Creating Research Assignments for Your Class

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Creating Research Assignments for Your Class

• By Carol Womack
• Professional Development Day, Spring 2005

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Effective Assignments Mean

• Less frustration for students
• Better research
• Critical thinking skills
• Lifelong learning skills

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Effective Assignment--Definition

• Has a specific, understood purpose
• Relates to course
• Increased understanding of subject
• Variety of sources
• Timeline

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Better assignments

• Learning outcomes
• Assessment tools
• Share your assignment with us
• Use available sources

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Use the Library

• Put books on RESERVE
• Check Librarys holdings
• http//xe9hz9pm5b.search.serialssolutions.com/
• Find articles in databases and link to them
• http//library.smc.edu/faculty/elink.html

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Use the Library

• Share assignment
• Share syllabus
• Carol Womack x4635

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The Topic

• Direction
• Limits
• Objectives

• Selecting a topic is difficult
• http//library.smc.edu/research/topics/
• Narrow/expand topic

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Design the research

• Find a book
• Find an article
• Find a GOOD website
• Evaluate sources

• Identify sources to be used
• Assume minimal library knowledge
• Library has materials
• Schedule library orientation/share assignment
  w/librarian
• Talk to a librarian
• http//library.smc.edu/about/staff.html

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Help for students

• Encourage them to visit Reference Desk
• Put materials on Reserve
• Sample research papers
• Sample bibliographies http//library.smc.edu/resea
  rch/citation.html

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Pitfalls

• Same assignment
• Inaccurate source names
• Trivial pursuit
• Inefficient Use of Internet
• Plagiarism

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Alternatives to the term paper

• Annotated bibliography of ranked items
• Compare two articles
• Review articles/key issues
• Article review
• Evaluate website

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Better assignments

• Learning outcomes
• Assessment tools
• http//www.csulb.edu/ttravis/GESI/revised.htm
• Share your assignment with us

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Creating Assignments

•  
• Creating Effective Library Assignmentshttp//sac.
  edu/students/library/nealley/pathfinders/effective
  _assignments.htm
• Promoting Information Literacy through Class
  Assignmentshttp//www.csuchico.edu/lins/assignmen
  ts/promoting_infolit.html
• Guidelines for Creating Effective Library
  Assignments.http//library.csusm.edu/departments/
  ilp/effective_assignments.asp
• Guidelines for Designing and Implementing
  Effective Library Research Assignmentshttp//lib
  rary.csun.edu/assign.htmleff
• Common Pitfalls to Library Research
  http//dometest.sdsu.edu/about/depts/instruction/
  pitfalls.shtml
• Tips for Effective Library Assignmentshttp//www.
  lib.berkeley.edu/TeachingLib/Tips.html
• Effective Library Assignmentshttp//www.bgsu.edu/
  colleges/library/infosrv/lue/effectiveassignments.
  html
• Library Assignments Some Tips and
  Remindershttp//www2.canisius.edu/canhp/canpub/ci
  q/CIQ_May96/library.html
• Term Paper Alternativeshttp//www.lib.berkeley.e
  du/TeachingLib/PaperAlternatives.html
•  

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Learning Outcomes

• Writing Learning Outcomeshttp//www.aallnet.org/p
  rodev/outcomes.asp
• How to Write Learning Outcomeshttp//www.ncgia.uc
  sb.edu/education/curricula/giscc/units/format/outc
  omes.html
•  

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Assessment Tools

• http//www.santarosa.edu/library/assignments.shtml
  
• http//www.csupomona.edu/library/InfoComp/instrum
  ent.htm
• http//www.topsy.org/InfoLitAssess.html
• http//www2.library.unr.edu/ragains/assess.html
•  
• Improving Assignments
• http//www.csulb.edu/ttravis/GESI/revised.htm

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Questions? Suggestions?

• Thank you for coming!