CA Catholic IL Project

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 1087 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 Elisa Acosta on July 18th, 2018
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Short Description: 

Environmental science students critically analyzed the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) website and its treatment of climate change during the Trump, Obama, and Bush presidencies. This library “warm-up” activity was designed to raise awareness of data fragility and the long-term accessibility of government websites. As future science professionals, it’s important to think about how this impacts scientists and their work. Students were introduced to several tools including: The Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine, End of Term Archive, and Data Refuge. What happens when government web pages are hidden, moved, or deleted?

Attachments: 
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Discussion Aid (PowerPoint with screenshots)displayed 1306 times5.16 MB
Additional Resourcesdisplayed 1622 times17.57 KB
Worksheetdisplayed 906 times544.39 KB
Learning Outcomes: 

1.Students will begin to discuss how social, economic, and power structures influence the production and dissemination of climate change information on the EPA website. 2.Students will recognize how government priorities impact federal websites and data accessibility. 3.Students will be able to search the Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine in order to find missing or deleted government web pages.

Information Literacy concepts:

Individual or Group:

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

This was a library "warm-up" activity and discussion for a traditional one-shot library instruction session for upper-division environmental science and health & human science students. It was a 75 minute class (warm-up 20-30 minutes). The students needed to find articles and data for their climate change topics. The professor also asked if I could show them how to locate climate change information that had recently disappeared from several federal government websites.

I gave each student a worksheet with directions. In groups of two, students navigated the websites, shared their thoughts with a partner and answered the worksheet questions in writing. Then we had a class discussion and I collected the worksheets.

This activity can be modified for a communication studies, journalism or English class. Students can analyze the language of the new EPA website and compare it to earlier archived versions via the WayBack Machine. The term "climate change" was erased and replaced by terms like "extreme weather" and "resilience."

Assessment or Criteria for Success
Assessment Short Description: 
I collected their worksheets and read the student responses. This gave me the opportunity to hear from the quiet students who didn’t speak up during the discussion. I also saw where students struggled with the activity.
Potential Pitfalls and Teaching Tips: 

Instead of counting how many times “climate change” is mentioned on the EPA home page, some students used the search box and received 10,000+ results.

Suggested Citation: 
Acosta, Elisa. "Missing Information Has Value: Climate Change and the EPA website." CORA (Community of Online Research Assignments), 2018. https://projectcora.org/assignment/missing-information-has-value-climate-change-and-epa-website.
Submitted by Desirae Zingarelli-Sweet on August 9th, 2017
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Short Description: 

This assignment is designed to encourage students in introductory-level religious studies classes to check the assumptions they bring to the subject matter and to develop their critical inquiry skills in this area through close examination of primary text passages. The primary textual sources used may be contemporary or historical, depending on the course context.

The assignment consists of two sequenced exercises:
Part one. In-class writing exercise analyzing an unidentified passage (1-2 pages)
Part two. Reflection and expanded analysis of the identified passage using scholarly sources (3-4 pages)

Document includes student learning objectives, assignment description (for instructors), assignment instructions with checklist (for students), additional questions for reflection or discussion, and example primary source passages for use in the exercises.

Attachments: 
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Reflective Primary Source Assignment for Religious Studiesdisplayed 2367 times51.23 KB
Learning Outcomes: 

• Build critical analytical skills for religious studies by using existing knowledge to analyze a primary text, then by incorporating secondary information with closer reading.
• Reflect on the utility, limits, and origins of their first observations and assumptions to cultivate intellectual humility and begin to develop an awareness of their own cultural and religious positionality.
• Find and use secondary/tertiary scholarly sources to contextualize their reading of the primary text, deepen their analysis, and learn to value their use when interpreting primary texts in religious studies.
• Begin to place religious expressions, traditions, dynamics and power structures in the context of historical, cultural, social, political, and/or economic phenomena.

Individual or Group:

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

In-class primary source analysis only (Part I): great for library instruction sessions

Suggested Citation: 
Zingarelli-Sweet, Desirae. "Checking Our Baggage: Reflective Primary Text Analysis for Religious Studies." CORA (Community of Online Research Assignments), 2017. https://projectcora.org/assignment/checking-our-baggage-reflective-primary-text-analysis-religious-studies.
Submitted by Elisa Acosta on July 2nd, 2017
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Short Description: 

This activity was created to introduce first-year students to library resources they can use for their annotated bibliography assignment. In pairs, students are assigned a task card that requires them to find an information source. After finding a source meeting the criteria of their task card, the student teams input their answers into a Google Form. Formative assessment takes place during class, allowing the librarian to modify instruction on-the-spot based on the responses from the form.

Summative assessment takes place at the end of the semester, when a rubric is applied to a sample of student responses from the activity. This assessment provides a more thorough picture of where students may have succeeded or struggled with the activity, and may provide ideas for how to adjust the activity in the future.

