Google Scholar

Now that the context and topic for my ILA is finally finalised I am going to start searching for information relating to my topic. I’m not quite certain what I’m looking for so I’m feeling slightly anxious so I thought I might start my search in a tool that I am semi-comfortable with…Google Scholar.

For my first search I typed in “guided inquiry” and early childhood. Most of my results only contained early childhood and not guided inquiry so I will obviously need to rethink my search term and use of Boolean operators.

For my next search I typed in guided inquiry and primary. This search retrieved 423 000 hits however on the first page of results there appears to be two sources that could be useful in my assignment as they both look at using guided inquiry in primary settings.

I obviously need to narrow my search down and use a specific search string. After looking back over my notes on Boolean operators I decide to use (“inquiry based learning”) and (primary) (education) as my search term. Fingers crossed I get some useful hits as I’m starting to get a little bit annoyed!

Woohoo!! This search string retrieved quite a number of useful hits. My annoyance is out the window and I feel quite happy that my search term worked. On the first page of hits, judging by the title and the blurb about 4 of the 10 hits listed appear to be useful.

I decided to see what sources I retrieve if I click the related articles link of the first useful hit which takes me to a further 101 hits. Most of the hits don’t appear to be useful for my information needs however there is one article that could be useful.

I also changed my scholar preferences to QUT library so I can view full text articles through the library database.

That’s all my searching for today. Next time I think I’ll try wonder wheel.

Inquiry-Based Learning and Information Literacy

1. Take some time to think about your topic. Now write down what you know about it.

Inquiry-based learning is when either the students are presented with a topic/question or the students think of the topic themselves and they need to research it using a range of sources.

2. How interested are you in this topic? Circle the answer that best matches your interest.

Not at all not much quite a bit a great deal

3. How much do you know about this topic? Circle the answer that best matches how much you know.

Nothing not much quite a bit a great deal

4. When you do research, what do you generally find easy to do? Please list as many things as you like.

I generally find it relatively easy to locate books that are relevant to my topic

Find useful information within the source

Find sources that cover both sides of the argument/topic

5. When you do research, what do you generally find difficult to do? Please list as many things as you like.

I sometimes find it difficult to locate useful articles in databases. I think this could be because I don't construct appropriate search terms as I rarely use boolean operators.