Graduate / Masters / Doctoral

Submitted by Nataly Blas on January 9th, 2018
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Short Description: 

This activity is intended to introduce students to business resources by following the Porter's 5 Forces. Each Force is its own activity with suggested discussion questions, examples and recommended research approach.

Attachments: 
AttachmentSize
Industry Research using Porter’s 5 Forces.docxdisplayed 1039 times116.47 KB
Learning Outcomes: 

Students will determine the initial scope of the task required to meet their information need.
Students will be able to identify and use key business databases in order to form an effective research strategy.

Discipline: 
AccountingBusiness

Individual or Group:

Course Context (e.g. how it was implemented or integrated): 
Additional Instructor Resources (e.g. in-class activities, worksheets, scaffolding applications, supplemental modules, further readings, etc.): 
Potential Pitfalls and Teaching Tips: 
Suggested Citation: 
Blas, Nataly. "Industry Research Using Porter's 5 Forces ." CORA (Community of Online Research Assignments), 2018. https://projectcora.org/assignment/industry-research-using-porters-5-forces.
Submitted by Kirsten Hansen on December 19th, 2017
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Short Description: 

During this activity, students work in small groups to explore assigned databases and then share back what they learn in a Google Doc projected at the front of the classroom.

Attachments: 
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Database_Exploration_with_Google_docs.docxdisplayed 1947 times287.4 KB
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Sample_Lesson_Plan_databases and google docs.docdisplayed 1513 times120.5 KB
Learning Outcomes: 

• Students will construct a search using their keywords in a designated database in order to find three articles are superficially relevant to their research topic.
• Students will analyze one database in order to articulate one useful feature of the database for their research assignment, and explain why or how the feature might be useful to their assignment.

Individual or Group:

Course Context (e.g. how it was implemented or integrated): 

I frequently use this activity for first year research classes across a wide variety of disciplines when the faculty member teaching the class has asked me to demo databases. I have also used it with great success in higher-level discipline specific classes including biology and my colleagues have used it with graduate students. This activity works best for classes with a research assignment and when students have received the research assignment and are starting to think about their research topic prior to the IL session. However, I've also had classes where students have not yet received their research assignment and working with a single research question as a whole class works just fine. In that case, I usually have a research question that I've created that we can work with but with discipline specific classes we've also created research questions together at the beginning of class.

Additional Instructor Resources (e.g. in-class activities, worksheets, scaffolding applications, supplemental modules, further readings, etc.): 

To see how this activity fits into my somewhat-typical first year instruction session, see the sample lesson plan below. Please note: This is a real lesson plan and thus refers to class activities not explained here. The lesson plan is mostly meant to show how the google doc exercise can fit into a larger class session. If you have questions about the other activities mentioned in the lesson plan, please ask!

Collaborators: 
Suggested Citation: 
Hansen, Kirsten. "Exploring Databases with Google Docs." CORA (Community of Online Research Assignments), 2017. https://projectcora.org/assignment/exploring-databases-google-docs.
Submitted by Steve Gerstle on November 24th, 2017
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Short Description: 

Students often struggle developing good research questions. This rubric is used to assess research questions. Students are given a brief lesson on developing a research question that includes a video produced by the University of Cincinnati.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8aYA1ooRce8&index=5&list=PLSWTn4sCw1ZN1B...

Attachments: 
AttachmentSize
Rubric for assessing research questionsdisplayed 7698 times13.79 KB
Learning Outcomes: 

Assessment of research questions

Individual or Group:

Tags:

Course Context (e.g. how it was implemented or integrated): 

Students were asked to write either their preliminary or final research questions on a sheet of paper. Questions were then assessed using the rubric.

Suggested Citation: 
Gerstle, Steve. "Rubric for assessing research questions." CORA (Community of Online Research Assignments), 2017. https://projectcora.org/assignment/rubric-assessing-research-questions.
Submitted by Krista Bowers Sharpe on November 20th, 2017
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Short Description: 

This lesson is intended as a single session within a major’s research methods course. Rather than using a shorter “scholarly vs. non-scholarly” comparison worksheet, this activity asks students to work in groups to systematically examine a scholarly article in depth, identify and evaluate its various components visually and in writing, and then compare it to a non-scholarly article on the same topic. Groups then report back to the entire class. Discussion is guided so as to touch on the processes by which sources are created, what these methods say about their authority, and to consider contextually appropriate uses for them.

