Stimulated Recall and Mental Models: tools for teaching and learning computer information literacy

Abstract

Stimulated recall and mental models details a funded study of six U.S. and four Australian teacher-librarians that analyzed and compared their espoused (before), in-action (during), and reflective (after) mental models while teaching two students, in one-on-one sessions how to use a computer database resource. Henderson and Tallman discover the what, how, and why of teacher-librarians' thinking beliefs and images as delineated through their dialogue and actions. The authors also demonstrate the ways and extent to which stimulated recall methods can inform our understanding of teaching with electronic databases, and thereby prove a useful tool, not only for researchers but also for teachers who wish to discover more about their teaching and what their students are thinking.