Description of Sessions Offered

Sessions are offered in the following categories:

Locate Information Effectively
Evaluate Information Effectively & Appropriately
Use Information Effectively & Ethically

Locate Information Effectively

Stages of the Library Research Process (5 minutes)

Describes anxious feelings most students experience during the information research process.

Flow of Information: Determining the Right Information Sources (10-15 minutes)

Discusses how coverage of a topic typically progresses over time in popular and scholarly media. Students will learn how researchers can locate needed information more quickly and easily by pinpointing where in the information flows it lies. [Complements the module titled “Distinguishing Among Types of Information: Magazine and Journals.”]

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this module, students will be able to:

• Explain how dissemination of information and commentary upon it progresses linearly from the occurrence of an event (or discovery, etc.) to its documentation.
• Determine where, in the flow of information, useful materials are most likely to be found on a given topic.
• Contrast the likely quality of information available at various points in the flow of information.

Teaching Methods

• Librarian/Instructor asks students to contribute a relevant topic to discuss. (Or, librarian/instructor can identify a clear topic before class.)
• As a class, students construct a timeline of coverage of the topic (guided by librarian/instructor).
• Librarian/Instructor helps to fill in any gaps to students’ timeline.
• To help elicit student participation, librarian/instructor may ask questions covering some of the following concepts:
  • The purpose/nature of various media. For example, contrast local television late-breaking news coverage of an event versus a book that focuses on the same event.
  • Authorship of news media, popular publications, peer-reviewed publications, etc.
  • Credibility of various media and publications. For example, live coverage of an event may include speculation of a news reporter, whereas a scholar analyzing the event months or years after the event may have more facts available.
  • Availability of desired information. For example, if students are hoping to research an event that took place last week, it’s unlikely that they will find peer-reviewed articles available.

Assessment Suggestions

• Informal assessment—librarian/instructor brings up a topic and asks students if types of coverage (newspaper/magazine/journal articles, books, etc.) are likely to be available, or “where on the information flow” it lies. She might ask about an event/issue from a few years ago, and contrast that with something very recent. This assessment may also serve as a review.

Overcoming Library Anxiety (10-15 minutes)

Library anxiety is the feeling of being overwhelmed by the complexity, size, and/or unfamiliarity of a library system. It can cause procrastination, avoidance of library usage in favor of less reliable information sources, and plagiarism.

This module is designed to help students overcome the negative and debilitating feelings of using the library and its resources for scholarly research and personal enrichment.

Learning Outcomes

• Recognition of library anxiety
  • Students will recognize the major components and factors of library anxiety
    • Library staff
    • Library building
    • Location of facilities & resources
    • Catalog system & locating items on shelves
  • Students will understand that library anxiety is a common phenomenon
  • Students will understand that questions regarding the information process are common
• Alleviation of library anxiety
  • Students will become familiar and comfortable in a campus library
  • Students will recognize the librarian as an important information resource
  • Students will learn the layout of the library building
  • Students will learn the location of library resources
  • Students will gain a basic understanding of the catalog system
  • Students will know how to look for an item on the shelf
• Alleviation of research anxiety
  • Students will learn the various stages of the research process
  • Students will learn to set intermediate goals & deadlines for their research

Teaching Methods

• Recognition of library anxiety
  • Instructor & students discuss past library experiences and the emotions they experienced
  • Instructor & students discuss stereotypes of librarians/libraries
    • School mar’m
    • Guardian/barrier to the books (a la “Name of the Rose”)
    • Helpful aid to attaining information needs (a la “Buffy”)
  • Students visit library without formal introduction for information gathering exercise
    • Record their experiences/emotions in journals or logs
    • Discuss their journal entries in group
    • Discuss specific factors that caused any anxiety during visit
• Alleviation of library anxiety
  • Students and instructor meet with librarian for:
    • Building tour
    • Orientation
    • Questions & Answers
    • Discussions what the librarian does/can do for patron
  • Library Map exercise
    On blank library map students label location of library facilities
    • Current periodicals
    • Circulation desk
    • Reference desk
    • Restrooms
    • Telephones
    • Exit doors
    • Stax
    • Elevators
    • Administration offices
    • Computer labs
    • Dictionaries
    • Night Powell
    • Collaborative workrooms
    • Laptop checkout stations
    • Instructional media lab
    • Classroom
    • Photocopy rooms
  • In-Library Exercises: Major Collections and Service Points
    • e.g. http://www.usg.edu/galileo/skills/unit03/libraries03_14.phtml
    • http://library4.vccs.edu/connect/tcc/assign/tourmajor.doc
  • Explanation of basics of the catalog system
    • e.g. http://www.usg.edu/galileo/skills/unit03/libraries03_04.phtml
  • Students will know how to look for an item on the shelf
    • Treasure hunt – find call numbers on shelf
• Alleviation of research anxiety
  • Study & discussion of research models (a la Kuhlthau)
    • Compare students’ feelings in their research journals to research models
  • Assignment time-lines
    • Break down assignment into sequential mini-goals
    • Make deadlines for mini-goals