Attachments: 
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Worksheet displayed 2308 times140.94 KB
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BowersSharpe_AutopsyLessonPlan2017.docxdisplayed 1576 times18.64 KB
Learning Outcomes: 

● The student will be able to identify the standard elements of scholarly writing.
● The student will be able to distinguish scholarly from non-scholarly literature.
● The student will be able to select the appropriate type of source to use in various contexts.

Individual or Group:

Course Context (e.g. how it was implemented or integrated): 

Although the activity was developed for students taking two social science majors' research methods courses (SOC 323 and ANTH 305), it could be adapted to any setting that lends itself to in-depth examination of information creation processes, the construction of authority, and the contextual appropriateness of sources.

Additional Instructor Resources (e.g. in-class activities, worksheets, scaffolding applications, supplemental modules, further readings, etc.): 

Lesson plan with tips for guided discussion.

Assessment or Criteria for Success
Assessment Short Description: 
The librarian and the teacher of record will evaluate students’ learning based on the verbal reports of their article comparisons and the resulting discussion between groups. Additional assessment will take place after the session by examining the written worksheets and marked-up articles.
Potential Pitfalls and Teaching Tips: 

Unless seating allows for sitting in circles, pairs work better than groups of three for this activity; Some groups/students will spend too much time on some questions, so time-keeping and pacing are necessary; it is difficult to fit this activity into a 50-minutes session.

Suggested Citation: 
Bowers Sharpe, Krista. "Scholarly Article Autopsy." CORA (Community of Online Research Assignments), 2017. https://projectcora.org/assignment/scholarly-article-autopsy.
Submitted by Kristen Bailey on October 3rd, 2017
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Short Description: 

Made to be an in class activity or a library resource requested by professors for courses. The first page goes with the instruction portion of a class. 'What is a primary source? What is a secondary source? What is a tertiary source?' It takes them through example types of sources, particularly concerned with history courses. The second and third pages require evaluation of a student's primary and secondary sources. They include a series of questions to make the student think about what makes a source reliable, if the source has a skewed perspective, or if the source is actually related to their research topic.

Attachments: 
AttachmentSize
Historical Sources.pdfdisplayed 34307 times168.9 KB
Learning Outcomes: 

Distinguish between primary and secondary sources in a specific discipline.
Evaluate potential sources and determine value .

Individual or Group:

Course Context (e.g. how it was implemented or integrated): 

This was created at the request of a history professor for integration into their lower-level history survey. The professor wanted to be able to have a reusable resource to help students evaluate the quality of materials they were using for their research. They also wanted the students to have a quick visual reminder of what constitutes a primary or secondary source in relationship to their research question.

Additional Instructor Resources (e.g. in-class activities, worksheets, scaffolding applications, supplemental modules, further readings, etc.): 
Potential Pitfalls and Teaching Tips: 
Suggested Citation: 
Bailey, Kristen. "Evaluating Historical Sources." CORA (Community of Online Research Assignments), 2017. https://projectcora.org/assignment/evaluating-historical-sources.
Submitted by Lua Gregory on August 8th, 2017
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Short Description: 

This small group zine-making activity can be adapted for any discipline.

Attachments: 
AttachmentSize
Zines for the People.pdfdisplayed 5736 times328.16 KB
Learning Outcomes: 

1. To create, distribute, and use information as a means to effect change
2. Use positions of information privilege in order to make information more equitably accessible and/or available

Discipline: 
Multidisciplinary

Individual or Group:

Additional Instructor Resources (e.g. in-class activities, worksheets, scaffolding applications, supplemental modules, further readings, etc.): 

Zine making materials: Markers, pens, pencils, scissors, tape, glue, stapler, magazines, and paper. Access to copy machine.

Collaborators: 
Suggested Citation: 
Gregory, Lua. "Zines for the People." CORA (Community of Online Research Assignments), 2017. https://projectcora.org/assignment/zines-people.
Submitted by Susan Archambault on July 9th, 2017
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Short Description: 

In biology or health classes, assign each student a 'diagnosis'. Have them act as responsible patients by investigating both the diagnosis and the prescribed treatment. Results presented in a two-page paper should cover: a description of the condition and its symptoms; its etiology; its prognosis; the effectiveness of the prescribed treatment, its side effects and contradictions, along with the evidence; and a comparison of the relative effectiveness of alternate treatments.

Learning Outcomes: 

This teaches the application of information to real-life situations. It acquaints students with medical literature.

