The BIG 6 Model

What is the Big6?




Posted on October 9th, 2007 in About Big6 by Mike Eisenberg



“Data collected from thousands of students showed that students who were taught informative nonfiction using the Big6 approach with a combination of analytical, creative, and practical activities, outperformed students who were taught two alternative approaches (see PACE Center materials below).” — Linda Jarvin, Ph.D., Associate Director, PACE Center, Yale University



Developed by educators Mike Eisenberg and Bob Berkowitz, the Big6 is the most widely-known and widely-used approach to teaching information and technology skills in the world. The Big6 is an information and technology literacy model and curriculum, implemented in thousands of schools – K through higher education. Some people call the Big6 an information problem-solving strategy because with the Big6, students are able to handle any problem, assignment, decision or task. Here are the six stages we call the BIG6. Two sub-stages are part of each main category in the Big6 model:



1. Task Definition

1.1 Define the information problem

1.2 Identify information needed



2. Information Seeking Strategies

2.1 Determine all possible sources

2.2 Select the best sources



3. Location and Access

3.1 Locate sources (intellectually and physically)

3.2 Find information within sources



4. Use of Information

4.1 Engage (e.g., read, hear, view, touch)

4.2 Extract relevant information



5. Synthesis

5.1 Organize from multiple sources

5.2 Present the information



6. Evaluation

6.1 Judge the product (effectiveness)

6.2 Judge the process (efficiency)



People go through these Big6 stages—consciously or not—when they seek or apply information to solve a problem or make a decision. It’s not necessary to complete these stages in a linear order, and a given stage doesn’t have to take a lot of time. We have found that almost all successful problem-solving situations address all stages.



(For more information about Big6 Skills, we highly recommend “Big6 in Elementary Schools” –and “Big6 in Secondary Schools” books by Eisenberg and Berkowitz.)



More on the Big6 by Mike Eisenberg:



Big6™ Skills Overview



Big6 Materials developed during Yale Study:



True Wonders Student Workbook – PACE Center, Yale University



True Wonders teacher guide – PACE Center, Yale University



Yale’s Final report 2004: Triarchic Instruction – PACE Center, Yale University



PowerPoint Presentation:



Introducing Information Problem Solving: The Big6 by Mike Eisenberg (Power Point Presentation)



Big6 Workshops:



Invite a Big6 Trainer to present at your school, district, or region.



Big6 Summer Academy — Annual 2-day seminar for learning Big6 strategies and tactics in K-12 education situations.



Further Reading:



Technology as a Tool: Applications in a Big6 Context

How does Technology fit within the Big6 model? Use this table of information to understand the correlation between computer technologies and Big6 stages.



Big6 Skills in School, Life, and Work Contexts

Information literacy is an essential life skill. This table shows how the Big6 fits in each situation.



Big6 for Kids Website

We have developed a special set of Big6 pages for students in grades K-2, 3-6, and 7-12.



New Case Study: The Big Six Information Skills As a Metacognitive Scaffold



Read School Library Media Research (v6, 2003) on the effectiveness of Big6 Skills for middle school students.



Acing the Exam By Rick Margolis, Cover Story. School Library Journal.



“How can librarians boost students’ test scores? Bob Berkowitz shares a strategy for success.”



Research Foundations of The Big6 Skills

by: Carrie Lowe



The Big6 is based on a rich foundation of research into how humans find and process information (information literacy), and this research basis has led to the development of similar and complementary approaches that create a more complete picture of ways people solve information problems.



The Importance of Contemporary Literacy in the Digital Age: A Response to Digital Transformation: A Framework for Information Communication Technologies (ICT) Literacy

by: Ferdi Serim



Ferdi Serim writes about the implications of the digital age on education and points to new assessment instruments that will test skills associated with information and communication technology. Serim notes that technology skills are only the initial step in proficiency and that improving thinking skills is essential.



The Big 6: Information Problem Solving Model



Step 1: Task Definition

1.1 Define the information problem



How students frame or understand the problem is important. Based on an analysis of the problem students should be able to:



Define the parameters of the problem.



Formulate questions they need to answer in their product or solution.



Know what information is needed to complete the assignment based on your instructions.



Select, narrow or broaden topics for a research assignment



Ask you questions to clarify what is expected of them.





1.2 Identify Information needed



The second half of this step is to start to create a preliminary plan. What information is needed to finish the assignment or solve the problem? Students should be able to:



Determine information needed to solve the problem or make a decision



Choose the kinds and quantity of information needed to solve the problem (facts, opinions, statistics, interviews, quotes, pictures, etc.)



Pick out keywords in the problem to use to search for information.



Determine statements that require evidence for support.



Step 2: Information Seeking Strategies

2.1 Determine all possible sources



Students should brainstorm possible sources or strategies for answering their questions. Considering a variety of formats and research techniques, students should be able to:



Generate a list of possible sources (textual, visual, and human) to solve a problem.



