Lesson #2 - The Reference Process and Info Skills (Research Models)

The members of ours class have made some very interesting comments about the pros and cons of all three research models that were mentioned in Riedling's textbook and that of BCTLA's Research Quest. Kuhlthau's Information Seeking Model is favored by some because of its affective approach to research. It takes into consideration the emotional experiences that a student often undergoes throughout the research process, and then helps him/her address each one at every stage of the model. The Research Process Model by Stripling and Pitts is a "put off" to many because of the long list of steps that are involved to conduct what could be a simple research. What appears to be the most popular, though, are Research Quest and the Big6 Model by Eisenberg and Berkowitz because both use student-friendly language and have fewer steps. In fact, Ben Koning is able to simplify the Big6 Model even more by identifying each step using one line questions that students can easily remember.

My opinion in this matter, however, is to question the necessity of having to choose only one model to teach our students. I see these models as STRATEGIES for conducting a highly efficient research process, and that they tend to provide the most benefit to students if they are used in conjunction with each other. For instance, a student may start off using one model (i.e., ISM by Kuhlthau's), but end up having to approach his/her work differently afterwards (i.e., breaking the steps into smaller ones like that of RPM by Stripling/Pitts). As well, I think that each model has its own merits that may be useful in different areas of research. Becoming more aware of what those merits are and when/where to best use them, I think, is what needs to be done here.

This scenario of helping our students build on research strategies somehow reminds me of what happens when solving a numeracy problem (another one of my passion). Basically, the more strategies a child knows how to add/subtract small numbers, the greater likelihood he/she will do well in solving problems of bigger numbers.