# Presentation: 509472

## Teaching Government Information

- Comparing a Traditional Approach and the Information Cycle
- Stephen Woods
- The Pennsylvania State University

## Traditional Model

**Government**
**Printing**
**Office**

**Federal**
**Depository**
**Library**

**SuDOC**
**Classification**

**Formats**

**Special**
**Indexes**

## Traditional Model

**Government**
**Printing**
**Office**

**Federal**
**Depository**
**Library**

**SuDOC**
**Classification**

**Formats**

**Special**
**Indexes**

- What is
- Government
- Information?

- How do we
- Acquire
- government
- Information?

- How do we Organize
- government information?

- How do we
- Access
- Government
-  information?

## Focus is on the Publication Process!

## Instructional Goals (ACRL)

- Knows how information is formally and informally _produced_, _organized_, and _disseminated_ (Outcome 1.2.a)
- Identifies the value and differences of potential resources in a variety of _formats_ (e.g., multimedia, database, website, data set, audio/visual, book)  (Outcome 1.2.c)

## Instructional Goals (ACRL), Continued

- Uses various _classification_ schemes and other systems (e.g., call number systems or indexes) to locate information resources within the library or to identify specific sites for physical exploration.  (Outcome 2.3.b)
- Uses _various search systems_ to retrieve information in a variety of formats.  (Outcome 2.3.a)

## Instructional DesignQuestion - Answer

- What is Government Information?
- How is it disseminated?
- What subjects does it cover?
- What formats are disseminated?
- How is government information organized?
- What tools can be used?

- See Separate Handout

## Comments on the Approach

- Strengths
- Comprehensive framework
- Great for disseminating information to large audiences
- Good for short sessions
- Weakness
- Not a lot of time for hands-on experience
- Doesn’t often relate to the users needs (research strategies, information need, etc...)

## Information Cycle Model

*Note:* From *Information Cycle* by Bichel, R., & Cheney, D., n.d.,
- retrieved March 10, 2004 from _[http://](http://www.libraries.psu.edu/instruction/infocycle.htm)__[www.libraries.psu.edu/instruction/infocycle.htm](http://www.libraries.psu.edu/instruction/infocycle.htm)_. Adapted with permission.

**Television**
**Radio**

**Newspapers**

**Weekly**
**Magazines**

**Quasi-Scholarly**

**Scholarly **
**Journals**

**Books**

**Reference**
**Sources**

**Notes:**
What is the information cycle?

The information cycle is a useful metaphor or model that an instructor can use to demonstrate to a student that the different ways that information is created, distributed and communicated over a period of time.  

The idea is that as we move through the cycle information is first conveyed in facts and increasingly synthesized.

## Questions you might ask?

- How often is the media distributed?
- What is the audience for the media?
- What is the style & language used?
- What decisions were made regarding the content published?

## Instructional Goals (ACRL)

- Examines and compares information from various sources in order to evaluate reliability, validity, accuracy, authority, timeliness, and point of view or bias. (3.2.a)
- Recognizes the cultural, physical, or other context within which the information was created and understands the impact of context on interpreting the information. (3.2.d)

## Instructional Goals (ACRL) Continued

- Identifies the purpose and audience of potential resources (e.g., popular vs. scholarly, current vs. historical) (Outcome 1.2.d)
- Uses various search systems to retrieve information in a variety of formats. (Outcome 2.3.a)

## How can you use the model?

## Compare and contrast

- Congressional Record vs. New York Times
- FDA Consumer vs. Newsweek
- Trade publications vs Committee Prints and Reports (trade publications of congress).
- Scholarly Journals & Books
- Reference Sources

## Interpreting & Finding Government Information in Media

- How often is government information mentioned in different types of media?
- How do different media types use government information?
- How do you determine it is government information that they are using?
- How do you retrieve what they are citing?
- Did the author use the information correctly?

**Notes:**
Provide some examples here.  Talk about the newspaper exercise

## Comments on the Approach

- Strengths
- Great for focusing on “Current Events” and policy
- Builds on the students previous knowledge
- Potential for active learning rather then lecture
- Can address users need
- Weaknesses
- Not a perfect analogy
- Students have to understand the metaphor