Authentic Questions...

I was browsing on Professor Harlan’s Twitter page and came across the link titled, “What’s an authentic question?”, and was intrigued enough to follow the link.  It sent me to a blog titled, The Blue Skunk Blog, and after reading the brief entry I find myself even more intrigued.  The author states, “Why do so many school ‘research’ assignments fall flat?  One big reason is because they don’t ask students to answer an authentic question – only to supply a ‘right’ answer.”  How very interesting.  I have to say I have had ponderings along these same lines for years in my own schooling, only I couldn’t express it quite so accurately. 

The author goes on to say that, ‘a genuinely authentic question may have multiple right answers, no right answers, or no answers at all, only the conclusion that consists of more questions.”  Oddly enough, the first thing to spring to my mind was actually teens and tweens.  How often do we demand the ‘right’ answer?  Even in our brief dealings with them in a library setting we want clear, concise questions and answers from them…something we can quickly answer and send them on their way.  We are missing out on a chance to help a tween or teen develop critical thinking, or as a former professor called it, pearl growing.  You plant a grain of sand in an oyster and over a period of time it grows larger and larger until something beautiful is created.  The process of thinking and learning are much the same.  How many opportunities to plant that grain of sand in the mind of a tween or teen (or any patron for that matter) have we passed up by being in a hurry?  Our job as information professionals isn’t only to provide the end result information, but also to teach information access.  As advocates for tweens our job takes on an even more vital meaning.  Many tweens are still in the learning stages, at that age when they might not completely understand the larger picture, but we can encourage the asking of those authentic questions that will bring about greater learning in time.  By encouraging them to ask simple questions we can help them learn to ask authentic questions and to enjoy the “thrill of the hunt” that is research and learning.   

Retrieved October 9, 2010 from http://doug-johnson.squarespace.com/blue-skunk-blog/2010/10/5/whats-an-authentic-question.html