The Big6The Big6TMTMThe Big6The Big6TMTM

Research and Problem Solving Model

What is the Big6?What is the Big6?

•Mike Eisenberg and Bob Berkowitz

•Most widely-known and widely-used approach to teaching information and technology skills in the world.

•Used in thousands of K-12 schools, higher education institutions, and corporate and adult training programs

• Applicable whenever people need and use information

What is the Big6?

“When students are faced with an information problem (or with making a decision that is based on information), they can use a systematic, problem-solving model.”

“The Big6 approach can be used whenever students are faced with an information problem or with making a decision that is based on information.”

Eisenberg and Berkowitz, 1990

"The new education must teach the individual how to classify and reclassify information, how to evaluate its veracity, how to change categories when necessary, how to move from the concrete to the abstract and back, how to look at problems from a new direction - how to teach himself.  Tomorrow's illiterate will not be the man who can't read; he will be the man who has not learned how to learn."                 -- Herbert Gerjuoy

Why Worry?

•What needs to be done?

•What can I use to find what I need?

•Where can I find what I need?

•What information can I use?

•How can I put my information together?

•How will I know if I did my job well?

It’s about Process

Information Process Model

1. Task Definition2. Information Seeking Strategies3. Location and Access4. Use of Information5. Synthesis6. Evaluation

Big6Big6TMTM

1. Task DefinitionBIG6

•Define the problem

•Essential question

•Identify information requirements

Problem Solving at its best!

2. Information Seeking Strategies

BIG6

•Determine the range of possible sources

•Evaluate the different possible sources to determine priorities

3. Location and Access

•Locate sources

•Find information within sources

BIG6

4. Use of Information

•Engage (read, hear, view) the information in a source.

•Extract relevant information from a source

BIG6

5. SynthesisBig6

•Organize information from multiple sources

•Present information

BIG6

6. EvaluationBig6

•Judge the result (effectiveness)

•Judge the information problem-solving process (efficiency)

BIG6

Problem Solving Decision Making

Step 1 - Task Definition

–What do I really want to know?

–Where should I look?

–How do I look for what I need?

DOGSCATS B

IRDS

ANIMALS

Questioning

Providing Time for Brainstorming and

Examining

Problem SolvingDecision Making

Step 2 - Information Strategies– What are the possible resources I

could use?

– What would be the best source to use?

Electronic Resources

Computer Catalogs Multimedia

Encyclopedias Databases World Wide Web On-line Services CD ROM E-mail

Print Resources

Encyclopedias Dictionaries Books Periodicals Indexes Newspapers

Resource Characteristics

• Computer Catalog

• Multimedia Encyclopedias

• Data bases

• Internet on-line

• What’s in the library and where to find it

• General information on people, places, animals and things

• Facts, statistics, indexes to magazines, documents

• Articles, interactive graphics,video

Step 3 - Locating and Accessing

• How do I find what I want ?

• What search strategy would work best?

• What is an information path?

• How do I decide what I really need?

Problem SolvingDecision Making

Developing Appropriate Search Strategies

Catalog Searching• Manual

• Author, Title, Subject

• Computer On-line (COM)– Key word/key phrase – Author, Title, Subject

Variety of Research Skills

– Using Print Resources– Accessing Electronic Resources

• Keywords, Boolean, InfoTree, Topic, Subject

– Accessing Online Resources• Using Search Engines• Using Online Services

KeywordsWhat does the electronic

resource want from me?

DOGS

PETS

Collies

Water dogs

Grooming

Training

BreedsBreeds

How can I talk to my source to tell it what I want?

What are the best words to use?

Talking to Electronic Resources

• Keywords

• Boolean Logic

• Info Tree

• Associations

• Truncation

? ?

?

?

?

?

Word Associations

Synonyms

Broad Word Narrow Word

Related termsTruncation

Proper Names ?

Plurals

Variant Spellings?

?

?

?

OR

Boolean LogicBoolean LogicAND NOT

What do you want?

What do you NOT want to get?

What combinations would be best for what I need?

Getting Hits withGetting Hits with ANDAND

DOandCATS

DOGSAND

Getting Hits with OR

DOGSOR

CATS

Getting Hits with NOT

CATS

DOGS

Getting Hits with NEAR

CATS DOGS

TRAINING

Info Tree Search

Large to Small Small to Large

R attle S n akes

C o nstr icto rs

N o n p oiso no us

P o iso no us

S n akes

Ig uana

G ila M o nster

L izards

B o x T urtle

D esert To rto ise

T u rtles

C roco diles

A llig ato rs

C ro co d ilians

R ep tiles

A n im a ls

Problem SolvingDecision Making

Step 4 - Using Information

• Now that I have found some information, what do I do with it?– How do I decide what I need from

everything I find?

– I need time to investigate all of this to make decisions.

Step 4 - Using Information

• Now that I have found some information, what do I do with it?– How do I decide what I need from

everything I find?

– I need time to investigate all of this to make decisions.

• Quality of Resources– Accuracy, Authority Objectivity, Currency,

Coverage

– Web Evaluation

• Quantity of Resources– Vastness– Narrowing down

• Resource Limitations– Scope and Depth

• Note taking skills• Organizing• Outlining• Decisions

• What Else??