Identify the reasons and pros/cons for using a type of source.



2.2 Select the best sources



Narrow the list to the best couple of sources to use for this particular assignment or problem. Based on the brainstormed list of sources, students should be able to:



Be able to pick sources that are appropriate based on recognized criteria (e.g. currency, authority, relevance, etc.)



Use a variety of different types of sources as appropriate.



Justify matching a particular tool or strategy to solving a problem



Step 3: Location and Access

3.1 Locate sources (intellectually and physically)



Students must first find the resource itself. In other words, find out where that book, website, or person lives and pay it or him a visit. To find the resource the student might need to know or understand:



How to use the library catalog and the Dewey Decimal System.



How to construct an effective search strategy in a search engine or database.



Where to find local community resources (e.g. historical society, business, government agency)



How to arrange an interview with an expert or community leader.



How to revise search strategies that are not working based on search results.



How to properly cite sources for a working bibliography.



Who and when to ask for help in finding sources.





3.2 Find information within sources



Part two is about finding the information within that source. If a student doesn't know how to use an index, a website's search engine, or simple skim and scanning techniques, they can be expected to give up thinking they have to read the whole book or click on every page. It sounds improbable, but it happens often when students are doing research assignments.



To find information in a source students might need to know how to:



Use an index in a library book or their textbook.



Look up locations on a map or use a map legend.



Use the find feature (Ctrl + F) in Internet Explorer.



Use skim and scan techniques to find the appropriate material on a website or in a book.



Use various finding tools on a website (e.g. site search engine, site index/site map, navigation buttons, section headings).



Use the navigation buttons on a VCR, video software (Windows Media Player), Adobe Acrobat or other equipment or software.



Step 4: Use of Information

4.1 Engage (e.g. read, hear, view, touch)



Students will need to be able to sift through, evaluate, read ,hear, view and otherwise interact with the information on the screen, page, or other medium. Students should be able to:



Read, hear, view, listen to or touch the information and comprehend it.



Determine what information will be helpful in answering a research question.



Conduct an effective interview.



Manipulate data in a database or spreadsheet or interactive website.



Evaluate a source for quality and relevance based on specific criteria.



Watch a television show and recognize relevant information.



Read and understand a graph or other visual presentation of information.



Determine the purpose, scope, and point of view of information (e.g. detect bias, newspaper account vs. historical analysis).





4.2 Extract relevant information



This means more than taking some good notes. Students might be expected to:



List the key points in an article, chapter, or website related to a question or topic.



Underline or highlight relevant information.



Summarize a point in their words onto a note card.



Determine when it is appropriate to use a direct quotation or a paraphrase of information.



Copy and paste relevant paragraphs into a word processing program or other software.



Download clip art or audio and video clips.



Properly cite where the information came from using MLA or APA style.



Step 5: Synthesis

5.1 Organize from multiple sources



Once students find, evaluate, and extract relevant information, they need to put it together in a way that demonstrate some personal understanding. Students should be able to:



Determine how all the information fits together.



Demonstrate the ability to pull together, integrate and organize information from the task in appropriate ways.



Add their own thinking and point of view to the their research.



Create chronological timelines and charts, use word processing to revise a paper or arrange information for a PowerPoint.



Understand and apply various methods for organizing information: chronological, category, narrative, a series of steps or directions, alphabetical, thesis and main ideas, on a continuum, inverted pyramid, etc.



Justify their decison for choosing a type of organization.





5.2 Present the information



Then comes the big moment. Make the decision, turn in the paper, make the speech, buy the car, turn in the lab results. A few examples of students of what students might do:



Make a speech using PowerPoint ,video or other multimedia resources.



Create a paining using traditional or digital media.



Create and label maps.



Graph data in a spreadsheet and create a pie chart.



Create a interactive, web-based tutorial on a topic relevant to class content.



Build a better mousetrap using scientific principles.



Use intext citations to cite sources in context and create a bibliography



Develop a brochure on how to buy a car for first time car buyers.



Step 6: Evaluation

6.1 Judge the result (effectiveness)



Even if students have been exposed to rubrics in their classes, they don't always take responsibility for the results. Requiring them to become actively involved might result in better products. Students should be able to:



Work with the teacher to identify the criteria for a product rubric.



Demonstrate the ability to evaluate a PowerPoint on both content and format.



Use their self-evaluation skills to revisit previous Big 6 steps to improve their product before teacher evaluation (e.g. multiple paper drafts).



Use their evaluation skills appropriately during peer editing sessions.



Reflect on the search results or on their gathered information in step four. Are there holes in their research?





6.2 Judge the process (efficiency)



Of course evaluation can come into the process multiple times along the way and not just at the end. As teachers, we do this type of formative assessment almost unconsciously. We might ask students to do this themselves by:



Completing a checklist with the necessary steps to finish a process (e.g. baking a cake).



Reflecting on their individual effort during the course of a project either in journal entries during the process or in a self-reflection piece that is part of the final assignment.