Assessment Suggestions

• Muddiest Point
• One-Minute Paper
• Pre-test and post-test
• Analysis of exercises
• Analysis of search journals/logs showing development of info gathering skills

Research Topic Selection (15 minutes) (under construction!)

Models how to narrow or broaden a topic and come up with a research inquiry statement, followed by a small group exercise where students follow the same process.

Creating an Effective Search Statement (10-15 minutes) (under construction!)

What are the important elements of a topic? How can they be translated into an effective search statement for computerized resources? Active learning exercise to identify the key terms and synonyms of a topic statement, learn about Boolean operators, and develop a search statement that reflects the critical elements of a topic.

Primary vs. Secondary Resources (20 minutes)

Will teach students to distinguish between primary and secondary source material. This module is particularly useful for history classes, or in any case students are required to locate primary source books, documents, and articles.

Learning Outcomes

Students will be able to distinguish between primary and secondary source material and apply this knowledge to their databases searches in cases where this kind of material is required for their research.

Teaching Methods

Examples will be presented in class by lecture, visuals, and perhaps actual examples brought to class. Students will then do an exercise using the UCLA Library Catalog and a general article database (e.g. EA ASAP) and locate an example of a primary source book and primary and secondary source articles.

Outline:

1. What are primary and secondary sources?
   

   Definitions:
   http://www.princeton.edu/~refdesk/primary2.html
   http://library.schreiner.edu/guides/libxguide_primevssec.htm

2. Why are they important?
   
3. Demo using the UCLA Library Catalog for books, oral histories, manuscripts, etc. On the website, include a list of applicable LCSH subheadings (e.g. diaries, personal narratives, biography, etc).
   
4. Demo using Expanded Academic ASAP and Lexis/Nexis how to locate primary source periodical articles.
   
5. Exercise

Assessment Suggestions

Librarian or instructor may collect the exercises and check them for accuracy. This also provides direct feedback to the students.

Locating & Evaluating Books (25 minutes)

Explains the differences between the UCLA Library Catalog catalog and the California Digital Library’s (CDL) Melvyl catalog. Demonstrates effective use of the UCLA Library Catalog for identifying and locating books at UCLA. Discusses how to evaluate search results.

Learning Outcomes

Identify

• Students will distinguish between an online system and online database.
• Students will correctly identify the Library Catalog UCLA Libraries and Collections database as the library catalog for finding books.
• Students will construct an effective search strategy using the UCLA Library Catalog.
  • Students will use truncation and quotation marks properly and effectively.
  • Students will discern the difference between keyword searches and subject/controlled vocabulary searches.
  • Students will use a keyword search to identify useful books.
    • Students will identify useful subject headings within the full record for an item and execute a new search from those headings.
  • Students will learn methods to identify subject/controlled vocabulary terms for searching in the UCLA Library Catalog.
    • Students will identify appropriate subject headings using the database thesaurus.
    • Students will find additional subject headings by looking at the full record for an item.
  • Students will construct an effective search strategy for a known item using appropriate UCLA Library Catalog commands.

Locate

• Students will use the UCLA Library Catalog to find locations and status information
  • Students will identify the call number and library that owns a particular item.
  • Students will identify sub-location and format of books.
  • Students will correctly interpret status information.
  • Students will and identify their library card number, learn how to recall an item, request an SRLF item and initiate a search.

Evaluate

• Students will be able to identify key elements in a Library Catalog record and understand their evaluative uses.:
  • author
  • title
  • publisher
  • date of publication
  • number of pages
  • inclusion of illustrations, charts, tables and other graphic information
  • contents notes
  • subject headings
  • library that owns the book

Teaching Methods

Identify

• Students identify search terms for keyword searching.
• Librarian and students compile a list of synonyms and determine which, if any, are subject headings/controlled vocabulary terms.
• Students identify useful subject headings from records found through a keyword search.
• Librarian models searches while explaining keyword vs subject searching
• Students try searching using the librarian’s and/or their own topic.
• Librarian uses questioning to elicit input and involve students.

