As summer approaches, we will be working on many projects here in the library. Are there certain tools, services, or areas that you want to see addressed? Please send us your suggestions or ideas for making the library a better place for students and faculty. For example, one of our more popular tools lately has been our set of online videos. Are there new topics you would like to see covered in the videos? Feel free to leave us a comment with suggestions for the future.
Monday, April 12, 2010
Paperless Information Literacy
The following assignments were presented at the Grand View University Library Information Session on Wednesday April 7th. Please feel free to contact us if you have questions about these assignment ideas.
Concept Mapping
Students create a visual representation of all the aspects of a topic. Concept maps can be drawn freehand or structure can be provided by using a template. This could stand alone as an assignment, or be used to help students develop more focused topics to research. An example concept map can be found at:
http://library.uvic.ca/site/lib/instruction/research/devtopic.html
Research Logs
Students keep track of their research process in a journal. Have them include dates, places they looked, search terms used, what resources they found, what they’re currently thinking about their topic, and any frustrations they’ve encountered. This encourages students to think of research as an ongoing process.
Annotated Bibliographies
Students find different types of resources, provide accurate citations, evaluate the information based on accuracy, authority, currency, relevance and bias, and explain how each source would be helpful in researching their topic. Annotated bibliographies could stand alone as an assignment, or, if used in conjunction with a traditional research paper, they are an excellent tool for identifying issues with poor source selection before the final paper is due.
Pathfinders
Students create a topic guide, or “pathfinder,” to show others where to begin research on a specific subject. Pathfinders typically include a brief summary of the importance of the topic, advice on where to find basic background information, searching tips, and various resources representing a wide range of perspectives. An example pathfinder can be found at:
http://www.ipl.org/div/pf/entry/48493
Comparing Resources
Students must find at least 2 different kinds of resources (i.e. newspaper articles, academic journal articles, books, websites, etc.) that would be helpful for their topics. They must then compare the kinds of information found in each source. This familiarizes students with different types of sources and helps them determine the most appropriate type depending on their topics.
Poster Presentations
Rather than writing a paper about their research projects, students create a poster to present to their classmates. Students must be able to display their information in a visually appealing way while answering any questions asked by the rest of the class. An example poster can be found at:
http://www.dartmouth.edu/~ugar/pdfs/Eichlin.pdf
Class Debate
Students are divided into teams and assigned a position to defend on a controversial topic. During class time, the teams then have a formal debate on the issue. Students prepare by researching arguments to support their position and developing counter-arguments to refute the opposition. An example class debate can be found at: http://tinyurl.com/yadabrv
Evaluating Editorials
Students find or are assigned an editorial to evaluate. Students must identify the main points, analyze the arguments presented in the editorial, and provide research to back up their position on whether or not the information provided in the editorial is sound.
Research Over the Years
Students take a topic that has been researched over the decades and examine how that topic has been viewed, used, and debated in the past. This assignment helps students to see the topic from many different angles and has the added bonus of helping them realize that just because we think we’re on the cusp of understanding something in 2010, much more will be discovered about it in the coming decades.
Reading References
Students read an article that includes various citations. They then find a few of the articles listed in the references and read those as well. Students should then be asked to make connections between the articles. This assignment helps students see the importance of citing sources. For a variation, students could be required to read a Wikipedia article and a few of the sources to compare the information provided in each.
Researching the Researchers
Students research to find out who the big names are in their particular field of study or in the field of their topic. They then go out and find articles, books, websites, etc. that those authors have written and present them to the class as a body of work. Or you could have the students require all of the other students to read an article by their author and have a class discussion on it.
Displaying Data
While researching a topic, students must find related statistical data. They could then be required to create multiple types of graphs using Excel or a similar program to show how the data is relevant to the research topic. This would give students a chance to see how some data can be misused or skewed. It also has the benefit of teaching students that there are statistics for every subject area and not just the sciences and social sciences.
Concept Mapping
Students create a visual representation of all the aspects of a topic. Concept maps can be drawn freehand or structure can be provided by using a template. This could stand alone as an assignment, or be used to help students develop more focused topics to research. An example concept map can be found at:
http://library.uvic.ca/site/lib/instruction/research/devtopic.html
Research Logs
Students keep track of their research process in a journal. Have them include dates, places they looked, search terms used, what resources they found, what they’re currently thinking about their topic, and any frustrations they’ve encountered. This encourages students to think of research as an ongoing process.
