ideas provide starting points for using new literacies and new forms of texts that can help teachers shift to ‘mindset two’ uses of Web 2.0 in classrooms. We hope to contribute to the growing awareness of the need to transform our understandings of literacy and literacy education, within the language arts and across the disciplines"

This is like an advertisement for why schools--all of them, not just high schools--need actual teacher librarians.  Teachers are overworked as it is, so expecting them to revamp all their curriculum (or a good part of it, even) to incorporate web 2.0 stuff is not realistic, nor is it realistic to think that they would all want to do so (I know plenty of teachers who would not notice if their computers were removed from their classrooms, except for the fact that they use them to take attendance).  I do believe that web 2.0 skills (or a lack of them) is creating the next "digital divide," and those students who don't learn to use them will have fewer opportunities.  At the same time, teachers are not comfortable with the technology themselves or just can't imagine how to use it in the classroom.  That is where a good teacher librarian could step in and help.  Even just a small suggestion can make a big difference.  This summer I was having dinner for a friend's birthday and one of her other friend's was lamenting the lack of participation and original thought in a summer college course he was teaching.  I suggested having students keep online learning journals or using google docs to have whole-class brainstorming or reflection sessions.  He knew how to use those tools, it just hadn't occurred to him to use them in that way before.

I am way off topic here (and preaching to the choir).  Back to the article.

Sites to check out:  diingo.com.  My husband uses delicious.com, and pintarest is another site that could also be used to share research finds with a class or small group.  Students need to learn how to annotate a web page (or other documents) and how to read web pages with annotations.

"The act of socially bookmarking and tagging sites turns the passive and static act of searching into an active and dynamic one where the user is now participating in website rankings and contributing to the key terms that are being employed to describe websites. What may seem like a simple task of adding explanatory words to describe a web page or thinking up possible search terms to locate desired bookmarked pages is in fact a complex process that is a new social literacy practice in need of deeper understanding and instruction."

This article contains a great example of teaching critical literacy to elementary students (ice cream and National Geographic's kid site).

"attributes of ‘mindset two’ learning and knowledge: participatory, collaborative, multimodal, democratic, and distributive. Examples in this section also shift students’ role from consumer to producer and raise new challenges for teachers regarding students’ meta-awareness of issues related to ethical practices inherent in re-mixing, respectful interactions with collaborators, and consciousness of the virtual presentation of self."

I'm not sure all teachers are aware of the ethical practices (copyright, etc.), so how will they teach students?  Another ad for the teacher librarian.

Following a description of using wikis to write collaborative stories or reports:  "We encourage teacher facilitation around ethical implications. For example, because such activities involve students deleting and changing their peers’ work, it becomes important to learn respect for other people’s voices."  Something many people would not think of, but since collaborative content creation is probably here to stay, something that must be taught.

Following a discussion on the use of wikis in the classroom, where information comes from, and how students might interact with it:  "Teachers, therefore, need to play an active role when incorporating wikis in their classroom by discussing critical and ethical issues surrounding them and facilitating their use to encourage individual voices in collaborative ways."  A second voice (like a TL) is helpful.  Parents or other experts could also be invited to contribute.

Video sharing (youtube) is also mentioned.


Social Network sites:

"With applications like Wackwall and Ning, it is possible to create private social networks that are for a niche group. So classrooms can create their own networks and name them to fit their subject and classroom personality. These networks provide low- barrier opportunities for students to create and/or publish content to the web (it can be kept private within the group). Each member of a class joins the network, posts pictures and videos about the topic at hand and communicates with their classmates. This content can be drawn from existing resources or students can post their own self-created photos and videos about the topic."

How fun would it be to create one of these spaces and have students all take different roles (like different characters from books or different historical figures)?

"Students’ contributions to such sites need careful consideration. An opinion shared orally in class will likely fade quickly even if it is a controversial one. Opinions posted on a SNS take on a far more permanent place and have a larger reach. Just as it is important for students to learn critical literacy skills when it comes to accessing, understanding, and synthesising information, it is equally important to learn how to carefully craft our words to adequately meet our purposes. Nuances such as irony can be easily lost in text and the intention of one person’s comments can be misinterpreted by others. Again, this brings forth new literacies skills that need support in the classroom."


This is the best argument I've seen for using sns in the classroom (although it's not meant as such).  I'd much rather kids learn to navigate them successfully in the classroom than in "real life."  It's shocking to me how many ADULTS have not learned this lesson, using sites like FB to air out their dirty laundry, job dissatisfaction, etc.

Shelfari

We encourage approaching their use with students with a critical eye and learning about agendas and potential traps of the businesses behind the tools and incorporating such lessons within the same classes where the tools are being used.
Another trap to avoid when incorporating any of these Web 2.0 applications is to take care not to use them in ways that enforce traditional assumptions about learning and knowledge (Bryant, 2007). These applications are not only new technologies, but new genres and new literacies as well and thus require new forms of contribution. Are our students just writing a series of short term papers and posting them under the guise of blogs, wikis, or social networks; or are they using the software in innovative ways that stimulate them to learn, collaborate, share, and create in democratic ways? Encouraging posting in different modes such as image, video and audio files would be one way to embrace the new uses of these new literacies. Another way would be to encourage a variety of forms of writing including txt speak, verse, narrative, and non linear forms of writing. It is difficult to make suggestions of such forms or to conceive what could be, but what could be will never be if the opportunity for exploration and expression in different modes is not offered or is overshadowed by more traditional forms.

Web 2.0 classroom (http:// web20classroom.blogspot.com) is a space for educators who are currently incorporating Web 2.0 practices within their classrooms, and ‘Ning in Education’ (http://education.ning. com/) is a place for educators who are incorporating Ning within their practice.

This represents a real shift in literacy, technology, and education.  I agree with the authors that if students are just using technology to reproduce assignments they could have completed with paper and pencil, then there is not much point.  The key is to design assignments that teach students about the ethical implications of using the tools, that encourage them to collaborate with each other, create meaning together, and become vendors in a marketplace of learning.  Or, as Dr. Loertscher would say, to create a "learning commons."

One downside:  just like work now follows people 24/7, school will follow our kids 24/7.  But I suppose they must learn to balance as well, and if a kid gets a great idea at 9 p.m. rather than 9 a.m., it's still a great idea.

This article is one I will use for my abstracts.

Hutchinson, Druin, & Bederson: Supporting Elementary-Age browsing.

While this article is interesting, it is focused more on search-engine design than on instruction.  I could probably make connections to instructional design from what they reported; however, it's not as close to my actual topic as I'd have liked.

Lazonder & Rouet: Information problem solving instruction

Excerpts of interest:

"For instance, de Vries et al. found that the number of categories to choose from in a portal was a problem for fifth and sixth-grade students."

Interesting in a "good to know" kind of way.

"De Vries et al. found that students may be effectively supported through directions provided on a worksheet. They pointed out that ‘‘Seeing their question on the worksheet may prevent learners from so-called ‘question drift’, i.e., the constant change of search goals when answers are not immediately found’’. Other techniques include modeling, repetition, and discussion (Kui- per et al.) and offering various kinds of adjunct information (Stadtler & Bromme; Wope- reis et al.). Not considered in the studies, however, is the issue of how students can develop better skills for dealing with such problems in contexts where they are refrained from that kind of assistance. "

So it seems to me that what is needed is a "flexible scaffold."  Give students (or better, help them develop) guiding questions to use before their first attempt at finding information.  Then help them reflect on what they found and formulate new or more focused questions, if needed, or determine specific areas where they need to find more information.

This article doesn't have to do specifically with elementary students, but it contains information that is applicable to the elementary arena.

"In computerized IPS, on the other hand, the student is usu- ally faced with more information than needed. Furthermore, the texts available are multi- ple and not always mutually coherent. Thus the student cannot and does not have to integrate all available information. Instead, he or she must make informed decisions about what to consider and what to ignore. These decisions rely strongly on the student’s initial interpretation of the problem (see above) but also on their ability to activate and use their prior knowledge (Symons & Pressley, 1993)."