This recipe is from The First-Year Experience Cookbook, edited by Raymond Pun and Meggan Houlihan and written by Elisa Slater Acosta and Katherine Donaldson.

Learning Outcomes: 

The student will use information ethically by providing basic citation information for their source.
The student will be able to identify the appropriate information type based on their information need.
The student will be able to properly identify the format of the information source they find.
The student will be able to use effective keywords for their information need.
The student will be able to describe the purpose of a specific information source.
The student will be able to articulate how they could support a social justice argument using a source.
The student will be able to find a relevant source to match their information need.

Individual or Group:

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

This activity takes place after the Research Exploration Exercise and before the Annotated Bibliography .

Collaborators: 
Suggested Citation: 
Acosta, Elisa. "Taste Testing for Two: Using Formative and Summative Assessment." CORA (Community of Online Research Assignments), 2017. https://projectcora.org/assignment/taste-testing-two-using-formative-and-summative-assessment.
Submitted by Elisa Acosta on March 20th, 2017
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Short Description: 

Students in an introductory Women's and Gender Studies course are required to critically analyze and edit an article in Wikipedia. Through class discussion and an active learning exercise, students begin to understand how and why women and many racial groups and individuals are underrepresented or systematically marginalized in Wikipedia. Students learn how to use the "Talk" tab to evaluate Wikipedia articles and learn about authority and power structures within that community.

Attachments: 
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Lesson Plandisplayed 967 times28.96 KB
Worksheet #1 displayed 899 times14.86 KB
Worksheet #2 displayed 786 times14.79 KB
Worksheet #3 displayed 803 times15.01 KB
Worksheet #1 (short version)displayed 845 times14.48 KB
Worksheet #2 (short version)displayed 854 times14.42 KB
Worksheet #3 (short version)displayed 775 times14.67 KB
Learning Outcomes: 

Identify voices missing or marginalized in Wikipedia Define "notability" Define "reliable sources" Explain how Wikipedia's policies and guidelines contribute to its gender gap in knowledge

Individual or Group:

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

One-shot library instruction. This exercise is a "warm up" for the Wikipedia edit-a-thon co-sponsored by the Women's and Gender Studies Department. http://librarynews.lmu.edu/2017/03/wikipedia-edit-thon-gender-race-sexua...

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

Jackson, J. (2016, July 28). Building on Millions of Tiny Shoulders: Tips for Hosting a Wikipedia Edit-a-thon. [Blog article]. Retrieved from http://programminglibrarian.org/blog/building-millions-tiny-shoulders-ti...

Potential Pitfalls and Teaching Tips: 

If taught Fall Semester, most first year students don't know what peer-review is yet.

Suggested Citation: 
Acosta, Elisa. "The Gender Gap in Wikipedia." CORA (Community of Online Research Assignments), 2017. https://projectcora.org/assignment/gender-gap-wikipedia.
Submitted by Lisa Burgert on January 26th, 2017
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Short Description: 

Students will participate in a game-based learning scenario based on Net Neutrality. Participants will each assume the role of an individual vested in the issue (Chairman of the FCC, President of the U.S., CEO of telecommunications company, or Supreme Court Justice). They will form alliances, discuss issues, formulate a strategy, and briefly share their viewpoint with the hope of winning the game. The learning experience is student lead.

Attachments: 
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In Class Discussion Worksheet 1displayed 1051 times49.71 KB
In Class Discussion Worksheet 2displayed 814 times52.09 KB
Evaluation of the Gamedisplayed 768 times57.63 KB
Lesson Plandisplayed 899 times124.04 KB
Learning Outcomes: 

• Students will synthesize ideas gathered from multiple sources, and draw reasonable conclusions based on the analysis and interpretation of information of their biographical, corporate information, and research on Net Neutrality demonstrated through discussion with other stakeholders. (Research as Inquiry) • Students will recognize that a given scholarly work may not represent the only perspective on the issue by communicating with others during role-playing game with different opinions/viewpoints. (Scholarship as Conversation).

Individual or Group:

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

This lesson was designed for the Library 103: Information Literacy 3-unit credit course. It is designed as a major research project involving role-playing over multiple weeks in a semester long class. This is the second part of a three part series. In part one students are introduced to the project and the “All-But-The-Term-Paper” assignment. Part three groups or individual students give their presentations, there is a ruling on who wins the game, and a debrief of the game. With modifications the lesson can be adapted to single 90-minute session.

Potential Pitfalls and Teaching Tips: 

This is student lead and directed. Students discuss, collaborate, and present the information.

