This information has been provided for librarians, instructors, faculty, and other educators interested in learning more about the Library Research Guide. If you have contributions or suggestions about using UI&U Library Research Guide, please email us.
What is UI&U Library Research Guide?
How Can Instructors Effectively Use UI&U Library Research Guide with their Learners?
Does UI&U Library Research Guide Replace Library Instruction?
What Is UI&U Library Research Guide?
UI&U Library Research Guide is a resource for UI&U learners, a self-instructional tutorial to teach them basic library and research skills. It covers the research process from initial topic selection to citation styles and the issue of plagiarism. There is a link to UI&U Library Research Guide on the library's' home page or it can be accessed directly from http://www.myunion.edu/library/tutorial/index.htm.
Its content is organized into eight modules:
| 1. Using the library | is an overview that introduces students to library services. |
| 2. Identifying Sources | is an overview that introduces students to various types of sources. |
| 3.Choosing a topic | provides tips on broadening and narrowing a topic and discusses key concepts. |
| 4. Searching basics | introduces the fundamentals of searching databases. |
| 5. Finding books | has live practice searches in our online catalog. |
| 6. Finding articles | provides practice searching in Academic Search Premier database. |
| 7. Evaluating sources | includes the comparative evaluation of sources. |
| 8. Citing sources | includes the topics of citing, plagiarism, and copyright. |
Learners can complete the tutorial on their own time outside of class. Each of its eight sections takes about 15 minutes and learners can complete one or more modules at a time. Most of the modules are followed by a short quiz (see details below).
Who Is It Designed For?
UI&U Library Research Guide is designed for all learners who are engaged in substantial writing and research. However, we hope instructors of other groups will find it useful and assign it to their learners.
How Can Instructors Effectively Use UI&U Library Research Guide?
Please have learners complete UI&U Library Research Guide before they begin their research or attend a library session. Students can complete UI&U Library Research Guide on their own time and submit their quiz results to you.
Most modules are followed by a short quiz and a results page, which provides an overall percentage score for that module, as well as a summary of questions answered right or wrong. Students can either print the eight results pages with their name and submit the printouts to you as proof of completion or they can email their quiz results to you.
We strongly suggest that learners be required to pass the quizzes with a score of at least 85% or better. Learners may retake a quiz as many times as they want to improve their score.
Does UI&U Library Research Guide Replace Library Instruction?
No! We continue to offer course-related library instruction and hope that you will incorporate a library session into your syllabus. Timing is important! Have your learners complete UI&U Library Research Guide, then schedule library instruction with us for a date after they've received an assignment. Then they will learn about searching databases when they need these skills to complete their research assignment. Research has shown that:
- Students learn best and retain most when they need the information.
- Library instruction is more effective when the course instructor is present.
- Library instruction is more effective when coordinated with a class assignment.
Gary Library can provide in person instruction in Montpelier, VT or remote instruction using Elluminate desktop conferencing software. Please call us at least 2 weeks ahead to schedule a library session.
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