Not really on my topic, but:  even what we find or take note of when researching is colored by our personal bias or past experiences and knowledge.  Is there any truly TRUE data in the universe?

"In Stadtler and Bromme, and Wopereis et al.’s study, notes and other forms of written production are considered a product rather than a process within IPS. When working with younger students, the cognitive demands of the writing assignments should be considered with caution. For instance, students up to the sixth grade sometimes have difficulties considering both sides of an issue when writing short arguments (Golder & Rouet, 2000)."

I think I've just started recording anything that has to do with primary students. . . not sure this is the best strategy.

From what I can tell about the De Vries et al. study and the Kuiper et al., it's hard to tell how much of student achievement can be attributed to scaffolding or teacher input and how much is due to the social nature of projects presented.  Perhaps I need to read these studies individually since they are focused on elementary-aged students. 

So here's something I don't get--if this article is a review of several different studies (De Vries and Kuiper among them), why aren't those actual studies listed in the references?  I can search for them by author, of course, but I just find this odd.  While I think this had some useful info in it, the actual studies themselves might be more useful and there are some other promising articles I'm more interested in reading that exclusively focus on elementary students.

DUH: this article is a review of studies published in a special section of the journal WITH it.  Maybe I shouldn't use it for my abstracts?

Shenton and Hay-Gibson: Modelling the Info-seeking behavior. . .

This is a pretty interesting study, and while it does not focus exclusively on elementary-aged students, three of the seven schools used in the investigation were primary schools.  The study seeks to provide a model for the information-seeking behavior of children, building on those provided in the past both within and beyond the LIS community.  I'm not sure it is a fit for where I'd like to focus (more on pedagogy), but I think future articles that cite this one would be right on target.  Of course, since this is such a recent publication (2011), perhaps those don't exist just yet.

Of particular interest to me was the idea that Kuhlthau's "personal creating of sense" does not necessarily occur when youth search for information--often the information is merely copied/pasted into the assignment, with no real learning occurring.  The implication, of course, is that teachers and teacher librarians must create opportunities for students not only to gather information, but also to process it and add it to their personal store of knowledge and understanding.

I also liked this section on cognitive dissonance, relating specifically to younger children:  

"Youngsters may also experience confusion after accessing information that is inconsistent with their existing mental constructs and this sensation may lead to the emergence of more information needs which, in turn, drive further action. Indeed, working with English primary school children, Beautyman and Shenton (2009, p. 76) have identified that such a situation formed one of seven scenarios in which their participants chose, of their own volition, to find out more about topics that had been tackled in the classroom as part of their academic studies. Drawing on a concept from psychology, the authors indicate how discrepancies between new information and the existing knowledge of an individual may lead to a “mild form of cognitive dissonance”. Although Wilson and Walsh (1996) highlight the role of cognitive dissonance in relation to information-seeking behaviour generally, given the inexperience and thus limited knowledge of young people, coupled with the fact that their thinking skills remain at the formative stage, it would appear that they may be especially susceptible to such a phenomenon, with the task of bridging the gap between the apparent contradictions too challenging for them until more information is acquired."

It's interesting to me that students seek, on their own, to fill in gaps in learning when they need more information to understand a concept or idea being taught in the classroom.  One way teacher librarians could help teachers is to provide resources that help fill in those gaps and make them available to students, or even encourage teachers to use those resources in activities designed to fill in the gaps before proceeding with a new concept or idea.  It is certainly true that not all students always have the foundational knowledge teachers expect them to have, and proposing an activity that allows both for foundational knowledge for students with gaps and deeper knowledge for those who already have the foundation would be beneficial.

To me, this behavior also points to the susceptibility of all researchers, but particularly children, to be side-tracked by items of interest to them.  Teaching students specific techniques to keep themselves focused on their task is something teacher librarians should be doing--but since I have the same problem I'm not entirely sure what that technique should be.  A reflective journal seems to help pull me back into focus and gives me a place for those "oh, this looks interesting" tidbits I would like to return to in the future.  Maybe young researchers should be taught to create a "parking lot," where resources or ideas they'd like to entertain in the future but that don't specifically pertain to their task could be stored for future use or perusal.  (I sort of use this method with my children when they want everything they see in the store--we make a note to let Santa know, which satisfies them in the moment and allows us to return to the task at hand, shopping.)

I have now meandered far from my original purpose in writing this, which was not to give my response to the article but was to say that I didn't think it related enough to pedagogy.  Now I'm not so sure my original conclusion is correct since I've taken several concepts from the article and used them to inform how I'd approach teaching a lesson with my future (one can hope) students.  I need to let this marinate for a while before determining if this article is a good candidate for one of my abstracts.

Also:  I think I may have a problem when writing abstracts with keeping my own interpretations or ideas out of the abstract and focusing just on what is actually in the article.  I need to be aware of this tendency to leap immediately to a practical application for everything I read.  While this serves me well as an educator, it doesn't really help me as a researcher in this specific phase of research.

But now I am thinking , "hey, wouldn't it be cool to design some sort of information-seeking activity based on this model and implement it in my daughter's elementary school to see how it works?"  This could be something for my research project proposal, and I could even actually carry it out in all my free time. :)

The other great thing I got from this article was the suggestion of another:

Bregje de Vries, Hans van der Meij, Ard W. Lazonder, Supporting reflective web 

searching in elementary schools, Computers in Human Behavior, Volume 24, Issue 3, 

May 2008, Pages 649-665, ISSN 0747-5632, 10.1016/j.chb.2007.01.021.
(http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0747563207000337)

This looks like it's right on target for my focused topic.

Braun: In Virtual Pursuit

This article is interesting (if a little outdated), but doesn't specifically focus on elementary instruction.  Rather, it focuses on the WebQuest as a format for use in classrooms or even in library programming, and as a way to teach students specific IL skills, like copyright violation or determining the most useful search engine.  Useful to the  teacher librarian, but not specific enough for my focus area to be used for the abstract assignment.

Narrowing the list and searching more.

These are the articles I want to examine more closely when focusing on elementary ILI.  If they are what I want, I will use the search terms from these to find similar articles.  I'll also use the terms in the ALA research agenda to help, maybe searching these combinations:

elementary information literacy instruction
"elementary school" information literacy instruction (or "primary school")
children information literacy instruction

and then narrowing with terms like learners, teaching, pedagogy, evaluation, assessment, learning styles, skills, design, implementation, methods, learning outcomes.

Braun, L. W. (2001). In Virtual Pursuit. Library Journal, 126(17), 32. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.

I need to check this one to make sure it is truly peer-reviewed.  Although I searched only for peer-reviewed articles, I have a feeling this one might have snuck past.

 

Andrew K. Shenton, Naomi V. Hay-Gibson, (2011) "Modelling the information-seeking behaviour of children and young people: Inspiration from beyond LIS", Aslib Proceedings, Vol. 63 Iss: 1, pp.57 - 75

Based on the abstract, I think  this might have more to do with the theory behind instruction or HOW kids search for information than with actual instruction itself (although obviously the theory has implications for instruction). 

Ard W. Lazonder, Jean-François Rouet, Information problem solving instruction: Some 

cognitive and metacognitive issues, Computers in Human Behavior, Volume 24, Issue 3, 

May 2008, Pages 753-765, ISSN 0747-5632, 10.1016/j.chb.2007.01.025.
(http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0747563207000386)

This article examines five studies focused on supporting people in searching, so 

perhaps one will focus on elementary-aged students.

Asselin, M. , & Moayeri, M.  (2011). The participatory classroom: Web 2.0 in the 

classroom. Australian Journal of Language & Literacy, 34(2), 45. 

This probably focuses on older students, but I'd like to check anyhow.

Scheibe, C. L. (2004). A deeper sense of literacy. American Behavioral Scientist,   

48(1), 60-60-68. doi:10.1177/0002764204267251  

This article may focus too much on other content areas than on ILI.

Hundley, H. L. (2004). A college 
professor teaches a fourth-grade media literacy unit on television 
commercials: Lessons learned by the students -- and by the teacher. American 

Behavioral Scientist, 48(1), 84-84-91. doi:10.1177/0002764204267253

This should be spot-on.

