Project-Based Learning (PBL): Learning in Action! 7 : Handling Various Sources of Information

 

Project-Based Learning (PBL): Learning in Action! 7

Handling Various Sources of Information

We observe numerous incidences and actively participate in various events and incidents occurring around us. During these experiences, numerous questions arise in our minds: Why? Because of what? Because of whom? For what reason? For whom?

Who will answer these questions? It's you!

You have to find the answers!

The responsibility to find answers to these questions lies with you, the explorer to explore and discover these answers. These queries often surface as we observe and participate in experiences.

Unravelling the solutions to these questions and actualizing ideas is akin to working on a project. To unearth the answers and fructify ideas, understanding the essence of the project's topic and gathering relevant details becomes a crucial part of project action. Project action often involves meeting and conversing with multiple individuals. In cases where direct meetings are impractical, seeking shared information or documented findings in publications such as books, articles, biographies, or records becomes necessary, which can be found in public libraries.

Let's delve into effective methods for gathering useful information for our project. Direct engagement, interviews, surveys, and experiments stand as pivotal means of acquiring information. By employing these methods, we generate information firsthand. Without the collective knowledge accumulated by our ancestors, we'd be tasked with reinventing the wheel. Leveraging the process of knowledge creation is “referencing," which involves tools, methods, and techniques to draw support from existing knowledge. Referencing forms the foundation for developing new knowledge. Let’s explore various reference sources.

Firstly, let's familiarize ourselves with the types of information, their origins, and how to ascertain their reliability.

Types of information:

·       Primary sources: These encompass notes taken during incidents or research closely linked to our studies. Examples include interviews, surveys, collections, letters, and compiled reports like census reports.

·       Secondary sources: These consist of materials such as biographies, informative articles, research essays, reports, and observations derived from primary sources. While these offer valuable information, sometimes, the author's opinions can influence the presented information.

·       Tertiary sources: This category involves information reorganized or collected using multiple sources, including encyclopaedias, tables of contents, dictionaries, and books akin to biographical directories.

Distinguishing between primary and secondary sources is often challenging. Especially in social sciences, art, or collection projects, particular attention must be paid to sources of information. Let's elucidate further through examples.

For instance, researching battles during World War II necessitates prioritizing sources like military officers’ diaries, notebooks, video clips from that period, and contemporary book by figures like Winston Churchill.

Similarly, studying nuclear bombs requires consulting dissertations and research articles about bomb-making techniques. Accessing original reports, like the Manhattan Project (if available to the public), becomes a crucial primary source.

 However, obtaining primary sources for sensitive incidents becomes progressively difficult as their sensitivity increases over time.

 Letters written by historical figures like Shivaji Maharaj serve as exemplary primary sources, but acquiring them, especially after centuries, requires substantial effort. Scientists usually publish their work in scientific journals, facilitating easier access to primary sources in science and social science.

When primary references aren't available, resorting to primary sources for reference and utilizing books by writers analysing those events becomes imperative. Secondary sources, readily available, are almost indispensable for project completion. For example, ‘Krishnaji Anant,’ a member who worked with Shivaji Maharaj, wrote a biography on Shivaji Maharaj's life after his demise, titled ‘Sabhasadachi Bakhar.’

However, these sources are comparatively less reliable than original biographies. Using news articles or reports written by contemporary writers regarding an incident constitutes using secondary sources, which are almost indispensable for project completion.

Consider another example: Studying the Dandi Yatra involves primary sources such as pictures, speeches by Gandhiji and other leaders, biographies of participating members, diary notes, and contemporary newspaper articles. Meanwhile, secondary sources encompass foreign publications during that period, commemorative publications, and books by contemporary authors.

In the absence of the aforementioned sources, references from encyclopaedias can be utilized. Wikipedia stands as an important tertiary reference source, but credibility hinges upon writers citing their sources. Information lacking credible sources cannot be deemed reliable. Messages received via WhatsApp are often considered unreliable. Public messages labelled as ‘research shows…’ but not mentioning any publication citations lack scientific backing and mislead individuals. A cautious explorer always verifies the scientist's identity, experiments conducted, and the publication source before considering scientific information.

