Designing Library Assignments

Some guidelines for making library research a learning experience for students.

Purpose of Library Assignments

• Makes the students aware of the different resources available for research (print, article databases, web, videos, microfilm, newspapers, etc)
• Helps students learn to evaluate appropriate topical resources
• Relates to course material or subject matter
• Introduces students to the process of finding information
• Instructs students in the method of principled research and proper citation

Prepping Students for Research

• Make sure your students know why they are doing this assignment.  What is its purpose?
• If you want students to become familiar with certain resources, make a  list of these sources, including any call numbers and other location information
• Library instruction may be helpful for first-time researchers, or for research that may become complex

Characteristics of Effective Research Assignments

• Give library assignments in writing rather than orally
• Make it simple and unambiguous
• Before setting students loose, make sure they understand the assignment in its entirety
• Use precise terminology
  • If you want students to use both magazines and journals, make sure they know the difference and know your requirements
  • Be certain everyone understands the difference between an online/web resource and a subscription article database (note: there is no difference in content between a print journal article and an article accessed via InfoTrac, Academic Search Premier, etc.)
  • Clarify expectations of “peer reviewed”, “scholarly”, “academic”, “juried”, “judged”, “refereed”, “professional” journals for your discipline—if you require students to use a specific journal (or list of journals), give them the list
• Check assignments periodically to make sure they are still current and require information that is accessible to the student
• Do the assignment yourself to see how easy information is to find/access and how long it takes to complete—keep in mind your students’ inexperience

Hazards to Avoid

• Assuming that your students have any prior research experience
• Requiring resources that aren’t available (or are hard to find)
• Sending the entire class to do the same assignment at the same time (resources will need to be used by everyone, and will be scattered throughout the library and/or mis-shelved after each use)
• Giving a scavenger hunt.  It is difficult to construct an assignment in this format that does not frustrate the students and lead to negative perceptions about research in general
• Not making sure there are adequate resources in the library to fill the necessary number of book/article resources required for all students

Role of the Librarian 

• Helping you develop assignments
• Teaching library skills—we will be happy to come into your classroom and provide students with a Library Instruction session 

Alternatives to Traditional Research Papers 

• Produce an annotated bibliography
• Compare and contrast the discussion of the same topic in a magazine article and a scholarly research article
• Identify key issues or people in a discipline
• Compare and contrast two journal articles with opposite points of view on a topic
• Compare two journal articles with the same topic from two different time periods
• Remember: It is very useful for research assistance if librarians have an advance copy of the assignment!

References:

• http://www.bgsu.edu/colleges/library/
• http://www.lib.umd.edu/UES/assignment.html
• http://www.lib.washington.edu/help/guides/design.html 
• http://www.library.miami.edu/guides/designing_tips.html