SUGGESTIONS FOR SUCCESSFUL LIBRARY ASSIGNMENTS

     The goal, and challenge, for us as educators is to develop in our students those skills needed for them to become "Information Literate." Information literacy can be defined as being "able to recognize when information is needed and have the ability to locate, evaluate, and use effectively the needed information."

     Academic libraries have always considered as one of its major functions to teach students the basic skills necessary to find, evaluate, and use information to complete course assignments and build lifelong learning skills. Information literate people are those who have learned how to learn. They understand how information is organized, how to find information, and how to use information for any task or decision needed to be made.

     The most important aspect of any research assignment is to State your research objectives clearly. What should the student learn as a result of the assignment? How do the objectives for the assignment fit in with your course objectives?

Students will be able to:

1. Select an appropriate research topic in the field.
2. Focus on a suitable aspect of the topic.
3. Identify and use the key reference sources in the field.
4. Locate and evaluate the information necessary to support an argument, etc. 

1. Consult with a librarian while developing your assignment to be sure materials are available. Call or email Susan Drummond, Drummond@iup.edu (7-4479).
2. Discuss plagiarism
3. Request library instruction on specific use of reference sources for upper level classes.
4. Confirm topics early in the process. Guide students to appropriate and manageable topics at the outset.
5. Develop mechanisms for monitoring progress. Projects submitted in stages (outline, notecards, rough draft, etc.) provide ongoing interaction and feedback.
6. Encourage students to ask for assistance at the reference desk.
7. Walk through assignments requiring specific reference works to catch changes in revised editions, missing volumes, etc.
8. Provide specific titles, call numbers, and locations of library materials necessary to complete the assignment, if doing so doesn't compromise the assignment's purpose.
9. If you expect two or more students will need to use a specific tool, a circulating book, a court case, a reference resource, put it on Reserve. This assures each student equal access to the materials.