Instructional Intervention is the Key: Supporting Adolescent Information Seeking

This research sought to examine the information seeking processes employed by Canadian junior high school students from Inuvik, Northwest Territories and Beaumont, Alberta when using CD-ROM encyclopedias and when completing inquiry-based learning activities. The first study revealed that participants needed both instruction and practice to develop the skills and strategies needed for full-text searching of CD-ROM encyclopedias. The participants tended to use search terms only from the original question, had difficulty selecting topics and articles from the retrieved list, and did not read long articles as carefully as short articles. The second study revealed that students needed support throughout the inquiry-based learning experience and that using Kuhlthau's Information Search Process model as a guide for affective stages was useful. Participants needed time to explore, discuss, and read before finding a focus for their inquiry. Both studies found that participants wanted time to talk and discuss and that instruction was important to help students move forward in their searching and learning.