Creating Research
Assignments for Your Class
By Carol Womack
Professional Development
Day, Spring 2005
Effective Assignments Mean:
Less frustration for students
Better research
Critical thinking skills
Lifelong learning skills
Effective Assignment--Definition
Has a specific, understood purpose
Relates to course
Increased understanding of subject
Variety of sources
Timeline
Better assignments
Learning outcomes
Assessment tools
Share your assignment with us
Use available sources
Use the Library
Put books on RESERVE
Check Library’s holdings
http://xe9hz9pm5b.search.serialssolution
s.com/
Find articles in databases and link to
them
http://library.smc.edu/faculty/elink.html
Use the Library
Share assignment
Share syllabus
Carol Womack x4635
The Topic
Direction
Limits
Objectives
Selecting a topic is
difficult
http://library.smc.ed
u/research/topics/
Narrow/expand
topic
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.h
tml
Help for students
Encourage them to visit Reference
Desk
Put materials on Reserve
Sample research papers
Sample bibliographies
http://library.smc.edu/research/citation
.html
Pitfalls
Same assignment
Inaccurate source names
Trivial pursuit
Inefficient Use of Internet
Plagiarism
Alternatives to the term paper
Annotated bibliography of ranked
items
Compare two articles
Review articles/key issues
Article review
Evaluate website
Better assignments
Learning outcomes
Assessment tools
http://www.csulb.edu/~ttravis/GESI/re
vised.htm
Share your assignment with us
Creating Assignments
Creating Effective Library Assignments
http://sac.edu/students/library/nealley/pathfinders/effective_assignme
nts.htm
Promoting Information Literacy through Class Assignments
http://www.csuchico.edu/lins/assignments/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 Assignments
http://library.csun.edu/assign.html#eff
Common Pitfalls to Library Research
http://dometest.sdsu.edu/about/depts/instruction/pitfalls.shtml
Tips for Effective Library Assignments
http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/TeachingLib/Tips.html
Effective Library Assignments
http://www.bgsu.edu/colleges/library/infosrv/lue/effectiveassignments.
html
Library Assignments: Some Tips and Reminders
http://www2.canisius.edu/canhp/canpub/ciq/CIQ_May96/library.html
Term Paper Alternatives:
http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/TeachingLib/PaperAlternatives.html
Learning Outcomes
Writing Learning Outcomes
http://www.aallnet.org/prodev/outcomes.asp
How to Write Learning Outcomes
http://www.ncgia.ucsb.edu/education/curricula/
giscc/units/format/outcomes.html
Assessment Tools
http://www.santarosa.edu/library/assignments.
shtml
http://www.csupomona.edu/~library/InfoComp/i
nstrument.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
Questions? Suggestions?
Thank you for
coming!