Annotated Bibliographies
Students find different types of resources, provide accurate citations, evaluate the information based on accuracy, authority, currency, relevance and bias, and explain how each source would be helpful in researching their topic. Annotated bibliographies could stand alone as an assignment, or, if used in conjunction with a traditional research paper, they are an excellent tool for identifying issues with poor source selection before the final paper is due.
Pathfinders
Students create a topic guide, or “pathfinder,” to show others where to begin research on a specific subject. Pathfinders typically include a brief summary of the importance of the topic, advice on where to find basic background information, searching tips, and various resources representing a wide range of perspectives. An example pathfinder can be found at:
http://www.ipl.org/div/pf/entry/48493
Comparing Resources
Students must find at least 2 different kinds of resources (i.e. newspaper articles, academic journal articles, books, websites, etc.) that would be helpful for their topics. They must then compare the kinds of information found in each source. This familiarizes students with different types of sources and helps them determine the most appropriate type depending on their topics.
Poster Presentations
Rather than writing a paper about their research projects, students create a poster to present to their classmates. Students must be able to display their information in a visually appealing way while answering any questions asked by the rest of the class. An example poster can be found at:
http://www.dartmouth.edu/~ugar/pdfs/Eichlin.pdf
Class Debate
Students are divided into teams and assigned a position to defend on a controversial topic. During class time, the teams then have a formal debate on the issue. Students prepare by researching arguments to support their position and developing counter-arguments to refute the opposition. An example class debate can be found at: http://tinyurl.com/yadabrv
Evaluating Editorials
Students find or are assigned an editorial to evaluate. Students must identify the main points, analyze the arguments presented in the editorial, and provide research to back up their position on whether or not the information provided in the editorial is sound.
Research Over the Years
Students take a topic that has been researched over the decades and examine how that topic has been viewed, used, and debated in the past. This assignment helps students to see the topic from many different angles and has the added bonus of helping them realize that just because we think we’re on the cusp of understanding something in 2010, much more will be discovered about it in the coming decades.
Reading References
Students read an article that includes various citations. They then find a few of the articles listed in the references and read those as well. Students should then be asked to make connections between the articles. This assignment helps students see the importance of citing sources. For a variation, students could be required to read a Wikipedia article and a few of the sources to compare the information provided in each.
Researching the Researchers
Students research to find out who the big names are in their particular field of study or in the field of their topic. They then go out and find articles, books, websites, etc. that those authors have written and present them to the class as a body of work. Or you could have the students require all of the other students to read an article by their author and have a class discussion on it.
Displaying Data
While researching a topic, students must find related statistical data. They could then be required to create multiple types of graphs using Excel or a similar program to show how the data is relevant to the research topic. This would give students a chance to see how some data can be misused or skewed. It also has the benefit of teaching students that there are statistics for every subject area and not just the sciences and social sciences.
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Looking for New Assignments?
A heads-up for faculty members:
We'll be featuring some innovative assignment ideas here in the next couple of days. Stay tuned!
We'll be featuring some innovative assignment ideas here in the next couple of days. Stay tuned!
Monday, April 5, 2010
"Paperless" Information Literacy Assignments
Don't forget to sign up for our next information session tomorrow and Wednesday.
“Paperless” Information Literacy Assignments
Tuesday, April 6: 2:30-3:20
Wednesday, April 7: 3:00-3:50
Starting to plan for Fall classes? How about a new approach to information literacy assignments? While the research paper is a classic approach, it isn’t the only option. We’ll explore ideas for other types of assignments that require students to demonstrate research and evaluation skills. We’ll also spend part of this session brainstorming possible assignments to help meet your specific needs, so you should walk away from this session with new ideas to try in the Fall.
“Paperless” Information Literacy Assignments
Tuesday, April 6: 2:30-3:20
Wednesday, April 7: 3:00-3:50
Starting to plan for Fall classes? How about a new approach to information literacy assignments? While the research paper is a classic approach, it isn’t the only option. We’ll explore ideas for other types of assignments that require students to demonstrate research and evaluation skills. We’ll also spend part of this session brainstorming possible assignments to help meet your specific needs, so you should walk away from this session with new ideas to try in the Fall.
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Library Party Today!
Don't forget to come over to the Grand View Library Spring Party at 11:30 today. We'll have all kinds of food to eat and great company. Plus, you can check out a book while you are here.
Also, there are some pretty tasty desserts. Come early!
Also, there are some pretty tasty desserts. Come early!
Monday, March 22, 2010
Plagiarism!
We're discussing plagiarism and prevention methods here on the blog. What do you think are some interesting and effective ways of preventing plagiarism in the future? Do we need to create more assignments that focus on citation methods and attribution? Or are there other lessons we can teach?
