Eeva-Liisa Eskola, Åbo Akademi University, Finland. i Active and collaborative information behaviour patterns among medical students in two different curricula

Eeva-Liisa Eskola, Åbo Akademi University, Finland. i Part of a research project on the relationships between learning methods and students information behaviour: PBL - Traditional Qualitative study - interviews, diaries, observation, documents 31 second year medical students

Eeva-Liisa Eskola, Åbo Akademi University, Finland. i Collaborative information seeking has to be understood as situated in a larger activity system, which includes the circumstances under which the information need arise, the means of information seeking and the use of information Koschmann & Stahl (1998)

Eeva-Liisa Eskola, Åbo Akademi University, Finland. i Activity and collaboration studied through : Learning situations: Circumstances - collaboration Information seeking activities: Means of collaboration Study strategies: Information use - activity Conceptions of learning: Information use - activity and collaboration Information literacy: Information source use, information use as evaluation - activity

Eeva-Liisa Eskola, Åbo Akademi University, Finland. i The circumstances: Different learning situations as communicative events can enhance / prohibit knowledge creation (Solomon 1997) interaction or communication in learning situations can be one dimensional, two dimensional / multidimensional (Engeström (1982; Tynjälä 1999)

Eeva-Liisa Eskola, Åbo Akademi University, Finland. i Means of information seeking: Actual situations of collaborative information seeking Types and levels of information sharing ( Talja 2002) Strategic sharing Paradigmatic sharing Directive sharing Social sharing

Eeva-Liisa Eskola, Åbo Akademi University, Finland. i The use of information - definition Information use behaviour consists of the physical and mental acts humans employ to incorporate found information into their knowledge base or knowledge structure. For example: a physical act can be making sections in a text to note their importance, a mental act: comparison of new information with existing knowledge (Wilson 2000)

Eeva-Liisa Eskola, Åbo Akademi University, Finland. i The use of information: Students conceptions of learning (Säljö 1979) 1. learning as increase of knowledge 2. learning as memorizing 3. learning as acquisition of facts or procedures which can be retained and/or utilized in practice 4. learning as abstraction of meaning 5. learning as an interpretative process aiming at the understanding of reality Learning as cooperation (Vermunt & Rijswijk 1988) - lays stress to learning in cooperation with other students and to sharing the tasks of learning with them

Eeva-Liisa Eskola, Åbo Akademi University, Finland. i Study strategies ( Hakkarainen et al ) The methods, which learners are using in order to learn something Repeating and processing strategies Repeating: mechanical repetition, underlining, copying, or reading texts Processing: writing abstracts with your own words, creating mind maps, developing analogies or conclusions Use of active strategies may lead to better learning results than the use of passive strategies

Eeva-Liisa Eskola, Åbo Akademi University, Finland. i Information Literacy – approached through: 1. Students' conceptions of the instruction in the use of databases organized by the library and of information searching 2. Students' actual use of databases 3. Students' conceptions of how instruction in critical judgment of information appears in the medical education generally 4. Students' use of different information sources 5. Students' evaluation of information.

Eeva-Liisa Eskola, Åbo Akademi University, Finland. i RESULTS – IL (4. & 5. use of sources, evaluation of information) Three groups: UNDEVELOPED IL-SKILLS Mostly traditional students & not thesis SIMPLE IL-SKILLS Both curricula & most not thesis DEVELOPED IL-SKILLS Mostly PBL- students & thesis & not thesis Also traditional students & thesis

Eeva-Liisa Eskola, Åbo Akademi University, Finland. i RESULTS – COLLABORATIVE INFORMATION BEHAVIOUR - circumstances Collaborative learning situations: PBL: + Tutorials enhanced learning minus: group work instructors lacking skills in tutoring or PBL, students personal learning styles, quiet group – no discussion, unsatisfactory preparation TRAD.: + Small groups - discussion minus: too big sixe of the group, group work instructors lacking skills in tutoring, unmotivating group works

Eeva-Liisa Eskola, Åbo Akademi University, Finland. i RESULTS – COLLABORATIVE INFORMATION BEHAVIOUR - means 2. Concrete situations of collaborative information seeking In assistance of more experienced information seekers or researchers THESIS – Developed IL skills Together with fellow students COURSE PAPERS – Undeveloped, simple IL skills Strategic sharing COPYING HAND-OUTS – TRAD. Social information sharing RELEVANT DOCUMENTS - PBL

Eeva-Liisa Eskola, Åbo Akademi University, Finland. i RESULTS: Students conceptions of learning PBL-students: - learning in terms of understanding and/or learning as cooperation Traditional group: -the division of the students in the categories of conceptions was more even. Intake and/or memorizing was mentioned often

Eeva-Liisa Eskola, Åbo Akademi University, Finland. i RESULTS: Study strategies - All the students were applying study strategies in one form or another Traditional group: - Note taking on the lectures - Lecturing. Main mode of instruction PBL-students: - Note taking more or less occasionally – other strategies - discussion

Eeva-Liisa Eskola, Åbo Akademi University, Finland. i More active and collaborative information behaviour pattern: application, understanding and collaboration as conceptions of learning active use of different sources of information and consious and critical evaluation of information applied in the studies social information sharing processing study strategies, such as discussion

Eeva-Liisa Eskola, Åbo Akademi University, Finland. i Less active and collaborative information behaviour pattern: memorizing and intake as conceptions of learning use of sources and evaluation of information – activity in connection with specific study tasks (for ex. thesis writing, course papers) strategic information sharing repeating study strategies such as note taking

Eeva-Liisa Eskola, Åbo Akademi University, Finland. i Findnings suggest: In addition to the real information needs, such as thesis writing, the PBL-approach enhances development of more elaborated or active use of information than the traditional method Collaborative learning situations contributes to students information seeking and learning but not automatically