 
Dresang, E., & Koh, K. (2009). Radical Change Theory, Youth Information Behavior, and  

School Libraries. Library Trends, 58(1), 26-50. doi: 10.1353/lib.0.0070 

I also need to look at this to see if elementary settings are specifically addressed.

Kirkland, A. (2011). Nurturing Our Digital Literacy. School Libraries in Canada (Online), 29(1), p. 28-31. Retrieved from Library Lit & Inf Full Text database

Check for elementary focus.

So it seems that, even when I find articles, they may focus on all schools and I might need to see if, within those articles, elementary schools are specifically addressed in a section or as separate from secondary schools.


Off to read!

Ugh.

I'm feeling a serious time crunch.  My son has chosen to stop napping, and his naps were my prime time for getting things done for school.  I have no idea what I'm going to do about this, so for now I'll just ignore the problem and focus on the task at hand.

Last night I was thinking about the preliminary research I'd done, what I'd found, and narrowing my topic.  Pete posted this in our group discussion board as a possible way to divide our topic:

"Research Agenda for Library Instruction and Information Literacy": http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/acrl/about/sections/is/projpubs/researchagendalibrary.cfm

I. LEARNERS
A. Audiences
B. Skills
C. Learning Styles

II. TEACHING
A. Pedagogy
B. Design and Implementation
C. Methods of Instruction
D. Library Teaching and Continuing Education

III. ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT
A. Relationship within the Library Organizational Structure
B. Relationship to the Larger Institutional Environment
C. Relationship with Faculty

IV. ASSESSMENT
A. Evaluation of Instructors and Programs
B. Assessment of Learning Outcomes
C. Transferability

I was thinking I'd focus on elementary and then further narrow it by these topics, but really, I think I may just need to focus on finding articles specific to elementary information literacy instruction.  Still, these focus areas are good to keep in mind as I'm looking and formulating a bigger research question.

In other news, San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed is threatening to close all branch libraries in SJ (along with other cuts) because of the huge budget deficit.  I don't think it will actually happen, but I do think he will further reduce branch hours.  Closing all the branches would be disastrous to me as a student because I would have to go to the downtown main library regularly, which involves finding and paying for parking and driving there, eating up at least an hour of my time round-trip, and I'd have even less time to look for items in the library or actually get work done.  It's hard enough to get things done with the current reduced branch hours.  So more cuts mean it's harder to finish my degree and less likely I'll find a job when I finish.  SIGH.

Down to Business

So far, this blog has mainly served as a note-taking guide and place to store my questions about research in general.  Now it is time to get down to business:  researching a topic and narrowing it to find my "research question," or something I could use to guide my final assignment in this course.

I am in the "Youth and Information Literacy Instruction" group, which is awesome because I want to work in school libraries and teaching information literacy is something I want to do well.  However, it's a pretty broad term--information literacy--so it's hard to know exactly where to focus.  As a group, we are sort of focusing on different areas.  Since most of my colleagues are focusing on middle school, high school, or early college students, I thought I might focus on elementary students.  But I'm not 100% sure yet.

I began by using my group name as my search terms in the LIS cross search.  I figured I may as well start broad and use what I find to narrow my search.

My search returned 119 results.  I'm narrowing them more by looking only at those designated "peer reviewed."  However, as I go through titles, I am constantly wanting to click on articles that do not really fit what I'm searching for (for ex, that focus on literacy instead of information literacy), just because they sound interesting.  Research must require a good deal of discipline, because the temptation to meander off on whatever seems interesting at the time (ending up who knows where and probably miles from the task at hand) is strong.

Searching LIS cross search not only yielded preliminary articles, but it also helped me identify which databases might be useful in more in-depth or specific searches.  They are:  Academic Search Premier, ABI/Inform Complete, Emerald Management Xtra, and Library Literature & Information Science Full Text.

My next step, though, was to read through the abstracts of the articles returned by my LIS search and eliminate those that were clearly off-topic.  What seemed easiest to me was to open each article abstract in a different tab and just close the tabs not specifically focused on information literacy instruction.

Also, often databases suggested articles related to one I was viewing, and I found several articles that way (although sometimes the related articles weren't quite right).

Here, for example, is an article that is not really focused on information literacy instruction (as in pedagogy), but sounds like something I might want to read anyhow:

Making the Case for the Leadership Role of School Librarians in Technology Integration By:Daniella Smith Format: Article Peer Reviewed Year: 2010 Published in: Library Hi Tech Volume: 28 Issue: 4 pp.617 - 631 Database: Emerald Management Xtra

While it's not focused on the HOW of ILI, it is focused on the role of the person delivering that instruction.  Plus I think it sounds interesting.  I'm saving it here just in case I want to return to it later.

 What then seemed easiest was to copy/paste articles and abstracts here, so that I could view them in one place and think about how to focus my specific research.  In this phase of my research, I'm really just gathering information to help myself narrow my topic.  I find this difficult because so many of the articles are interesting to me.  I also am naturally drawn to those that deal with secondary students since that is where my teaching experience lies, but I told my group I'd focus on elementary students.  

Do I need to be more specific than just "information literacy instruction and elementary-aged students?"  Based on the bulk of the research I found, perhaps not.

Articles for closer consideration:

Levine, P. (2005). The problem of online misinformation and the role of schools. Simile, 5(1), N.PAG. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.

Abstract:  Amid all the excellent free information that is available online, there are many damagingly false assertions and misleading arguments. Distinguishing reliable from unreliable information raises complex epistemological issues and is especially difficult in an online context. Thus the Internet poses novel and serious cognitive demands. Some prominent individuals and institutions are calling for schools to prepare young people to identify reliable information online. Indeed, schools will be unable to avoid addressing this issue as an aspect of "information literacy education." However, it is unwise to expect them to solve the problems created by false and misleading information. Education is-at best-a part of the solution. A more effective approach is for governments and other major institutions to fund and promote reliable web portals.

Braun, L. W. (2001). In Virtual Pursuit. Library Journal, 126(17), 32. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.

Linda W. Braun maps out the best practices for using webquests to teach kids information literacy fundamentals (no real abstract given)

Question:  Is this really a peer-reviewed article?  It doesn't really read like research.

Andrew K. Shenton, Naomi V. Hay-Gibson, (2011) "Modelling the information-seeking behaviour of children and young people: Inspiration from beyond LIS", Aslib Proceedings, Vol. 63 Iss: 1, pp.57 - 75

 Purpose – The paper seeks to draw on Sice's systems model, itself based on Senge's “fixes that fail” archetype, and on data from two previous research projects conducted by one of the authors. The purpose of this paper is to synthesise a new model that portrays the information-seeking behaviour of children and young people.  

Design/methodology/approach – The systems model provides the backbone of the new framework but additions, accommodations and revisions were made to ensure that the version featured here represents the phenomenon of information seeking by the young as appropriately as possible in terms of the data that were gathered.

Findings – One of the new model's most significant characteristics is its emphasis on problems and issues that prevent information seeking from proceeding smoothly. Information seeking is also shown to be an iterative process, with the individual often revisiting previous stages, frequently in response to difficulties.

Research limitations/implications – Data were collected from pupils in just seven schools. The undertaking of research further a-field would be invaluable, if the extent to which the model is applicable to other information-seekers in different environments is to be ascertained.

Practical implications – The model demonstrates the importance of the information professional's educative role, in terms of both delivering formal information literacy instruction and providing assistance at the point of need.

Originality/value – Although the use of ideas and frameworks from other disciplines, with the aim of increasing understanding of phenomena within LIS, is a growing trend, this paper represents one of the first attempts to apply an existing model associated with systems thinking to information behaviour.

This seems long to be an abstract.