Suggested Citation: 
Burgert, Lisa. "Social Justice Role Playing Game: Net Neutrality Lesson Plan- Part 2." CORA (Community of Online Research Assignments), 2017. https://projectcora.org/assignment/social-justice-role-playing-game-net-neutrality-lesson-plan-part-2.
Submitted by Margaret Brown-Salazar on January 26th, 2017
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Short Description: 

Created by M. Brown-Salazar Saint Mary's College of CA This lesson was developed to have graduate level students explore social justice issues in information found on the internet. It is based on Dr. Safiya Noble's work: Algorithms of Oppression. Simplified, we asked students to consider that when we seek information, we need to examine the perspective/privilege of the voices/sources of information and identify/understand whose voices are represented and whose voices are missing and how that impacts/influences our understanding. Students were asked to consider issues we uncovered in relationship to themselves personally, as students and also also professional practitioners. We used clips from a lecture by Dr. Noble to stimulate discussion and asked to students to critically examine results of google image searches as an illustration of inequities. Students completed a survey as assessment.

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Pre-session Handoutdisplayed 778 times25.63 KB
In Class Assignmentdisplayed 768 times16.76 KB
Learning Outcomes: 

Learning Objectives (include SMC institutional learning outcomes, ACRL Standards, Framework, or others) Students understand that Google is the dominate search engine. Students understand that most internet searchers believe the information they find is trustworthy, accurate, unbiased, credible Students understand that search engine algorithms are based on criteria for increasing advertising and marketing and not criteria to provide the best information available to answer their search query SRIL 1 Students understand that there are influences (social, political, economic, …) that shape social justice issues in information retrieval SRIL 1 Students can articulate a personal or professional practice that they could develop to become more critical consumers of information specifically as it relates to internet search results SRIL 1 SRIL 2 Students can articulate one action they might take to make the issue of social justice in information more apparent to others

Individual or Group:

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

This was a new unit added to a series of 3 information literacy sessions that graduates students complete in their Research Seminar course. The intention is to extend a lesson plan on using the internet for research to have students consider "the social, political, economic, and corporate systems that have power and influence over information production, dissemination, access, and consumption." (Gregory, L. and Higgins, S. (Eds.) (2013). Information literacy and social justice: Radical professional praxis. Sacramento, CA: Library Juice Press.) .

Assessment or Criteria for Success
(e.g. rubric, guidelines, exemplary sample paper, etc.): 
AttachmentSize
2016 2017 SeekingSocialJusticeinInformationAssessmentWorksheet.docxdisplayed 656 times15.61 KB
Potential Pitfalls and Teaching Tips: 

Although I asked students to watch the Noble video before the session - NO ONE did that! As I reconsider, I think it works fine without the pre-session video - I removed it from subsequent instruction sessions. This instruction takes on its own unique life with each group - it is fascinating. I am fortunate to work with faculty who allowed the session to take as long as it took. One session concluded and 15 minutes later students were still in the room talking about it in small groups on their own.

Suggested Citation: 
Brown-Salazar, Margaret. "Seeking Social Justice in Information | Graduate Counseling, Leadership and Education Students." CORA (Community of Online Research Assignments), 2017. https://projectcora.org/assignment/seeking-social-justice-information-graduate-counseling-leadership-and-education-students.
Submitted by Margaret Brown-Salazar on January 26th, 2017
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Short Description: 

Created by M. Brown-Salazar & G. Kessler Lee Saint Mary's College of Ca Library This lesson was developed to have students explore social justice issues in information found on the internet. It is based on Dr. Safiya Noble's work: Algorithms of Oppression. Simplified, we asked students to consider that when we seek information, we need to examine the perspective/privilege of the voices/sources of information and identify/understand whose voices are represented and whose voices are missing and how that impacts/influences our understanding. We used clips from a lecture by Dr. Noble to stimulate discussion and asked to students to critically examine results of google image searches as an illustration of inequities. Students created a shared file with images and thoughts that represented what they learned.

Learning Outcomes: 

Learning Objectives (include SMC institutional learning outcomes, ACRL Standards, Framework, or others) Students understand that when you Google search your bias, your results will match your bias (SMC: IERP 2) Students understand that Google is the dominant search engine. Students understand that most internet searchers believe the information they find is trustworthy, accurate, unbiased, credible Students understand that search engine algorithms are based on criteria for increasing advertising and marketing and not criteria to provide the best information available to answer their search query (SMC:IERP 2) Students can articulate the impact of this content/topic on them Students can articulate one action they might take to make the issue of social justice in information more apparent to others Framework: All: Research as Inquiry, Searching as Strategic Exploration, Information Has Value

Individual or Group:

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

Session integrated into the High Potential First Year Advising Cohort curriculum.

