Dr. Michael Eisenberg wrote the book on information literacy, literally.  His most important contribution to the field of library and information science is the Big6 Information Problem Solving Process, a process model developed to teach information and technology skills.  Eisenberg’s work centers on developing ways to teach information skills to students and research to learn more about the information skills of students.  Eisenberg is part of an influential group of scholars that are partially responsible for the prominent position information literacy education now holds.

Professional Biography

Currently Michael Eisenberg is working as a professor at The Information School at the University of Washington.  (Information School, 2009) Eisenberg was the founding dean of the Information School at the University of Washington, but stepped down due to health problems.  (Information School, 2009)  He turned a single degree in information science into a nationally recognized information science program during his tenure as dean. (Information School, 2009) Before coming to the University of Washington, Eisenberg was a professor and founder of the Information School at Syracuse. (Information School, 2009) Eisenberg is most well known for his books Information Literacy: Essential Skills for the Information Age (2004), Curriculum Iniative: An Agenda and Strategy for Library Media Programs (1988) and Information Problem-Solving: The Big6 Skills Approach to Library and Information Skills Instruction (1990). Most of Eisenberg’s work focuses on the development of quality information skills in school age students.  Most recently Eisenberg has begun a large scale research project on young adult research habits. (Project Information Literacy, 2009)

Information Literacy and The Big 6

Eisenberg’s main area of scholarship is information literacy.  His work focuses on developing students into information literate citizens capable of utilizing information and technology in the 21^st information environment.  Dr. Eisenberg developed the Big 6 as a problem solving strategy for information needs and an outline of necessary skills for developing information literate students. (Eisenberg, 1992)  The Big 6 outlines the necessary steps for a student to overcome an information need.  The steps of the Big 6 are;

1. Task definition,
2. Information seeking strategies,
3. Location and access,
4. Use of information,
5. Synthesis,
6. Evaluation.  (Eisenberg, 1992)

The Big 6 is a process driven approach to solving an information problem or information seeking that incorporates critical thinking skills.  Dr. Eisenberg has outlined an approach to teaching information literacy that can help develop students into sophisticated users of information that go beyond the memorization of facts and into critical analysis of information.

In step 1, task definition, students define their problem and their information need.  (Eisenberg, 1992)  This step teaches students to critically analyze their problem and decide what information they may need.  In this stage they define the scope of their problem and develop an understanding of the areas they need to investigate.  As students define the task they also begin to think about what sources may be appropriate for their information need.  This is an excellent opportunity to use concept mapping and graphic organizers to help students organize their thoughts.

After defining the task student’s move on to step two, information seeking strategies. (Eisenberg, 1992)   In information seeking strategies students begin to list the types of sources that will be the most helpful in solving their information problem and prioritizing these sources.  The information seeking strategies stage is a rich opportunity to develop an understanding of appropriate sources and differentiating between various sources which is a key aspect of information literacy.  Website evaluation exercises can be used in this stage to help students build skills at determining the authority of a site.

In step three, location and access, students begin to locate sources and gather information.  (Eisenberg, 1992)  Location and access builds an understanding of the various sources that can be used in a search and how to use both electronic and library information sources.  The skills that are built in step three include using books, encyclopedias, search engines, advanced search features, databases, directories and other internet sources.

After information is gathered in step three student’s move onto step four; use of information. (Eisenberg, 1992)   This is when students engage and extract information from the materials they have collected.  In the use of information stage students begin to actively engage with the information they have gathered.  Students extract main ideas, key facts and build in depth knowledge.  They also learn how proper bibliographic skills in this stage through note taking and citation.  This stage allows for deep and meaningful learning if used in the proper context.

After students use information they move on to stage five, synthesis.  (Eisenberg, 1992)  In the synthesis stage knowledge is organized for presentation.  Students organize the comprehensive knowledge they have developed for presentation.  Information is analyzed and appropriately presented in this stage.  This leads students to the final stage, evaluation. (Eisenberg, 1992)   In evaluation students critically evaluate their own work, looking for areas of strength and weakness.  This helps them build strategy for future experiences.

The six steps of the Big 6 are very similar to the steps of Kuhlthau’s (1993) ISP.  Eisenberg and Berkowitz (1992) found that the two process driven models were made up of the same basic steps.  The only real difference between the two is that the ISP is based on formal research and the Big 6 is not. (Eisenberg and Berkowitz, 1992)  Additionally, there is no real formulation stage in the Big 6 as can be seen in figure 1. (Wolf, 2003) Although not necessarily based on research, Wolf (2003) found a potential link between student use of the Big 6 and the development of metacognitive skills, that make students aware of their mental state and learning process. This deep understanding and self reflection is a key aspect of accomplishing higher level thinking and becoming an independent 21^st century learner.

