Research and Problem Solving Model 2010 Summer Staff Development Judson ISD The “Big6™” is copyright © (1987) Michael B. Eisenberg and Robert E. Berkowitz. For more on Big6, visit:

What is Big6 ™ Information Literacy Why use Big6 ™ Big6 ™ Skills Big6 ™ in Action How to use Big6 ™ Copyright K-12 Database Agenda The “Big6™” is copyright © (1987) Michael B. Eisenberg and Robert E. Berkowitz. For more on Big6, visit:

Information Age - Problems The “Big6™” is copyright © (1987) Michael B. Eisenberg and Robert E. Berkowitz. For more on Big6, visit: Did You Know 4_0.wmv

Information Age information overload information quality The “Big6™” is copyright © (1987) Michael B. Eisenberg and Robert E. Berkowitz. For more on Big6, visit:

Information Age Information Overload “Today, a daily New York Times has more printed information in it than a person would come across in an entire lifetime in the 17 th Century.” (David Lewis, 1996)

Information Overload The Solution? Speed things up? Pack in more and more content? Add more technology?

Information Age Quality In a study of 500 sites used by Colorado high school students to do research, only 27% of the sites were judged to be reliable for academic research! Ebersol, Samuel, “Uses and Gratifications of the Web among Students,” Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 6(1): September 2000, Colhoun, Alexander. “But-I Found it on the Internet!” Christian Science Monitor. 25 April 2000: 16.

Information Quality The Solution? Discourage Web use? Filtering?

Alternative Solution: Information Literacy Help students to be discriminating users of information Help students learn to quickly find & organize essential information using technology skills

What is Information Literacy? (Eisenberg, M. & Johnson, D.,1996) Consider this: “Can a student who operates a computer game well enough to play a game such as Doom be considered information literate?”

Information Literacy Computer Literacy  Computer literacy is not the same as information literacy Information literacy teaches using a process rather than just using tools. What is Information Literacy?

Computer Literacy The “Big6™” is copyright © (1987) Michael B. Eisenberg and Robert E. Berkowitz. For more on Big6, visit: Learning to use specific hardware Learning to use and apply software applications The ability to understand and use computers

Information Literacy Information literacy is the ability to locate, process and use information effectively. Paraphrased from Assoc. for Supervision and Curriculum Dev., 1991 “To be information literate, a person must be able to recognize when information is needed and have the ability to locate, evaluate, and use effectively the needed information.” American Library Association, 1989

K-W-L The “Big6™” is copyright © (1987) Michael B. Eisenberg and Robert E. Berkowitz. For more on Big6, visit: What I KNOWWhat I WANT to know What I LEARNEDWhat I STILL want to know

Developed by educators Mike Eisenberg and Bob Berkowitz Research model that guides students through the information problem-solving process Basic framework for teaching and promoting information literacy Used in thousands of K-12 schools, higher education institutions, and corporate and adult training programs Research model selected by JISD Librarians to be the K-12 district standard What is the Big6 ™ ? The “Big6™” is copyright © (1987) Michael B. Eisenberg and Robert E. Berkowitz. For more on Big6, visit:

Big6 ™ Rationale information consumers not taught in isolation multi-level approach new day, new way The “Big6™” is copyright © (1987) Michael B. Eisenberg and Robert E. Berkowitz. For more on Big6, visit:

Information Literacy = Big6 ™ Why use Big6 ™ ? The “Big6™” is copyright © (1987) Michael B. Eisenberg and Robert E. Berkowitz. For more on Big6, visit:

Research without Big6 ™ Why use Big6 ™ ? …? The “Big6™” is copyright © (1987) Michael B. Eisenberg and Robert E. Berkowitz. For more on Big6, visit:

Research WITH Big6 ™ Why use Big6 ™ ? The “Big6™” is copyright © (1987) Michael B. Eisenberg and Robert E. Berkowitz. For more on Big6, visit:

The Big6 ™ Steps Step 1Task Definition Step 2Information Seeking Strategies Step 3Location and Access Step 4 Use of Information Step 5Synthesis Step 6Evaluation The “Big6™” is copyright © (1987) Michael B. Eisenberg and Robert E. Berkowitz. For more on Big6, visit:

The Big6 ™ Steps The “Big6™” is copyright © (1987) Michael B. Eisenberg and Robert E. Berkowitz. For more on Big6, visit:

Step 1: Task Definition 1.1 Define the information problem 1.2 Identify information needed (to solve the information problem) o What is my current task? o What are some topics or questions I need to answer? o What information will I need? The “Big6™” is copyright © (1987) Michael B. Eisenberg and Robert E. Berkowitz. For more on Big6, visit:

Task Definition Example My teacher assigned a project on a famous African-American What is the task? Choose a famous African-American from my teacher’s list to report on: Rosa Parks. What information do I need? Basic information: birthday, family, career Why is she important? What are her accomplishments? The “Big6™” is copyright © (1987) Michael B. Eisenberg and Robert E. Berkowitz. For more on Big6, visit:

