Searching as Strategic Exploration (Frame 6)

Submitted by Duke University Libraries RIS Team on October 23rd, 2019
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Short Description: 

This is an activity that helps students develop an interdisciplinary search strategy in stages. Students define their topic, brainstorm questions related to their topic area, and connect these questions to the disciplines and experts where they might find more research and information. Students learn how to identify search tools & information sources based on their questions using the library’s website.

Attachments: 
AttachmentSize
Directions for Instructordisplayed 914 times13.8 KB
Blank Template for Use by Students or Instructordisplayed 1071 times324.05 KB
Completed Exampledisplayed 1055 times494.5 KB
Learning Outcomes: 

Breakdown topic by brainstorming relevant ideas and questions

Analyze these ideas to identify subject areas, this will help inform later searches on topic (ie what databases to consult)

Identifies key concepts and terms that describe the information need

Recognizes that knowledge can be organized into disciplines that influence the way information is accessed

Discipline: 
Multidisciplinary

Individual or Group:

Potential Pitfalls and Teaching Tips: 

·         Students don’t necessarily know a lot about different academic ‘disciplines’ and may need some help making meaningful connections between their topics and particular disciplines.

·         Students may need help and/or to do some background research to think about interesting questions/issues related to their topics.

Suggested Citation: 
RIS Team, Duke University Libraries. "Developing an Interdisciplinary Search Strategy." CORA (Community of Online Research Assignments), 2019. https://projectcora.org/assignment/developing-interdisciplinary-search-strategy.
Submitted by Desirae Zingarelli-Sweet on October 17th, 2019
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Short Description: 

This essay assignment asks students to reflect on their research process, evaluate on their sources, and reflect on social justice implications in reference to Catholic social teaching.

Attachments: 
AttachmentSize
Research Narrative Assignment.docxdisplayed 1095 times26.12 KB
Learning Outcomes: 

Students will: 1) Articulate and reflect on their research strategies and make meaning out of their experiences, 2) Evaluate individual sources and their chosen collection of sources as a whole according to criteria like authority, date, relevance, accuracy, and rationale, 3) Connect research questions and preliminary conclusions to social justice concerns and the Catholic social tradition.

Individual or Group:

Suggested Citation: 
Zingarelli-Sweet, Desirae. "Research Narrative Assignment: Integrating Reflection on Catholic Social Teaching." CORA (Community of Online Research Assignments), 2019. https://projectcora.org/assignment/research-narrative-assignment-integrating-reflection-catholic-social-teaching.
Submitted by Natalie Mahan on August 20th, 2019
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Short Description: 

This is a simple activity intended to warm up students, break the ice, and introduce the concept of keyword searching. Ask students to come up with a single word search that gives zero results. It’s harder than it sounds. It may be too elementary for graduate students or upperclassmen; use your judgement about students’ abilities and familiarity with searching. This activity can be a great segue in to a lesson on keyword development, Boolean operators, popular terminology vs. technical jargon, and the differences between different kinds of databases.

Attachments: 
AttachmentSize
Stump the Database.docxdisplayed 1102 times13.19 KB
Learning Outcomes: 

Students will discuss the importance of keywords in database searching.
Students will discuss the benefits and drawbacks of different search strategies.

Discipline: 
Multidisciplinary

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: 
Mahan, Natalie. "Stump the Database." CORA (Community of Online Research Assignments), 2019. https://projectcora.org/assignment/stump-database.
Submitted by Peter Catlin on July 10th, 2019
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Short Description: 

A classroom activity and lesson plan for first-year students. Your students will learn to differentiate between different categories of items -- such as Popular/Scholarly, or Primary/Secondary/Tertiary -- by playing this fun and easy game.

Attachments: 
AttachmentSize
The Sorting Machine - lesson plan.pdfdisplayed 1453 times567.85 KB
Learning Outcomes: 

Students will:
• Correctly categorize library items.
• Describe the different role that each category plays in the research process.
• Discuss how particular items could be used in the research process, in the context of each item’s category.

Individual or Group:

Suggested Citation: 
Catlin, Peter. "The Sorting Machine." CORA (Community of Online Research Assignments), 2019. https://projectcora.org/assignment/sorting-machine.
Submitted by Zoeanna Mayhook on June 19th, 2019
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Short Description: 

This worksheet asks students to reflect on the type of primary law relevant to their legal research topic, as well as ask them to consider the levels of government, possible keywords, and preferred time period (current versus historical).

Attachments: 
AttachmentSize
Legal Research Worksheet.docxdisplayed 804 times24.23 KB
Legal Research Powerpoint 2019.pptxdisplayed 1034 times2.81 MB
Learning Outcomes: 

Students will be able to define their information scope, and develop a legal research strategy.