• Access to information– Classroom– Labs– Media Center

• Acceptable Use Policies

• Online Safety Issues

• Ethical and Legal Issues

• Access to information– Classroom– Labs– Media Center

• Acceptable Use Policies

• Online Safety Issues

• Ethical and Legal Issues

Issues

Problem SolvingDecision Making

Step 5- Synthesizing • How do I take everything I have

found and put it together?– How do I combine this

information?– How will I present or share what I

have gathered so that others will learn something from it?

Step 5- Synthesizing • How do I take everything I have

found and put it together?– How do I combine this

information?– How will I present or share what I

have gathered so that others will learn something from it?

• Citations - giving credit

• Presentation venue

• Copyright - what you can and cannot use

• Plagiarism - copying and pasting – Using other’s work and calling it your

own

• Citations - giving credit

• Presentation venue

• Copyright - what you can and cannot use

• Plagiarism - copying and pasting – Using other’s work and calling it your

own

Presentation SkillsPresentation Skills– Use of software

– Oral presentation skills

– Use of equipment

– Writing skills

– Web Publishing

– Multimedia

– Video

Presentation SkillsPresentation Skills– Use of software

– Oral presentation skills

– Use of equipment

– Writing skills

– Web Publishing

– Multimedia

– Video

Step 6 - Evaluation– Was the information useful?– What could I have done to make this

easier, better, more effective?– What did I learn from finding and using

this information?– Did I learn the content?– What did I learn about the process?

Step 6 - Evaluation– Was the information useful?– What could I have done to make this

easier, better, more effective?– What did I learn from finding and using

this information?– Did I learn the content?– What did I learn about the process?

Problem SolvingDecision Making

• Using Rubrics• Self assessment• Content• Process• Quality of product• Skill review• Teacher• Peer

• Using Rubrics• Self assessment• Content• Process• Quality of product• Skill review• Teacher• Peer

Assessing

The Information Process in Questions

The Information Process in Questions

• What needs to be done?• What can I use to find what I need?• Where can I find what I need?• What information can I use?• How can I put my information

together?• How will I know if I did my job well?

• What needs to be done?• What can I use to find what I need?• Where can I find what I need?• What information can I use?• How can I put my information

together?• How will I know if I did my job well?

Related Issues

Planning Instruction

1. Assess Learners2. Determine Goals3. Create Objectives4. Determine rubrics5. Plan Activities and Select Media6. Organize Materials and Resources7. Set Agenda8. Evaluate Instruction

adapted from Using the Big6TM to Teach and Learn with the Internet by Abby S. Kasowitz

Create Objectives:

Required behavior, performance conditions, performance criteria

Content area (e.g., science, math, etc.)

Big6 step(s) covered

Type(s) of resource uses that would be appropriate

How will students achieve goals and demonstrate what they have learned?

Curriculum Connections

Super 3Super 3

Awareness (Beginning)Awareness (Beginning)• What do you want students to know or do?

• What information will they need to know to complete the task?

• What are the possible sources the studentswill need?

• Internet URLs? Other technologies?

Awareness (Beginning)Awareness (Beginning)• What do you want students to know or do?

• What information will they need to know to complete the task?

• What are the possible sources the studentswill need?

• Internet URLs? Other technologies?

Lesson Planning with the Super3™

Adapted from: Tami Little

Super 3Super 3

•Where will students find the information?

•Who can help students, the teacher? •How will students record the information they find?

Building (Middle)Building (Middle)

Super 3Super 3

Culminating (End)Culminating (End)•What product or performance do you expect the students to complete?

•In what format will the students present their product and their sources?

•How will you assess the students' final product?

•How will the students assess their process and product?

Culminating (End)Culminating (End)•What product or performance do you expect the students to complete?

•In what format will the students present their product and their sources?

•How will you assess the students' final product?

•How will the students assess their process and product?

ResourcesResources• Big6 website

– http://www.big6.com/• Super3

– http://academic.wsc.edu/redl/classes/tami/super3.html• Big6 Kids Site

– http://www.big6.com/kids/• Big6 and the Internet

– http://www.clovisusd.k12.ca.us/alta/big6/• Big6Newsletter

– http://www.big6.com/showenewscategory.php?volume=E4&issue=1• Additional Handouts

– http://www.big6.com/showenewsarticle.php?id=315• Big6 and the Writing Process

– http://www.big6.com/showenewsarticle.php?id=319• Big6 and Standards

– http://www.surfline.ne.jp/janetm/big6info.htm• Big6 Assignment Organizers

– http://www.standrews.austin.tx.us/library/ElementaryOrganizer.htm– http://www.standrews.austin.tx.us/library/Assignment%20organizer.htm– http://www.standrews.austin.tx.us/library/ResearchPaperOrganizer.htm

• Online Resources– http://nb.wsd.wednet.edu/big6/big6_resources.htm

• Joyce Valenza’s Virtual Library– http://mciu.org/~spjvweb/– http://mciu.org/~spjvweb/jvles.html (Online lessons and activities)– http://mciu.org/~spjvweb/infolit.html (What is Information Literacy and Why Should I Care)