The Information Process

Characteristics of the Information Process

Those who teach students how to use this process will note the following characteristics...

1. It is a process, with several concurrent, interactive operations. Each part of the process builds on a previous part, laying the groundwork for the next part. It is structured and learning is active but not chaotic.

2. The process is developmental. Students need many opportunities to develop their skills and strategies, beginning in the primary grades and continuing throughout their years in school.

3. The process is pervasive, touching on all aspects of the teaching and learning environment. It crosses all grade levels, all subjects, and all students, regardless of socio-economic or geographic factors.

4. The process is dynamic. Students are actively engaged in their own learning; they are not passive observers. It is vigorous and generates an energy that has great appeal for learners of all ages. This active (but structured) learning also demands accountability.

5. The process has a metacognitive component. Students are taught to become reflective and aware of their own learning (what they are doing, where they are going next...). Teachers use this aspect to assess their students' progress and to gauge their ability to activate the information process effectively.

6. It is inclusive of other learning processes. The information process, like any other learning process does not happen in isolation from others. It includes all the language arts strands as well as the scientific processes of experimenting, testing hypotheses, problem-solving, critical and creative thinking (cognition.) Along with the newer "literacy skills" related to media and technology, students still need some of the more traditional competencies related to library and research skills. The ability to evaluate information, including but not exclusively data and information from electronic sources.

For more information about the importance of providing our students with a process approachor a framework for information processing, visit one of these websites to read more: from researchers Carol Kulthau and others; and Johnson & Eisenberg, the creators of The Big 6 approach. Remember, the number of stages in the process may be debatable... Big 6 proponents claim there are six, while the model used in Atlantic Canada has seven, the importance of organizing the various skills and strategies in the process into identifiable stages or phases is absolutely essential for effective learning!

Bix6 Matrix: Applying Big6™ Skills, Information Literacy Standards and ISTE NETS to Internet Research
by Janet Murray