Inquiry Learning Models – What are they?
Inquiry Learning Models are procedures or sets of steps that can be used to teach and learn Inquiry Learning (IL) skills. Inquiry Learning (IL) takes a constructivist stance on education where students pose the questions and authentic, student directed learning is the goal (Lupton, 2014).
There are many Inquiry Learning Models currently being used in education. This post will discuss five such models.
The Big 6
The Big 6 information problem-solving process was developed by Eisenberg and Berkowitz in 1990. It is mainly aimed at school aged children from kindergarten to year 12 (Eisenberg & Berkowitz, 1990).
The model breaks down “information problems” into six steps, hence the name, where each step is further divided into two sub-stages (The Big6, n.d.)
The steps move from defining the problem, deciding on information seeking strategies, locating and accessing the information and then using the information. The next three steps involve synthesis of sources and presenting the information and finally evaluation of the product and effectiveness of the process (The Big6, n.d.).
The process is quite straight forward and therefore easy to adapt to school use. Eisenberg and Berkowitz have also adapted the model to suit younger learners. It is called The Super3 and breaks down the Inquiry Learning process into, you guessed it, three phases. Although it is worth noting that there are more sub-stages to each phase than the original model, intended for older learners.
These phases are ‘plan’ – comprising the beginning of the inquiry, before starting any work, followed by ‘do’ – the middle of the inquiry where learners conduct their activity, which is followed by the final stage ‘review’ – which offers students the time to reflect on their work.
Both interpretations of the model are simple, easy to teach, easy to understand and remember. They offer the allure of the catch phrase and simple procedure favoured by teachers and all so commonly seen pinned up on classroom walls.
Where the model(s) are lacking, however, is introducing any hint of collaboration. Whatever your philosophical views of life are, whatever pedagogy you subscribe to, the fact of the matter is, we live in a society where education and therefore learning is socially constructed. It would make sense therefore, that we teach an inquiry process that at least involves others.
The i-Learn model
The i-Learn model was created by Neuman in 2014 with the aim of teaching information literacy through inquiry skills. According to Neuman (2014), the model aims to explicitly link information literacy and learning and build on the traditional information concepts; ‘access, evaluate and use’ (Neuman, 2014, slide 2).
The model moves through the following stages of information processing; identify, locate, evaluate, apply, reflect, know. It is also important to note that each step has several sub phases, somewhat similar to The Big6 model and other IL models which have yet to be discussed. Each skill is broken up into 3 sub-categories.
Identify is broken up into the sub skills ‘activate’, ‘scan’, and ‘formulate’.
Locate is divided thusly, ‘focus’, ‘find’, ‘extract’.
Evaluate; ‘authority’, ‘relevance’ and ‘timeliness’.
Apply; ‘generate’, ‘organize’ and ‘communicate’.
Reflect; ‘analyze’, ‘revise’, and ‘finalize’.
Finally kNow (original capitalisation); ‘internalize’, ‘personalise’ and ‘activate’.
The i-Learn model does share some similarities with The Big 6 model. They both break up the Inquiry process into 6 stages, with a number of sub-stages, although the i-Learn does take a more complex approach and would therefore be suited to older learners. The i-Learn model does lean towards more constructivist theories of learning as opposed to the more cognitive approach in The Big6 model.
Whilst the i-Learn model again utilises a catchy title familiar to millennials and gen-z alike, several differences arise between this model and The Big6. This aims to go deeper, first by introducing the ‘identify’ stage. In this stage learners are asked to think about the situation in its entirety before formulating a problem. This is advantageous as it allows learners to be more self-directed in their learning and where they want it to go. The process then finishes by asking the learner to internalise their learning and adapt it to suit their uses. I
However, it is not without its problems. Integrating previous knowledge does not come until the end and it is posed as part of internalising the knowledge learned from the task. This ‘know’ step is as far as the model goes into evaluating the unit and the learning process. It does not introduce any concepts of learning with others, a key issue presented in The Big6 model. Finally, it is a lesser known model and therefore does not have a large body of empirical research behind it.
