Pam Force

Lib508

ONLINE RESEARCH LESSON PLAN

 

INTRODUCTION

The lesson outlined in this paper came about as a result of teachers at Peak to Peak charter school expressing their dissatisfaction with student online research abilities. It was determined that students needed improvement in several types of information skills so that they might perform research more competently for their class projects:

In addition, the school librarian determined that certain other factors needed to be incorporated into the lesson in order to make it more valuable:

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These needs have been assessed in this project, and have been used to devise a meaningful information literacy lesson plan. This information literacy project is meant to be useful to any class needing to do research using the Internet and other online databases. Information Literacy Standard One is targeted by this project. This standard seemed to best support the nature of this particular lesson and its objectives, in that this is a lesson on learning how to determine, explore, find, evaluate, and use online information resources. Standard one indicates that students must understand how to use and construct meaning from the information resources available to them.

CLER Instructional Design Model

To design this lesson the CLER (Configuration, Linkages, Environment, and Resources) instructional design model was used. This model is particularly useful because of its open, circular pattern, which seems more useful because in actual practice, the design of instruction is not linear. Other models, such as the Big Six, Kuhlthau's model, the Eisenberg/Berkowitz model, and the Pitts/Stripling model might have worked well also, but they were not chosen because of the linear design. The design of the CLER model supports and incorporates the use of a variety of models. The entire CLER model is used, with some variation in the Objectives and Presentation Strategies portion, which is completed using the ABCD format, as this is a more specific way to determine lesson indicators. The Formative Evaluation will fall under the Assessment category.

The Complete CLER Instructional Design Plan contains nine elements:

The elements of the plan are not connected, allowing the design of instruction to occur in a flexible manner.

 

PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION

Using the Internet and online databases have become regular activities for Peak to Peak Charter School students. Teachers regularly express their dissatisfaction with students' abilities to identify their searching needs, identify appropriate searching techniques, search effectively and in a timely manner, evaluate, and organize the information they have searched for. Based on these issues, opportunities for student web-search training include:

GOAL ANALYSIS

Promote better use of class research time through improved Internet research and evaluation skills.

Goal Setting: Process and product will be evaluated.

Refine Goals

    1. Students will follow a proscribed sequence of steps in their research.
    2. Students will be able to complete handouts and assignments with a minimum of assistance.
    3. Students will complete work within specified time period.
    4. Students will develop more effective online searching skills.
    5. Students will effectively evaluate their search offline to determine what worked and what didn't, and how they should use this information for future searches.
    6. Students will write a bibliography of resources found during the course of the assignment.
    7. Students will list databases and web sites they intend to use in their search.
    8. Students will use boolean operators in their search.
    9. Students will select keywords and/or topics appropriate to their search.
    10. Students will clearly state their search problem in a single sentence.
    11. Students will refine their search online by contemplating other keywords, terms for narrowing and broadening their search, and related names/words.

Rank Goals

    1. Students will clearly state their search problem in a single sentence.
    2. Students will develop more effective online searching skills.
    3. Students will follow a proscribed sequence of steps in their research.
    4. Students will select keywords and / or topics appropriate to their search.
    5. Students will refine their search online by contemplating other keywords, terms for narrowing and broadening their search, and related names/words.
    6. Students will effectively evaluate their search offline to determine what worked and what didn't, and how they should use this information for future searches.
    7. Students will be able to complete handouts and assignments with a minimum of assistance.
    8. Students will write a bibliography of resources found during the course of the assignment.
    9. Students will complete work within specified time period.
    10. Students will use boolean operators in their search.
    11. Students will list databases and web sites they intend to use in their search.

Second Refinement

    1. Students will develop more effective online searching skills by following a sequence of proscribed steps for research, including a clear statement of the problem, keyword/topic selection, online search refinement, use of boolean search terms, and offline evaluation of the search and its results.
    2. Students will complete the instructional tools: read the Online Searching Steps handout, complete the Search Strategy Plan, and prepare a bibliography of the final search selections to be used in the class assignment.
    3. Students will complete work within the specified time period, with a minimum of assistance.

Final Ranking

  1. Students will complete the instructional tools: read the Online Searching Steps handout, complete the Search Strategy Plan, make a written list of URLs and database/articles, and prepare a bibliography of the final search selections to be used in the class assignment.
  2. Students will develop more effective online searching skills by following a sequence of proscribed steps for research, including a clear statement of the problem, keyword/topic selection, online search refinement, use of boolean search terms, and offline evaluation of the search and its results.
  3. Students will complete work within the specified time period, with a minimum of assistance.