Step 2: Information Seeking Strategies 2.1 Determine all possible sources (brainstorm) 2.2 Select the best sources o What are all the possible sources to check? o What are the best sources of information for this task? The “Big6™” is copyright © (1987) Michael B. Eisenberg and Robert E. Berkowitz. For more on Big6, visit:

Information Seeking Strategies Example What are the possible sources to find information on Rosa Parks? Search on Google for information, Use the K-12 online database (Encyclopedia Britannica & EBSCO), Encyclopedia, Books on Rosa Parks or Rosa Parks herself, hotlist created by my teacher Which sources are the best? Using Google brings up way too much information and is not always reliable. I can get valid and reliable information on the K-12 database. I’ll start with books about her and then use the internet databases to find more. The “Big6™” is copyright © (1987) Michael B. Eisenberg and Robert E. Berkowitz. For more on Big6, visit:

Step 3: Location and Access 3.1 Locate sources 3.2 Find information within sources o Where can I find these sources? o Where can I find the information in the source? The “Big6™” is copyright © (1987) Michael B. Eisenberg and Robert E. Berkowitz. For more on Big6, visit:

Location and Access Example Where is each source? o The school library has 3 books on Rosa Parks o I can access the online databases from my classroom or at home Where is the information within each source? o The books are all about her, so I’ll use the index and table of contents to find the information I need. o I’ll search each database for her name and then click on the articles that are relevant. The “Big6™” is copyright © (1987) Michael B. Eisenberg and Robert E. Berkowitz. For more on Big6, visit:

Step 4: Use of Information 4.1 Engage (e.g., read, hear, view, touch) 4.2 Comprehend and Extract relevant information o While reading, what information did I find that was useful? o How will I record the information that I find? The “Big6™” is copyright © (1987) Michael B. Eisenberg and Robert E. Berkowitz. For more on Big6, visit:

Use of Information Example Engage o After skimming and scanning the various sources, I found the basic information in the books, but one of them was just about her accomplishments with the Montgomery bus boycott and women’s rights organizations. o Some database articles were more of the same and some were more in depth. Comprehend and extract relevant information o I underlined or highlighted words that answer a question (Step 1) and recorded what I learned on post it notes, used the “trash and treasure” note taking strategy, and the use of the electronic note cards.

Step 5: Synthesis 5.1 Organize from multiple sources 5.2 Present the information o How will I organize my information? o How should I present my information? The “Big6™” is copyright © (1987) Michael B. Eisenberg and Robert E. Berkowitz. For more on Big6, visit:

Synthesis Example How can I organize my information? o I am organizing my notes into categories: basic information, the Montgomery bus boycott, the Rosa and Raymond Parks Institute for Self Development, and her achievements with women’s rights. How can I present the information? o I’m going to use Timeliner software to make a timeline of her life and a time capsule in a shoe box. The “Big6™” is copyright © (1987) Michael B. Eisenberg and Robert E. Berkowitz. For more on Big6, visit:

Step 6: Evaluation 6.1 Judge the product (effectiveness) 6.2 Judge the process (efficiency) o Did I do what was required? o Did I complete each of the Big6 Steps efficiently? The “Big6™” is copyright © (1987) Michael B. Eisenberg and Robert E. Berkowitz. For more on Big6, visit:

Evaluation Example Did I complete the task and do what was required? o I completed the project on time, included important information without giving every detail of her life. How can I do things better? o I think I did a pretty good job. Typing on a word document and going back and forth between windows was a bit slow for me. Maybe next time I can organize my notes on index cards. The “Big6™” is copyright © (1987) Michael B. Eisenberg and Robert E. Berkowitz. For more on Big6, visit:

The Big6 ™ in Action The Bright Bird How the Bright Bird used Big6 ™ The “Big6™” is copyright © (1987) Michael B. Eisenberg and Robert E. Berkowitz. For more on Big6, visit:

The Big6 ™ in Action Worksheet 3-1 Information Problem-Solving in School, Life and Work Contexts The “Big6™” is copyright © (1987) Michael B. Eisenberg and Robert E. Berkowitz. For more on Big6, visit:

Developing Big6 ™ Understandings Worksheet 3-2 Literal Level: Identify the Big6 ™ The “Big6™” is copyright © (1987) Michael B. Eisenberg and Robert E. Berkowitz. For more on Big6, visit:

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Worksheet 3-2 Literal Level: Identify the Big6™ Answers 1.ISS – Information Seeking Strategy 2.S - Synthesis 3.UI – Understanding Information 4.E - Evaluation 5.S - Synthesis 6.E - Evaluation 7.L&A – Location & Access 8.E - Evaluation 9.TD or S – Task Definition or Synthesis 10.L&A – Location & Access 11.UI – Understanding Information 12.TD – Task Definition The “Big6™” is copyright © (1987) Michael B. Eisenberg and Robert E. Berkowitz. For more on Big6, visit:

