Using Journals to Build Information Literacy Skills

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Using Journals to Build Information Literacy
Skills

• Violet H. Harada
• University of Hawaii
• vharada_at_hawaii.edu
• ACEI Annual International Conference
• April 16, 2003

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Targets for session

• Background.
• Context.
• Methodology.
• Analysis.
• Key findings.
• Implications.

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Driving questions

• How do we move students from the mechanics of the
  research process to making meaning from
  information gathered?

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Driving questions

• How do we develop teaching practices that nurture
  deeper understanding?

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Beliefs

• Information seeking and use is a PROCESS.
• Skills involved in this process are teachable.
• Librarians and teachers are partners in planning
  and teaching.

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Information search process

• Presearch
• Focus and presentation planning.
• Collection and organization of information.
• Presentation,evaluation of performance and of
  process.

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Action research team

• School - grade 5/6 teacher, librarian.
• University - graduate research assistant, myself.

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Research questions

• What understandings and problems do students
  describe as they engage in research?
• What feelings do they express?
• How can journal writing inform our teaching?
• How does it impact student-instructor
  interaction?

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Why journal writing?

• Reveals thinking and reasoning.
• Demonstrates what students know and dont know.
• Allows for expression of personal feelings.

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Context

• School Shafter Elementary
• Subjects 17 students, ages 10 and 11.
• Learning context 2 research assignments over 11
  weeks.

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Methodology--

• What students did
• Journal entries, twice a week.
• What the teacher and librarian did
• Lesson plans and reflections.
• Anecdotal logs.
• What the university team did
• Field observations and interviews.
• Content analysis of student journals.

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Analysis--

• Coders UH graduate student, myself.
• Entries independently coded.
• Each entry analyzed for cognitive and affective
  content.
• 91 agreement between raters.

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Coding - cognition

• Information unrelated to concept, skill.
• Disjointed recall of concept.
• Accurate restatement of concept, limited support.
• Accurate restatement concept, elaborated support.

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Coding - affect

• Initial optimism.
• Growing doubt, frustration.
• Increasing confidence.
• Satisfaction or dissatisfaction based on results.

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Findings Presearch phase

• Assignment 1
• 70 were unable to explain why they were
  exploring the broader topic.
• Assignment 2
• 88 able to articulate purpose of exploring the
  larger topic before selecting a focus.

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Findings Focus phase

• Assignment 1
• 90 selected focus solely on interest.
• Assignment 2
• 76 identified multiple criteria including
• Availability of resources.
• Readability.
• Relevance.
• Personal interest.

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Findings Collection phase

• Assignment 1
• 50 able to vaguely describe the note taking
  process.
• Assignment 2
• 90 able to identify major elements and elaborate
  on them.

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Findings Evaluation phase

• Assignment 1
• 24 were able to identify one or two aspects of
  the research process.
• Assignment 2
• 100 able to identify major steps.
• 95 could elaborate on them.

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Findings Affect
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Implications for instruction

• Spend more time on presearch phase.
• Identify sub-skills and provide direct
  instruction.
• Incorporate graphic organizers to teach keyword
  identification, organizing and synthesizing
  information.

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More implications

• Engage in extensive modeling.
• Incorporate thinkaloud strategies.
• Involve students in developing assessment tools.
• Do more debriefing on process.

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Benefits instructors

• More interaction with students.
• More precise identification of problems.
• More informed judgments about instructional
  modifications.

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Benefits students

• Deeper understanding of their own insights and
  problems.
• More open expression of feelings throughout the
  process.
• Greater confidence in raising questions.

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For a more detailed rendition of this study refer
to the following Harada, V. H. (2002).
Personalizing the information search process A
case study of journal writing with elementary-age
students. Online School Library
Media Research. Available at http//www.ala.org/
aasl/SLMR/vol5/ search/search.html