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Activities
Types and Uses of Information Formats
- Brainstorm, Color-code for use, Discuss
- Brainstorm on chart paper in pairs/small groups different types of information formats (magazines, videos, ID cards, phone books, tweets, photos, blogs, articles, poems, quotes, data tables, spreadsheets, letters, etc.)
- Suggest a possible project: (ex: Write an article for Rolling Stones Magazine about the musician, Prince) Students then take a red marker and circle all the types of information on their chart that might be useful for that paper, and write in (also in red marker) any additional types of information that might be useful for that purpose (This can be repeated with another type of academic paper topic (ex: write a comprehensive report on climate change for the President to use to create policy initiatives) that would require different resources and should be done using a different color marker)
- Have groups share and discuss the types of information they think would be helpful for such a paper, and what types they thought of to add on to the list.
- Why would those be appropriate sources for this purpose?
- Which characteristics of that information format make it appropriate for this use?
- Where might you look for such information?
- How would you locate different information formats in the databases?
- Provide physical examples of different information formats (Book, article, video, website, blog, etc.). In pairs/groups, students look at each example and generate a list of potential uses/research needs for which each type of information format would be most useful. (Can use this same procedure for evaluation exercise)
- Whole class brainstorms orally different types of information formats. Librarian or a student writes them on the board. Whole class discussion of what/how each type would be used (for).
- Follow up with individual brainstorms for their paper topics. Do a “Think & Pass” activity where students brainstorm for their own topic on a piece of paper, pass that to a neighbor and receive a neighbor’s list, then brainstorm for his/her topic, pass again… usually 4 times and get back original paper with 3 more people’s ideas on it. (Can do this activity with search terms as well.)
- Personalization exercise:
- Show Eli Pariser’s “Beware Online ‘Filter Bubbles" video:
- Have each student conduct a Google search using the same search term
- Compare/contrast top 10 results
- Discuss why there are differences, what might they be based on, etc.
- Compare to a Multi-Search using the same search term: Does everyone get the same results? Why?
- How do we use this information when we are searching to make sure we get access to all resources available?
Access
- Assign (or have students pull from a cluster of slips) a database for each pair/group to investigate. Provide a list of 6 to 8 features of that website for the students to explore. Then each pair/group goes to the podium and demonstrates how to use that database and explains its features as well as recommending it for specific purposes/research needs (This same activity can be done with a single common search in a database and pass out different “Limiters” to each pair of students to investigate and then demonstrate to the class: Full text; Peer-Reviewed – Scholarly; Publication Date; Subject terms; Content Type; Geography, etc.)
- “Speed databasing”: In groups/pairs search the same topic in 4 different databases, either walking to “stations” around the room with a USB key or just on their group computer. Discuss as a whole group how the databases worked for that search.
- Demonstrate how to use selected databases most appropriate to assignment, and then students conduct searches for their particular topics while professor/librarian circulates working with them one-on-one
- “Keywords to the Rescue” (p. 32 from Fawley, Nancy & Krysak, Nikki. The Discovery Tool Cookbook: Recipes for Successful Lesson Plans. ACRL, 2016) See document below.
- Students conduct the same search in Google and in the Multi-Search (or a single database such as Academic Search Ultimate) and then compare/contrast, and evaluate the top 10 results. (Results, searchability, full-text access, # of sources from each domain: .com, .org, .net, .edu, .mil., etc. Which of the top 10 results would you use in your paper?) This exercise can be used to compare Google to Google Scholar as well in ENG 200. Optionally demonstrate the Google Scholar library links feature to ENG 200 students.
- Search Terms Think & Pass: Place students in groups of 4 or 5. Each student has a paper & writes their name and paper topic at top with 4 or 5 columns beneath it. Students brainstorm search terms for their topic for 1 minute, then passes paper to neighbor on right and everyone brainstorms the topic on that paper for 1 minute, then passes to neighbor on right and continues process until each person has their own paper back.
- Boolean Search Terms exercise (see document below)
Evaluate
- Supply students (pairs/groups) with sources (websites, physical examples, etc.)
- Is this a “credible source?” Decide yes or no and write 3 reasons to support your decision on an index card (these can be saved as assessment devices)
- Discuss as a class with librarian writing reasons students give under the 6 CRAAPO sections on the board: Currency, Relevance, Accuracy, Authority, Purpose, Objectivity
- Compare/Contrast; Discuss issues such as same statistics being used to support opposing arguments; Bias in language and tone
- Watch Evaluating Sources Using the SIFT Method video:
- Each student finds a source for their topic either online or using the databases
- Students use SIFT method to evaluate that source
- Share as a class/discuss
- Find a source you WOULD use for your paper; Find a source you would NOT use for your paper
- List your reasons why/why not for each sources
- Share
- Scenario: Role Play (Examples: Surgery: doc & patient; Running for office: Candidate & Campaign manager; Briefing on a Campus Racial Issue: Advisor & College President; Student & Librarian on a particular topic)
- Information need presented
- Credentialed person as one of the members of the role play, the other role is the person who needs/seeks information
- Student plays professor/librarian to help other student and then reverse roles (10 minutes)
- Open discussion of challenges experienced during the process and potential solutions
Videos
- Infobase Videos:
- Collective Noun videos: Videos created by 3 Australian young men, very funny, with multiple uses. Check out the "Uni Videos" short for "University." Great conversation starters. The one titled Honest Uni Lecturers deals with credibility.
Other Info Lit Curricula
