Dr. Kyungwon Koh, Assistant Professor (2015) The Critical Role of Information in Informal STEM Learning The University of Oklahoma School of Library and Information Studies

1. The Critical Role of Information:
STEM Learning By Creating
Scientific Information
Kyungwon Koh, PhD
Assistant Professor
The University of Oklahoma
This project was made possible by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS)
Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Early Career Development program [RE‐07‐14‐0048‐14]

2. Meteorology Makers’ Club:
School library afterschool program
• Once a week for 2 hours
• OU SLIS, Norman Public Schools,
and OK Climatological Survey
• 19 middle schoolers
• School librarian, science teacher,
school librarian supervisor,
meteorologist, information
scientist and graduate students
• Data: individual and group
interviews, reflective learning
journals, participant observation,
pre/post surveys, and teachers’
debriefing session

3. Severe Weather Diagram

4. Forecast

5. Soil Moisture and PH Measure

6. Weather
Goddesses
Each
personifying a
weather‐
related
phenomenon

7. INQUIRY/MAKING PROCESSES

8. Guided Inquiry Model
Kuhlthau, C. C., Maniotes, L. K., & Caspari, A. K. (2012). Guided Inquiry Design: a Framework for Inquiry in Your School. CA: Libraries Unlimited.

9. Phase 1:
Building
Skills
Phase 2: Independent Project Idea Phase 3:
Making
Building
Skills
Explore Share
Ideas
Individual
Ideas
Project
Proposals
Project Idea
Presentation
&
Refinement
Bringing
an Idea
To Life
A Year of Making
Maker Media. (2013). MakerSpace Playbook School Edition. Retrieved from http://makerspace.com/wp-
content/uploads/2012/04/makerspaceplaybook-201204.pdf

10. Problem Solving
• Learning new concepts
• Developing skills
• Trying things out
• Reflecting
• Receiving feedback
• Applying new knowledge
Designing and Organizing
• Putting things together
• Revising and editing
• Moving things around
Learning
• Learning new concepts
• Developing skills
CREATING

11. CREATING
SeekingUsing
Sharing
Seeking
information to
learn scientific
concepts;
Finding tutorials
and examples;
Seeking
inspiration
Applying
knowledge;
Evaluating
and selecting
information
others
Sharing
feedback;
Teaching
others
Managing
Managing
information