1	Title: Research Competencies Students Need to Solve Problems in a Technical World Rich Levine, Presenter Cool Lessons Educational Consultant http://www.coollessons.org http://www.coollessons.org/researchcompetencies.html Copyright © 2003-2004 Richard Levine For not-for-profit, educational use only. If you have any comments, questions concerning this page, contact Rich Levine, Cool Lessons, Educational Consultant comments@coollessons.org
2	Background Using a computer does not by itself insure learning research skills Dr. Jamie McKenzie in the on-line journal From Now On uses the phrases “power pointlessness" , “edutainment", “technotainment" and the "disneyfication of information" to describe using technology for misguided educational purposes http://emifyes.iserver.net/fromnow/feb01/edudotbomb.html
3	Standards Technology Standards for All Illinois Teachers Performance Indicators - The competent teacher: 7I. develops instructional units that involve compiling, organizing, analyzing, and synthesizing of information, and uses technology to support these processes 8C. expects students to intellectually access, evaluate, and use information to solve problems and make decisions in all subject areas 8D. structures instruction and designs learning tasks and assignments to reflect higher-level thinking skills (Research summary located at http://www.coollessons.org/researchsummary.html )
4	Illinois Learning Standards English Language Arts “The ability to locate, acquire and organize information from various sources, print and electronic, is essential to solving problems involving research.” “Skilled use of these technologies provides students with necessary opportunities to search and process information, be in touch with experts, prepare documents, and learn and communicate in new, more effective ways.”
5	Illinois Learning Standards English Language Arts STATE GOAL 5: Use the language arts to acquire, assess and communicate information Locate, organize, and use information from various sources to answer questions, solve problems and communicate ideas B. Analyze and evaluate information acquired from various sources
6	Illinois Learning Standards English Language Arts Early Elementary and Late Elementary 5.B.1a Select and organize information from various sources for a specific purpose 5.B.1b Cite sources used 5.B.2a Determine the accuracy, currency and reliability of materials from various sources 5.B.2b Cite sources used.
7	Illinois Learning Standards English Language Arts 5.A.1a Identify questions and gather information. 5.A.1b Locate information using a variety of resources. 5.A.2a Formulate questions and construct a basic research plan. 5.A.2b Organize and integrate information from a variety of sources (e.g., books, interviews, library reference materials, web- sites, CD/ROMs). 5.A.3a Identify appropriate resources to solve problems or answer questions through research. 5.A.4a Demonstrate a knowledge of strategies needed to prepare a credible research report (e.g., notes, planning sheets). 5.A.5a Develop a research plan using multiple forms of data. 5.A.5b Research, design and present a project to an academic, business or school community audience on a topic selected from among contemporary issues
8	Illinois Learning Standards Science STATE GOAL 11: Understand the processes of scientific inquiry and technological design to investigate questions, conduct experiments and solve problems “Asking questions and seeking answers are at the heart of scientific inquiry.” 11.A.4a Formulate hypotheses referencing prior research and knowledge
9	Illinois Learning Standards Social Science STATE GOAL 16: Understand events, trends, individuals and movements shaping the history of Illinois, the United States and other nations 16.A.1b Ask historical questions and seek out answers from historical sources (e.g., myths, biographies, stories, old photographs, artwork, other visual or electronic sources) 16.A.2c Ask questions and seek answers by collecting and analyzing data from historic documents, images and other literary and non-literary sources 16.A.5a Analyze historical and contemporary developments using methods of historical inquiry (pose questions, collect and analyze data, make and support inferences with evidence, report findings)
10	Stratagem - The learning process is influenced by your goals and the product expected If at all possible, the process should be one in which students appropriate information and change it. In this way your students can claim ownership of their learning. Increases student motivation Improves learning skills Establish rubrics before students begin to work on the unit
11	Goals and Products Expected by the Teacher Are students learning how to do research as one of your goals for them? Are they learning how to learn – Is the teacher guiding students in learning to define problem finding and using resources determining what good information is communicating the product of their learning
12	Goals and Products Expected If a goal is not to have students learn how to learn, for the research process will you provide students with resources (WebQuests) to find the answers and sharing information using predetermined types of outcomes or products?
13	Attacking The Questions – Using A Teacher Directed Process Will you define the problem for your students? - WebQuests If yes, the rubric should still be one in which students appropriate information and change it instead of regurgitating it - students can claim some ownership of their learning (Increases student motivation and improves learning skills) Present the rubrics before students begin to work on the unit
14	Attacking Problems – Using a Teacher Guided Process Will students be expected to define the focus of the question? Have them narrow the question using graphic organizers such as Kidspiration, Inspiration or from sites such as Kathy Schrock’s list to help shape the questions. http://school.discovery.com/schrockguide/assess.html#go
15	Structuring assignment for optimal learning is based upon students’ knowledge and skills
16	Research Attitudes – Do students have the “habits of mind” to do good research? Depends in part on readiness For Early Elementary – Students tend to accept authority (authors’ work) and tend not to question it Without further training students should use trusted indexed searches or linked resources as in WebQuests KidsClick http://sunsite.berkeley.edu/KidsClick!/ Yahooligans http://yahooligans.yahoo.com/ KidInfo http://www.kidinfo.com/SchoolSubjects.html 42Explore http://www.42explore.com/topic.htm Others at http://www.coollessons.org/#researchhelp
17	Research Attitudes – Do they have the “habits of mind” to do good research? Upper Elementary and H.S. – Students should begin questioning sources vs. accepting authority They should begin using search engines but within a suspicious frame of mind
18	Do students have the knowledge of where to find answers? Internet Hard copy published materials On-line database (Infotrac) - http://infotrac.galegroup.com/itweb/gbpl_main CD encyclopedia Experts (Ask an Expert) - http://www.askanexpert.com/ Etc.