Ard W. Lazonder, Jean-François Rouet, Information problem solving instruction: Some 

cognitive and metacognitive issues, Computers in Human Behavior, Volume 24, Issue 3, 

May 2008, Pages 753-765, ISSN 0747-5632, 10.1016/j.chb.2007.01.025.
(http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0747563207000386)
Abstract: Children, teenagers, and adults abundantly use the Web to search for 

information. Yet this high frequency of use stands in marked contrast with the users’

relatively low awareness and mastery of metacognitive skills to search the Web 

effectively and efficiently. This paper provides a review of five different studies 

that sought to overcome these skill deficiencies by various kinds of instructional 

and environmental support. Following a discussion on the use of cognitive models of 

the search process in designing Web searching instruction and support, the studies’ 

findings are considered in view of their aim and approach in supporting metacognition.

Rowlands, I., Nicholas, D., Williams, 
P., Huntington, P., Fieldhouse, M., Gunter, B., . . . . (2008). The 
google generation: The information behaviour of the researcher of the 
future. Aslib Proceedings, 60(4), 290-290-310. doi:10.1108/00012530810887953 

Purpose - This article is an edited version of a report commissioned by 
the British Library and JISC to identify how the specialist researchers 
of the future (those born after 1993) are likely to access and interact 
with digital resources in five to ten years' time. The purpose is to 
investigate the impact of digital transition on the information 
behaviour of the Google Generation and to guide library and information services 

to anticipate 
and react to any new or emerging behaviours in the most effective way. 
Design/methodology/approach - The study was virtually longitudinal and 
is based on a number of extensive reviews of related literature, survey 
data mining and a deep log analysis of a British Library and a JISC web 
site intended for younger people. Findings - The study shows that much 
of the impact of ICTs on the young has been overestimated. The study 
claims that although young people demonstrate an apparent ease and 
familiarity with computers, they rely heavily on search engines, view 
rather than read and do not possess the critical and analytical skills 
to assess the information that they find on the web. Originality/value -
 The paper reports on a study that overturns the common assumption that 
the "Google generation" is the most web-literate. 

Hoyer, J.  (2011). Information is social: Information literacy in context.  

Reference Services Review V. 39 No. 1 (2011) P. 10-23, 39(1), 10-23. 

Purpose - This paper aims to discuss traditional conceptions of 
information literacy as created within an academic context to address 
information needs within this context. It seeks to present alternative 
realities of information use outside the academic sector, and to suggest
 that information literacy instruction within academia does not go far 
enough in preparing students for the information society beyond 
university. The aim is then to follow this by discussion of appropriate 
information literacy models to prepare young people for information use 
in a variety of workplace environments. Design/methodology/approach - As
 an example of the application of appropriate information literacy 
models for successful workplace information use, the Edmonton Social 
Planning Council youth internship program is examined through a case 
study of two successful internship projects. Findings - This youth 
internship program provides young people with skills that are highly 
relevant to their information environment outside the academic sector. 
It provides them with a framework for interacting with information that 
can be applied in any academic or non-academic setting in which they 
find themselves. Practical implications - The program described could 
serve as inspiration for other public, private or nonprofit 
organizations to collaborate on similar initiatives. It also serves to 
remind academic librarians of core information best practices that must 
be conveyed through library instruction if students are to become good 
information citizens. Originality/value - While information literacy 
instruction receives much attention in the academic sphere, it is 
necessary to take a broader view of information use throughout the 
lifetime of information users and the instruction required to prepare 
students adequately. The paper focuses on these issues. 

Francke, H. , Sundin, O. , & Limberg, L.  (2011). Debating 
credibility: The shaping of information literacies in upper secondary 
school. Journal of Documentation, 67(4), 675-694. 

Purpose - The article concerns information literacies in an environment 
characterised by the two partly competing and contradictory cultures of 
print and digital. The aim of the paper is to provide a better 
understanding of the ways in which students assess the credibility of 
sources they use in school, with a particular interest in how they treat
 participatory genres. Design/methodology/approach - An ethnographic 
study of a school class's project work was conducted through 
observations, interviews, and log books in blog form. The analysis was 
influenced by a socio-cultural perspective. Findings - The study 
provides increased empirically based understanding of students' 
information literacy practices. Four non-exclusive approaches to 
credibility stemming from control, balance, commitment, and multiplicity
 were identified. Originality/value - The study adds to the 
understanding of how credibility is assessed in school environments with
 a particular focus on how digital and participatory genres are treated.

Hobbs, R.  (2009). The power of fair use for media literacy education. Afterimage,  

37(2), 15-18.  

The article discusses the issues of fair use and copyright and its 
impact on media literacy education. The author reflects on the dramatic 
increase in fear among educators over the use of copyrighted materials 
for teaching. She believes that the concepts of sharing and stealing 
found in mainstream media has left educators, artists, and youth media 
specialists confused and fearful.

Asselin, M. , & Moayeri, M.  (2011). The participatory classroom: Web 2.0 in the 

classroom. Australian Journal of Language & Literacy, 34(2), 45.

Many young people use the interactive web, or Web 2.0, in their everyday
 lives, primarily for socialising and entertainment. Particularly 
empowering to learning are abilities to produce content on the world 
wide web, and a critical, reflective, metacognitive approach to using 
the web. In the face of a growing 'participation divide' between youth 
who have opportunities to engage in these higher order participatory and
 reflective literacies and those with fewer opportunities, there is an 
urgent need for teachers to expand literacy instruction. This article 
offers examples of classroom practices that draw on social elements of 
Web 2.0 that are favoured by youth to support less practised usages 
required for learning. Specifically, we describe ways of using new 
literacies and new forms of texts for locating and critically examining 
information, and ways of sharing and building knowledge within the 
participatory and creative landscape of Web 2.0. 

Alvermann, D.  (2004). Media, information communication technologies, and youth 

literacies: A cultural studies perspective. The American Behavioral Scientist, 48(1),

78-83. 

Everyday literacy practices are changing at an unprecedented pace, and 
speculation as to the impact of media and interactive communication 
technologies on current conceptions of youth’s reading, writing, and 
viewing is evident on many fronts. The implications of this for teacher 
educators and classroom teachers are discussed.

Scheibe, C. L. (2004). A deeper sense of literacy. American Behavioral Scientist,  

48(1), 60-60-68. doi:10.1177/0002764204267251 

Media literacy can be used effectively as a pedagogical approach for 
teaching core content across the K-12 curriculum, thus meeting the needs
 of both teachers and students by promoting critical thinking, 
communication, and technology skills. This article focuses on the work 
of Project Look Sharp at Ithaca College, a media literacy initiative 
working primarily with school districts in upstate New York. Basic 
principles and best practices for using a curriculum-driven approach are
 described, with specific examples from social studies, English/language
 arts, math, science, health, and art, along with methods of assessment 
used to address effectiveness in the classroom.

Hundley, H. L. (2004). A college 
professor teaches a fourth-grade media literacy unit on television 
commercials: Lessons learned by the students -- and by the teacher. American 

Behavioral Scientist, 48(1), 84-84-91. doi:10.1177/0002764204267253 

This ethnographic-style article chronicles the author's experiences 
teaching fourth-grade students media literacy. The 4-day lesson plan 
combined persuasive techniques articulated by Aristotle & media 
aesthetics as well as the creation of a "television commercial" to 
enable the students to become more critical media consumers & gain 
better media literacy skills. The four lessons emphasize the importance 
of adapting to audiences & remind readers that teaching is a two-way
 process. 4 References. 

RITZO, C. , NAM, C. , & BRUCE, B.  (2009). Building a strong web: Connecting 

information spaces in schools and communities. Library Trends, 58(1), 82-94.  

Informed by Progressive education reforms of the nineteenth and 
twentieth century, progressive movements in librarianship, the social 
responsibility movement within the American Library Association (ALA), 
and recent collaborations of ALA's youth-focused divisions, the authors 
link historical precedents with current examples, ideas, and practices 
to inform initiatives in education and literacy programming. Progressive
 librarians and educators share a history of common goals. The article 
explores how these histories connect with current examples of 
interinstitutional collaborations among educators, school libraries, 
public libraries, universities, and community organizations. This paper 
traces Progressive librarianship to Youth Community Informatics (YCI), 
collaborative programs in which public libraries, school libraries, 
teachers, community organizations, and universities connect to form new 
services or teaching models that connect learning to life in an 
integrated way. These programs are developing innovative approaches to 
teaching students; promoting literacy; and encouraging critical thinking
 and community connectedness within schools, libraries, and community 
contexts.  

