Designing Effective Library Assignments

We have visited the library since we were children. For most of us, the childhood experiences were pleasant. We knew our librarians; we pestered them for this book or that; and we asked for help with school projects. Fromour hometown libraries to the Library of Congress, librarians always have been the keepers of knowledge.. They are the catalogers, the bibliographers, the guides to information. In this era of rapidly changing technology, the librarians are the people to whom composition teachers should turn when they teach basic research.

Essential approaches to research remain the same. What has changed is the amount of information available to us and the forms used to distribute it. Students can access library resources from computer terminals throughout campuses and from their homes. Online catalogs have been joined by full text/image databases that enable students to read the texts of books and journals on their computer screens. Selecting and evaluating information resources remains a critical component of the research process.

In this "Age of Information" it is all the more important that the library assignment be designed carefully, taking into consideration the sources available, the students' knowledge of the library, and the desired goals of the assignment. Because of their working knowledge of information resources, librarians can help instructors design assignments that will teach students to develop good research strategies and maximize the use of both print and online library materials. Composition teachers should draw upon the expertise of librarians as a resource for the teaching of research skills.

PRE-ASSESSMENT
Pre-assessment is important. Determine your own objectives and determine what the student should know to meet your objectives.

1. Clarify your objectives for the assignment.

• How do they relate to course objectives?
• What research strategies will students learn?
• What do you expect students to learn about library research as a result of the assignment?

2. Assess what students should know to meet your objectives.

• When you give the students an assignment: "Go to the library and find....," do they know where to go in the library and how to gather the information?
• Which library skills will the students need to fulfill the assignment?
• Are they familiar with the organization of the library?
• Do students know where to begin their search?
• Do students understand library jargon? Can they distinguish between reference and reserve, or microfilm and microfiche?

• Do they have an understanding of basic search strategies for both print and electronic resources?

• Can they interpret the information found in citations for books, journals and newspapers?; Do they know the difference between an index and an abstract?; Can they use a periodical index?
• If the assignment involves using equipment, do they know how to use microform readers, or photocopiers?

• Are the students computer literate?
• Do they know about search engines and databases?

• What critical thinking skills are you expecting them to use?
• Will they be required to evaluate the information retrieved for credibility, accuracy or bias?
• Will they have to differentiate between scholarly and popular journal articles or web sites?
• Will they need to use primary and secondary sources?; Do they understand the difference?

3. Consult with the librarian.
Once you have determined the information students need to use the library, consult with your librarian before finalizing the assignment. Review assignment objectives and goals with the library. Review the assignment in terms of the search strategies needed.

• Are library resources adequate for the assignment? The librarian will be able to identify types of sources and the level of those sources that may or may not be useful.   Books? Encyclopedias? Newspapers? Periodicals? Audiovisual materials? Print or online formats? Scholarly or popular treatments?

• If specific titles are required: Are they available and readily accessible in the library?
• If specific online resources are required: Are the URL's current? Where will students access them?

• Is the time frame given for the assignment reasonable?

DESIGN TIPS
Expect things to change.  The library today is a rapidly changing environment,  so it is especially important to verify the availability and location of desire materials, WWW sites and electronic library resources.

• To ease the frustration of students competing for the same resources, provide a broad variety of topics and allow students to find information from a range of similar books or periodicals instead of a few selected titles. If it is necessary for the entire class to use specific resources, put them on reserve to ensure equal access for all students.

• Choose assignments that promote the research process and encourage critical thinking. Avoid "scavenger hunts" for trivial information.
• Help students pace the assignment. If the assignment is an extended project, establish deadlines for different stages of the assignment to help students manage their work.

Include in your assignment:

A. Assignment objective

B. Sources to be considered

C. Citation style (APA, MLA, Chicago)

D. Date(s) due.

 Pre-test the assignment and assess its feasibility. (Do it yourself.)
Ask yourself, "if I tried to complete my own assignment, would I be successful?"

EVALUATION
Ask for feedback from the students and the librarians.

• Were the objectives for the assignment achieved?
• Did they integrate well into the course objectives?
• Did the students understand the assignment?
• Were they sufficiently prepared to complete the assignment?
• Were there sufficient resources?
• Were the appropriate resources used?
• What resources did the students site in their bibliography?
• How may the assignment be strengthened?