Figure 1: Stages of the ISP and Big 6. (Wolf, 2003)

Standards for the 21^st Century Learner and the Big6

The Big 6 is widely used in school libraries as a method of teaching students to become information literate students. (Big 6, 2009)  It has been adapted for younger children as the Super 3 and even used in college for graduate and undergraduate students. (Big 6, 2009)  The Big 6 and its various manifestations have significant implications for 21^st century schools.  Although developed in 1990, the Big 6 Skills fit well into the American Association of School Libraries (AASL) Standards for the 21^st Century Learner (2007).

The Big 6 can be used as a way to meet many of Standards for the 21^st Century Learner. (AASL, 2007)  In task initiation, the Big 6 addresses standard 1.1.3, “develop and refine a range of questions to frame the search for new understanding,” and standard 1.2.1, “display initiative and engagement by posing and investigating the answers beyond the collection of superficial facts.” (AASL, 2007, p.3)  During task initiation students asking questions to engage with the information they find so that they can achieve a deep understanding of the subject.  This is a clear shift away from the transmission model prominent in the 20^th century in which superficial engagement and memorization played major roles.

In step 2, information seeking strategies, standard 1.1.4 “find, evaluate, and select appropriate sources to answer questions,” and 1.1.5 “evaluate information found in selected sources on the basis of accuracy, validity, appropriateness for needs, importance, and social and cultural context,” are addressed. (AASL, 2007, p.3)  Here the Big 6 asks students to actively engage with information by critically thinking about sources and determining the appropriateness of sources.  As technologies role in society continually increases, students need to have the skills to evaluate sources.

In location and access, students can learn skills that standards 1.1.8 “demonstrate mastery of technology tools for accessing information and pursuing inquiry” and 1.3.2 “seek divergent perspectives during information gathering and assessment,” address. (AASL, 2007, p.3)  As these two standards illustrate, the Big 6 encourages the use of multiple sources when locating information.  Students can become proficient searchers capable of locating materials through the use of the Big 6 in their problem solving assignments.

In use of information, standards 1.1.7 “make sense of information gathered from diverse sources by identifying misconceptions, main and supporting ideas, conflicting information, and point of view or bias”, 2.1.1 “apply critical thinking skills (analysis, synthesis, evaluation, organization) to information and knowledge,” and 1.3.3 “follow ethical and legal guidelines in gathering and using information.” (AASL, 2007, pp.3-4)  The Big 6 makes students think about the information they gather.  By moving away from passive accumulation of facts, the Big 6 encourages students to make sense of the information they gather and critically think about what it means.  This active knowledge building is key in the Standards for the 21^st Century Learner. (AASL, 2007)  The Big 6 also discourages plagiarism, while encouraging proper citation.

In synthesis, standards 2.1.4 “use technology and other information tools to analyze and organize information” and 3.1.4 “use technology and other information tools to organize and display knowledge and understanding in ways that others can view, use, and assess,” are addressed. (AASL, 2007, pp. 4-5)  The Big 6 asks students to not just regurgitate the information they have learned but create a final product that communicates the learning outcome, which is very conducive to technology use.  Blogs, wiki’s, webpages, PowerPoint’s, Word documents and other final products all utilize technology and can be used with the Big 6.  These are essential skills that are extremely useful in 21^st century schools.

Lastly, in evaluation standards 3.4.1 “assess the processes by which learning was achieved in order to revise strategies and learn more effectively in the future” and 3.4.2 “assess the quality and effectiveness of the learning product” are addressed. (AASL, 2007, p.5)  These methods of self reflection and assessment are key to the evaluation stage of the Big 6.  Self assessment is also one of the four main categories of Standards for the 21^st Century Learner. (AASL, 2007)  By reflecting on outcomes students better understand how they learn and what they can do to improve future outcomes.

Basically, Dr. Eisenberg has provided schools with a great learning tool that meets many of the Standards for the 21^st Century Learner (AASL, 2007), and can be adapted and modified to include even more.  The Big 6 allows students to participate in authentic research (Gordon, 1999) that goes beyond the traditional library assignment.   Information literacy has become far more complicated since the Big 6 was written but the model still applies to today’s information landscape.  The Big 6 helps develop information skills, disposition, responsibilities and self assessment strategies.  All four of these areas form the basis of the Standards for the 21^st Century Learner. (AASL, 2007)   The Big 6 also creates a great opportunity for collaboration between librarians and teachers.  By creating the Big 6 Dr. Eisenberg has provided librarians and teachers with a great problem solving tool that incorporates technology and deep learning experiences and has the potential to help bring schools out of the industrial model of education and into the 21^st century.