Dresang, E., & Koh, K. (2009). Radical Change Theory, Youth Information Behavior, 

and School Libraries. Library Trends, 58(1), 26-50. doi: 10.1353/lib.0.0070 

School libraries confront significant changes in the digital age, the 
age of Web 2.0 and of participatory culture. Radical Change theory, 
based on the digital age principles of interactivity, connectivity, and 
access, is germane to understanding these transformations. The theory 
was originally developed to explain changes in digital age books for 
youth. It is expanded here through the creation of a typology and 
accompanying characteristics that address how digital age youth think 
and seek information; perceive themselves and others; and access 
information and seek community. As a basis for their typology, the 
authors provide detailed evidence from an extensive interdisciplinary 
review of research literature concerning youth information behavior. 
Also proposed is a multistage research agenda that involves applying 
Radical Change theory in various school library settings for proof of 
concept followed by an exploration of potential associations between 
digital age youth information behaviors and twenty-first-century 
learning skills. This theory development will assist in determining what
 implications the new information behaviors and resources have for 
libraries, schools, and other information environments and how 
information professionals can better help youth become skilled 
twenty-first-century information seekers. 

Jin Soo, C., & Neuman, D. (2007). High school students' Information seeking and use 

for class projects. Journal of the American Society for Information Science & 

Technology, 58(10), 1503-1517. doi:10.1002/asi.20637

This study details the activities and strategies that
 11th grade students with high academic abilities used during their 
information seeking and use to complete class projects in a Persuasive 
Speech class. The study took place in a 
suburban high school in Maryland, and participants included 21 junior 
honors students, their teacher, and their library media specialist. Each student 

produced a 5–7-minute speech on a self-chosen topic.
 Conducted in the framework of qualitative research in a constructivist 
paradigm (E.G. Guba, & Y.S. Lincoln, 1998), the study used data 
collected from observations, individual interviews, and documents 
students produced for their projects—concept maps, paragraphs, outlines,
 and research journals. Interview and observation data were analyzed using the 

constant comparative method (B.
 Glaser & A. Strauss, 1967) with the help of QSR NVivo 2 (QSR 
International Pty Ltd, 2002); students' documents were analyzed 
manually. The findings show that students' 
understanding, strategies, and activities during information seeking and
 use were interactive and serendipitous and that students learned about 
their topics as they searched. The research 
suggests that high school honors students in an information-rich 
environment are especially confident with learning tasks requiring an 
exploratory mode of learning. 

Kenedy, R., & Monty, V. (2011). Faculty-Librarian Collaboration and 
the Development of Critical Skills through Dynamic Purposeful Learning. Libri: 

International Journal of Libraries & Information Services, 61(2), 116-124. 

doi:10.1515/libr.2011.010

This article focuses on the benefits of combining 
collaborative teaching and information literacy as a partnership between
 librarians and faculty members. It discusses 
how student learning is enhanced as a result of librarian and faculty 
member collaboration through the use of a three-stage pedagogical 
technique we call Dynamic Purposeful Learning (DPL). Through DPL, students learn 

information literacy, research skills, and other post-secondary critical skills.
 In order for students to benefit from a librarian and faculty 
collaborative approach, DPL is applied to a multi-stage sociological 
research methods assignment that includes students engaging in 
participant observation field research. The 
outcome of DLP is that students are assisted throughout all stages of 
the research process based on a partnership between the librarian and 
faculty member.

Title:	Does the Method of Instruction Matter? An Experimental Examination of Information Literacy Instruction in the Online, Blended, and Face-to-Face Classrooms
Personal Author:	Anderson, Karen; May, Frances A.
Journal Name:	The Journal of Academic Librarianship
Source:	The Journal of Academic Librarianship v. 36 no. 6 (November 2010) p. 495-500
Publication Year:	2010

The researchers, a librarian and a faculty member, collaborated to 
investigate the effectiveness of delivery methods in information 
literacy instruction. The authors conducted a field experiment to 
explore how face-to-face, online, and blended learning instructional 
formats influenced students' retention of information literacy skills. 
Results are discussed in relation to an inclusive model of information 
literacy.  

Kirkland, A. (2011). Nurturing Our Digital Literacy. School Libraries in Canada (Online), 29(1), p. 28-31. Retrieved from Library Lit & Inf Full Text database

 While we may think that the digital divide is a thing of the past, it is alive and well when it comes to our students' access to technology at school. But today's digital divide isn't as much about how many computers the school provides -- it's more about how that technology is used for learning. Bridging the new digital divide should be seen as one of the primary goals of teacher-librarians in Canada. Such was the conclusion I drew in my article, Bridging the Learning Divide in Feliciter's themed issue, E-Resources and the Digital Divide 

Articles that sound interesting but are not on my specific topic:

Mortimore, J. M., & Wall, A. (2009). Motivating African-American 
Students Through Information Literacy Instruction: Exploring the Link 
Between Encouragement and Academic Self-Concept. Reference Librarian, 50(1), 29-42. 

doi:10.1080/02763870802546373 

Carrington, V., & Marsh, J. (2005, September). Digital Childhood and Youth: New 

texts, new literacies. Discourse: Studies in the Cultural Politics of Education. 

pp. 279-285. doi:10.1080/01596300500199890.

Adeyemon, E.  (2009). Integrating digital literacies into outreach services for 

underserved youth populations. The Reference Librarian V. 50 No. 1 (January/March 

2009) P. 85-98, 50(1), 85-98.  

	Reflections on Surveys of Faculty Attitudes Toward Collaboration with Librarians
Personal Author:	Hrycaj, Paul; Russo, Michael
Journal Name:	The Journal of Academic Librarianship
Source:	The Journal of Academic Librarianship v. 33 no. 6 (December 2007) p. 692-6
Publication Year:	2007
Abstract:	The authors implemented a survey of faculty attitudes toward library research instruction that is closely related to two previously published surveys. After reviewing their results, the authors raise questions about the significance of some of the results of all three surveys.

 

Eric M. Meyers, Karen E. Fisher, Elizabeth Marcoux, Studying the everyday information behavior of tweens: Notes from the field, Library & Information Science Research, Volume 29, Issue 3, September 2007, Pages 310-331, ISSN 0740-8188, 10.1016/j.lisr.2007.04.011.
(http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0740818807000655)

 

Abstract

Researching how children engage with everyday information poses methodological challenges that differ significantly from those associated with adult populations. These challenges are exacerbated by the lack of domain-specific methodological research in library and information science (LIS) that addresses the developmental needs and attributes of young people. This article introduces a novel approach to the study of “tweens” (preteens ages 9–13) and their everyday information seeking. A description of the specific features of the study design includes discussion of how the methods used target the developmental attributes and needs of early adolescents (physical, social, and cognitive). The study design was tested with diverse populations in three distinct locations. The article outlines key features of a holistic youth information perspective, directions for future studies using the Tween Day methodology, and implications for youth information behavior studies in general.

My next steps are to read through these more closely and choose the articles that 

most closely match my topic.  I will then go back to the databases, look at the 

articles, and "steal" some of their search terms. 

More on Qualitative Research

Role of the Researcher lecture notes:

In qualitative research, the key tool for data gathering and analysis is the researcher.  Qualitative researchers need to be: 

• tolerant of ambiguity.  

• This also means the researcher must "think on her feet," since there isn't a strict step-by-step method of doing things and the nature of qualitative research means even the methods might need to be flexible.  The researcher and participant work together to construct meaning, and there can be layers and even contradictory evidence.  
• Question:  What is the difference between theories arising from qualitative research and generalities.  Are the theories generated useful (to librarians, I guess, or other researchers?) or might they lead to ignoring those who fall outside the theories?

