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 LogsStudents 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 BibliographiesStudents 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.
PathfindersStudents 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/48493Comparing 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 PresentationsRather 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.pdfClass DebateStudents 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 EditorialsStudents 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 YearsStudents 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 ReferencesStudents 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 ResearchersStudents 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.