We would like to hear your thoughts on the subject.
We would like to hear your thoughts on the subject.
Monday, March 15, 2010
National Reading Month
(courtesy of Patrick Gage)
Don't forget that even though it's Spring Break, it's also National Reading Month. March is the month to finally read those books you've always wanted to read! So find some time to sit down and open a great book.
Friday, March 12, 2010
Spring Break
Spring Break is upon us! Enjoy your time off, but remember too that this time is also good for catching up on projects and papers. The library will always be available online and we will be open during the day.
Our hours for Spring Break:
Saturday March 13th & Sunday March 14th - Closed
Monday March 15th-Friday March 19th - 7:45AM - 4:30PM
Saturday March 20th & Sunday March 21st - Closed
Our regular hours will resume on Monday March 22nd.
Have a great break!
Our hours for Spring Break:
Saturday March 13th & Sunday March 14th - Closed
Monday March 15th-Friday March 19th - 7:45AM - 4:30PM
Saturday March 20th & Sunday March 21st - Closed
Our regular hours will resume on Monday March 22nd.
Have a great break!
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
African American Read In
February is African American history month! It's a time when we remember the great men and women in American history who changed things for the better. In past years we have heard from such voices as Alice Walker, Frederick Douglass, Sojourner Truth, and Martin Luther King, Jr. This year we'll hopefully hear from some new voices as well, including from Haiti.
The earthquake that ravaged the nation of Haiti turned our eyes to a country that has experienced misfortune for centuries. At our read-in on Thursday at 11:30 we hope to hear some voices from Haiti's past and present. Haiti has a rich history and has produced some great authors and artists.
So if you're interested, come on by Holy Grounds from 11:30-12:30 and share in the experience.
The earthquake that ravaged the nation of Haiti turned our eyes to a country that has experienced misfortune for centuries. At our read-in on Thursday at 11:30 we hope to hear some voices from Haiti's past and present. Haiti has a rich history and has produced some great authors and artists.
So if you're interested, come on by Holy Grounds from 11:30-12:30 and share in the experience.
Thursday, February 4, 2010
The Embedded Librarian
In the library, we have noticed that students are easily overloaded when their classes come in for an orientation session since there’s so much to cover in such a short amount of time. We have also noticed that students don’t always realize all the legwork that goes into a research assignment until it’s too late. All too often, we see students hurriedly pulling together a few websites to throw a paper together the night before it’s due. To help ameliorate these problems we have been piloting a new program in which we embed a librarian within a class.
In the fall of 2009, I worked closely with Carolyn Pauling’s Professionalism I class and Avilah Getzler’s English 101 class to test the embedded model. Currently, Carolyn Pauling and I are refining the model with her spring Professionalism I students, and I’m also working with 2 sections of Kathy Peterson’s Abnormal Psychology class to help them get through their intensive portfolio project.
Rather than just scheduling one library visit for each of the classes, we have broken up my portion of the instruction over the course of the semester to place it where it makes the most sense to students. In addition to having more than one library visit, I have also gone into the classroom to work with students on their own turf.
Since I’ve become a part of the classes, I’ve been identified as a personal contact for the students; rather than having students come over to get help from “the library,” they have a name and face that they are already familiar with when they need extra help. I have also been able to provide more meaningful feedback to students about their preliminary bibliographies and other assignments. Overall, having an embedded librarian has helped students develop more meaningful contact with library resources while practicing important research skills. I’ve had lots of fun getting to know the students better and working with them more closely on their research projects too!
-Megan
In the fall of 2009, I worked closely with Carolyn Pauling’s Professionalism I class and Avilah Getzler’s English 101 class to test the embedded model. Currently, Carolyn Pauling and I are refining the model with her spring Professionalism I students, and I’m also working with 2 sections of Kathy Peterson’s Abnormal Psychology class to help them get through their intensive portfolio project.
Rather than just scheduling one library visit for each of the classes, we have broken up my portion of the instruction over the course of the semester to place it where it makes the most sense to students. In addition to having more than one library visit, I have also gone into the classroom to work with students on their own turf.
Since I’ve become a part of the classes, I’ve been identified as a personal contact for the students; rather than having students come over to get help from “the library,” they have a name and face that they are already familiar with when they need extra help. I have also been able to provide more meaningful feedback to students about their preliminary bibliographies and other assignments. Overall, having an embedded librarian has helped students develop more meaningful contact with library resources while practicing important research skills. I’ve had lots of fun getting to know the students better and working with them more closely on their research projects too!
-Megan
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