Carmen Genuardi, BSc., BEd., M.L.I.S. Health Sciences Liaison Librarian

1. Creating Effective Research Assignments While Keeping Your Sanity Carmen Genuardi, BSc., BEd., M.L.I.S. Health Sciences Liaison Librarian Some rights reserved (Be_Still)

2. Learning Outcomes & Objectives • Identifying Information Literacy Learning Objectives • Recommendations for Best Practices • Academic Honesty Tutorial • Share Experiences • Next Steps • Your Feedback is Important AGENDA

3. Learning Outcomes: To help support the Faculty in the creation of well-designed, course-related research assignments that utilize Seneca Libraries’ resources and services while at the same time facilitating a positive experience for students who are developing research skills. Some rights reserved (Be_Still)

4. Learning Objectives: Upon completion of this workshop, you will be able to… Know Recall at least 2 of the recommendations that will help create more effective research assignments and student research experiences. Do Incorporate at least one of the recommendations from today’s workshop that may serve to improve an existing or newly created research assignment. Share experiences with the group around creating research assignments (i.e., what has worked for you and what has flopped?). Feel Recognize the benefits of collaborating with the library (i.e., Liaison Librarian) in creating course-specific research assignments. Some rights reserved (Be_Still)

5. “In recent years, as students’ reliance on Internet research has grown, professors have expressed a growing dissatisfaction with the research efforts and thinking skills demonstrated by students” p. 324 “Academics are increasingly struggling to encourage students to perform library research that involves a more in-depth and critical exploration of the subject matter than a quick Google search typically provides.” p. 324 (1) Why? Article in College Teaching describes concern by professors… Mahaffy, Mardi. (Fall 2006). Encouraging Critical Thinking in Student Library Research. College Teaching, 54(4), 324-327.

6. 1. Communication 2. Numeracy 3. Critical Thinking & Problem Solving 4. Information Management [*Information Literacy*] 5. Interpersonal 6. Personal All graduates with the following Ontario College credentials, Ontario College Certificate, Ontario College Diploma and Ontario College Advanced Diploma, must be able to reliably demonstrate the Essential Employability Skills required in each of the following six categories: (2) Why? Essential Employability Skills Ontario Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/general/college/progstan/essential.html

7. 4. Information Management[*Information Literacy*] Ontario Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/general/college/progstan/essential.html

8. What research skills /information literacy skills should students have upon completion of this research assignment? Upon completion of this research assignment, students should be able to: • Knowwhen they have an information need (ie., identify gap in knowledge); • Locatethe needed information in a specific discipline effectively and efficiently; • Use this gathered information ethically (by citing all of their sources); • Evaluate critically, both the gathered information and sources. This spells KLUE….the students should have a KLUE. Identifying learning objectives for your research assignments…

9. When designing an effective research assignment these research skills that spell “KLUE” must be developed within the framework of subject matter of the course. In this way, students are learning about the information sources within their own subject area; as a result, students are simultaneously furthering their knowledge of the subject matter and gaining valuable research skills. Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Educationhttp://www.ala.org/ala/acrl/acrlstandards/informationliteracycompetency.cfm

10. I need some recommendations that will help me be less frustrated with the assignments my students hand in on a regular basis. THERE IS A BETTER WAY!! THE MISSING PIECE OF THE PUZZLE some rights reserved (Fez)

11. Don’t go it alone! The library is meant to be a place filled with resources, services and people who are there to help you. A few recommendations For Best Practices… Contact a Librarian: We can and want to help.

12. Information sources are constantly changing. • Try doing the assignment yourself to test its feasibility and ensure there are a variety of sources (e.g., databases, articles, books, ebooks) available for students to explore/compare different types of information sources. Ensure the library has required information sources • What to do? • Contact a Librarian to ensure availability and access of needed resources ahead of time. • http://library.senecacollege.ca/Faculty/Collection_Development/subject_specialists.htm • Provide a list of the resources to students.

13. Collection Development / Liaison Librarians Remember, we want to hear from you! Send us requests for book titles, videos, and journal titles that will support your research assignments and your courses. By doing so, you will have the required information sources at the library for your students to complete course assignments.

14. Library instruction sessions will help students understand the organization of information within a discipline, how to search databases, and how to evaluate information. *Example of a library instruction session (ppt. and exercise) from an EAC150 class this semester at King Campus. Request a library instruction session to help students succeed

15. Provide clear learning objectives or even steps to follow. • Use Bloom’s Taxonomy to write your learning objectives . • Create a rubric for yourself and your students so there are clear guidelines for your marking scheme. Clearly state what students are expected to learn from the assignment

16. To minimize student frustration, place any journal articles, books or videos that will be used heavily by students to complete an assignment at the reserve desk on a 2 hour loan or overnight. *Course Readings are also an excellent access point for providing course specific online resources . Place material that will be in high demand on reserve

17. Tell students what citation style you require (i.e., APA or MLA). • Through the Seneca Libraries web site (http://library.senecacollege.ca/), students can access online guides for MLA and APA under “Research Help” that were created specifically for Seneca students. Tip: Some faculty are having a discussion around plagiarism and what it means at Seneca and then students write a brief quiz to test understanding and sign this like it’s a contract. Academic Honesty and Plagiarism

18. You can design research assignments that help to promote academic honesty and reduce student plagiarism by: • Students keep a “Research Log”; • Students submit research in stages during year; • Give choices for topic selection; • Collaborate with a Librarian to schedule a library research skills workshop a few weeks before the research assignment is due so that student’s have the skills they need to find reputable sources; • Alter assignment requirements (slightly), every year; • Use Turnitin to encourage students to cite sources. Promoting Academic Honesty

19. http://library.senecacollege.ca/Faculty/ahtutorial.html Pre- and Post-Tests accompany this tutorial consisting of 2 sets of 10 questions created in Respondus which are generated randomly and are then put into Faculty’s Bb course pages. Let me demonstrate!! **HANDOUT WITH RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FACULTY** Related Article: “Designing Assignments to Minimize Cyber-Cheating” from Teaching Professor (January 2005). Academic Honesty Tutorial

20. I would like to take a few minutes to hear from all of you, what have been your experiences around designing (and marking) research assignments for your specific subject areas/discipline? • Please share with us one that you feel worked well or maybe didn’t work so well. • Do you think any of the recommendations from today’s session could improve your assignments? Why or why not? Share your experiences…

21. Next steps next steps Some rights reserved (Malingering)

22. Checklist • Librarians at Seneca Libraries are confident that they can help with your information needs • Teaching & Learning at Seneca http://blogs.senecac.on.ca/faculty_dev/ What’s Next?

23. Many college students regardless of class level, do not have the necessary skills to complete academic library research. • Yet, employers expect graduates will have these skills upon entering the workforce. • Please do not leave this portion of the learning process to chance. • Connect with a Librarian to ensure students have the necessary skills and resources to have a positive library experience. Considerations…

24. "Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education." American Library Association. 2006. http://www.ala.org/acrl/ilcomstan.html (Accessed 15 Nov, 2006). Miriam Library. (April 21, 2006). Promoting Information Literacy through Class Assignments. http://www.csuchico.edu/lins/assignments/promoting_infolit.html (Accessed March 25, 2007). Mahaffy, Mardi. (2006). Encouraging critical thinking in student library research. College Teaching, 54(4), 324-327. Sources Consulted

25. Carmen Genuardi, BSc., BEd., M.L.I.S. Health Sciences Liaison Librarian, Seneca Libraries 416-490-5050 ext. 5194 carmen.genuardi@senecac.on.ca Thank you!! Any Questions? I would love to hear from you. Have more questions?