Entry 3: Exploratory Searching and Information Overload

Having scanned the articles and information I found from my last search, and reflecting on the search terms I used, I was interested to conduct another Google search simply using the terms

inquiry “visual art”

OR

inquiry learning “visual art”

The reason for this was that I thought I may have been limiting my initial search too much by searching for the exact phrases “inquiry learning” “inquiry-based learning” or “guided inquiry”.  I had also noticed in my previous search that relevant sources/information (relating to inquiry learning in Art) used terms such as problem-based learning and constructivism rather than “guided inquiry” or “inquiry learning”.  I was hoping that the singular terms “inquiry” AND “learning” may give me a broader range of relevant sources.

With my second search I was also hoping to retrieve comprehensive information/literature relating to the rationale or educational benefits of using an inquiry approach in the Art classroom.  The Senior Visual Art syllabus is heavily underpinned by an inquiry learning model and creating, appreciating and appraising art work/s involves “inquiry” on various levels and in various forms.  Again, I thought that broadening my search to include “visual art” (as an exact term) alongside inquiry AND learning may give me a larger volume of relevant hits.

To begin, I used the following terms in a Google search:

inquiry “visual art”

This gave me 109 000 hits.  A very large number, as I expected.

Among the first few results was the following article - worth following up:


Tudor, RG (2006) Visual art as philosophical inquiry: expanding pedagogic possibilities in the quest for a community of reflective thinkers. In: ACUADS 2006 Conference: Thinking the Future: Art, Design and Creativity, 27-29 September, Melbourne, Victoria.


Also, a study published by Deakin University seemed relevant to the topic:


Shillito, S et al (2008).  The aims of art education:  An analysis of visual art in Tasmania’s Essential Learnings Curriculum.  In Australian Online Journal of  Arts Education.  Deakin University: Victoria.

This broad search also generated a lot of hits that were not relevant to the objectives of my task, including visual art course outlines from different schools.


Next I tried Google Scholar, using the terms


inquiry learning “visual art”


Again, lots of results - 6990 hits.  I scanned the first few pages of titles and descriptions, and found that I was interested in quite a number of articles/sources.  I could access most items of interest through the ‘Get fulltext @ QUT’ - a function that I have come to love in Google Scholar.  I am surprised at some of the publication dates of a number of the sources.  The following articles in particular, which, from the abstracts, sound like ideal sources of information for my literature review, are dated from the 1980s.  I decide to scan/review them for background information on inquiry learning in art.

Stages of Inquiry in Producing Art: Model, Rationale and Application to a Teacher Questioning Strategy Author(s): Carmen L. Armstrong Source: Studies in Art Education, Vol. 28, No. 1 (Autumn, 1986), pp. 37-48

Learning to Look/Looking to Learn: A Proposed Approach to Art Appreciation at the Secondary School Level Author(s): Gene A. Mittler Source: Art Education, Vol. 33, No. 3 (Mar., 1980), pp. 17-21


I also find a number of sources that are more current.  Some discuss ‘critical thinking’ as an outcome of art education and inquiry.  Another focuses on the power of an art education and strategies of pedagogical inquiry to empower students and bring about social justice.  Yet another article looks at the importance that questioning, reflection and a socio-cultural approach plays in creating meaningful experiences in Art.  


The information that I have found all seems to relate to visual art and inquiry in some way, however, at this stage I am feeling a bit overwhelmed at the abundance of information I have and I am a little uncertain of its relevancy to my literature review.  I think I need to revisit the assignment task sheet and criteria so that I can get the task clearer in my head and then determine the use and relevancy of the information I have sourced thus far.  


As I mentioned in my first SLIM reflection questionnaire, I have a tendency to get ‘carried away’ with the curiosity of what I might find next.  This causes me to source LOTS of information rather than a more LIMITED amount of EXCELLENT and HIGHLY USEFUL information and sources.  Grrr...and I haven’t even begun to look at databases yet.

By Dan4thhttp://www.flickr.com/photos/dan4th/2295925353/

Note to self:  

Perhaps I need to also look more specifically at finding information that focuses on appraising/critiquing art work (as my project context is focused on an appraising task NOT a making task).

I am also thinking that I may need to conduct a search that introduces “information literacy” to the Visual Art - inquiry learning conundrum.

Does it matter that not all of my sources are related to senior art or the upper secondary context?

After this long information-searching session, I have felt like I have made little progress.  I am rather annoyed and frustrated at myself because I think I should be searching ‘smarter’.

REFLECTION

I have been quite surprised to find that my thoughts, feelings and actions at this stage clearly align with Kuhlthau’s Model of the Information Search Process.  I am definitely at the third stage - exploration, where I am trying to inform myself and explore the topic while fumbling to find a focus.  I am relieved to see that the next stage is clarity and I look forward to reaching this stage, where apparently my thoughts will be more focused.

Callison (2006) suggests that there are five elements of information inquiry that operate in a continuous cycle.  At this point in my information-searching I am moving between the questioning and exploration stages of Callison’s model.  I am questioning the task and my focus in an effort to gain more clarity as well as questioning the relevancy and currency of the information I have found.  I am also conducting a preliminary exploration of the information available on my topic and  project context.  Hopefully in my next blog I will be moving towards an exploration of my topic and focus at the more informed level.

By SparkCBChttp://www.flickr.com/photos/25031050@N06/3292307605/