• sensitive to the information being collected 
• sensitive to the research participant, and 
• treat participant as a "co-researcher."
• do not make participant feel their input is being evaluated or judged
• dress to "blend in"
• good communicators.
• establish good rapport with participant
• be an active listener (listen to what the participant is saying, they must listen for the participant’s “inner voice” (p. 78) and they have to listen while being aware of the process and the substance of what is being said.)
• write well

Boostron's stages of a researcher (what the researcher sees):  video camera, play goer, evaluator, subjected inquirer, insider, and finally reflective interpreter.  It's interesting to see that, with qualitative research, there is absolutely a learning curve for the researcher, and one must work up to the point where multitasking as a "reflective interpreter" is possible.  How long does this process take?  Do researchers practice observing so they can get to the "reflective interpreter" stage before they draw conclusions and publish papers?


Case Study Lecture Notes:

Merriam's thoughts on the purpose of case study research:  "to gain an in-depth understanding of the situation and meaning for those involved...Insights gleaned from case studies can directly influence policy, practice, and future research."

Subject is defined:  a person, a specific group of people (for ex, a class), a policy, or a program.

Four types:  ethnographic, historical, interpretive, and evaluative


Can also be done as a multi-case study, with several subjects.  Data is collected and used to make generalizations.  In-depth, multiple methods of data collection.

"Another emphasis in qualitative research generally and case study research specifically is an understanding of a complex phenomenon from the participants’ perspectives rather than the researcher’s. This insider’s perspective, or emic, is in contrast to the etic, or outsider’s view of the phenomenon being studied."  (de Groot lecture) 

I see how case studies would be helpful because they allow researchers to gather so much data, with such specific context, and to really make meaning from it.  How difficult is it to get participants to join and stick with a case study?  Are longitudinal studies typically case studies?  If the purpose of a case study is to examine a specific instance (rather than to forward theories or influence policy), is the idea to collect several case studies on the same phenomenon and then look at the data from all of them as a whole?  Are there people who do this (analyze the data from multiple case studies), but who don't actually gather the information themselves?  What is the practical value (pragmatist alert) of an isolated case study?

Triangulation:  process of using multiple methods/observers/materials/perspectives in a single study as an alternative to validation.  Not an attempt to replicate findings (as in quantitative, scientific research), but an attempt to show different ways the same finding/phenomenon is being seen.  Question:  does "tri" mean there needs to be three ways?  Is this a rule, or a guideline?

Member Checking:  participants look over researcher observations and conclusions and offer their input.  "The participant is “asked to review material for accuracy and palatability”  Question:  are there cases when this might not be appropriate (other than with small children, and then their parents could do this)?  When there is a "conflict" regarding data or interpretations, is more weight given to the researcher or the participant?  Or is the "conflict" simply recorded as part of the study?

Value (to answer my previous questions):

1. Shows phenomenon from participant's perspective,
2. in-depth understanding can be gained,
3. Stake (1998) notes that case studies are of value “in refining theory and suggesting complexities for further investigation, as well as helping to establish the limits of generalizability” (p. 104).  (Good for a few of my questions!)
4. influence on policymakers and programs:  case studies provide ways “to explore the processes and dynamics of practice in order to develop useful insights into educational practice which can inform policy, practice, and future research (Ellis, 1997, p. 2).  Question:  do single case studies really have that much influence on policy?  

Strengths and Weaknesses:

Merriam's 4 strengths:  case study is a “way of investigating complex social units with multiple variables” (p. 41); it can provide a detailed, rich description of a phenomenon; it can expand a reader’s experiences through the insights provided by the research; and it can work to advance knowledge in a particular field of study.

Merriam's 5 weaknesses:  length of time and amount of money involved in this kind of research can be more substantial than in other kinds of research; the final product or report can be long because of the large amount of data collected and interpreted; it relies heavily on the researcher’s skills and abilities to collect, analyze, interpret, and report on the phenomenon being studied; researcher bias is possible; and because case studies are simply a “slice of life” (p. 42) and not the whole picture, they can be oversimplified or exaggerated.

From the lecture:  The merits of the design outweigh the weaknesses as long as the method is suited for the research problem.  In other words, if case study is the right way to examine a question or problem, then the strengths outweigh the weaknesses.  So research should be designed with the question/problem in mind, not based on strengths/weaknesses of an individual method?

Risks of case studies include oversimplification, audiences forgetting they are seeing a "snapshot" rather than a whole picture and drawing inappropriate conclusions based on that, the fact that the researcher is the observer/collector/analyzer of all data, and researcher bias (leaving out details that might influence conclusions, or putting too great an emphasis on other details.

I will come back to this later and glean some questions to post on the message boards (if any are still unanswered at that point).

Week 4: Qualitative Research

I did read the abstract lecture/info, and bookmarked all the pages, but I think they will be better as reference when I start writing my abstracts and don't really have much to comment on here. 

The Qualitative research lecture left me with an interesting question, or thought, really.  This is a little odd since I feel like I'd prefer to do qualitative rather than quantitative research, but I have to wonder if anyone "really" thinks qualitative research is valid.  I suppose as a method to generating theories, then yes, it would be a good and useful tool (and interesting).  But there is so much in qualitative research that rests on the individual researcher, from how she interacts with subjects to what makes it into his observational notes to the way the observations and interviews are interpreted--it doesn't exactly "feel" scientific.  Do researchers often complete a qualitative study and then look for more quantitative ways to verify their findings? (I suppose this would really be mixed methods.)  How difficult is it to get enough funding to carry a study through to that extent?  And do the researchers start to get bored with the topic?  How many qualitative researchers have to generate the same theory before it is considered valid?  Is qualitative research the poor cousin of quantitative research, constantly asking to be excused for voicing theories?  "Excuse me, I'm sorry,  of course I could be wrong, but I think perhaps. . ."  I'm just picturing "hard" scientists looking at a qualitative study and thinking it's all made up conjecture.

Those are the thoughts rattling around in my brain after reading this lecture, anyhow. 

More direct notes on the lecture:

Four outcomes from  qualitative reserach:

1. description:  relationships, people, setting and situations, and systems.  
2. interpretation:  explain or create generalizations, develop new concepts, elaborate existing concepts, provide insights, clarify complexity, and develop theory
3. verification:  developing assumptions, generalizations, and theories (not to be confused with the type of verification in quantitative research where specific hypothesis are tested and re-tested).
4. evaluation:  research that impacts the policies and practices of a particular situation, or evaluates the effectiveness of a particular program; can include other outcomes or encompass them.

I suppose a major difference in qualitative and quantitative research is the complexity of the topics being probed.  Qualitative research is not about does variable x cause result z in this highly controlled setting.  It's much more about how things work in the real world, with unlimited variables.  You really can never prove anything.

Reserch Methods lecture, part II

I am now more awake and will give this another go--at least until my son wakes up from his nap.

I just read the journal articles after the "experimental" section in the lecture.  I have to say, I'm not feeling any more confident about my ability to interpret numerical data.  The second article focused on reading scores and attitudes, and the data seemed pretty straightforward except that the researchers threw in an extra variable.  Rather than simply making the read-alouds the only difference in the two groups, they threw in extra English instruction.  Why did they do that?  They do acknowledge this difference in the article, but I still don't understand why they'd do that if they were trying to show a connection between read-alouds and independent reading.  Honestly, I find this annoying.

The other study, focused on user satisfaction at a University library before and after specific customer service training, seemed much more valid because they didn't throw in a bunch of extra variables.

Note to self:  when designing an experimental study (if I ever do that), don't create extra variables.  It just makes it more difficult to interpret the data and makes grad students annoyed.

Qualitative Research:  Theory generating rather than hypothesis-testing.  Consists of observing or interviewing subjects, field research.  Usually about a specific phenomenon or occurrence.  Observation, qualitative interview, focus groups.  Suggestion for observations:  take "sketch notes" (words and phrases), then go rewrite them in more detail asap.  Include observations and your interpretations of them (note which is which).   

Articles:  The Williamson article was so incredibly dry.  For whatever reason, it did not hold my interest at all.  The McKechnie article was more interesting, but left me with some questions.  For example, if all the researchers were mothers, might that have influenced how they viewed the reactions of the children?  And what purpose did collecting this data serve?  It was, however, a good glimpse into field observation in a very chaotic setting, and I appreciated the candid discussion of the many challenges they faced.