Locate

• Librarian points out and explains elements of the Library Catalog record
• Librarian uses questioning to elicit input and involve students.

Evaluate

• Librarian points out and explains elements of the Library Catalog record
• Librarian uses questioning to elicit input and to involve students.
• Students examine results, vote on the most relevant books and discuss reasons for their choice.

Assessment Suggestions

• Muddiest Point
• One-Minute Paper
• Pre-test and post-test
• Students will find relevant books and email results to themselves and/or instructor.
• Librarian asks instructor about to assess quality of books chosen for final project.

Locating & Evaluating Articles (25 minutes)

Demonstrates effective selection and use of article index databases to identify relevant periodical articles. Discusses evaluation of search results. Demonstrates how to locate periodicals (magazines and journals) subscribed to by the Library.

Learning Outcomes

Identify

• Students will know that article index databases are available in both print and electronic formats.
• Students will distinguish among gateways to online article index databases
• Based on their subject and level of scholarship needs, students will select the most appropriate article index databases.
• Students will construct an effective search strategy using appropriate commands and search terms...
  • Students will use truncation properly and effectively
  • Students will differentiate the functions of the three basic Boolean operators(“and”, “or” and “not”).
  • Students will discern the difference between keyword searches and subject/controlled vocabulary searches.
  • Students will use a keyword search to identify useful articles.
  • Students will learn methods to identify subject/controlled vocabulary terms used in article index databases.
    • Students will identify appropriate subject headings using the database thesaurus.
    • Students will identify subject headings or their equivalent within the full record for an item.
  • Students will use subject/controlled vocabulary terms to identify useful articles.
  • Students will be able to discern what information is provided for each article.
  • Students will be able to correctly identify the elements of a periodical article citation.

Locate

• Students will determine the availability of periodical articles.
• Students will understand the variety of formats for periodicals articles:print, microform, electronic.
• Students will be able to use UC-elinks.
• Students will be able to use the UCLA Library Catalog.
  • Students will correctly interpret holdings statements.
  • Students will identify sub-locations and formats for print periodicals.
• Students will be able to use index database features to create lists, and email or print citations, abstracts, and full text if available.

Evaluate

• Students will evaluate the usefulness of periodicals articles based on:
  • audience – magazine vs journal
  • purpose – magazine vs journal
  • scope
  • recency of publication
  • length
  • point of view/bias
  • inclusion of bibliography/references
  • availability of an abstract
  • availability of text in print or electronic format

Teaching Methods

Identify

• Librarian shows students how to access periodical article gateways.
• Librarian models selecting appropriate periodical index database using gateway.
• Students use gateway to select appropriate periodical article database for their topic.
• Students identify search terms for keyword searching.
• Students identify useful subject headings from records found through a keyword search.
• Students try searching using the librarian’s and/or their own topic.
• Librarian shows students how to determine what article information is available, e.g. citation, abstract, full-text.
• Librarian asks students to identify different elements of periodical article citations.
• Librarian gives students a list of citations and asks them to identify what types of resources they represent.
• Librarian uses questioning to elicit input and involve students.

Locate

• Librarian shows students how to use databases features to mark records, create lists, and email or print records/articles.
• Students find relevant articles and email results to themselves
• Librarian shows students how to use UC-elinks.
• Librarian shows students how to use the UCLA Library Catalog to search for journal titles.
• Librarian explains elements of serial holdings statement and location information.
• Librarian uses questioning to elicit input and involve students.

Evaluate

• Librarian points out and explains elements of the Library Catalog record.
• Librarian uses questioning to elicit input and to involve students.
• Students examine results of an article search, vote on the most relevant articles and discuss reasons for their choice.
• Librarian and students discuss differences between journals and magazines.

Assessment Suggestions

• Muddiest Point
• One-Minute Paper
• Pre-test and post-test
• Students will find relevant articles and email results to themselves and/or instructor.
• Librarian asks instructor about to assess quality of articles chosen for final project.

Mastering the Maze: Interpreting Call Numbers (1-3 minutes)

Libraries are some of the most organized places on the planet, although for those who unfamiliar with the organization, it may seem like a chaotic labyrinth. This short module will help students crack the call number code so that finding an item on the shelf may never become an exercise in frustration again. [Complements the module titled “Finding Books.”]

