Navigating the ‘information jungle’ a Research Safari Leonie McIlvenny

1. Navigating the ‘information jungle’ a Research Safari Leonie McIlvenny

2. Objectives By the end of this webinar participants will: • Be familiar with the Research Safari website; • Be able to link the stages of the Research Safari (Inquiry Process) with outcomes from the Australian Curriculum; • Articulate key skills required at each stage of the Inquiry Process; • Identify a range of technology tools that support the development of a range of inquiry skills; and • Be aware of ways that the Research Safari can be used within the classroom

5. What is Information Literacy and why is it important? Increasingly, the concept of information literacy is considered crucially important to enable people to deal with the challenge of making good use of information and communication technology. In this context, ‘information literacy has become a new paradigm in the information and communication landscape. Understanding technologies is not enough. What everyone must also do is learn how to utilize those incredibly diverse and powerful technologies efficiently and effectively to search for, retrieve, organize, analyse, and evaluate information and then use it for specific decision-making and problem-solving activities. (UNESCO 2008)

6. At a National level, the Australian Library and Information Society (ALIA 2003) endorses the following principle in citing the ‘Statement on Information literacy for all Australians’: ‘A thriving national and global culture, economy and democracy will be best advanced by people able to recognise the need for information, and identify, locate, access, evaluate and apply the needed information.’

10. Historical Inquiry • History is a disciplined process of inquiry into the past that develops students' curiosity and imagination. • The process of historical inquiry develops transferable skills, such as the ability to ask relevant questions; critically analyse and interpret sources; consider context; respect and explain different perspectives; develop and substantiate interpretations, and communicate effectively.

11. Science Inquiry Science inquiry involves identifying and posing questions; planning, conducting and reflecting on investigations; processing, analysing and interpreting evidence; and communicating findings.

12. Questioning and predicting: Identifying and constructing questions, proposing hypotheses and suggesting possible outcomes. • Planning and conducting: Making decisions regarding how to investigate or solve a problem and carrying out an investigation, including the collection of data. • Processing and analysing data and information: Representing data in meaningful and useful ways; identifying trends, patterns and relationships in data, and using this evidence to justify conclusions. • Evaluating: Considering the quality of available evidence and the merit or significance of a claim, proposition or conclusion with reference to that evidence. • Communicating: Conveying information or ideas to others through appropriate representations, text types and modes.

35. Leonie McIlvenny leoniem@westnet.com.au http://researchsafari.weebly.com http://knowledgecompass.weebly.com