 

AUDIENCE DEFINITION

General Characteristics

The primary audience is composed of both male and female students in grades 6-10. All have had at least a minimum of exposure the Internet, and are familiar with the use of mouse and keyboard.

Specific Characteristics

One distinct audience

Physical Requirements

    1. Should be able to manipulate mouse and keyboard, as well as pencil and paper.

Specific Educational Requirements

    1. Generally high achievers, though not a requirement. Education consistent with grade levels, as classes will be conducted by grade level.

TASK ANALYSIS

    1. Check to make sure computer is in working order: Internet functional, mouse and keyboard working.
    2. Be certain the printer is operational, and has paper.
    3. Read the assignment on the Library homepage.
    1. Read "Steps in Online Searching" handout thoroughly.
    2. Read "Search Strategy Plan" handout thoroughly.
    3. Answer questions one through four.
    1. Refine the search online by trying other usable keywords or related topics. (question 5). Make a written list of the URLs and database articles found, include database name for each article.
    2. Evaluate your search offline.
    1. Create a bibliography of the useful sites found during the search using a pre-defined format.
    2. Hand in the bibliography and Search Strategy Plan for grading.

Constraints / Limitations

Direct Testing

    1. Operation of search engines and databases (computer software)
    2. Use of provided handout instruments intended to assist online searching.
    3. Assemblage of a bibliography of useable materials

Activities and Support Materials

Activities and support materials intended to address student tool and skill needs are as follows:

OBJECTIVES AND INDICATORS

The "Steps in Online Searching" handout and "Search Strategy Plan" form are meant to support each of the eight indicators in standard 1. The objectives are listed in the indicators as behaviors.

Indicator 1: Determines information needs.

Indicator 2: Develops information-seeking strategies and locates information.

 

 

Indicator 3: Acquires information.

Indicator 4: Analyzes information relative to need.

Indicator 5. Organizes information.

 

 

Indicator 6: Processes information.

Indicator 7: Acts on information.

Indicator 8: Evaluates process and product.

PREINSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGY - ADVANCE ORGANIZER

The instruction will be designed around the concept of research for a class project, to vary with each class. The research process as a series of steps will be used to present the idea of similar processes that need to be followed when conducting online research. This concept will be used to support the sequencing strategy, and will improve retention by providing learners with a "conceptual grid to hang information on". This will help by placing emphasis on the need for care in following the research process, especially when searching online

Pre-testing with the student groups at Peak to Peak was not chosen, because all students have been exposed to Internet searching at some point as a matter of course prior to this exercise, although online searching skills have been previously analyzed by an independent party and determined to be beginner-level. In addition, the skills taught in this lesson have been connoisseur-tested, or expert-reviewed by the school librarians. One -to-one trials, small group testing, and field-testing are therefore unnecessary and would be difficult at any rate given time constraints.

Behavioral Objectives was not selected as an instructional strategy due to the young age of the audience. It is important for learners to understand the need for the training, and to provide meaning and context for the objectives.

Overview was not chosen as a strategy since the lack of experience on the part of the learners in the area of online research would not provide a sufficient foundation on which to base an overview.

SEQUENCING CONTENT - TEMPORAL RELATION

Following the research strategy, the content will be sequenced based on the chronological progression of the research: ensuring hardware is functioning, planning the search on paper, performing the search, refining search online, writing down search hits, evaluating results on paper, writing a bibliography.

 

ASSESSMENT

Having completed the instructional objectives, it did seem that a good match was obtained between the objectives and the types of instructional instruments to be used. Students will self-evaluate their progress throughout the process using the instruments provided (search strategy plan, prioritization form, and instructional handout outlining the steps in online searching), and will hand in the instruments and results of their work throughout the process as well for librarian and teacher evaluation. Following completion of the lesson and individual evaluations of student lessons and instructional materials, the librarian will perform an overall summative assessment of the lesson. This will be done by the use of a rubric, to determine individual success (see lesson tools). The percentage of successful outcomes as a result of the lesson will be compared to the less- or unsuccessful outcomes.. This will give information on how to improve upon the lesson for future classes. This assessment will be performed for each individual group or class participating in the lesson, in order to gain accurate measurement of student achievement over the course of the lesson as it is presented to each class.

The assessment measures/instruments to be used not only support face validity, but also content validity as well. Reliability of the measures is within reasonable limits, although not 100%. If teachers desire, re-testing can occur within a one-month period to determine reliability and retention of learned skills.

