Information-problem solving: A review of problems students encounter and instructional solutions

Abstract

Searching and processing information is a complex cognitive process that requires students to identify information needs, locate corresponding information sources, extract and organize relevant information from each source, and synthesize information from a variety of sources.This process is called information-problem solving (IPS). IPS can be characterized as a complex cognitive skill, which may need direct instruction to reach high levels of performance. However, IPS has been given little attention in schools, and instruction in this skill is rarely embedded in curricula. And yet, by giving students assignments in which students have to solve an information-based problem, teachers assume that their pupils have developed this skill naturally.A literature study was done to determine what kinds of problems students experience when solving information problems using the WWW for searching information, and what kind of instructional support can help to solve these problems. Results show that children, teenagers and adults have trouble with specifying search terms, judging search results and judging source and information. Regulating the search process is also problematic. Instruction designed specifically for IPS using the WWW for searching information is rare but indeed addresses the problematic skills. However, there are differences between various methods and it is unclear which method is most effective for specific age groups. Information Problem Solving 3 Information Problem Solving: A Review of Problems Students Encounter and Instructional SolutionsOur current society is an information society. Recent technological developments such as mobile communication, GPS, and the Internet provide us with large bodies of information every day. It is up to us to decide what to do with all this information. One could decide to ignore it altogether, but this will almost certainly result in alienation from society. A more fruitful approach might be to regularly gain access to new information. This approach requires people to identify their information needs, locate corresponding information sources, extract and organize relevant information from each source, and synthesize information from a variety of sources into cogent, productive uses (Bawden, 2001;Eisenberg & Berkowitz, 1990, 1992Marchionini, 1999;Moore, 1995Moore, , 1997Shapiro & Hughes, 1996;Spitzer, 2000). Together these activities constitute a process that we refer to as InformationProblem Solving (IPS).IPS is not only important in everyday life, but also in education. In the last decade educational systems have undergone changes. Instead of a system aiming at the reproduction of knowledge, new learning is aiming at learning outcomes that are durable, flexible, functional, meaningful, and applicable. Active pedagogical methods, in which students learn by doing instead of listening and in which the teacher has a guiding role, fit this new learning (Simons, Van der Linden, & Duffy, 2000). Students are given assignments, such as writing an essay on Tibet, that ...

Fostering transfer of websearchers’ evaluation skills: A field test of two transfer theories

“…The importance of instruction in an effective and critical use of the WWW for educational purposes has been recognized for several years, but instruction in information skills is rare and not always effective and hardly pays attention to transfer (Walraven, Brand-Gruwel, & Boshuizen, 2008). In the next section, theories to foster transfer of a complex cognitive skill like evaluating information will be addressed.…”

The relationship of (perceived) epistemic cognition to interaction with resources on the internet

“…Yet, "searching and processing information is a complex cognitive process" (Walraven, BrandGruwel, & Boshuizen, 2008, p. 623), and one that students across a range of ages find challenging (see, for example, Bartlett & Miller, 2011;Hargittai, Fullerton, Menchen-Trevino, & Thomas, 2010;Kammerer, Amann, & Gerjets, 2015;Livingstone, Bober, & Helsper, 2005;Van Strien, Brand-Gruwel, & Boshuizen, 2012;Walraven et al, 2008;Williams & Rowlands, 2007). Consider, for example, situations in which: a parent is attempting to understand information around childhood vaccinations; a voter wants to investigate the plausibility of a politician's climate change claims; or someone seeking to lose weight wishes to investigate the merits of diet versus regular foodstuffs or supplements.…”

Developing a multiple-document-processing performance assessment for epistemic literacy

“…Despite the prevalence of internet use, many students experience difficulties in their web based information-seeking activities [48]. The searching, selecting, and processing of complex documents and multi-media on the web can be seen as a component of literacy [36] and is related to epistemic cognition -the ways in which people conceptualize the: certainty, simplicity, source, and justification of knowledge [32].…”