Content Analysis:  "unobtrusive" research--method of observing social behavior without affecting it.  "The study of recorded human communications, such as books, magazines, web pages, poems, newspapers, songs, paintings, speeches, letters, e-mail messages, bulletin board postings on the Internet, and laws."  2 categories: conceptual analysis and relational analysis. Conceptual analysis records the existence and frequency of concepts. Relational analysis examines the relationships between concepts.  Researchers create "concept codes" and record instances of each concept.  Pitfalls:  how you categorize concepts influences results of study, researchers must ensure concepts are clear to all coding.

From the Koufogiannakis article:  "For many library schools, a course in research methods is now mandatory. However, if students are not seeing the practical applicability of the course, the meaning of it may be lost in their practice as a librarian."

I think this is absolutely true, as shown by comments in class discussion already.  Of course, the reality is that even if students do see practical applicability, other obstacles (funding, lack of time) interfere.

I think librarianship research may suffer from the same disconnect as much educational research (although there is certainly a lot of that).  One of my frustrations as an educator is that we have this huge push for research-based practice, but the reality is that often we do not implement research-based practice because of funding issues.  What, then, was the point of doing the research in the first place?  If we want research-based practice, then we need to provide the funds, time, and resources to actually implement those practices.  Otherwise, it's hard to see the value in the research.  At a time when libraries are being closed, privatized, and cut back, I doubt the reasoning behind programming and collection decisions is grounded in research--it's based on budget.  As long as budget trumps research, there will probably be this problem of not seeing the 'practical applicability" of research.

Or maybe I'm just grouchy and tired.

Research Methods lecture

This lecture is a standard lecture for all sections of the course I'm taking.  Frankly, it seems pretty dry.  In an attempt to focus myself, I'm going to summarize the sections here.


Surveys:  3 components:  1) sample (representative of larger population), 2) standardized questionnaire (clear, unambiguous), 3) method (self-completed, telephone, in person, online, etc.) 

Guidelines for formulating good questions: 

• Consider the Form:  Will you use statements, questions, or both?  If questions are used, will they be open- or closed-ended?  Both types provide challenges.
• Questions must be clear and unambiguous.  They should also be relevant to the users' knowledge--in other words, the people taking your survey should know enough to understand your questions.
• Keep it short and clear.
• Avoid negative statements and bias statements ("don't you think").
• Provide clear instructions in the introductory comments (and perhaps before specific questions).
• Pre-test it and correct any ambiguities or biases.

Send a cover letter to introduce respondents to the survey topic and obtain informed consent.  Parts of the cover letter should include:

• brief statement informing respondent that study contains research and a simple description of the project,
• name and phone number of principle researcher,
• clear statement of research purpose,
• clear instructions on procedures to be followed,
• risks/benefits/costs to participants when applicable,
• confidentiality guidelines,
• study is voluntary,
• for minors, informed consent note for parents/guardians.

Experimental and Quasi-Experimental Design:   focus on examining the effect of a specific action.  Can be controlled (ie, in a "lab" with something being done to subjects) or natural (ie, reactions after an event, such as a presidential assassination or natural disaster). 

Key components of classical experiment:

• Independent and Dependent Variables.  Independent variable can be present or not present.  Researchers observe what happens when the Independent Variable is present or not.
• Pre-testing and Post-testing.  The dependent variable is measured before the independent variable is introduced (or removed) and after.
• Experimental and Control group.  Populations of each group should be similar.

 However, this can be difficult in social experiments, so we have Quasi-Experimental Design:

• Time series design:  looks at behaviors over time, such as speeding rates before and after a new traffic light is installed.
• Non-equivilant control group: control group is similar to experimental group, but not determined by random assignment.
• Multiple time series design:  looks at behaviors over time in several areas or with several groups, in effect creating a non-random control group.

I am falling asleep as I attempt to download the readings in the lecture, so I will continue another time.

Terminology and Concepts from Chapter 2

Chapter 2 of my text (Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches, 3rd ed., by John W. Creswell) focuses on literature review.

Creswell begins by focusing on the question of study topics.  The topic is, simply, the subject matter of a proposed study, written as a few words or a short phrase.  Researchers gain insight or focus their topic in the planning phase by:

• drafting a brief title (my study is about ___), which can be changed/refocused as the proposal or study progresses,
•  stating the topic as a brief question,
• considering "Can this be researched?"  Are there willing participants? Do you have the resources to collect & analyze the data?
• considering "Should this be researched?"  Does it add to the available research knowledge, duplicate past studies, lift up the voices of underrepresented groups/individuals, address social justice or transform the ideas/beliefs of the researcher? How does the project contribute to the literature?  Does it pay off for the researcher in terms of career goals?  Have you solicited opinions from others in your field?

Creswell then focuses more specifically on the Literature Review as a way to consider a topic and as part of the expected reporting of a study proposal, journal article, dissertation, etc.

The purposes of a literature review are to share with the reader the results of other related studies, to relate the study to the larger dialogue surrounding that topic in existing literature, and to fill in the gaps/extend past studies.  It provides a framework for establishing the importance of the proposed study, as well as a benchmark for comparing the results/findings.

Literature reviews are used in several ways.

In a study proposal, consult your advisor, but in general lit reviews are a brief summary (not yet fully developed) of about 20 pages OR an outline of topics/references for development into a "literature review" chapter (20-60 pgs written).

In a journal article, the lit review is an abbreviated form of that found in a thesis/dissertation in a "related literature" section after the introduction, threaded throughout the study, or at the end (depending upon the type of study and methods used).

For qualitative research, use the literature review in a manner consistent with the assumptions of the participant.  Literature reviews can set the stage (as part of or near the introduction), can be a separate section with theory discussion, or can be a final section that compares/contrasts results of the new study with past studies. Creswell suggests using literature sparingly at the beginning of studies to convey teh inductive design of Qualitative research--unless the design type requires substantial literary orientation.  Consider the most appropriate place (beginning, seperate section, end), making your decision based on the intended audience.

For quantitative research, literature reviews are more substantial and are found at the beginning of the study to provide direction for research or hypothesis.  They may be used to introduce a problem in a "related literature" or "review of literature" section at the beginning of a study.  The literature review can introduce a theory or describe a theory that will be used, or it can discuss why it is useful to examine a specific theory.  At the end of a study, the literature review may be revisited to compare results.  Creswell suggests using the literature review as the basis for advancing research or a hypothesis in the introduction or a separate section at the beginning, and revisiting the literature to compare findings at the end.  Researchers must decide if they will use an integrated, theoretical, or mithodological approach (see below).

For mixed methods research, the literature can be any of the above, depending upon the research strategies used.   Creswell suggests using a placement consistent with teh study type.

Literature reviews can be INTEGRATED (summarize broad themes in literature), THEORETICAL (focuses on extant theory), and METHODOLOGICAL (less used today, focuses on methods and definitions).

An incredibly helpful, practical section of ch. 2 includes a list of steps in conducting a literature review, summarized below.  I wish I'd read this/taken this course as an undergraduate, as it would have helped me both there as a student and as a high school English teacher.

1. Identify key words to use to find materials at an academic library.  They may emerge in identifying the topic or from preliminary readings.
2. Search catalog holdings for the key words.  Focus initially on journals and books related to the topic.  Then search computerized databases.
3. Locate about 50 reports of research, placing priority on journal articles and books because they are easy to locate.
4. Skim this initial group of findings.  Copy/keep those central to your topic.  At this point you're just looking for "is this relevant to my topic," not "what does this say specifically about my topic."
5. Create a literature map (this is brilliant)--a visual representation of the literature on your topic (more on this later).
6. Draft summaries of the most relevant articles, including references in APA (or the appropriate style).
7. Assemble the summaries into a literature review, organized by theme or concepts.  End the lit review with a summary of your study and how it adds to the literature.

