Module 5 lecture comments – part 1

1. Watch and listen to the lecture "ASK Model and Environmental Scanning" then post your thoughts to your blog.

ASK Model

ASK stands for Anomalous State of Knowledge but I appreciate the fact that it is a reminder that we need to admit that there are things we don’t know and that we can ask about those things in order to fill in the gaps in our knowledge. I enjoy asking people about topics they know well (and I’m happy to share about things I know well) because there is great opportunity for learning. At the most basic level, such exchanges can end with 2 people knowing information that previously only one person knew. I like that this model and Dr. Roland’s lecture about it elevate the individual in the information creation and transmission process. It recognizes that real people are generating data and information and that real people are using what has been generated and that generators and users often have the other party in mind as they are involved in the process. It shows that the process is circular in that both generators and users are constantly undergoing changes that affect the continued transmission of information – the perspectives are always changing.
Slide 5 mentioned poorly/well-defined problem structures and the role that reference librarians have. From my own personal experience as an “introverted thinker”, I have found that I run a risk of spending massive amounts of time brainstorming solutions to issues that lie outside the scope of the problem at hand. In a research context, it would be helpful for a reference librarian or a colleague to ask me questions to help me define the problem, but I have found that I need to regularly connect with other people to discuss ideas and realities on a variety of topics that I have been thinking about by myself. This interaction fulfills a desire to discuss the theoretical side of issues and a desire to narrow down a problem so it is possible to craft solutions.
I enjoyed listening to the kinds of searches that Google is good at and weak at. It was helpful to associate Google’s strengths and weaknesses with places on the continuums shared in slide 4. That is information I can share with students early in this next school year that will help them gain a better understanding of how to best use Google for information retrieval.

Environmental Scanning

I think I use all of these IR methods depending on the particular need, but this is a preferred method of mine although I don’t recall having specifically learned of it by name before this week. I have a BS in accounting and with this model coming out of the business world, I am familiar with many of the concepts and have been able to bring some of these informational tools, e.g. SWOT analysis, to my organization.
One specific example of how I use this model is in my sermon preparation. I do not preach regularly at this time but after viewing lecture slide 9 “modes of scanning” I learned that I used environmental scanning in sermon preparation in the past an in my occasional preaching today.

If I know my sermon topic or bible text, it seems that I unconsciously start to experience things around me – e.g. watching the news, engaging in conversations -  through the lens of that particular topic or text. At some point, that "undirected” viewing starts to come together in such a way that I become aware of themes, stories, sources, etc and begin to purposefully seek out information through both informal and formal searches.
Various aspects of environmental scanning as shown in slide 8 will prove helpful to the library where I currently work as we analyze issues related to changing education trends and cast a clear vision for the future and how we will serve and inspire teachers and students. The items listed on that slide will provide a good starting point for this process.