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September 1, 1997
Pathfinding Through the
Information Jungle
by Mary Logan
Never before has
information been so accessible - and so overwhelming - in
so many types of formats. Besides the more traditional
paper-based sources, students today have access to an
amazing variety of electronic information sources, from
CD-Rom encyclopedias to the World Wide Web. What are
students to do with this literal glut of information?
Because of this
explosion of facts, educators face a major challenge. We
must empower students to transform this information into
knowledge-- knowledge which is the result of synthesis
and evaluation, as outlined in Bloom's Taxonomy of the
Cognitive Domain. Briefly defined, the synthesis and
evaluation stages of knowledge incorporate higher level
thinking skills to create a unique, original idea.
One tool teachers and
librarians can use to help students achieve higher level
thinking skills is pathfinding, explained in detail
below. Librarians traditionally use pathfinding skills to
help their patrons discover the best and most useful
information on any subject. A modern-day extension of the
technique is the creation of an electronic-age
pathfinder, which expands the horizons of a traditional
text-based bibliography to include the best multi-media
materials on a subject.
The beauty of a project
of this type is that it can be designed for any subject,
from history to mathematics. Building such a project will
help everyone - media specialists, teachers, and
students. The media specialist will benefit because
she/he will have extra assistants (the students)
discovering valuable and useful information available on
the media center shelves, the Internet, and in the
community. Teachers will find new partnerships forged
between themselves and librarians, and will discover
students more easily learning the knowledge required of
them for basic skills tests, which will positively affect
teachers'performance evaluations. Students will become
masters of information. It is a winning situation for
everyone.
Because pathfinding is
such a comprehensive process, teachers and librarians
will also discover that it can help students master all
of the "Big Six Skills" necessary for
successful information problem-solving. These skills are
outlined by Mike Eisenberg and Bob Berkowitz on their Big Six webpage.
Many teachers and
librarians find because of the analytical and research
skills required, the best time to begin teaching
pathfinding is during the later middle school years and
definitely by the time students reach high school.
How Did
Pathfinders Begin?
Pathfinding dates back
to the early 1970s, as explained by Alice S. Warner in
her 1983 article for American Libraries. According to
Warner, the first pathfinders covered two pages, two
columns per page, and followed a rigidly prescribed
format. The elements included on the page were a
definition of the subject covered, an introduction to the
topic, and then an annotated bibliography of books and
resources within the library along with the call numbers.
The original
pathfinders also included information available through
other sources outside of the library such as nonprofit
agencies, government agencies, and civic organizations.
This initial design, which has changed little since its
inception, is still useful today and can be invaluable as
a template for educators in teaching students evaluative
skills as they select the best and most current materials
to list on the pathfinders which they design and develop
for themselves.
You can see an example
of a typical pathfinder by viewing the one I have created
on AIDS.
(The only variation in this pathfinder is I have
formatted it into one column because it is a web
version.)
In preparation for this
article, I posted a message to LM-NET listserve in June
asking for interviews with media specialists already
using pathfinders as a teaching tool in their schools. In
response, school librarian Jan Segerstrom at Jackson Hole
Middle School (Jackson, Wyoming) says she views
pathfinders as an integral part of her school's eighth
grade curriculum: "Students learn to gather
materials, synthesize ideas, and analyze resources in
order to create their own pathfinders. The word
'pathfinder' suddenly has meaning for them in that it is
a 'path of research' they create themselves and own
throughout the whole process."
Segerstrom observed
that before initiating the pathfinding project, a
majority of her eighth students had no idea of how or
where to begin a large research paper. This convinced her
of the wisdom of teaching students to create their own
pathfinders instead of having the library media
specialist do the work for them.
Students,
Technology, and Pathfinders
Segerstrom stresses
that the catalyst for building excitement among students
to create their own pathfinders is technology.
"Because the students are able to build the
pathfinder on the computer and add scanned pictures to
it, they are more motivated to locate a wide variety of
resources and successfully complete the project."
Segerstrom recommends
that librarians begin a pathfinding project by first
working with teachers to compile a list of possible
topics for students to research. The next step involves
teaching students to generate a list of keywords and
related words on their topics, and then teaching students
to use the indexes of encyclopedias, periodicals, and
reference
books to search for keywords and cross references.
She explains the
process further: "The students then use the keywords
and cross-references to locate materials of all types via
the automated card catalog, encyclopedias, multi-media
informational resources, periodical indexes, and the
Internet. As they locate resources that are of value to
them for the research paper, they write them down in
citation
form onto a pathfinder template. As they complete the
template they strive to ensure that only the most
important resources for their project are listed on the
pathfinder."
Students then use
word-processing or presentation software to design
attractive pathfinder handouts. This part of the project
can also be used to help familiarize students with
presentation or designer software. If such software is
not available, the pathfinders can also be hand-designed
using simple paper, markers, and other drawing materials.
Segerstrom next makes
photocopies of the pathfinders and laminates them. She
then creates a subject entry index for the pathfinders
and places them in a three-ring notebook that remains in
the media center beside the PAC terminals. Other students
can then use the pathfinders for their own research
projects. The originals are placed at the beginning of
the students' research project booklets.
An unexpected bonus
from the project, Segerstrom says, is that low-achievers
find success in using a pathfinder to create their
research projects. "It provides them with direction
and motivation to begin. Many times these students can
become overwhelmed by the open-endedness and vastness of
an assignment and give up before they even try. As for
high-achievers, they have found resources I never knew
existed within the walls of our media center as well as
resources from around the world."
Another advantage of
the project is that it builds cooperation among teachers
and media specialists. Segerstrom explains, "The
main reason for cooperation from teachers with the
pathfinding project is that it fits perfectly with our
school's performance standards for media and technology
use. Therefore, the principal promotes the use of the
pathfinder, and the library media specialist team-teaches
with the English teacher in the media center as the kids
create their pathfinders, first in pairs, and then
individually for their 4th-quarter research projects. The
library media specialist also meets with the English
teachers prior to the unit and helps make the research
unit fit with the needs of each class." By building
a successful pathfinding project for their students,
librarians will discover that they reinforce the
important role they play as teachers in their schools.
The media specialists enhance their roles as active
partners in the instruction process.
If you would like to
learn more about the success of the pathfinding project
at Segerstrom's school you can write to her.
A growing number of
resources for designing a pathfinding project is
available on the web. One such resource is Kathy
Vanderbilts' web page.
E-mail: Mary Logan
Works Cited
Bloom, B. Taxonomy of
Educational Objectives: The Classification of Educational
Goals. Handbook I: Cognitive Domain. N.Y.: D. McKay,
1956.
Eisenberg, Mike and Bob
Berkowitz. The Big Six
Skills Information Problem-Solving Approach to
Library and Information Skills Instruction.
Eisenberg, Michael B.
and Robert E. Berkowitz. Information Problem-Solving: The
Big Six Skills Approach to Library & Information
Skills Instruction. Norwood, NJ: Ablex Publishing
Corporation, 1990.
Warner, Alice Sizer.
"Pathfinders: A Way to Boost Your Information
Handouts Beyond Booklists and Bibliographies."
American Libraries. March 1983: 150-151.
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