Before beginning a research/information assignment, give each student a copy of a Big6 ™ research paper or digital organizer. Big6 Assignment Organizer Research Paper Organizer Take your class through the 6 steps and have the students complete as much of the sheet as applicable. How do you use Big6 ™ ? The “Big6™” is copyright © (1987) Michael B. Eisenberg and Robert E. Berkowitz. For more on Big6, visit:

Big6 ™ Overview Using the Big6 ™ is not always a linear, step- by-step process “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 Big6 ™ process can be applied in all subjects and with students of all ages The “Big6™” is copyright © (1987) Michael B. Eisenberg and Robert E. Berkowitz. For more on Big6, visit:

Help! What can we do to stop students from plagiarizing; just copying and pasting and presenting the work as their own? Copyright The “Big6™” is copyright © (1987) Michael B. Eisenberg and Robert E. Berkowitz. For more on Big6, visit:

Fighting Plagiarism The “Big6™” is copyright © (1987) Michael B. Eisenberg and Robert E. Berkowitz. For more on Big6, visit: Work separately on Use of Information and Synthesis before requiring that both be done together. Have students provide “direct quote” answers before requiring them to do so in their own words. Give students the “direct quote” answers and then have them put the direct quotes in their own words (Trash and Treasure)(Trash and Treasure) Do not advance until students can do each of these skills successfully on their own

Fighting Plagiarism The “Big6™” is copyright © (1987) Michael B. Eisenberg and Robert E. Berkowitz. For more on Big6, visit: Trash and Treasure direct instruction locate keywords and related words frequent review A researcher must… dig to find words that help answer the questions (treasure words). “toss aside” unnecessary sentences, phrases, and words (trash words). Activity

How to Fight Plagiarism The “Big6™” is copyright © (1987) Michael B. Eisenberg and Robert E. Berkowitz. For more on Big6, visit: Create a culture that promotes “citing in context.” Model citing in teachers’ work Show “bad” examples – exaggerate plagiarism Have students cite all sources all the time Do not accept work without citations Expect citing in class discussions as well

Fighting Plagiarism - Questions The “Big6™” is copyright © (1987) Michael B. Eisenberg and Robert E. Berkowitz. For more on Big6, visit: Ask good questions. FNO Questioning Toolkit Assignments that are simply “descriptive” are easily copied. Assignments that ask students to make judgments or defend a position require thinking and are not easily copied. Descriptive Do a report on a U.S. state. Write a paper on humpback whales. Inferential Your family is considering moving to another state. Based on research about this state, decide whether you think it’s a good idea. Write a paper on whether humpback whales, which are still endangered, should or should not be protected.

The Big6 ™ Big6 ™ Assignment PlannerBig6 ™ Assignment Planner Big6 ™ Assignment Planner – Teacher’s GuideBig6 ™ Assignment Planner – Teacher’s Guide Big6 Assignment Organizer Big6 ™ ResourcesBig6 ™ Resources Divided by Skills Big6 ™ ResourcesDivided by Skills Big6 ™ Resources Big6 ™ Research Program MapBig6 ™ Research Program Map Nuts and Bolts of Big6 ™Nuts and Bolts of Big6 ™ Big6 ™ Matrix AASL Standards and ISTE NETSBig6 ™ Matrix AASL Standards and ISTE NETS Big6 ™ Information Skills GuideBig6 ™ Information Skills Guide Rubrics Big6 ™ Resources The “Big6™” is copyright © (1987) Michael B. Eisenberg and Robert E. Berkowitz. For more on Big6, visit:

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K- 12 Database User ID CampusEBSCO User IDEBSCO Password Britannica Username Britannica Password

Databases vs. Google VideoVideo Encyclopedia Britannica Search Strategies and Exploration EBSCO ResourcesEBSCO Search Strategies and Exploration K-12 Database

21st Century Learning Britannica helps you: Improve student achievement Reach all levels & abilities Support curriculum standards Integrate technology Promote information literacy

Work Cited Berkowitz, Robert E., and Michael B. Eisenberg. The Definitive Big 6 Workshop Handbook (Big6 Skills). 3 ed. Worthington: Linworth Publishing, Print. Jansen, Barbara A.. The Big6 in Middle School: Teaching Information And Communications Technology Skills. Pap/Cdr ed. Worthington: Linworth Publishing, Print. Lewis, David. “Introduction to Dying for Information.” May 12, Murray, Janet. "Big6 Matrix: Use the Internet with Big6 Skills to Achieve Standards". Big6. May 12, "Nuts and Bolts of Big6." AT&T Knowledge Network Explorer Homepage. Web. 19 Oct Robinson, Laura Eisenberg. “Early Learners.” Library Media Connection 27.2 (2008): Journal Article. Stone, Charlene, Russell Ewick, Stan Mojsich, and Henry Danielson. "wse." WELCOME TO IMET. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 May

Credits Created by the Instructional Technology Department of Judson Independent School District