Our textbooks serve as readily available sources. They provide an initial understanding of the chosen project topic. Based on the project question, deciding between generating information from primary sources or gathering from secondary sources becomes crucial. For example, studying how a flower blooms might involve using Wikipedia as the elementary source for basic information about flowers. One can use various botany books as secondary sources for understanding flowers. However, even if both sources are utilized, observing flowers in fields during planned experiments is important as the primary source of information.

Throughout a project, one must meticulously consider the integrity, reliability, and objectivity of sources. This necessitates using libraries and the internet to locate references.

Finding references:

Libraries and the internet serve as readily available avenues to search for references.

Library: Libraries, systematic repositories of knowledge, offer various sources of information. Familiarizing oneself with the library's organization, cataloging system, and book borrowing regulations before initiating the project is essential. Noting down essential book references—name, author, registration number, reference page number, and information type—facilitates their later use. Libraries house various encyclopedias, dictionaries, biographical dictionaries, magazines, newspapers, periodicals, and journals, which provide the information needed.

Internet: Nowadays, information retrieval is simplified through platforms like Wikipedia and Google references. To use appropriate keywords in search engines, researchers must prepare a keyword list beforehand streamlines research. Platforms like Quora offer a question-answer format. Websites like Khan Academy, Coursera, and Edx host lectures across disciplines. Moreover, the internet provides primary sources like court hearings, official orders, statistics, reports, and famous figures' official social media accounts, which are more easily accessible online than in books. However, verifying the reliability of these sources is crucial.

Recording all used sources is essential for citing references and to avoid unintentional copyright breaches (plagiarism) during research. Systematically creating a bibliography (a list of all sources at the project's end) becomes imperative.

Let's explore how to systematically note references.

Reference notes: Maintaining a logbook, i.e., progress journal to record daily progress, including experiments conducted, used references (book titles with authors' names, registration numbers, page numbers, and information type) aids in systematic documentation. While using the internet, noting keywords, website links, dates, etc., proves helpful. Browsers like Mozilla and Chrome offer a search history feature. After completing referencing, marking important websites as favourites and saving images, PowerPoint presentations, and PDFs in is recommended.

The guide teacher plays a pivotal role in shaping students' understanding of referencing and navigating the multifaceted realm of information sources. By providing structured guidance, the teacher can design activities that engage students in practical exercises to familiarize them with referencing techniques. Collaborative assignments encouraging students to explore various sources, compare primary and secondary materials, and critically analyze information can foster their discernment abilities. Through mock research project tasks or guided library sessions, students can learn how to efficiently navigate libraries, digital archives, and credible online repositories. Furthermore, workshops elucidating citation styles, emphasizing the importance of attributing sources, and instilling ethical considerations in research practices are essential components of the guide teacher's pedagogical approach. By creating a supportive learning environment and offering personalized assistance, the guide teacher empowers students to develop comprehensive skills in handling diverse sources of information.

Referencing at the school level is fundamental for students engaging in academic learning about the project topic. In school projects, referencing primarily involves utilizing textbooks to comprehend fundamental concepts and find relevant examples related to those concepts. Textbooks serve as foundational sources, offering structured information aligned with the school curriculum. Encyclopaedias and reference books available in the library play a crucial role in providing supplementary knowledge about concepts related to the project topic beyond textbooks. They offer comprehensive details about subjects across secondary and higher secondary grades, providing students with broader perspectives and additional insights. These academic resources available in the library serve as invaluable references for deeper understanding and context building, helping students expand their knowledge base about the topic beyond what is covered in textbooks.

Schools practicing PBL should maintain a depository of students' project reports. Accessing project reports by earlier batches stored in the school archive and documentation centre serves as a rich resource for students. These reports can provide examples of previously conducted projects, offering insights into methodologies, presentation styles, and the depth of research expected at the school level. Students can learn from these reports to enhance their project execution, understand the format, and incorporate new ideas based on the work of their predecessors.

The success of any project hinges on meticulous research, source reliability, precision, note-keeping, and appropriately documented and acknowledged sources of information.

Refer to navigate in the right direction and to utilize credible sources!

Prof. Prashant Divekar

Jnana Prabodhini, Pune