Reflections on feedback

Reflections

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“Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards.”

― Søren Kierkegaard

 At first, when I thought about providing feedback to my peers my only thought (and emotion) was, “How on earth am I going to do this?” I felt as if I was  totally unqualified to comment much less give advice to anyone else. I felt I really did not know enough and in retrospect, this was largely true. I think I would have provided far better feedback if I had been at the same stage of my ILA as my peers were in theirs at the time. You don’t really understand something until you have done it yourself and in hindsight I feel I would have been far more helpful if I had experienced the same knowledge and emotions as my peers before commenting on their work. Comparing the quality of my feedback to my peers before I had completed the major posts of my blog with feedback made afterwards, shows the importance of having your own experience before trying to evaluate someone else’s.

I found that providing feedback on someone else’s blog helped me to clarify and understand some of the thoughts and emotions I had been having about my own ILA. To see that my peers had made the same observations that I am presently making; being able to compare experiences and agree on tactics helped me to feel as if I was heading in the right direction.

It was good to receive the benefit of someone else’s wisdom and their advice on what to look for when students fill in the questionnaires. Kerrie’s advice on checking for clarification on responses really hit a chord as I have started doing the stats on the students responses to Questionnaires 1 and 2 and have noticed quite a few responses that need clarification. Both ladies have also experienced the ILA from the viewpoint of an “outsider” as I have done, their advice and observations resonate so closely with mine despite them being different subjects and different age groups. I think we all agree that it would be a very different experience to develop and implement an ILA of our own, from scratch!

I felt really happy that some of my posts had helped my team mates with their research. Kerrie let me know that my annotated bibliography has helped her obtain some references that she found useful and Rachael found my explanation on search strategies helpful, prompting her to re-attempt a  ProQuest search. Coping with the isolation of distance education studies is made far easier when you are openly encouraged to reflect on your own thoughts and emotions as well as that of others. This type of communication is valuable wherever you are, but even more so when you’re doing distance education.  As I explained to Kerrie, getting her response made me feel as if a great weight had been lifted from my mind!

So, once again ladies, thank you so much for your feedback. I really appreciated your insight and knowledge.

Questionnaire 2. My answers and reflections.

Questionnaire 2

1. Take some time to think about your topic. Now write down what you know about it.

My topic is about middle school students using inquiry learning to do a SOSE unit on their ecological footprint.

2. How interested are you in this topic?  Check (ü) one box that best matches your interest.

Not at all ☐    not much ☐    quite a bit ☐    a great deal ☐

3. How much do you know about this topic?  Check (ü) one box that best matches how much you know.

Nothing ☐     not much ☐    quite a bit ☐    a great deal ☐

4. Thinking of your research so far - what did you find easy to do? Please mention as many things as you like.

I have found it easy to find information.

Finding really pertinent information has proved quite the task though, often I think something is really good until I engage with it and try to summarise why and how its pertinent to my unit, only to find that it wasn’t so good after all.

5.  Thinking of your research so far - what did you find difficult to do? Please mention as many things as you like.

I find it difficult to tease out the information that I really need from the masses of information that I have.

I find it difficult to state things in a concise, clear manner.

I find it difficult to focus and go off on a tangent when I find anything interesting.

Sometimes I think that the information I have is perfect only to reread the task requirements and find that its not really any good at all.

I feel frustrated because things always seem to take three times as long as I originally estimated and the job seems to be getting bigger and bigger instead of fitting into place.

6.  How do you feel about your research so far? Check (ü) one box that best matches how you feel.

Frustrated – I can’t find what I want ☐       

Overwhelmed – I’m finding it hard to sort through the information ☐

Confused – I don’t really know what I’m looking for ☐

Confident – I think I know where I’m heading ☐

A Reflection of my Journey through CLN650, with a comparison to Kuhlthau’s ISP

This post is a reflection of my journey through CLN650, with a comparison to Kuhlthau’s ISP.

Kuhlthau’s Information Search Process describes six distinct stages that students go through during the inquiry process. Each stage describes the feelings, thoughts and actions that students encounter.

Here’s the story of my “encounters”.