Individual or Group:

Suggested Citation: 
Archambault, Susan. "Investigation of a Disease and Prescribed Treatment." CORA (Community of Online Research Assignments), 2017. https://projectcora.org/assignment/investigation-disease-and-prescribed-treatment-0.
Submitted by Aisha Conner-Gaten on April 25th, 2017
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Short Description: 

A two part instruction session that uses the "fish bowl" method, or students as instructors, to find scholarly sources and complete an annotated bibliography citation.

Attachments: 
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Introduction Slide for Projector and Whiteboard signsdisplayed 1478 times63.81 KB
Instruction Session Overview and Scriptdisplayed 1195 times16.6 KB
Fishbowl Activity Task 1 Worksheetdisplayed 1269 times68.92 KB
Fishbowl Activity Task 2 Worksheet displayed 1194 times124.57 KB
Learning Outcomes: 

In this session, students will: - find scholarly sources using the library catalog or discovery service -create a citation using a citation style -learn the parts of an annotated bibliography -create an annotated citation

Discipline: 
Women's Studies

Individual or Group:

Course Context (e.g. how it was implemented or integrated): 

This instruction session was created to support a Women and Gender Studies assignment that includes a 5-6 page paper on a topic related to race, sex, and gender and two annotated bibliographic citations of 100 words or less.

Potential Pitfalls and Teaching Tips: 

If students do not yet have topics, construct at least 3 examples for use.

Suggested Citation: 
Conner-Gaten, Aisha. "Finding Sources and Annotated Bibliography Fish Bowls." CORA (Community of Online Research Assignments), 2017. https://projectcora.org/assignment/finding-sources-and-annotated-bibliography-fish-bowls.
Submitted by Gina Schlesselman-Tarango on March 22nd, 2017
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Short Description: 

A gallery walk is a silent, interactive exercise followed by small- or whole-group discussion. You can use this exercise to introduce students to new material, to review previously-introduced material, or to assess teaching and/or learning.

Attachments: 
AttachmentSize
Gallery Walk Lesson Plan.docxdisplayed 1925 times117.93 KB
Poster Content Ideas.docxdisplayed 2509 times14.04 KB
Learning Outcomes: 

Long-term outcome: Begin to develop a critical understanding of the information environment. Supporting outcomes: I can describe peer-reviewed sources in terms of both the review process and the scholarly conversation. I can identify peer review's affordances and limitations. I can reflect on whose/which voices are not represented within the community of scholars.

Discipline: 
Liberal Studies

Individual or Group:

Course Context (e.g. how it was implemented or integrated): 

This exercise was implemented in a first-year seminar course after the 20 students had engaged in activities and discussion about the information cycle and scholarly sources (peer review, scholarly conversation, "the literature"). It was followed by a unit on "information privilege" and finally by a group research project.

Potential Pitfalls and Teaching Tips: 

Space is key for a successful gallery walk! If your classroom is too small or if you don't have enough wall space, consider using a quiet hallway. I've found that I get better student response when I use more visual poster content. Big blocks of text create traffic jams and put unnecessary pressure on students to read and comprehend text quickly and in front of their peers.

Suggested Citation: 
Schlesselman-Tarango, Gina. "Gallery Walk: What Shapes Information?." CORA (Community of Online Research Assignments), 2017. https://projectcora.org/assignment/gallery-walk-what-shapes-information.
Submitted by Aisha Conner-Gaten on February 9th, 2017
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Short Description: 

This instructional session coincided with a project comparing data from two cities for an Urban Studies 1000 level (Freshmen) course. The session provided a basic overview of Simply Map as a web-based application, described the data available within and its origins (Census, American Community Survey, etc.), two activities for creating and visualizing the data, and supporting materials for understanding the data including a libguide and deliverable handout.

Learning Outcomes: 

User will be able to: -To create a map using variable data in SimplyMap -To create a standard report using variable data in SimplyMap -To create a ring study using variable data in SimplyMap -Develop relationships between variable data in SimplyMap

Individual or Group:

Course Context (e.g. how it was implemented or integrated): 

This session was conducted before the announcement of the course project that specifically calls for students to create SimplyMap reports to compare data across multiple locations for the Urban Studies course. Data found in SimplyMap can be used by students as maps, charts, and tables on a poster project to be completed at the semester's end.

Potential Pitfalls and Teaching Tips: 

Ensure that all users have SimplyMap access before the session begins. SimplyMap does have a user threshold for simultaneous access so contact the company to ensure enough seats for your session.

Collaborators: 
Suggested Citation: 
Conner-Gaten, Aisha. "Simply Map: Visualizing Census and Survey Data." CORA (Community of Online Research Assignments), 2017. https://projectcora.org/assignment/simply-map-visualizing-census-and-survey-data.

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