Discipline: 
Law

Individual or Group:

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

Worksheet may be handed out after a presentation that defines different types of primary law, and government levels.

Suggested Citation: 
Mayhook, Zoeanna. "Legal Research: Preliminary Analysis Worksheet ." CORA (Community of Online Research Assignments), 2019. https://projectcora.org/assignment/legal-research-preliminary-analysis-worksheet.
Submitted by Zoeanna Mayhook on June 16th, 2019
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Short Description: 

Research Resources the card game is an information literacy activity adapted from Apples to Apples game rules. Players write down their research topics, and their teammates suggest resources based on gold resource cards they have been dealt. Attached are the game instructions, cards, and discussion questions.

Attachments: 
AttachmentSize
Research Resources - Instructions.docxdisplayed 951 times104.52 KB
Research Resources - Gold Template Cards Sample Pack.docxdisplayed 859 times447.24 KB
Research Resources - Gold Template Cards Blank.docxdisplayed 725 times260.65 KB
Research Resources - Purple Template Cards Blank.docxdisplayed 661 times268.77 KB
Research Resources - Discussion Questions.docxdisplayed 805 times31.49 KB
Learning Outcomes: 

Students will be able to develop the scope of their research topic, and match information needs to appropriate resources

Discipline: 
Multidisciplinary

Information Literacy concepts:

Individual or Group:

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

Game was developed for a multidisciplinary writing class. Game could be adapted to focus on specific subjects or disciplines.

Collaborators: 
Suggested Citation: 
Mayhook, Zoeanna. "Research Resources: The Card Game ." CORA (Community of Online Research Assignments), 2019. https://projectcora.org/assignment/research-resources-card-game.
Submitted by Chelsea Heinbach on May 16th, 2019
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Short Description: 

This low-stakes, in-class assignment is designed to help first-year seminar students learn about important library resources and present their findings to their fellow students. In teams, students complete a series of authentic research tasks (called challenges) such as selecting and citing images from our digital collection and using our discovery tool to find books on the library shelves. Each team is also assigned a unique challenge to learn more about the library. Students spend the last twenty-five minutes of class designing a quick presentation in Canva and using it to teach each other about what they learned through their unique challenges.

Attachments: 
AttachmentSize
Lesson Plandisplayed 925 times17.1 KB
Activity Challengesdisplayed 880 times109.77 KB
Learning Outcomes: 

Students will identify uses for library technologies and resources in order to teach their classmates. Students will examine metadata from an image found via the UNLV digital collections in order to write an accurate image citation. Students will design a slide in Canva that showcases library resources and technologies.

Individual or Group:

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

We used this lesson plan to provide library instruction for a first-year seminar for liberal arts students. The course was loosely themed around the idea of “a domain of one’s own,” i.e., equipping students to become thoughtful creators of digital content. The session was not tied to a particular research assignment, but the course instructor thought it was important to provide students with a general introduction to the library. The course instructor gave Mark few parameters for developing the lesson, instead asking Mark “to just tell them about the library.” Mark decided to collaborate with Brittany and Chelsea to transform the generic “welcome to the library” session that the instructor had asked for into something more vibrant.

Assessment or Criteria for Success
Assessment Short Description: 
Student groups checked in with us as they completed the succession of challenges in order to move on to the next stage. We also reviewed students’ presentations and Canva slides for evidence that students fulfilled our learning outcomes.
Potential Pitfalls and Teaching Tips: 

Although the goal of this lesson plan is to provide a casual, low-stakes learning experience for the students, the constraints of time and logistics require the instructors to undertake careful planning in advance. The clearer you can make your directions for each challenge, the more time students can devote to discovering library resources and sharing what they learned. You will probably want a second instructor to help students with logistical questions. If you cannot get an additional librarian colleague, an experienced student worker or even the course instructor could fill this role, but make sure that they understand the plan in advance. Try to avoid extending the lesson plan by shifting the presentation to an additional class session, as it will likely cause students to overthink what is meant to be a low-stakes and engaging activity.

Suggested Citation: 
Heinbach, Chelsea. "A Peer-to-Peer Introduction to the University Library." CORA (Community of Online Research Assignments), 2019. https://projectcora.org/assignment/peer-peer-introduction-university-library.
Submitted by Tessa Withorn on April 15th, 2019
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Short Description: 

The goal of this activity is to explore spaces, services, and information literacy (IL) concepts through problem-based scenarios, guided discovery, and peer teaching. Ideal for orientations for K-12, undergraduate, transfer, or graduate students, but can also be used for instruction requests with no clear research assignment or at the start of a research project. Students work in groups to find solutions to a scenario using guided directions and tools, and then teach the rest of the class based on their findings. The activity takes approximately 30-45 minutes, including student presentations, depending on class size and complexity of scenarios.

