Boolean

Submitted by Tricia Martone on January 16th, 2025
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Short Description: 

This an an active learning class using a jigsaw for teaching how to use Web of Science (25 minutes) and a modified Send-A-Problem (renamed Send Along) activity (15 minutes) that covers keyword brainstorming, practicing searching, evaluating the relevance of sources for a given topic, and considering whether that research topic is right-sized.

The lesson was designed for an environmental studies class with 6 students, though it can be scaled up. The Web of Science jigsaw had 3 groups of 2 each teaching themselves in their pairs the contents of one of the handouts. Students were then shuffled so that each student in each of the 2 new groups of 3 had worked on a separate handout. The students then taught each other what they learned, combining the knowledge of the three handouts. Students were put in pairs for the Send Along activity. All groups completed #1, then passed their paper to the left, and this was repeated for #2 and #3. Papers were passed once more after #3 was complete so that groups ended up with their original paper. The topics of the send along activity were curated such that one topic was too specific, one was right sized, and the other too broad. Reflection on the activity (5-10 minutes) included discussion around what makes a right-sized research question, how useful some Web of Science features were for their searches, how keyword choices impacted their searches, and what they might do differently in future.

This lesson was created by Tricia Martone, Alexis Gomez, and Abigail Murdy during the 2024 Librarians Active Learning Institute (LALI) at Dartmouth Libraries, and has been used by Tricia in one-shot library instruction in undergraduate classes. 

Learning Outcomes: 
  • Students will be able to identify primary peer-reviewed literature relevant to their topic.
  • Students will be able to apply search strategies to locate relevant peer-reviewed sources for their topic.
  • Students will be able to distinguish whether a research topic is broad, too specific, or just right.

Individual or Group:

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

This was created for and used in the Librarians Active Learning Institute (LALI) 2024 practicum. Tricia has since used it in an earth sciences undergraduate class (5 students), and created a modified version of the jigsaw for ProQuest Central in a first-year writing seminar in the earth sciences department (16 students). 

For numbers that aren't even, like the 5 students, I asked the instructor to step in to fill the 6th spot so that the jigsaw could function. It's important to have at least one person in each group that worked on each handout. For the class of 16 students, I still had 3 handouts and kept close to a 3 by 5. For teaching themselves, I had 2 groups of 5 and 1 group of 6, then for mixing, I had 4 groups of 3 and 1 group of 4. The group of 4 had two people who worked on the same handout, so those two team-taught the others in their group. This worked well scaled up, though the classroom can get loud. Scaling beyond 16 may require separating the class into a couple groups and then doing the jigsaw among each group (i.e. 36 students might become 3 groups of 12, and then you break it down from there).

Assessment or Criteria for Success
Assessment Short Description: 
Students will be able to apply search strategies through Web of Science to find and assess 2 resources on a paper topic. Students will be able to articulate when a search topic isn’t specific enough to be able to narrow in on relevant sources.
Potential Pitfalls and Teaching Tips: 

The jigsaw will need a room where students can group up. A lecture hall or room with immovable furniture that's far apart may not accomodate this activity. Students also need to bring laptops to class, so if the instructor doesn't want this, the activity won't be possible.

The send-along that teaches about how to right-size a research question needs very curated topics in order to get this particular part of the lesson across. This landed really well with the topics included in these handouts, but different prompts I used in the Earth Sciences class I taught this in fell flat, though students still got something out of the activity. They instead reflected on what makes a paper relevant to a topic, which was also valuable for them.

Suggested Citation: 
Martone, Tricia. "Strategic Searching and Research Question Evaluation." CORA (Community of Online Research Assignments), 2025. https://projectcora.org/assignment/strategic-searching-and-research-question-evaluation.
Submitted by Nicole Hennig on September 8th, 2021
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Short Description: 

Use this virtual mind-map to focus a topic and generate keywords for searching.

Learning Outcomes: 

Students will come up with synonyms for their topic keywords and combine them in a Boolean search.

Individual or Group:

Collaborators: 
Suggested Citation: 
Hennig, Nicole. "Mind Mapping for Focusing Your Topic." CORA (Community of Online Research Assignments), 2021. https://projectcora.org/assignment/mind-mapping-focusing-your-topic.
Submitted by Nicole Hennig on September 8th, 2021
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Short Description: 

Library databases work differently from Google. Learn how to create a search strategy for these databases.

Learning Outcomes: 
  • Students will learn how searching Google is different from searching library databases.
  • Students will learn how and why to plan a search strategy.

Individual or Group:

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

This tutorial and optional assignment can serve as a stand alone tutorial or can be used in the flipped classroom.

Collaborators: 
Suggested Citation: 
Hennig, Nicole. "How Do I Create a Search Strategy?." CORA (Community of Online Research Assignments), 2021. https://projectcora.org/assignment/how-do-i-create-search-strategy.
Submitted by McKenzie Hyde on April 27th, 2018
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Short Description: 

This lesson, created for English 2010, or Argumentative Writing, teaches students how to use library databases and keywords in order to focus their research topics. Most students come prepared with a general or broad topic in mind, but they need to narrow their focus in order to get more relevant search results. Here they simultaneously learn to search in and use the library databases and to focus their research topics.

Attachments: 
AttachmentSize
Narrowing a Topic Handoutdisplayed 2576 times142.65 KB
Narrowing a Topic Lesson Outlinedisplayed 1593 times150.64 KB
Narrowing a Topic Lesson Plandisplayed 2924 times299.2 KB
Learning Outcomes: 

-Understanding how to use library resources and why we use them (instead of Google, for example)
-Searching in library databases using Boolean operators, relevant keyword searches, and other library tools
-Focusing a general research question for a specific audience

Individual or Group:

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

We collaborate with the English faculty and instructors on campus to make sure students are ready to choose a topic for their final research paper before they come to the library for this lesson. The English 2010 curriculum generally stipulates that students do small assignments throughout the semester to work up to this final research paper. Coming to the library for our Narrowing a Topic and Synthesis lessons are important steps in this research process. Some professors like to adapt these lesson plans to their students' needs.

Collaborators: 
Suggested Citation: 
Hyde, McKenzie. "Narrowing a Topic." CORA (Community of Online Research Assignments), 2018. https://projectcora.org/assignment/narrowing-topic.
Submitted by Lucinda Rush on April 18th, 2017
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Short Description: 

An activity to teach students how to construct database searches using Boolean operators.

Attachments: 
AttachmentSize
PowerPoint slide displayed in class with directions.displayed 1991 times40.72 KB
AttachmentSize
Boolean Table Gamedisplayed 3176 times436.67 KB
Learning Outcomes: 

Students will use Boolean Operators (or “keyword connectors”) in database searching in order to find relevant resources for their research topics.

Discipline: 
Multidisciplinary

Individual or Group:

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

The activity is used with "one shot" instruction sessions at the beginning of class. The activity is set up on tables and students begin as soon as they enter the class. This signals to the student that this will be an active learning class. The activity is referred back to later in the class at the appropriate time. Activity could be used at any point during class.

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

See attached.

Potential Pitfalls and Teaching Tips: 

This is a quick and informal activity. The particular activity is not assessed, but the concept is assessed later in class with a more in-depth searching activity.

Suggested Citation: 
Rush, Lucinda. "Boolean Table Game." CORA (Community of Online Research Assignments), 2017. https://projectcora.org/assignment/boolean-table-game.