Appreciation

Definition

"Appreciation is the first stage of the Pathways Model. Individuals appreciate literature, the arts, nature and information in the world around them through varied and multiple formats, including stories, film, paintings, natural settings, music, books, periodicals, the Web, video, etc. Appreciation often fosters curiosity and imagination which can be a prelude to a discovery phase in an information seeking activity. As learners proceed through the stages of information seeking their appreciation grows and matures throughout the process. Each time a searcher has an information need or is pursuing information in response to a research question she or he may not engage in the Appreciation stage of the Pathway Model. In other cases, the information seeking activity may be greatly enhanced if an Appreciation strategy is a prelude to other stages of the process" (Pappas & Tepe, 1997).

Note. Pathways to Knowledge(www.pathwaysmodel.com), by M.L. Pappas and A.E. Tepe, 1997, is used with permission from Follett Software Company. Copyright by Follett Software Company, 1391 Corporate Drive, McHenry, Illinois 60050.

Checklist of Observable Behaviors

___   1. Listening

___   2. Sensing

___   3. Curiosity

___   4. Imagining

___   5. Viewing

___   6. Reading

___   7. Creating

___   8. Writing

___   9. Discussing

___ 10. Verbalizing

___ 11. Appreciating

___ 12. Enjoying

___ 13. Evaluating

    Reference

               Pappas, M.L., & Tepe, A.E. (1997).  Pathways to knowledge: Follett's Information Skills Model  (3rd ed.).  McHenry, IL: Follett Software. Available: http://www.pathwaysmodel.com/the-model/text/appreciation.cfm

    Example

    A group of high school students is introduced to information about cultural characteristics of different countries. The students listen to the information presented by the teacher and the guest speaker from China and enjoy samples of Chinese food that they prepare. They are also shown a video about holidays in different countries. The teacher wants to make students interested in learning more about traditions in different cultures.