 

Steps in online searching, OR How to Find What You Need!

This is a list of steps that you should go through every time you do online searching. Following the sequence of steps will help you to have a much more productive search in the Internet.

 

1. Identify the problem

    1. State your search problem as a question, using only a single sentence.
      2.

      b. What type of information do you need? (News, an overview, someone's point of view, documents, etc.)
    2. How much information do you need? (Are you writing a definition, a term paper, an essay, a speech, etc.)

 

2. Choosing the right web site or database

a. Is your subject covered?

b. Who authored the Website? (Is it Prof. Jones' site, or is it little Johnny's homework page?) Is there information about the author?

c. Is the site up-to-date? When was it last updated? Do the links still work?

d. Can you understand the information? If you can't understand what is being discussed, maybe you need to look for something less complicated.

e. Is there enough information on the site? Or is it just a brief overview?

 

3. Decide on Keywords or topics

    1. What are the main ideas or concepts?
      2.
    2. Think of any synonyms, related ideas, or terms that you could use to narrow or broaden your search.
      3.
    3. Which Boolean operators would work the best? (and, or, not)
      4.
    4. What other plurals or other word forms might you use in your search?
      5.
    5. Think of any proper names (places or people) that might help narrow your search.
      6.
    6. Is everything spelled correctly?
  1. Keyword search vs. Subject search
    1. Am I searching for more than one main idea?
      2.
    2. Do I need help spelling any of the words?
  1. Refining the online search

a. .Are your search hits relevant, can you get the materials, and most important, can you understand them?

b. Check to be sure you used all of your strategies for searching.
    1. What are some other keywords that could be used?
      2.
    2. Are there any narrower or broader terms that could be use?.
      3.
    3. Check the best hits for more useful vocabulary words to try in your search.
      4.
    4. Are all the words correctly spelled?
      5.
    5. Would another database work better? Why or why not?
      6.
    6. If all else fails, ask the Librarian!
  1. Evaluating the search: examining the printouts

a. Were my search hits relevant? How relevant were they?
    1. Which hits were the best? What makes them the best?(most relevant, credibility, availability, readability, promote my point of view)
      2.
    2. Decide which search strategy worked best.
    3. Were there any additional keyword clues you found in your printouts?
      4.
    4. Would any other databases have worked better?

 

 

Search Strategy Plan

Write your answers to all questions as completely as possible.

 

1. Using a single sentence, state your search problem.

 

2. Refine your problem into a search string, using Boolean operators.

 

3. List Web sites and databases you plan to search.

 

4. What keywords and/or key topics do you think will work best?

 

5. What related terms/words, synonyms, alternate spellings, truncations, or other changes might be helpful?

 

6. Using keyword searching vs. topic searching - which will work better and why?

 

7. Refining your search:

 

 

 

8. Evaluating your search

 

 

ASSIGNMENT:

Write a bibliography on a separate piece of paper, listing three or more of the best web sites or articles you found. Follow the formats recommended in your Writer's Inc. book.

Student Assignment Checklist

 

 

Bibliography

 

Bellingham Public Schools. Library Media Frameworks.

http://www.bham.wednet.edu/lmframe.htm

Boolean Operators

http://www.searchability.com/boolean.htm

Dick, Walter; Carey, Lou. The Systematic Design of Instruction, 2nd Ed. Scott, Foresman, and Co., 1985.

Jones, Patrick. Connecting Young Adults and Libraries, 2nd Ed. Neal-Schumann Publishers, Inc., 1998.

Information Skills Lesson Plans

http://www.sldirectory.com/libsf/resf/libplans.html

McKenzie, Jamie. A Measure of Student Success: assessing information problem-solving skills.

http://www.fno.org/oakharbor.html

Morrison, Gary R. et. al .Designing Effective Instruction, 3rd Ed. John Wiley and Sons, Inc., 2001.

Power Tools. American Library Association, 1998.

Preece, Jenny. Human-Computer Interaction Addison-Wesley, 1994.

Seven Steps of the Research Process.

http://www.library.cornell.edu/okuref/research/skill1.htm

Spinello, Richard A. Ethical Aspects of Information Technology. Prentice-Hall, 1995.

Washington Library Media Association: process models for information literacy.

http://www.wlma.org/Instruction/processmodels.htm

Wiggins, Grant. The Case for Authentic Assessment. ERIC Digest, 1990.
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