Reflection

Creating a blog to chronicle our information inquiry is ironic because in a sense it was an information inquiry. In my information inquiry I used the Five As model, which this assignment can be broken down into the five steps. The assignment fulfilled the asking role. We were asked to complete the assignment which required an inquiry of information. For accessing, we accessed information prior to the assignment by reviewing the course text which was required to complete the assignment, as well a personal inquiry. Then we analyzed all the information as we progressed through the materials. Some of the information we needed to revisit after the initial reading to apply to the assignment. Then we applied all the information we learned into a blog. The blog is a sort waving, we are sharing the information we weaved together in a blog. The blog format allows us to receive feedback and evaluation form our peers as well as the instructor, which completes the process with assessing. By creating a blog to complete our assignment we were actively applying the information inquiry process.

Learning Style

No one learning style best describes my learning style or preference. As I read through each learning style I realized I adapt my learning style based on the situation. I can be a sensing learner, relying on facts rather than instinct but I am not one to take too long on tests. I prefer visual learning at times because I sometimes have difficult visualizing a scenario, so seeing it helps. At the same time I am good at verbal learning, I enjoy listening to lectures and can often remember a story associated with topic. Then if it is an activity I need to have a kinesthetic learning style again because I have a hard time visualizing. Active learning is maybe not a strength but helpful at times. Then reflective learning is good because I am very observant and I have learned many things simply by observing, such as how to sew. Finally a sequential learn sums up my learning style, because I take small steps to learning. All my learning adds up to the big picture, I do not see the big picture at first.

For this information inquiry, I used a sequential learning style. Slowly in chunks, I worked my way through the information. For example I used Wikipedia to get the basic information, then I went back to the Highclere website to find out more information on tours. Then I focused on more narrow topics such as the history of the castle.

The learning style is dependent on the type of information that needs to be learned. If I need to learn a process then active or kinetic learning would be preferred. If I am being lectured on facts then my personal learning preference might be recommended. For me verbal and/or visual learning would work best. For example verbal and visual clues used together in a PowerPoint presentation would be the most beneficial. In a field such as science sometimes active learning going through the experiment yourself is best. Unfortunately whether you are a sensing learner or intuitive learner, you probably have little control over. The learning situation will affect which learning style is best for the person doing the learning.

Reference
Lamb, A. (2015). Audience Analysis. Information Instruction: Strategies for Library & Information Professionals. Retrieved from: https://iu.instructure.com/courses/1425149

Applying & Assessing

Applying

Now that my search is complete I will apply the information and usually it is to a task. In this case I was not a very helpful patron because I did not specify how I was going to use the information. In my case I was just interested in the castle but now I am curious about the castle used in filming the Harry Potter films. This is where one answer leads me to another question, which happens often in inquiry so I could start my search again and continue. Once I have finished my search I will need to evaluate my findings.

Comparison to 8Ws

Weaving is also used in applying because you will need to weave all the information together to create the big picture, which plays a role in wrapping or packaging the information such as in a report (Lamb, 1997). The report would be the waving or sharing of the information (Lamb, 1997). In this case I was searching the information for my personal use however, this information I then later shared with my husband. I wrapped all the information together to explain that the castle is the Highclere castle, in Hampshire, England and that there are tours. The conclusion was that we might enjoy a trip to England exploring famous castles such as the Highclere.

Assessing

Assessing is simply the act of evaluating. In this case I will assess whether or not I answered all my questions. Another thing to consider is was the information helpful? Do I now have more questions about other related topics.

Comparison to 8Ws

The final W in the Eight Ws is wishing (Lamb, 1997). Wishing is the same as assessing or evaluating or as professor Lamb put it reflecting (Lamb, 1997). How do I feel about my inquiry process? Was it successful? Do I need to continue my research?

References
Lamb, Annette, Johnson, Larry, and Smith, Nancy (1997). Wondering, Wiggling, and Weaving: A New Model for Project and Community Based Learning on the Web. Learning and Leading With Technology, 24(7), 6-13.
 

Analyzing

Analyzing information is a step that just naturally happens along the way. As I browsed through the search results, I was actively analyzing the information. I choose to use Wikipedia to get the facts fast. To see images of the castle I selected the image results. The Highclere website had links at the top menu bar for easy browsing. There was a link about the filming of the show, so I browsed that section. There was a section about the real Earl of Carnarvon, which I also browsed. By actively seeking the information to answer the questions asked, we are methodically selecting which information to include and which to leave out.

Comparison to 8Ws

Besides wiggling, weaving is also the same as analyzing the information. Weaving is combining information to create a big opicture (Lamb, 1997). Weaving in this case was using information from the Highclere website to use that information for more searching. For example after looking into Highclere and discovering there are tours available I can use this information to look for travel plans to England near the castle. Weaving involves selecting, comparing, organizing and expressing the information (Lamb, 1997).

References
Lamb, Annette, Johnson, Larry, and Smith, Nancy (1997). Wondering, Wiggling, and Weaving: A New Model for Project and Community Based Learning on the Web. Learning and Leading With Technology, 24(7), 6-13.
 