The Literature Map:  There is a good example of this in the textbook, but the literature map is essentially a "mind map" of the literature in existence.  Creswell suggests starting with the general topic, then breaking it into three broad subtopics.  Place specific aspects of each subtopic, along with relevant citations from the literature reviewed, under each subtopic.  Include quantitative, qualitative, and mixed research in your lit review.  Then place a box representing your proposed study in the appropriate spot, indicating its relationship to the existing literature.  In this way, researchers can easily see how their study fits into (or does not fit into) the existing literature.  What is new or different about their topic? Why is it needed?  I love this idea.

More on database searches:  I have long wondered when, exactly, I would learn this type of thing in "library school."  I was happy to see it in this chapter.  Creswell gives information on several free and commercial databases and their uses/benefits.  He advises using a thesaurus of search terms/descriptors from each database (if available) to refine individual search terms.  Free databases included ERIC, Google Scholar, and PubMed.  Commercial databases included ProQuest (which accesses several databases in one spot), Sociological Abstracts, PsycINFO, and The Social Sciences Citation Index.  I can honestly say this is the first time in my education that any book or instructor has discussed what differentiates one database from the next.  I feel like the next time I research I will make a more informed choice regarding where to begin my database searches, and the descriptions on the SLIS library liason's page will have a whole new context for me.

Creswell's priority in selecting literature:  This hierarchy helps beginning researchers determine which types of literature are most/least desirable.  This is another list that would have been helpful earlier in my academic career and in my teaching career.

1. Start with broad synthesis, such as overviews in encyclopedias or literature summaries from journal abstracts (this is obviously for giving the researcher a base of knowledge, not for specific inclusion in a scholarly lit review).
2. Then, look at journal articles from respected peer-reviewed national journals that report research studies.
3. Books.
4. Recent conference papers.
5. dissertation abstracts (pay attention to quality)
6. WWW.  (pay attention to quality). Check online journals to see they have solid review boards.

An abstract is a brief review of the literature (short paragraph) summarizing major elements.  Abstracts of studies mention the problem, state the central purpose of the study, give information abotu the sample/population/subjects, review key results, and, in the case of methodological reviews, point out flaws in research methodology.  Abstracts of other literature mention the problem, identify central theme(s), discuss major conclusions, and, if methodological, mention flaws in reasoning,  logic, force of argument, etc. 

Creswell also mentions style manuals.  APA must be my new best friend.

Definition of Terms:  this may either be part of a lit review or separate from it.  Regardless of study type, the definition of terms section should:

• define terms that individuals outside the field of study might not understand.
• define terms when they first appear in the document.
• define terms in all sections of the research plan (title, problem statement, purpose statement, research questions/hypotheses, or objectives, literature review, theory base, and methods).
• define terms at a specific, operational level (as used here)
• use accepted language in research literature (not everyday language)
• definitions can define a common language word in the research context, pair a common term with a limitation, list a criterion, or define a term operationally
• One approach is a 2-3 page separate section.

Qualitative studies should delay definition of terms until they appear in the study.  Writers may pose tentative definitions before their entry into the field if necessary, but definitions should emerge as the study progresses.

Quantitative studies should include extensive definitions in the research proposal in a separate section at the beginning.

Mixed Methods studies vary depending up on the methods used in the study.

In Quantitative studies, structure literature reviews by first discussing literature focused on independent variables, then literature focused on dependent variables, then studies focused on the relationship between the two.

There is a lot to digest in this chapter, and being able to apply it to research of my own (or hypothetical research of my own) would be helpful.  I can see how becoming a good researcher requires putting on a different "hat" or mindset than the practitioner hat.  Which probably means now is a good time to go read the assigned article, which I think focuses on practitioners as researchers.

Terminology from Chapter 1.

It took me a while to wrap my brain around this chapter, both because I faced constant interruptions and because I had to adjust my thinking from a practical to theoretical view.  Once I did that (and locked my door), things did not seem nearly as complicated. 

Key concepts:

There are three over-arching elements of research:  1. the world view of the researcher/study, 2. the strategy of inquiry, and 3. research methods.

Four Worldviews: 

1. Postpositivist:  This seems the most "scientific" to me.  Postpositivists believe causes determine effects or outcomes.  They try to reduce ideas to a small set of "truths" to test, but they believe all research is flawed and you can never actually reach absolute truth.  Postpositivists develop a theory first, then test it, then revise the theory, then retest.  They are seeking truths while acknowledging the impossibility of finding it.

2.  Constructivisim:  This seems the most "natural" to me.  Constructivists believe that individuals make meaning based on their experience.  Therefor, meaning is subjective, varied, and multiple.  Researches look for complexity of views.  They ask broad, general questions, focus research on observation of discussions or interactions.  They also address the processes of interaction.  Their intent is to make sense of meanings; therefor, while they may begin with a general focus, they construct their theories based on their research results.

3.  Pragmatism:  I like the flexibility of pragmatism, since pragmatists do what works.  Pragmatists  focus on application in their research--they are looking for what solves problems or what works.  This approach draws from both qualitative and quantitative research methods, choosing those that work best for their research.  Research occurs in context, so that flexibility is important.  They also hold that "truth is what works at the time."

Interesting quotation from textbook:  "Pragmatists have believed in an external world independent of the mind as well as that lodged in the mind.  But they believe that we need to stop asking questions about reality and the laws of nature."  To me, this indicates that pragmatists feel the laws of nature or reality is pretty much fixed or beyond human control, so researching it further does not serve any true purpose.  They seem to have accepted this and chosen to focus on how human beings interact within those natural laws rather than questioning the laws themselves.  This just struck me as interesting.

Three Strategies of Inquiry:

1.  Quantitative:  Includes experimental designs (control group, etc.) and non-experimental, such as surveys.  There is an intent of generalizing data into findings/theory.  To be honest, this strategy makes my head hurt.  While I see the value in quantitative data in some cases, I have very little experience or expertise in analyzing this type of data and am far more interested in "what does this mean" than in the numbers themselves.  I may need to retrain my brain in this area.

2.  Qualitative.  Focuses on more "open ended" research strategies.  The text discussed five types. 

•  Ethnography refers to research done on an intact cultural group in their natural setting over a prolonged period, and research is conducted using observations and interviews.  This makes me think of Jane Goodall and the apes. 
• Grounded theory is so called because it is grounded in the views of the participants.  Researchers derive a general theory based on the participant views.  They collect data in multiple stages, comparing data with emerging categories and theoretical samplings.  In other words, they make sense of the information as it emerges rather than waiting until all data has been collected to develop theories.  Personally, I would find it very difficult to stop myself from drawing conclusions until all data had been collected.  I'd constantly be thinking "maybe this means" or "this is related to that because."  
• Case studies are in depth and occur over an extended period of time on one or more subject (the "seven" movies, that one study of nurses over decades).  
• Phenomenological Focuses on a small number of subjects bound by a common experience or phenomenon.  Interviews and observations are used over time.  Researchers set aside their own experiences.  Conclusions focus on patterns and relationships within collected data.
• Narrative involves the researches life and experiences as well as those of the subjects.  Researchers ask subjects to provide stories about their lives.  This information is retold by the researcher, who creates a collaborative narrative chronology.  This reminds me of documentary film making.

3.  Mixed Methods.  This strategy came about because researchers felt limited by a quantitative OR qualitative approach.   It allows researchers to use both research strategies/methods, using the two types of data to validate each other or focus/expand on findings.  There are three main types.

• Sequential, which seeks to elaborate or expand on findings from one method with another.  For example, a quantitative survey may shape open-ended questions in subsequent interviews.
• Concurrent, in which both types of data are collected at once.  Researchers attempt to converge or merge data to provide comprehensive analysis. 
• Transformative, which involves a "theoretical lens" as the overarching perspective within a design which includes both quantitative and qualitative data.  The lens provides the framework for topics, methods, and anticipated outcomes, and research could be sequential, concurrent, or both.  I am unclear on why this is its own category (other than being able to have both sequential and concurrent research).  Don't all studies involve a "theoretical lens"? 

At this point in the reading I felt like I had a pretty good grasp on these concepts.  The tables in the text were helpful in solidifying, clarifying, and differentiating these concepts.  Choosing which method to use depends largely on the research problem, the training of the researcher, and the intended audience for the research results.