Completing the literature review for my first assessment task turned out to be a lot more difficult than I expected. After stumbling upon a chapter by Perrault (2007), “The School as an Information Ecology: A Framework for Studying Changes in Information Use” I became interested and turned my focus for the literature review towards information behavior. The uncomfortable irony I found as I researched information-seeking was how very lacking my own information-seeking behavior was.

This is also where another article caught my attention. I encountered Kuhlthau’s Information Search Process model when I was in the midst of my own information search process, and it immediately made sense to me. When I selected the topic of information seeking as a result of my interest in the concept of an information ecology I was feeling optimistic but my thoughts about the topic were still vague. In the exploration stage I found many interesting articles and chapters about information behavior. Because this topic was so new to me, I was reading everything that seemed somewhat related and was not able to focus or narrow down my search. When I started to come up with areas I wanted to read more about, my lack of skill with search terms and lack of awareness of how to scan and select useful resources led to a growing sense of helplessness. So in the space of one day I went from the selection to the exploration stage, and from feeling optimistic and excited to despairing and frustrated.

In the midst of this search process I found another article that resonated with me. In “Tracking Middle School Students’ Information Behavior via Kuhlthau’s ISP Model: Temporality” Beheshti, Cole, Abuhimed, and Lamoureux noted as a significant finding the importance of consultations in moving students from one stage of the search process to another. This was what I felt quite keenly that I was missing. As a learner I always ask for help when I come to a challenge and I prefer to learn from and with others rather than try to figure things out on my own. But in this case I did not have any local source for consultation. I was listening in to the online meetings and chats but did not want to ask questions specifically about my topic because I understood that part of the intention of the literature review was for us to learn how to find our own resources. Once I went from exploring to documenting in the actions I was taking related to the literature review my feeling of frustration and hopelessness eased. Although I cannot say I felt confident, I certainly felt less helpless as I wrote. I did persist and eventually produced a literature review. At the presentation stage I felt disappointed by the quality of my work, but relieved that I had finished. I know I did the best I could, and I feel a sense of accomplishment in having completed this first assessment.

Krueger & Dunning (1999) claim that learners who are unskilled frequently overestimate their ability. At risk of making the classic unskilled and unaware mistake, I am still hopeful that I will obtain a passing mark on this assessment.

So, what have I learned?

1. I need to improve my research skills. I did not proactively sign up for library workshops before the course began, and when I realized I was really in need of direction I felt too pressed for time to view the videos.
2. I need to reach out to find some connections during my next projects. I felt trapped by my ignorance and having someone to consult with or even just commiserate with would have made a big difference.
3. I will need to find a way to manage my time better. For these first two assessments I had the luxury of being on vacation so I actually had as much time as I needed each day to spend reading and searching. Hopefully in taking some steps now to learn more about how I can improve my research skills will reduce the amount of time I spend on my next assessments because I will be back to full-time teaching.

References

Beheshti, J., Cole, C., Abuhimed, D., & Lamoureux, I. (2015). Tracking middle school students’ information behavior via Kuhlthau’s ISP Model: Temporality. Journal of the Association for Information Science & Technology, 66(5), 943-960. doi:10.1002/asi.23230

Krueger, J. & Dunning, D. (1999, December). Unskilled and unaware of it: How difficulties in recognizing one’s own incompetence lead to inflated self-assessments. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 77(6),1121-1134.

Perrault, A. M. (2007). The school as an information ecology: A framework for studying changes in information use. School Libraries Worldwide, 13(2), 49-62.