At stage 1, “Task initiation”, the student is preparing for the decision to select a topic. Their thoughts usually centre around contemplating the assignment, relating prior experience and learning to the task, and considering possible topics. Often their feelings are vague and apprehensive, with uncertainty about the task ahead. Their activities would be of a seeking nature. They would talk to fellow students and the teacher as well as browse the library, internet and other sources of information. A strategy that they may employ here is brainstorming.  Photo credit

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 At the start of this unit I felt curious and alert to anything that even had the word “inquiry” in it. I must admit to feeling a little dismayed that I didn’t know more about this way of teaching. I am a science teacher and apparently “the inquiry method” experienced its genesis in the sciences. Well some of it seems familiar. But there’s a lot that doesn’t! Feelings of inadequacy and uncertainty abound.  I resolve to try and find out as much as possible. I’m sure I know this phenomenon (inquiry teaching)...perhaps I’ve just given it another label?     Photo credit 

My thoughts are vague and scattered. Photo credit

I remember seeing the term “inquiry” in science magazines and other professional development documents. I had never really thought of it as being so involved. Surely it’s just a way of teaching? There’s so much I need to know. I jump onto “Google”. I rifle through magazines, books and papers. I need to know more!   [I’m starting to realise that my journey is reflecting the initiation stages of Kuhlthau’s ISP. I’m contemplating the assignment, relating it to my prior experience. My feelings are vague, apprehensive and uncertain. I constantly seek more information.] Photo credit

At Stage 2, “Selection”, the student begins to decide what topic to investigate and how to go about it.

The uncertainty associated with the first stage usually fades, being replaced with a sense of optimism and anticipation. The student weighs their choices against their own personal interests, the topic requirements, the available information and the amount of time they have. Their actions centre around preliminary searches and informal information gathering.
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A requirement of my Masters is that I gain experience working in a library. A requirement of this unit is that I teach a unit using “Guided Inquiry” methods.

 

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 I feel apprehensive. I don’t teach at present. I don’t have a class. Where will I find one? Maybe I could watch a class being taught using this method? But where? My mind is constantly tuned in to the word “inquiry”. I see an upcoming professional development conference; many of the presentations are on inquiry teaching. I volunteer to help out at the conference. The school hosting the conference is beautiful! The library is exquisite! Their teachers use inquiry methods! The teacher who is considered the expert in inquiry teaching at this school allows me to observe one of her class units! The librarian allows me to do volunteer work in the library! Hallelujah! I start feeling optimistic. Perhaps I can do this?      Photo credit  

But the class only starts next term. I’m supposed to have finished teaching the unit by then. Getting permission from leadership for me to volunteer at the school takes longer than expected. I start feeling anxious. Will I get it done in time? Will I be granted an extension?    [I recognise that I am in the selection phase of Kuhlthau’s ISP. I have a class to observe and even though I did not chose the topic; at least I know what it is! Feelings of optimism and relief alternate with apprehension and doubt. But I am starting to feel more focussed. I know where this is going now.]

In the third stage, “Exploration”, the student gathers information on their topic.
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They start to create new personal information but are still unable to express precisely what information is needed. Often the new information they find deviates from their present knowledge. They start to doubt themselves and feel confused. 

Their uncertainty becomes frustration. They start feeling threatened and want to give up. They start to look for something to focus on, some way to tolerate the inconsistency and incompatibility of the information they encounter.  They read a lot and start taking notes on facts and ideas. They make bibliographic citations.  Photo credit        

                                                                     

I start finding out everything I can about inquiry teaching. Our lecturer has introduced us to effective search strategies. I use them and find so much information on the internet. One piece of information leads me onto another. I have papers downloaded from the internet, papers requested from the library, books and magazines strewn all over the desk. I’ve had to create more desk space. So much information. I just think I’ve got my head around one thing and then another interesting fact pops up. Will I ever be able to remember and understand all this stuff?  Will I ever be able to condense it into something tidy and organised and meaningful to me?
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My family ask me how everything’s going and what I’m learning about. I start to tell them and realise that I don’t really know what I’m talking about. I feel overwhelmed, confused, frustrated. Nothing I do on the computer seems to work. Will I ever get this? Why did I start it? It’s too much!  Photo credit

Now I start to realise some of the frustrations my students must have experienced during tasks I gave them. I wish I’d known all this then!
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At least my lecturer knows what we go through and she has provided many backups along the way. We have a Facebook group (or brains trust) available any time of the night or day. If that doesn’t work then I know that the lecturer will speedily answer emails and questions that only she would know the answer to. I never really feel alone. And knowing that my classmates are experiencing the same emotions is very reassuring. Just going through Kuhlthau’s ISP is strangely reassuring. At least I know that what I’m experiencing is normal and that there’s light at the end of this tunnel.  I start to relax and trust that everything will work out.

