When researching a complex topic, the inquiry process provides a series of useful steps and strategies designed to engage and empower children.

The Inquiry Process is designed to create independent learners by providing a framework for learning that encourages critical thinking, self regulation, and the expansion of knowledge. Your child will be encouraged to create his/her own meaningful and complex "Big" question that will drive the entire process.

As the process unfolds, s/he will learn a set of skills and dispositions that will enable them to: break a complex question down into researchable sub-topics, develop effective search strategies in order to zero in on relevant material to address each of the sub-topics, become critical consumers of information by questioning the credibility of the sources found, develop strategies to synthesize facts and opinions about each of the sub-topics and draw conclusions, and creatively communicate this new understanding to a given audience.

Information Literacy (IL) is the ability to articulate, locate, organize, interpret, evaluate, synthesize, and use information from a variety sources.

A number of national associations have recognized the critical importance of teaching information literacy skills (Canadian Association of School Libraries, 2007; Conference Board of Canada, 2013; Association for Teacher-librarianship in Canada & Canadian School Library Association (CSLA), 1997) and the American Library Association of School Librarians (2007) who has prepared Standards for the 21st Century Learner which provides a set of standards or learning outcomes for each of the information literacy sub-skills.

Traditionally IL skills centered on print-based texts, often found in libraries. However, with the rise of newer technologies, the focus of IL skills has gone beyond traditional texts. To be information literate, individuals need to be become critical consumers of information and effectively identify, gather, manage, use, and present information from a diversity of multimedia sources.

IL skills are not limited to school-based situations. They can also be used for daily inquiries, or critically looking at different information sources one encounters. Key components for the development of new literacy skills for the 21st century include an emphasis on information and media literacy, critical thinking and problem solving, and self regulated learning. So IL is not just about learning how to search and use information in an academic setting, but broadly speaking is about being a critical consumer of information in the 21st century!!

Inquiry Strategies for the Information Society of the Twenty-First Century (IS-21) is web-based software designed to teach your child information literacy skills, considered important and necessary skills in the knowledge-based society that we live in.

IS-21 supports and guides children through the inquiry process. This process is divided into three phases, each consisting of easy-to-follow steps to help your child learn to articulate, locate, evaluate, organize, interpret, synthesize and use information effectively-all considered information literacy skills.

IS-21 can be used in any subject area. What is fundamental is that your child selects a complex researchable question that is important to them. If they are given superficial questions to research then their experience will likely seem pointless.

In each of the steps, we have identified the skills that your child will need to learn, have built cognitive tools to help them develop those skills, and provided multimedia support to ensure that the material does not overwhelm your child.