SCHOOL LI BRARY MONTHLY | VOLUME 28 | NUMBER 3 | DECEMBER 2011 5

F E AT U R E
Charting Student Learning
through Inquiry
by ROSS J. TODD
O
VERVIEW
Tis article outlines the devel-
opment of an assessment tool for chart-
ing student learning through inquiry
and provides some insights into its use
as an evidence-based practice tool for
school library instructional teams. Te
tool, known as the Student Learning
through Inquiry Measure (SLIM), has
been developed and tested over a num-
ber of years by researchers at the Center
for International Scholarship in School
Libraries (CISSL).
CONTEXT
Te introduction of the Ameri-
can Association of School Librarians
(AASL) Standards for the 21st-Century
Learner has provided the school library profession with
rich opportunities to rethink traditional approaches to
information literacy and develop innovative approaches to
information literacy assessment (2007). Te Standards for
the 21st-Century Learner have expanded the denition of
information literacy to include multiple literacies, including
digital, visual, textual, and technological, that are crucial for
all learners to acquire and be successful in our information-
rich society (American Association of School Librarians
2007, 5). At the heart of these standards are key learning
outcomes that matter in all schools (American Association of
School Librarians 2007). Tese outcomes focus on students
engagement with information in critical and reective ways
to build deep knowledge, understand curriculum topics, and
meet content standards.
Tese standards do not diminish the importance of the
range of information-centered capabilities, as espoused in
such publications as AASLs Information Power: Building
Partnerships for Learning, published in 1998. Such capabili-
ties typically include students developing research strategies;
searching, locating, and retrieving information by using
a range of information nding tools; evaluating sources;
analyzing and synthesizing information; and understand-
ing how to use information in ethical ways. Since that time,
important measures, such as Project SAILS by Kent State
University, were developed so that a standardized test of
information literacy skills could be used by libraries to docu-
ment skill levels for groups of students and to pinpoint areas
for improvement.
But, AASLs Standards for the 21st-Century Learner have
6 SCHOOL LI BRARY MONTHLY | VOLUME 28 | NUMBER 3 | DECEMBER 2011
provided a shift of focus, giving stronger emphasis to ve key
dimensions of learning:
Tinking-based capabilities: the abilities, disposi-
tions, and responsibilities that focus on substantive
engagement with data and information, the processes of
higher order thinking and critical analysis that lead to
the creation of representations/products that demon-
strate deep knowledge and deep understanding;
Knowledge-based capabilities: the abilities, disposi-
tions, and responsibilities that focus on creating, con-
structing, and sharing the products of knowledge that
demonstrate deep knowledge and understanding;
Reading to learn capabilities: the abilities, disposi-
tions, and responsibilities related to the transforma-
tion, communication, and dissemination of text in its
multiple forms and modes to enable the development of
meaning and understanding;
Personal and interpersonal capabilities: the abili-
ties, dispositions, and responsibilities related to the
social and personal aspects of learning: about self as
a learner, and the social and cultural participation in
inquiry learning;
Learning management capabilities: the abilities,
dispositions, and responsibilities that enable students to
prepare for, plan, and successfully undertake a curricu-
lum-based inquiry unit.
As elaborated in AASLs Standards for the 21st-Century
Learner in Action, instructional teams are encouraged to
develop formative and summative assessment processes that
take place at dierent points in the learning process where
learners reect on their own learning, their learning needs,
and their thinking and knowledge building to produce, ap-
ply, and create knowledge (American Association of School
Librarians 2009, 59). It recommends assessment strategies
such as reection logs, process portfolios, reective note tak-
ing, rubrics, checklists, peer questioning, and consultation.
RESEARCH FOUNDATIONS
OF THE SLIM TOOLKIT
During 2003-2005, CISSL undertook a research and
development project, Te Impact of School Libraries on
Student Learning, funded by the Institute for Museums
and Library Services (IMLS). Te project was undertaken to
provide further empirical evidence of the impact of school
libraries on student learning and, in doing so, develop an
easy-to-use and reliable
measurement toolkit to
enable school librarian
and teacher teams to show
the growth of student
learning through inquiry-
based learning. Tis was the beginning of the SLIM Toolkit.
Tis research involved 574 students from ten diverse public
schools in New Jersey undertaking inquiry-based projects
(Todd 2006; Kuhlthau, Heinstrom and Todd 2008).
Te instructional framework used by the school teams
in this research was Kuhlthaus model of the Informa-
tion Search Process developed in the 1980s and rened in
the 1990s through an extensive series of research studies
(Kuhlthau 2004). Te model is founded on the belief that
learning is a process of personal and social construction
developed by inuential 20th-century educational thinkers
such as John Dewey (1859-1952), George Kelly (1905-
1967), Jerome Brunner (1915-), Jean Piaget (1896-1980),
Howard Gardner (1943-), and Lev Vygotsky (1896-1934).