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

In-class Exercise

Suggested Citation: 
Brown-Salazar, Margaret. "Social Justice in Information | First Year: High Potential Students." CORA (Community of Online Research Assignments), 2017. https://projectcora.org/assignment/social-justice-information-first-year-high-potential-students.
Submitted by Elisa Acosta on January 25th, 2017
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Short Description: 

In an effort to provide students with an open space to learn about and discuss recent national concerns over “fake news,” the library offered four sessions of the workshop “Keepin’ It Real: Tips & Strategies for Evaluating Fake News” during a campus-wide Inauguration Teach-In on Friday, January 20, 2017. During this session, students had the opportunity to talk about how misleading news sources (encompassing misinformation, disinformation, click-bait, propaganda, etc.) have affected their views on civil discourse, specifically relating to the recent U.S. presidential election. By the end of the session, we hope students became more confident in their ability to use critical thinking skills to judge the reliability of news reports, whether they come via print, television or the internet.

Attachments: 
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Lesson Plan displayed 4344 times612.04 KB
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Activity #1displayed 3812 times143.59 KB
PowerPointdisplayed 2537 times496.98 KB
Handout / Activity #2displayed 2889 times185.37 KB
Handout / Activity #2displayed 3011 times126.82 KB
Activity #2 Answer Key / Additional Instructions displayed 3625 times15.7 KB
Learning Outcomes: 

• Students will practice techniques for evaluating the credibility of news stories.
• Students will reflect upon their reactions to stories and practice identifying and distinguishing between their emotional responses and logical analyses of the items.
• Students will learn the value of information and sources from multiple perspectives.
• Students will become credible, trustworthy publishers in the digital age (sharing news).

Individual or Group:

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

The campus-wide breakout sessions were from 11:00-12:30pm (1.5 hours). Faculty were encouraged to cancel classes 8am-12:30pm so that students could watch the Inauguration together and attend one breakout session.

• Inauguration Day Teach-in website:  https://web.archive.org/web/20180117195647/http://academics.lmu.edu/teachin/breakoutsessions/

The library decided to offer four 45-minute break out sessions. Approximately 90 students attended. Several staff members and faculty attended also.

• Library Breakout Session Description: 

https://web.archive.org/web/20170113072807/https://librarynews.lmu.edu/2017/01/keepin-real-tips-strategies-evaluating-fake-news/

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

Activity #2 could be spun off into a reflective assignment for students to critically examine their own news media consumption and information behaviors.

Potential Pitfalls and Teaching Tips: 

We had too much material for a 45-minute workshop. Perhaps 60-90 minutes is more realistic. Set aside more time for student discussion. As time marches on, choose a more timely "Fake News" story for Activity #1.

Suggested Citation: 
Acosta, Elisa. "Keepin It Real: Tips and Strategies for Evaluating Fake News." CORA (Community of Online Research Assignments), 2017. https://projectcora.org/assignment/keepin-it-real-tips-and-strategies-evaluating-fake-news.
Submitted by Susan Archambault on August 6th, 2015
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Short Description: 

This assignment is designed to help students develop a thoughtful research topic. Students go through a series of steps, questions, and background reading to help them better understand and refine a research topic.

Attachments: 
AttachmentSize
DevelopingResearchTopic_socialjustice_FINAL.pdfdisplayed 4551 times263.92 KB
DevelopingResearchTopic_socialjustice_FINAL.docxdisplayed 1944 times297.42 KB
Learning Outcomes: 
  • Conceptualize and refine an effective research topic
  • Value information and sources from different perspectives
  • Contextualize a research topic by drawing upon their own intellectual curiosity or personal experience

Individual or Group:

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

This exercise is due week 3, usually before library instruction. As a result, the library created a 4-minute instruction video done as a pre-visit homework assignment called "Developing a Topic with CQ Researcher and Opposing Viewpoints" available on this LibGuide: http://libguides.lmu.edu/RHET1000/LibraryVisit

Using a Topic Development exercise, students will explore and conduct preliminary research on three separate research topics. This is in conjunction with the Information Literacy component of the course as stated in "Rhetorical Arts: Speaking and Writing for Social Justice" common syllabus. A requirement for all first-year students, Rhetorical Arts is a course designed specifically to integrate important skills- information literacy, writing, and public speaking- into the Jesuit Rhetorical Tradition "Eloquentia Perfecta." Students will also engage with important ethical themes related to the common good. 

This is the first assignment in a sequence of writing and oral assignments (followed by a Research Proposal, Annotated Bibliography, Persuasive Research Paper, etc.). Each successive assignment expands on the previous assignments.

Assessment or Criteria for Success
(e.g. rubric, guidelines, exemplary sample paper, etc.): 
AttachmentSize
Rubric for Research Exploration.docxdisplayed 1217 times22.71 KB
Potential Pitfalls and Teaching Tips: 

Some students may think this is busy work. Don't allow students to turn this in at the end of the semester with their final paper, as this defeats the purpose of sequencing assignments.

Suggested Citation: 
Archambault, Susan. "Research Exploration Exercise." CORA (Community of Online Research Assignments), 2015. https://projectcora.org/assignment/research-exploration-exercise.