Implications for Guided Inquiry

The Big 6 is a tool that can be used very effectively to build Guided Inquiry assignments and lessons.  What the Big 6 offers is a model for students to apply to information problems for the rest of their lives.  This model can be effectively used as part of Guided Inquiry because it focuses on the active learning and not just passive information retrieval.  This constructivist approach to learning centers on building knowledge through meaningful learning experiences.  Incorporating information literacy into curriculum standards lessons, not just library skill training, allows for better learning opportunities and understanding.  The Big 6 can easily be incorporated into any subject area of the curriculum and encourages collaboration between librarians with information skills and teachers with deep subject knowledge.  The meaningful learning experience Guided Inquiry is based on is also in many ways the basis of the Big 6 approach.

A major part of the Big 6 is teaching information literacy skills in the context of an inquiry process, not just as part of an isolated lesson.  Kuhlthau (2007) takes a concepts approach to information literacy that identifies locating, evaluating and using information as the three key areas of developing information literacy.  (p. 80)  In Guided Inquiry, these concepts are taught through the inquiry process.  All three of these areas play a major role in the Big 6 approach which makes it an ideal problem solving process for Guided Inquiry units.  When these information literacy concepts are utilized in Guided Inquiry units based on the Big 6 research process, meaningful knowledge building can take place.

The Big 6 is also very conducive to planned interventions which play an integral part in Guided Inquiry.  Task definition is an excellent opportunity for concept mapping and using graphic organizers.  During information seeking strategies students can complete exercises to evaluate sources.  In evaluation students can use rubrics to evaluate their learning experience and final product.  All of the steps offer at least some opportunity for teachers and librarians to use interventions that make students think critically about information and lead to deep and independent learning experiences.  These metacognitive exercises can help students have more meaningful learning and understanding of themselves and the subject matter covered.

Conclusion

Eisenberg has provided librarians and teachers with an excellent tool for providing students with deep, meaningful, authentic learning experiences.  The Big 6 emphasizes the importance of librarians in information literacy training and can encourage collaboration at many levels.  It is also a great framework for bringing schools into the 21^st century as it sets the goal of creating deep and meaningful learning experiences and making students critical and self sufficient thinkers.  The Big 6 engages students to self reflect through metacognition, thus allowing students to become independent learners. The authentic learning experiences created through the use of the Big 6 complement the Guided Inquiry approach (Kuhlthau, 2007) and the Standards for the 21^st Century Learner. (AASL, 2007)

Bibliography

American Association of School Librarians. (2007).  AASL standards for the 21st-century learner.  retrieved from: http://www.ala.org/ala/aasl/aaslproftools/learningstandards/standards.cfm

Eisenberg, M., Berkowitz, R.E. (1988). Curriculum Initiative: An agenda and strategy for school library media programs. Norwood, NJ: Ablex Publishing.

Eisenberg, M., Lowe, C., Spitzer, K.  (2004). Information Literacy: Essential Skills for the Information Age. 2nd. edition. Libraries Unlimited.

Eisenberg, M., Berkowitz, R. E. (1990). Information problem solving: The big six skills approach to library information skills instruction. Norwood, N.J.: Ablex.

Eisenberg, M., M. Brown. (1992). Current research. School Library Media Quarterly 21, no. 3, 103-9.

Gordon, C. (1999). Students as authentic researchers: A new prescription for the high school research assignment . School Library Media Research 2 .

Information School. (2009).  Mike Eisenberg. retrieved from: http://faculty.washington.edu/mbe//
Kuhlthau, C. C. (1993).  Seeking meaning: a process approach to library and information services.  Norwood, NJ: Ablex Publishing.

Kuhlthau, C.C., Maniotes, L.K., Caspari, A.K. (2007). Guided Inquiry: Learning in the 21st century.  Westport, Conneticut: Libraries Unlimited.

Project Information Literacy. (2009).  A large scale study about early adults and their research habits. retrieved from: http://projectinfolit.org/

Wolf, S., Brush, T. and Saye, J. (2003). The Big Six Information Skills as a metacognitive scaffold: A case study. School Library Media Research Online 6.