During the fourth stage or “Formulation” phase of Kuhlthau’s ISP students start to evaluate the information that has been gathered. They start to feel more focussed, optimistic and confident. They start to combine unrelated ideas and information and create a focussed personal piece of work. This is considered to be the most important phase of the project.

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I must say I’m looking forward to reaching this phase. I’m half way through this unit at the moment. I am starting to feel more focussed and optimistic but I can still see the mountain of work that needs to be done before I can call this assignment complete. I really don’t want to end up trying to mash all the information together in the hope that it will “stick”. I’d far rather develop a focus and theme that will help pull all my knowledge together into a unified whole of my own making. I will need to add to this part of my post later, as I get to experience this phase fully.

The fifth, or “Information Collection” stage is where the student gathers information to support their focus. They start organising their information into notes. They realise that there’s still an extensive amount of work to be done but have confidence in their ability to complete the task. They experience increased interest in the topic. They make comprehensive searches of various types of material, the internet, periodicals, papers and books. They take detailed notes and create bibliographic citations along the way.
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I suppose I’m partially at this stage as I have realised there’s still an extensive amount of work to be done, but I do feel more confident about completing the unit. I’ve gathered all my material and I’m starting to organise it in a semi-logical way.

The last stages are “Presentation” and “Assessment”. During these stages the information search is completed. Generally this is the time where summarisation and reporting occurs.

It is at this stage that the student starts to either feel a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction or in some cases disappointment. Usually there is a huge sense of relief. Their self-awareness starts to increase. Rechecking of sources for overlooked information may occur. 
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I hope I feel this way when I reach this stage. There is always the danger that I will be dissatisfied with what I’ve produced.

Information synthesis

Literature explaining the origins, purposes and application of Guided Inquiry abounds.  The following essay is a short synthesis of some of this literature as it pertains to my inquiry learning activity (ILA) for middle school students in the subject Social Studies in Society (SOSE).

Kuhlthau, Caspari & Maniotes (2007) explain how Guided Inquiry (GI) is grounded in the constructivist approach based on the major educational theorists and researchers Dewey, Brunes, Kelly, Vygotsky and Piaget.  These theorists emphasise the significant role that emotions often play in learning experiences.  During GI-based learning the teacher facilitates and guides students to their own understandings. Kuhlthau (2007) emphasises that for people to survive and thrive in the 21^st century they need to become discerning lifelong learners that can negotiate their way around abundant, constantly changing information. Guided inquiry assists students in this skill development.

The importance of delivering GI units correctly is paramount.  Most teachers need to learn to teach in ways that they did not learn themselves (McLaughlin (1997)in (Hargreaves, 2000). Realising the inherent advantages of Inquiry didactic methods the temptation remains to “teach to the test”, citing pressures from leadership to improve NAPLAN or other standardised test scores as the cause (Blanchard et al (2010). This attitude to learning and teaching is counterintuitive to inquiry methods and produces regurgitation of facts that are quickly forgotten (Blanchard et al (2010). Duffy and Raymer (2010) warn against the many pitfalls that can be encountered when the inquiry process is incorrectly delivered. 

Inquiry learning can be seen on a continuum from level 0 (teacher directed) to level 4 (open inquiry) Blanchard et al (2010). Guided inquiry with fairly extensive scaffolding is recommended by many authors including Harrington (2010) and Blanchard et al (2010). Harrington recommends “guiding without being meddlesome” and cautions that middle school students are at an age where they need independence.  She shows how using creativity and role playing can help them develop information literacy and problem solving skills (Harrington, 2010). 

Abilock emphasises developing ethical researchers who are information literate and who acknowledge the work of others, providing a number of strategies (Abilock, 2009). This requirement of information literacy (IL) is also stressed by Lupton & Bruce (2010) in their GeST model where IL is taught by practising search strategies, internet skills, ICT skills and referencing. Coffman (2009) explains how GI helps students become information literate when they are actively involved in inquiry activities during problem solving. 