Attachments: 
AttachmentSize
Problem-based Scenarios for Library Instruction Lesson Plan.docxdisplayed 1789 times23.76 KB
AttachmentSize
Problem Based Scenario Worksheet Template.docxdisplayed 1017 times26.62 KB
Learning Outcomes: 

After this activity, students will be able to:
● Describe study spaces and services within the library
● Navigate the library’s website
● Describe how the library provides resources necessary for academic success

Individual or Group:

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

Scenarios in the lesson plan have been used for a first-year English Composition course with about 15 students and no research assignment, but the instructor wanted a broad overview of the library, and a new student orientation for 30 transfer students.

Assessment or Criteria for Success
Assessment Short Description: 
Ask students to write down 1 thing they learned and 1 question or thing they are still unsure about. Answer any remaining questions.
Potential Pitfalls and Teaching Tips: 

Timing: Works best when scenarios take approximately the same amount of time for each group to explore and answer the So What? question. Or, have a back-up activity or task for students to work on if their group finishes early.

Complexity and discovery: In crafting your scenario and guided instructions, think about what students might already know and how they can use that knowledge to think about libraries and information literacy in new ways. The goal of the scenario should be more than just completing a simple information retrieval task or learning how an information system works. Focus on getting students started by suggesting tools and strategies they may be unfamiliar with, but encourage students to explore, discover, and reflect on the scenarios in relationship to their own processes and experiences.

Suggested Citation: 
Withorn, Tessa. "Problem-based Scenarios for Library Instruction." CORA (Community of Online Research Assignments), 2019. https://projectcora.org/assignment/problem-based-scenarios-library-instruction.
Submitted by William (Bill) Badke on March 26th, 2019
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Short Description: 

A two-credit online undergraduate information literacy course used in an adult degree completion bachelor's program.

Learning Outcomes: 

The student will:

Gain an understanding of the characteristics of information and its dissemination in the information age.
Develop an appreciation for topic analysis and research focused around a question or hypothesis.
Learn to strategize research procedures using a wide variety of tools and information sources, based on an understanding of information systems and their manner of operation.
Acquire a deeper ability to use critical thinking to interact with diverse concepts, evaluate truth claims, synthesize data and make conclusions.
Show an appreciation for the ethical requirements of research and writing within Christian and marketplace contexts.

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.): 

All resources are linked in the course site.

Assessment or Criteria for Success
Assessment Short Description: 
Graded assignments, rubrics
Potential Pitfalls and Teaching Tips: 

Online instruction requires a great deal of interaction with students, ready availability, and a 24 hour turnaround time on assignment grading.

Suggested Citation: 
Badke, William (Bill). "UNIV 110 OL - Scholarly Inquiry and Research Methods (online)." CORA (Community of Online Research Assignments), 2019. https://projectcora.org/assignment/univ-110-ol-scholarly-inquiry-and-research-methods-online.
Submitted by Anaya Jones on March 19th, 2019
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Short Description: 

This is a participatory, variable lesson frame ready for you to modify to suit your instruction needs. This lesson and it's variations focuses on encouraging students to see themselves as information creators and part of the scholarly conversation and can also variously include conversations about about the scholarly information cycle and/or authority depending on instruction constraints and configuration.

Attachments: 
AttachmentSize
StudentScholarLessonPlanTermCourse.pdfdisplayed 1568 times745.53 KB
StudentScholarLessonPlanTermCourse.docxdisplayed 970 times22.84 KB
StudentScholarLessonPlanSingleSessionScholarlyProcessFocus.pdfdisplayed 1268 times440.62 KB
StudentScholarLessonPlanSingleSessionScholarlyProcessFocus.docxdisplayed 984 times20.46 KB
StudentScholarLessonPlanSingleSessionAuthorityFocus.pdfdisplayed 1093 times437.39 KB
StudentScholarLessonPlanSingleSessionAuthorityFocus.docxdisplayed 969 times20.03 KB
Student Scholar Lesson Plan Start Heredisplayed 1244 times572.13 KB
AttachmentSize
Sample Artifact.pdfdisplayed 1289 times149.96 KB
StudentScholarAssignmentInstructions.pdfdisplayed 2204 times782.72 KB
Learning Outcomes: 

Students will consider the value and authority of various sources and analyze the strengths of different types of information on their topic.
Students will be able to summarize the scholarly information process and see themselves as actual and potential information creators.
-More possible, see documentation.

Individual or Group:

Suggested Citation: 
Jones, Anaya. "Cast Your Students as Scholars." CORA (Community of Online Research Assignments), 2019. https://projectcora.org/assignment/cast-your-students-scholars.

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