According to Kuhlthaus research, the Information Search
Process has been found to occur in seven stages: Initiation,
Selection, Exploration, Formulation, Collection, Presenta-
tion, and Assessment (Kuhlthau, Maniotes and Caspari
2007, 19). Tese stages are named for the primary inquiry
task to be accomplished at each stage in the teaching and
learning process. Tis approach to learning across the
curriculum is known today as Guided Inquiry (Kuhlthau,
Maniotes and Caspari 2007). Embedded in the guidance
provided by the school librarian and classroom teachers are
interventions that build competency in locating, evaluating,
and using information to construct deep knowledge and un-
derstanding through a combination of reection strategies,
social networking, and application of Web 2.0 tools.
Tis framework takes a more holistic approach to
information literacy development, situating it within the
information-to-knowledge journey of students, and basing
it on a body of established research to inform the instruc-
tional process. Tere is increasing criticism of the plethora of
information literacy models that exist today, many of which
are without theoretical foundation, and are not derived from
systematic research to be strongly tested and validated mod-
els. Tey often do not take into account research-validated
patterns of information seeking. Tis criticism also focuses
on its predominant resource focus, rather than any strong
focus on the use concept that is embedded in the rhetoric
of information literacy.
Te research sought to measure student learning in
multidimensional ways, including development of a range of
information literacy skills, as growth of knowledge of their
curriculum topic, interest, feelings, and experiences during
the inquiry process, and their reections on their learning.
School librarians face key challenges, and it is increasingly
imperative to engage in systematic approaches to charting
the information-to-knowledge journey of students.
SCHOOL LI BRARY MONTHLY | VOLUME 28 | NUMBER 3 | DECEMBER 2011 7
Tis research provided very rich insights into the students
progress through their inquiry. It found that students:
learned topical content in two predominant ways: fact
nding as an additive approach to knowledge building,
and integrative/transformative approach that went well
beyond describing the topic, to showing understanding
of complex concepts and explanatory and predictive
relationships of topical content and reecting on this;
became more skillful and condent as information
seekers;
became increasingly engaged, interested, and reec-
tive during their learning process, and saw information
seeking as a constructive process of building both deep
knowledge and deep understanding;
became more critically aware of the broad variety of
sources and their dierent purposes;
gained practical skills in independent information seek-
ing and knowledge construction;
showed increasing awareness of the varied quality of
information, as well as information as a problematic and
often contradictory, construct that needed to be scru-
tinized in the process of building new understandings.
Tis altered their conception of information seeking as
fact-nding into a broader reective notion.
STUDENT LEARNING
THROUGH INQUIRY MEASURE (SLIM)
Based on the research data, the Student Learning through
Inquiry Measure (SLIM) toolkit was developed and rened,
including feedback from participating school teams, critical
feedback from the school library research community, and
further verication from school librarian-teacher teams not
involved in the initial research. Tis testing and rening has
shown that this toolkit is workable in a school setting and
capable of documenting learning outcomes of inquiry-based
units lead by school librarian-teacher teams.
Te SLIM toolkit consists of three reection instruments/
writing tasks to be integrated into the instructional sequence,
and which provide data at three stages of the students
inquiry process: at the Initiation stage of the research task,
midway during the task (typically at Formulation stage of
the Information Search Process [ISP]), and at the Assessment
stage of the task. Tese reection instruments capture stu-
dents responses to open-ended questions as well as categori-
cal responses. Te
reection instru-
ments have the
same questions so
that comparisons
can be made and
claims developed
that show the learning journey of the students.
In particular, the SLIM toolkit enables instructional
teams to chart the changes in knowledge of students of
their curriculum topics as they progress through the stages
of their inquiry task. It gives insights into the substance of
their knowledge, the amount of knowledge, the structure
of their knowledge, and how students perceive their knowl-
edge changes as they progress through the stages of a guided
inquiry project.
Reection Tasks 1 and 2 are comprised of the following
questions:
Write the title that best describes your research proj-
ect at this time. (Tis gives insights into how students
conceptualize and label their knowing about a curricu-
lum topic; how this may become more focused, specic
and clearer).
Take some time to think about your research topic.
Now write down what you know about this topic.
(Tis enables the instructional teams to create descrip-
tions of the students knowledge of their topic and
shows skills of analysis, synthesis, critical thinking,
problem solving).
What interests you about this topic? (To chart changes
in interest level).
How much do you know about this topic? Check ()
one box that best matches how much you know: Noth-
ing, Not much, Some, Quite a bit and A great deal. (A
simple mechanism for charting students perceptions of
their own growth of knowledge).
Write down what you think is easy about researching
your topic. (Diagnostic insights into what helps and
hinders students in their research so that instructional
interventions can be developed to ensure the informa-
tion-to-knowledge journey is ecient).
Write down what you think is difcult about research-
ing your topic. (Diagnostic insights into what helps and
hinders students in their research so that instructional
interventions can be developed to ensure the informa-
tion-to-knowledge journey is ecient).
Write down how you are feeling now about your
project. Check () only the boxes that apply to you:
Confdent, Disappointed, Relieved, Frustrated,
Confused, Optimistic, Uncertain, Satisfed, Anxious
or Other. (Enables the instructional teams to chart the
rollercoaster of emotions that accompany the research
Te SLIM toolkit enables instructional teams to chart the
changes in knowledge of students of their curriculum topics as
they progress through the stages of their inquiry task.