PLUS model
James Herring (2004) is credited with creating the PLUS model of information skills processing. The model aims to expand on the typical three skills of locating, evaluating and using information. It places an ‘emphasis on thinking skills and self evaluation’. This is done through four steps; purpose, location, use, and self evaluation (an acronym for PLUS if you’re a little slow to catch on, like I was).
The model does have of the strengths seen in the i-Learn model in that it encourages students to identify existing knowledge and critical thinking skills. It does share other similarities to the two former models discussed in that each of the four steps is broken up into sub-steps.
However, this is also one of the model’s major downfalls in that ‘use’ contains far too many parts. Whilst each sub-part is genuinely good content, from a pragmatic standpoint, as a teacher it becomes far too messy to teach, let alone for students to understand.
Again, whilst the model does focus on critical thinking skills like brainstorming and self-evaluation it takes a firm behaviourist perspective on Inquiry learning where information processing is reduced to a set of ‘skills’. The model does nothing to address socio-cultural perspectives on learning.
NSW Information Search Process (ISP)
This Inquiry Learning model was created for the use of the New South Wales Department of Education in 2007. The approach is similar to the above models focusing on 6 key processes, each addressed as a question and focusing on quality teaching.
This model is unique as it breaks each part into a number of steps that can be asked by students as well as providing a number of dot points for teachers to assess student achievement.
The steps are again similar to the other models; defining, locating, selecting, organising, presenting and assessing (NSW Government, n.d.).
The model is thorough and could be easily used by teachers and students as it is already fully broken down. However, the focus again is on personal learning assessed through a set of acquired skills.
Guided Inquiry
Guided Inquiry is an ‘innovative team approach’ to information processing skills, created by Carol Kuhlthau in 2012. The approach is unique in that it follows on from work addressing the information seeking behaviour and affective changes that occur throughout the inquiry process. This process is called the Information Search Process (or ISP model). This research into information seeking behaviour has ‘opened a window into what students are experiencing’ when they conduct research (Kuhlthau et al., n.d.). The ISP model shows that learners go through a complex array of thoughts, feelings and actions when completing inquiries. Therefore, the Guided Inquiry approach was developed to guide and assist students through these difficult experiences for optimal, deep learning (Kuhlthau et al., n.d.).
The phases of the Guided Inquiry are; open, immerse, explore, identify, gather, create and share and finally evaluate.
The ‘open’ phase allows students to explore the whole topic before approaching or defining a particular problem. This, coupled with the immerse phase, allows for a deep interest to occur, connecting the link between what they learn at school and their innate interests. Furthermore, the process focuses on learning as a social construction which is clearly evident throughout the process but is especially so in the ‘create and share’ phase.
Teaching and learning is done collaboratively and with respect and explicit attention to the thoughts, behaviours and feelings that accompany each stage of the process.
The goal of the Guided Inquiry approach is deep, authentic and engaging learning where teachers, teacher librarians and students can work together to work collaboratively and learn from each other.
References:
Eisenberg, Michael & Berkowitz, Robert E (1990). Information problem-solving:the Big Six Skills approach to library & information skills instruction. Ablex Publishing Corporation.
Herring, J. (n.d.). Outline of the PLUS model. James Herring’s PLUS model. https://farrer.csu.edu.au/PLUS/index.html
Lupton, M. (2012). Inquiry skills in the Australian Curriculum. Access, 26(2), 12-18.
Kuhlthau, C.C., Maniotes, L.K. & Caspari A.K. (n.d.) Guided Inquiry Design. Rutgers School of Information and Communication. http://wp.comminfo.rutgers.edu/ckuhlthau/guided-inquiry-design/
Neuman, D. (2013). i-Learn. Information literacy for learners [PowerPoint slides]. SlideShare. http://ecil2013.ilconf.org/wpcontent/uploads/2013/11/Neuman_ILEARNInformationLiteracy.pdf
The Big6. (n.d.). The Big6 and Super3. https://thebig6.org/thebig6andsuper3-2