19	Examples of Primary Sources on the Web American Memories -Library of Congress http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/amhome.html Learning Curve -British National Archives http://learningcurve.pro.gov.uk/ US Census Bureau http://factfinder.census.gov/home/saff/main.html?_lang=en Spartacus Educational http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/ United States Historical Census Data Browser http://fisher.lib.virginia.edu/collections/stats/histcensus/ Children of the Holocaust http://www.wiesenthal.com/mot/children/list1.cfm NASA Quest Scientific data sampling http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/
20	Are Students Ready to Do the Research? Conceptual / Language Readiness Technical Readiness Research Skill Readiness
21	Conceptual and Language Readiness Reminder: Include the Learning Center Coordinator, reading and special education resource teachers in on your planning In preparation for web based units, the students can do some background research to improve student conceptual and language readiness
22	Examples of conceptual and language readiness techniques Do background research, perhaps using Hotlists or scavenger hunts using key words from the unit. (For links that do not work, use the Wayback Machine http://www.archive.org to bring up the web page.)
23	More examples of conceptual and language readiness techniques Make a timeline of events leading up to the period in which Anne Frank lived in the hidden rooms. Brainstorm the key words needed to organize research on biotech foods. Read a book, article, fiction story, etc. dealing with the topic. For example, students could be assigned a science fiction story and they report on any misconceptions the story has about the planet/body they are studying. Rank order different planets/bodies on various criteria. Use graphic organizers to compare and contrast the original colonies.
24	Technical Readiness Concerning student technical skill level Do you know what percentage of your students use an Internet browser on a regular basis, either at home or school? Do your students understand the tools they need to do help them learn?
25	When will students (and teachers) learn these skills? Using a web browser Searching Internet – Library Determining if the information is valid and reliable Citing information from web sources Analyzing information using a spreadsheet Making products such as a web page, or using PowerPoint, a word processing application, Hyperstudio, etc. Using a digital camera or a scanner
26	Appropriate Internet Search Techniques See the Internet Search Tutorial http://www.coollessons.org/search.html
27	Establishing validity and reliability of information How Do I Know Stuff on the Internet is True? http://www.coollessons.org/ValidatingInternetInformation.htm or QUICK (Quality Information Checklist) http://www.quick.org.uk/menu.htm ) Before you send your students on an Internet search..... http://www.coollessons.org/#validate
28	Citing information from web sources Citing Internet Sources http://memory.loc.gov/learn/start/cite/index.html
29	Evaluating student progress What checkpoints will be included in the process, where each student had to report his/her progress to you? If doing a Problem-Based unit, a print out of their notes would allow you to verify their progress. Check each student’s handout or worksheet periodically to verify progress. Using due dates are effective.
30	Suggestions for Reporting Progress to the Teacher Students keep a daily log of KNOW - NEED TO KNOW – LEARN - SOURCE Have each member of the group turn in a list of the answers to the questions pertaining to his/her role each week so that you can initial their progress. The notes can then be counted as part of the overall grade. Use electronic notes (Excel, or using a table in Word can even be used)
31	Ask your students to cite their sources for information This is evidence that … Students got the information from a reliable source Information wasn’t plagiarized Information is factual
32	Student Products Students must present information by creating products to satisfy the curriculum and standards
33	EVALUATION The product affects the learning process Are you are asking your students to do no more than copy and paste information without your students having to do much thinking? - “Write a report on… China…a body system…a planet…a pet…Illinois…etc.” If you allow your students to use technology, will they even read the entire report they can copy and paste from the encyclopedia or a web page?
34	Product Process Or are you are asking your student: not only gather information, but also have to identify the important factors (it’s best to have your students determine what the important factors are and to phrase the right questions); to gather information from a variety of sources; to recognize and rank order information so that these relationships are made things clear to the student and to the reader of the product; To evaluate the information based upon the factors?
35	Product Process For example, the assignment “Decide which country in the Middle East you would like to be an exchange student in. State your reasons giving examples.”: Can’t be copied verbatim from an encyclopedia Allows students to learn about how to learn
36	Product & Process Other examples would be to have your students: Instead of doing a report about bats, decide if they would rather have a bird house or a bat house in their yards and describe their reasons. Instead of reporting about Illinois, make a tour brochure describing the ten best places to visit, with reasons (Better yet while working with classes from other cities in Illinois who are all describing the best places to visit in their localities)
37	Other Helpful Rubrics Sites Project Based Learning Checklist http://www.4teachers.org/projectbased/checklist.shtml RUBISTAR http://rubistar.4teachers.org/ Kathy Schrock’s Assessment Rubrics http://school.discovery.com/schrockguide/assess.html
38	Student Research Process Site Pathways to Knowledge from Follett Software Co. http://www.sparkfactor.com/clients/follett/home.html