identifying appropriate sources of information
 : Library Search
Approach: One to one
36k
Resources: None.

Questions / instructions:
Year 4 students were asked about information on dinosaurs, year 8 students on Hong Kong. Imagine that you are going to do a project on dinosaurs/Hong Kong, and that you are going to search a library for information — a library that you haven't used before.

  % responses
y4
y8

1. How would you find information about dinosaurs/Hong Kong in the library — describe to me what you would do?     Prompt: Are there any other ways you could find information about dinosaurs/Hong Kong in a library?

Mentioned: catalogue
53
81
Dewey system or similar
16
33
ask librarian or teacher
62
78
reference books
5
15
CDRom encyclopaedia
3
7
browse
43
33

2. Have you ever used a computer catalogue in a library to find information?

Yes
49
80

3. Can you describe how you would search for information about dinosaurs/Hong Kong using a computer catalogue?

Mentioned: title or subject search
48
77
entering 'Hong Kong'/'dinosaur'
44
69
looking up details of book found through search
26
45
4. Have you ever used a card catalogue in a library to find information?
Yes
50
63
5. Can you describe how you would search for information about dinosaurs/Hong Kong using a card catalogue?
Mentioned: title or subject search
61
65
go to 'Hong Kong'/'dinosaur'
49
48
look up details of book found through search
29
38

Commentary:
Year 8 students were more likely than year 4 students to use a catalogue or classification scheme to find information. Year 8 students were also substantially more likely than year 4 students to have used a computer catalogue system and to be able to describe steps in using it. There was little difference between year 8 students in experience of card catalogues and ideas for their use.



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