Accessing

Now that I have my search results I can see the first result is for Highclere Castle. If I click on it, I can find out more information to verify I have the correct castle. The very first image on the page is from the Downton Abbey TV show advertising that this is the castle the show was in fact filmed at. The Highclere website gave information about the filming of Downton Abbey and the tours available.  The page was however difficult to find out the basic information. It says that the castle sin located near Newbury, however I do not really know much England.

 

If I return to my search results I can find more information, in a Wikipedia article, such as the style Jacobethan.  The Wikipedia article provides more information in a quickly that was not as easy accessible on the Highclere website itself. Sometimes if you want a quick overview fast Wikipedia is the best source then you can use other sites to follow up that information. I now know the name of the castle, Highclere, and I know that it is located in Hampshire England. I can use this information to continue my search. I also learned that there are tours available.

Comparison to 8Ws

Accessing the information is webbing and wiggling of the Eight Ws (Lamb, 1997). Webbing is locating the information, so the search results (Lamb, 1997). Wiggling is actually a part of accessing and analyzing because you must wiggle through the information to find the answers (Lamb, 1997). For example I wiggled through the Highclere website not viewing the site in its entirety but only the relevant information. This is also analyzing the information because I determined which information was relevant and which was not. Professor Lamb suggests in the wiggling stage you ask questions such as: is the information reliable, is the source objective and is the information relevant (Lamb, 1997).  

References
Lamb, Annette, Johnson, Larry, and Smith, Nancy (1997). Wondering, Wiggling, and Weaving: A New Model for Project and Community Based Learning on the Web. Learning and Leading With Technology, 24(7), 6-13.
 

Asking

First I must determine what information I want to know, as my search progresses I might have more questions, but for now I need a base to start. I want to know the name of the castle that is used in the film, where it is located and if they have tours available. This information is just for my own personal curiosity. The source of the information is not really important.

The first place I will start is in an Internet search, because it will be the fastest way to retrieve the name of the castle to start. A quick google search of “Downton Abbey Castle” lists 2,090,000 results.

 

Comparison to 8Ws

Taking a look at Professor Lamb’s model of Eight Ws, we can break this step asking, into watching and wondering (1997). By watching the world around me I discovered this popular TV show Dowton Abbey. Everyone was raving about the show. I decided to find out for myself what all the fuss was about and discovered I too enjoyed the show. Then after watching the show, I got to wondering about the castle it was filmed at.

References
Lamb, Annette, Johnson, Larry, and Smith, Nancy (1997). Wondering, Wiggling, and Weaving: A New Model for Project and Community Based Learning on the Web. Learning and Leading With Technology, 24(7), 6-13.

 

Five A's by Jukes

In information inquiry, Jukes says there are five A's of inquiry: asking, accessing, analyzing, applying and assessing (Lamb, 2015). This model is very similar to the Big6 model by Michael B. Eisenberg and Robert E. Berkowitz (Lamb, 2015). Their model lists these steps: task definition, information seeking strategies, location and access, use of information, synthesis, and evaluation (Lamb, 2015). Both models are equally useful, the type of inquiry should determine the type of model used. The Big6 model really just adds an extra step information seeking strategies. If you were working on a research paper determining your information strategies may be a step that is required. In this case I am going to inquire about the castle used in the BBC TV show Downton Abbey, the Five As will suffice.

In an inquiry, asking, is the first step that may seem simple but many times by the end of the inquiry, this step will become more important. As a reference librarian I can appreciate this step. Many times patrons come to the desk to inquire about a topic but they typically start off very vague. In the inquire process it is okay to start off vague because during your search you can determine a more narrow topic. As a patron asking for assistance it is important to be as specific as possible. The librarian will have to perform a reference interview to determine the precise topic the patron is looking for.

Accessing information is the next step in the process that will also be affected based on how the information will be used. If the student knows they need a variety of sources such as print materials as well as electronic materials this needs to be determined before the search begins. On an everyday basis a librarian will access information only to realize that the patron really needed something else. This step may require the most time since using the Internet has opened up the world to an unlimited amount of information. This leads us to the next step.

Analyzing the information, has become more and more important in this digital age. Many times the information retrieved is not really what you were looking for. Each result in your search will have to be analyzed to determine if the information is about the topic you are searching. Searching strategies suddenly become very helpful, such as using Boolean searches with specific keywords. This is the point where you determine which sources you will use and which you will discard.

Applying the information comes next, whether you are writing a report or just interested in a topic the information will require you to take action.

The final step is Assessing the information. Did the information answer the questions you asked in the first step? Do you require more research? Do you have more questions to lead you to another search? You may not think you assess your information inquiry but in the end everyone does. A librarian may ask the patron, “Does that answer your question?” Information inquiry is a cycle and some steps you may revisit throughout the search.

For this assignment I will inquire about the Downton Abbey Castle, in each step of the process I will note how my search progresses using the Five As model. After each step I will also include a comparison to the 8Ws model by professor Lamb.

References
Lamb, A. (2015). Inquiry & Analysis. Information Instruction: Strategies for Library & Information Professionals. Retrieved from: http://eduscapes.com/instruction/5.htm