GI methods connect the student’s world to the curriculum using many different resources. Books, the internet, teachers, librarians, colleagues, parents and other members of the community help students see the object of their learning from a number of different viewpoints (Nayler, 2005).

 GI methods help students develop tenacity through reflection. The more they encounter the cycles of doubt, frustration, optimism and elation that are commonly felt during research tasks, the more they will develop the resilience necessary to persevere during periods of frustration (Kuhlthau, 2007). Questioning what went well and how to do things differently next time guides students to discover facts and develop higher order thinking (Kuhlthau, 2007). Coffman (2009) describes inquiry learning as a cyclical process of questioning and hypothesising. Central to this process is reflection as well as feedback from the teacher.

Coffman stresses creating both extrinsic and intrinsic motivation in students. To develop critical thinking and good inquiry activities teachers should develop activities that provide students with opportunities to apply, analyse, synthesise and evaluate important concepts and themes (Coffman (2009). She advocates a project structure before beginning the inquiry saying that good planning begins with an idea that aligns with the instructional standard (Coffman, 2009). The process of lesson planning and implementation is as important as the final result and should not be overlooked according to Lattimer & Riordan (2011) as well as Duffy & Raymer (2010).  Harrington (2006) recommends role play to help develop the extrinsic and intrinsic motivation required by students during inquiry learning projects.  

The Queensland Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Framework (QCAR) espouse many ideals of Inquiry learning for Studies of Society & Environment (SOSE) in “Ways ofWorking”. These range from identifying a research focus and designing questions, to planning investigations, analysing data, supporting conclusions and communicating findings. Nayler (2007) agrees with these ideals stressing participation, reflection, creation and actively constructing meaning using questions and a socially critical approach. She emphasises the need for students to ask strategic questions and provides many examples, as does Coffman (2009). The QCAR directive for SOSE students is to understand the importance of inquiry and major social and environmental ideas for investigating issues in contexts that range from local to global settings. (QCAR QSA 2007). 

A selection of the literature advocating inquiry methods has been reviewed for the purpose of developing a SOSE unit on the “Ecological footprint” for middle year students. The construction of deep levels of understanding, knowledge and perseverance are essential to any student. Using thought provoking, carefully structured inquiry based lessons will assist students to develop the qualities needed by the 21^st century learner. 

References

Abilock, D. (2009) Guiding the gifted to honest work. Knowledge Quest, 37, 12-15.

Blanchard, M. R., Southerland, S. A., Osborne, J. W., Sampson, V. D., Annetta, L. A., & Granger, E. M. (2010). Is inquiry possible in light of accountability?: A quantitative comparison of the relative effectiveness of guided inquiry and verification laboratory instruction. Science Education, 94(4), 577-616.

 Coffman, T. (2009). Engaging Students through Inquiry-Oriented Learning and Technology. Maryland: R&L Education

Duffy, T.M & Raymer, P.L. (2010) A practical guide and a constructivist rationale for inquiry based learning.  Educational Technology, 50(4) 3-15.

Hargreaves, A. (2000). Four ages of professionalism and professional learning. Teachers and teaching: theory and practice, 6(2), 151-182.

Harrington, L. (2006). Guided Research in Middle School: Mystery in the Media Centre. Santa Barbara: Linworth.

Hernandez-Ramos, P., De La Paz, S. (2009) Learning History in Middle School by Designing Multimedia in a Project-Based Learning Experience. Journal of Research on Technology in Education, 42(2), 151-173

Kuhlthau, C.C. , Maniotes, L.K. & Caspari, A.K. (2007). Guided Inquiry: Learning in the 21st century. Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited.

Kuhlthau, C. C., & Maniotes, L. K. (2010). Building Guided Inquiry Teams for 21st-Century Learners. School Library Monthly,  26(5) 18-21.

Lattimer, H., Riordan, R.  (2011) Project-based learning engages students in meaningful work. Middle School Journal, 43(2), 18-23

Lupton, Mandy & Bruce, Christine S. (2010) Windows on information literacy worlds: generic, situated and transformative perspectives. In Practising Information Literacy: Bringing Theories of Learning, Practice and Information Literacy Together. Centre for Information Studies, Charles Sturt University, Wagga Wagga, N.S.W., pp. 4-27.

Nayler, J. (2005). Inquiry Approaches in Secondary Studies of Society and Environment Key Learning Area. Occasional paper prepared for Queensland School Curriculum Council.