Designing Assignments That Can Be Effectively Supported by the Libraries

Instructors may take up the challenge on their own of introducing students to the library or particular sources in the library. While library staff are available to consult with you about designing assignments and in-library sessions, there may be times when producing a joint product isn't possible.

DOs

The following is a list of general concerns related to designing assignments you should be aware of before bringing or sending students to the library:

• Plan to invest the several hours necessary to develop and implement an effective assignment/instruction session.

  Finding documentation in a research library setting is a challenging, if not daunting, task for most undergraduates. The purpose of your assignment should be two-fold: focus your students attention on a limited number of sources that will yield materials needed for writing, and do this in such a manner that the finding process can be replicated independently.

  To be successful on both counts, you'll need to know the best source(s) for your purpose, where they are located, and how to use them. Designing good assignments is a labor intensive activity, your job is to zero in on the few best tools to use among the thousands that are available.

• Clarify and state your objectives, to yourself and your students.

  What do you expect students to learn about information sources as the result of this assignment, and how do these objectives fit with your course objectives? For example, are you assuming that your students will know to look for scholarly articles for your annotated bibliography assignment? Will they know how to identify a scholarly journal? Do they know that there are separate indexes for scholarly and popular sources?

  Be careful not to make assumptions about common experience or skill levels using libraries.

• Use library guides to supplement your teaching whenever possible.

  There are guides written by library staff for virtually all disciplinary and cross-disciplinary areas, as well as many on current topics. In addition, we can make available multiple copies of guides outlining how to effectively search all of the major databases available to the public.

  Contact the Wilson Library Reference Desk at 626-2227 for further information on acquiring multiple copies of guides.

• Use teams or small groups.

  If appropriate, have students look for materials in teams or small groups. This approach to finding materials can be especially helpful when students are being introduced to computerized resources. Working in small groups, students can often teach each other.

• Make sure that the library can support the assignment requirements.

  Avoid assigning or signing off on topics that are so current, specialized or "localized" that little or no information is available. For popular culture topics, such as music or concert reviews, public libraries generally offer a better collection of news and "lifestyle" magazines than do research libraries.

  If you have questions about the "fit" of a particular topic to a research library collection, call the reference desk and speak with a librarian.

• Emphasize "civility"!

  You may be asking your students to use the same set of resources for your assignment. That means that all class members should be reminded that they are responsible for keeping materials accessible. Reference materials shouldn't be stranded at photocopy machines, in carrels or in the stacks. Keep materials close by the shelf where they are filed.

• Check your assignment before re-using it to see if the index, computer file, terminal, guide rack, etc. is still in the collection and in the same place you've identified it as being.

  The library is a "living" space in the sense that materials are constantly being shifted, reclassed, undergoing title changes and the like. Stay on top of your assignment by periodically checking at the reference desk to see if the assignment is still current with respect to location.

• Be aware that electronic resources--online and CD-ROM files--that have become such integral parts of the library are also constantly changing.

  This has several implications:

  • Not all resources are available in all library locations. Your assignment should identify exactly where a resource is located on campus. You should also be able to tell students if a file is available on a first-come, first serve basis, or if they must sign up to use it.
  • Some databases and/or terminals require the use of an ID and password for logging on. If you are assigning use of a file that has restricted access, inform them about the restrictions.
  • As noted above, never re-use an assignment without first checking to make sure that the log-on process/search protocols haven't changed. Make sure that the libraries are still offering the system(s) you've asked students to use from previous semesters. Inversely, call the library to find out if we have new databases that might prove valuable to students working on the assignment.

DON'Ts

In addition to those things you can do to create effective assignments, here are a few things you should avoid doing:

• DO NOT assume your students have a uniform level of research skills.
  A few direct questions in class about experience with online catalogs, computerized indexes or a discipline-based bibliography will give you some sense of the general level of experience, as well as allow you to gauge which students might function as team or group leaders. Asking will also help determine your objectives for the library aspect of the research assignment.
• DO NOT give students a sketchy or faulty reference to an item and expect the student or the library staff to figure out what you are up to.
  If you must give an erroneous citation for the purpose of illustrating that many researchers perform sloppy research, tell them specifically what you are doing and what you wish to see corrected.
• DO NOT refer students to specific journals or magazines for browsing, unless it will serve a particular purpose.
  Browsing is not the best approach to most undergraduate research. Students will have more success if you recommend a particular index or abstract, identify its call number and location, and describe the index's scope. Browsing may work at the graduate level, where the researcher is aware of the core journals in her field, but not for pre-majors working on current topics.
• DO NOT send an entire class to the library in search of the same items.
  The "scavenger" hunt can work under tightly controlled conditions, but more often students perceive them as busywork. Unless hunts are focused, brief, and require the student to explore the found source and reflect on it use, they tend to sour students on additional library use.