4. Being able to identify a variety of information sources
66% of the students felt that they had identified a variety of types and formats of potential sources
for information. Some students, however, like Student C found identifying a variety of potential
sources of information a challenge:
“Gathering background information was not as easy as many of the sources we
looked at were irrelevant to our study … we should expand our range of resources
to other sources as well as philosophical books, previous similar
studies conducted, or articles.”
(Student C)
5. Having the ability to define and execute a realistic plan and set schedule
16.6% of the students agreed that they had defined and executed a realistic overall plan and timeline
to acquire the needed information to complete their projects, well over half of them felt that
they had learnt from their research and achieved their research goals and objectives. Student D,
for example, planned a feasible project in the given timeframe:
“We learnt about the importance of a timeline and how it could guide our
research process. The timeline enabled us to set targets which had to be
reached within a certain time frame. That made us more organized and prepared
in that sense.”
(Student D)
6. Confident in having the ability to examine and compare information
55.8% of the students were confident in their abilities to examine and compare information from
various sources in order to select information that was applicable to their research problem or
questions, there was only agreement from 46.6% of the students that they could determine whether
the new knowledge had an impact on the individual’s value system and took steps to reconcile the
differences. Only 43.5% of the students felt that their product displayed sufficient depth of analysis
and thought. Student E, for example, evaluated the information critically:
“[This knowledge] will constantly remind me to think before I act and to
view matters in different perspectives to get a full picture. I recognized
that many issues should not only be viewed on the surface but require an
in-depth study.”
(Student E)
7. Being able to communicate effectively