8 SCHOOL LI BRARY MONTHLY | VOLUME 28 | NUMBER 3 | DECEMBER 2011
process, and to intervene at the aective/emotional level
to support students in their learning.
Additional questions at Reection Task 3 are as follows:
What did you learn in doing this research project?
(Tis might be about your topic, or new things you
can do, or learned about yourself.) (Provides learner
feedback and reection on the learning process).
How did the school librarian help you?
How did the teacher help you? (Provides input on the
role of the instructional teams, and helps make claims
about the role of the school librarian in the learning
process).
ACCESS TO THE SLIM TOOLKIT
Te SLIM toolkit is available from the CISSL website
(http://cissl.rutgers.edu/impact_studies.html). It includes the
SLIM Reection Instruments and Scoring Guidelines, SLIM
Handbook, and SLIM Scoring Sheet. Te documents pro-
vide the rationale and step-by-step processes for implement-
ing the assessment instruments, engaging with and analyzing
the data, constructing claims about student learning, and
disseminating the ndings. Te instruments can be used in
various settings, involving a diversity of curriculum topics
and grades. It takes time to plan for students to use these
instruments; it takes time to collate and analyze the data.
MAKING SENSE OF THE DATA
Te SLIM Toolkit supports inquiry-based learning
through the school library. It will provide both quantitative
and qualitative data that will enable school librarians to make
comparisons and show the progress that students are making.
For example, when students present their knowledge of
topics at the Initiation stage, they typically make lists of de-
scriptive facts. However, as students build their background
knowledge, encounter conicting and/or diverse viewpoints,
the SLIM results may show students moving away from the
collection of facts, to providing statements that focus on
explanations of how and why, and results and outcomes in-
dicating that they have engaged analytically. Towards the end
of the inquiry task, the statements that students make about
their topics tend to show predictive relations, inference,
implied meaning or statements presenting personal position,
viewpoint, or value judgment.
Tis is a progression towards higher order thinking and
depth of knowledge and understanding. As school librarians
begin to analyze the statements that students make about
their knowledge, it is possible to see other patterns. Likely to
emerge are initial sets of facts that are discrete and unrelated,
randomly recorded without any clear sequence and concep-
tual relatedness. As they focus their inquiry, narrow their
searches, and collect more pertinent, in-depth information
on their topics, there may be a growing level of organization
of their ideas, building a more coherent and meaningful
body of knowledge. As they move to the end of their inquiry
tasks, there is often a greater level of structure and concep-
tual coherence to their ideas.
Te analysis of the aective dimensions will also provide
insights in the progress of learning. For example, at the
Initiation stage, students are likely to identify learning dif-
culties, such as choosing a topic to research. Tis is often
accompanied with feelings of uncertainty and confusion, and
as students get focused on their specic question, negative
emotions are likely to decrease, with increases in interest and
ownership of their topics.
Tese are just some of the insights that emerge from
using the SLIM Toolkit. What will also be valuable are the
stories that the students will tell as they think through their
learning journey, reect on it, and document it through
the reection tasks. Tese stories will be powerful pieces of
evidence.
WHY IT IS IMPORTANT
School librarians face key challenges, and it is increasingly
imperative to engage in systematic approaches to charting
the information-to-knowledge journey of students. Te
SLIM Toolkit is one approach to systematically gathering
and interpreting evidence. School librarians should explore
the documents and see how they might be used to showcase
the learning that is happening through the school library.
REFERENCES:
American Association of School Librarians. Standards for the 21st-Century
Learner. American Library Association, 2007. (Downloadable for free at:
www.ala.org/aasl/standards).
American Association of School Librarians. Standards for the 21st-Century
Learner in Action. American Library Association, 2009.
American Association of School Librarians and Association for Educational
Communications and Technology. Information Power: Building Partner-
ships for Learning. ALA, 1988.
Kuhlthau, C. Seeking Meaning: A Process Approach to Library and Informa-
tion Services. 2nd ed. Libraries Unlimited, 2004.
Kuhlthau, C., L. Maniotes, and A. Caspari. Guided Inquiry: Learning in the
21st Century. Libraries Unlimited, 2007.
Kuhlthau, C. C., J. Heinstrom, and R. J. Todd. Te Information Search
Process Revisited: Is the Model Still Useful? Information Research 13,
no. 4 (2008). http://InformationR.net/ir/13-4/paper355.html (accessed
September 15, 2011).
Todd, R. From Information to Knowledge: Charting and Measuring
Changes in Students Knowledge of a Curriculum Topic. Information
Research 11, no. 4 (2006). http://InformationR.net/ir/11-4/paper264.
html (accessed September 15, 2011).
Ross J. Todd, Ph.D., is Associate Profes-
sor, Director of the MLIS Program, Direc-
tor of Research, Center for International
Scholarship in School Libraries (CISSL)
and School of Communication, Informa-
tion and Library Studies (SCILS) at Rut-
gers, Te State University of New Jersey. Email: rtodd@
rci.rutgers.edu.
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