Guided Inquiry: Strategies

for Teaching in the 21st

Century

Carol Collier Kuhlthau

Center for International Scholarship in School Libraries (CISSL)

Rutgers University, USA

Workshop Objectives

To learn the principles, objectives and

components of Guided Inquiry.

To plan for implementing Guided Inquiry in

my school based on what is already in

place.

To understand strategies for getting

started and sustaining change.

Guided Inquiry

What is it?

Why now?

What’s new?

Preparing Students for a

Changing World

Mission of education:

To prepare students for learning and

creating in the dynamic, cluttered, chaotic

information environment of the first

decades of the 21st century

Challenge for 21st Century

Education

Transforming schools to meet challenges of

21st Century Learner

New Model:

Learning from a variety of sources

Inquiry process for deep understanding

Collaborative learning environment led by

instructional team

Education for innovation

Information Literacy

The ability to:

Locate,

Evaluate,

Use information wisely

for learning, thinking and creating

Research about

Learning from Information Fact finding, right answer, analysis and

synthesis (Limberg)

To get clear picture, to verify picture, gain

a position (Todd)

Novice/expert - right answer vs. angle or

strategy (Kuhlthau)

Inquiry Learning

Raises standard of research assignments to higher level by:

Drawing on life experiences

Learning from a wide range of sources

Forming deep understanding

Gaining sense of accomplishment

Developing competence and expertise

Model of the Information Search Process

Tasks Initiation Selection Exploration Formulation Collection Presentation----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------→

Feelings uncertainly optimism confusion clarity sense of satisfaction or(affective) frustration direction/ disappointment

doubt confidence

Thoughts vague-------------------------------------→focused(cognitive) -----------------------------------------------→

increased interest

Actions seeking relevant information----------------------------→seeking pertinent information(physical) exploring documenting

Uncertainty

Uncertainty is the beginning of learning.

“The mind doesn’t take everything and put

it into order automatically…Understanding

that is the biggest help.”

Intervention for Learning in ISP

Initiation and Selection

Exploration – “in the dip”

Formulation – turning point

Collection and Preparing for presentation

Zone of Intervention

That area in which an information user

can do with advice and assistance what

he or she cannot do alone or can do only

with great difficulty.

Zones of Intervention in the

Inquiry Process

Initiation – getting started

Selection – ideas and questions

Exploration – confusing, uncertain

Formulation – focus, turning point

Collection – focused gathering

Presentation - sharing

Guided Inquiry across the

ISP

INQUIRY PROCESS

INFORMATION

SEARCH

PROCESS

Opening & Immersing Initiation &

Selection

Exploring Exploration

Identifying Formulation

Gathering & Documenting Collection

Producing & Sharing Presentation

Reflecting Assessment

Six Principles of Inquiry Approach

Children learn

By building on what they know.

Being actively engaged and reflecting on that

experience.

Developing higher-order thinking through

guidance at critical points.

In different ways and modes.

Though social interaction.

Through instruction in accord with their cognitive

development

5 kinds of learning in

Guided Inquiry

Curriculum content – fact finding, interpreting, & synthesizing

Information literacy – concepts for locating, evaluating & using

Learning how to learn – selecting, exploring, focusing, collecting & presenting

Literacy competence – reading, writing, speaking & listening

Social skills – interacting, cooperating & collaborating

Guided Inquiry

Guided Inquiry is planned, supervised and

targeted intervention.

Guided Inquiry is a dynamic way of

developing information literacy and

enhancing the curriculum through the

school library.

Work Session I

Where are we?Groups – prek-2; 3-5; 6-8; 9-12

Select a recorder.

Briefly tell what’s going on in your school.

Select 2 typical scenarios with something

to build on in work session II.

Reflection

Briefly report on 2 typical scenarios that

your group will build on in work session II.

Implementing Guided Inquiry

Building the team

Developing strategies for learning

Concepts approach to information literacy

5 kinds of learning

Guided Inquiry Team

Three member instructional teams

Varied expertise

Developed according to students’ needs

Core team and extended team

Flexible team approach

Building the Team

Three scenarios:

Prek-2

Upper elementary/middle

High school

Librarian’s Role in

Guided Inquiry

Resource Specialist

Information Literacy Teacher

Collaboration Gatekeeper

Intervention Strategies for

Inquiry Approach

Converse – Talk about ideas and

questions

Continue – Develop understanding

over time

Choose – Select what is interesting

and pertinent

Chart – Visualize ideas

Compose – Write all the way along

A Concepts Approach to

Information Literacy

Locating: Finding trails and pathways

Evaluating: Judging usefulness by quality,

expertise, accuracy, currency and perspective

Using: Determining importance; forming focus;

deciding what is enough; managing inquiry;

interpreting facts and ideas; sharing with others.

5 kinds of learning in

Guided Inquiry

Curriculum content – fact finding, interpreting, & synthesizing

Information literacy – concepts for locating, evaluating & using

Learning how to learn – selecting, exploring, focusing, collecting & presenting

Literacy competence – reading, writing, speaking & listening

Social skills – interacting, cooperating & collaborating

Work Session II

Where are we going? Form the same groups as work session I.

Plan for Guided Inquiry by building on one

of the 2 scenarios.

Develop an implementation plan with a

timeline.

Reflection

Report on timeline and plan to implement

Guided Inquiry building on one of the

scenarios.

Guided Inquiry

Getting Started Identify curriculum standards and

information literacy standards.

Form core team

Invite extended team

Plan and implement inquiry, resources,

strategies, outcome and assessment

Pair to Share

Get together with one person in your

group

Discuss one Guided Inquiry project to

work on in each of your schools.

Give each other advice and

encouragement

Guided Inquiry

Sustaining Change Three ways

Gain support

Develop an implementation plan

Create a network to share success and

problems

Guided Inquiry: Learning in the 21st

Century, Kuhlthau, Maniotes, and Caspari,

Libraries Unlimited, 2007.

Seeking Meaning: A process approach to

Library and Information Services. 2nd ed.

Kuhlthau, Libraries Unlimited, 2004.