Learning Outcomes

• Students will associate the letter(s) of a call number with a subject area.
• Students will associate the letter(s) of a call number with a location.
• Students will interpret the series of letters and numbers in a call number accurately. (For example, if the call number is PS 531, student do not think the book is missing when they look at the series of books on the shelve PS 52, PS 54.)

  Teaching Methods

Librarian will integrate this short module into the finding books or finding periodical locations modules.

• During the Finding Books module, the librarian will:
  • Explain how to determine the location of the item while teaching students how to interpret the Library Catalog record for a book.
  • Show students the “expanded results” feature of the UCLA Library Catalog, ask if they notice any pattern.
  • Explain that materials in the library are organized by subject.
  • Explain that the first letter(s) of a call number imparts two vital pieces of information: 1) the general subject matter and 2) the location.
• During the Finding Articles module, the librarian will:
  • Explain how to determine the location of print periodicals while teaching UC-eLinks or the UCLA Library Catalog.
  • Explain that materials in the library are organized by subject.
  • Explain that the first letter(s) of a call number imparts two vital pieces of information: 1) the general subject matter and 2) the location.
• Helpful Materials
  • Call Number Locations Floor Maps online
    • http://www.library.ucla.edu/libraries/college/powell/map/powell1st.htm
    • http://www.library.ucla.edu/libraries/biomed/quickguides/ldbl_call_number_locs.html
    • http://www.anderson.ucla.edu/resources/library/vtour/main.map?184,9
    • http://www.library.ucla.edu/libraries/url/asd/maps/urlmaps.htm
    • http://www.library.ucla.edu/libraries/url/periodicals/Flr_Map.htm
  • browse books by subject
    http://www.library.ucla.edu/college/research/books/lc.htm

Assessment Suggestions

• In the course of teaching students the finding books or finding articles modules, the librarian/instructor can ask students which article or book they would think best fits their need (while looking at a list of results). Then, ask students where they would go to get the item.
• If the class is very small or an on-going class (like a credit course), ask students to find an item on the shelf.
• The instructor can build assessment of this module into his or her assignment by asking students to photocopy the title page of one resource that is included in their bibliography as evidence that the student managed to find the item in the library.

Evaluate Information Effectively & Appropriately

Critical Thinking About Web Sites (15-30 minutes)

How to screen web sites for accuracy, currency, reliability, authority, and bias using web exercises: "Hoax? Scholarly Research? Personal Opinion? You Decide!"

Distinguishing Among Different Types of Information: Magazines vs. Journals (15 minutes)

What are the differences between magazines and journals? Which are appropriate for what sorts of research?
(See Selecting the Right Source) (under construction!)

Unreviewed Web Pages/Sites vs. Reviewed Web Pages/Sites for Research (20-30 minutes)

What sort of information is available on the web and how can you tell which would be most useful for research?

Use Information Effectively & Ethically

Citation Style 1 (10-15 minutes)

Learners will demonstrate mastery of skills needed to interpret a variety of citations correctly.

Learning Outcomes

Learners will identify citations for books, articles and web sites, by interpreting information provided in citations for these items.

Teaching Methods

Given citations for books, articles and web sites, learners will sort the citations correctly by type of material.

Assessment Suggestions

At least 90% of learners will sort the citations by type with at least 90% accuracy.

Citation Style 2 (10-15 minutes)

Learners will demonstrate mastery of appropriate citation style and techniques for a given discipline.

Learning Outcomes

• Learners will identify a valid citation style for books, articles and web sites for a particular discipline.
• Learners will use correctly a valid citation style for a particular discipline, for books, articles and Web sites.

Teaching Methods

• Given citation styles for a variety of disciplines, learners will identify which discipline uses each of the three major citation styles most often (APA, MLA, Chicago).
• Given citation styles for a variety of disciplines, learners will identify the citation style used most often by the discipline represented by her/his major.
• Given several incorrect citations and a correct citation, learners will identify the correct citation for a given citation style.
• Given jumbled up information for a book, an article and a web site, learners will cite each correctly using the citation style most often used by the discipline represented by her/his major.

Assessment Suggestions

• At least 90% of learners will identify at least one discipline for each of the three major citation styles, APA, MLA, Chicago, with at least 90% accuracy.
• At least 90% of learners will identify correctly the citation style used most often by the discipline represented by her/his major, with at least 90% accuracy.
• At least 90% of learners will identify the correct citation from a set of citations (correct and incorrect) with at least 90% accuracy.
• At least 90% of learners will cite a book, an article and a web site with at least 90% accuracy, using the citation style most often used by the discipline represented by her/his major.

Avoiding Plagiarism (20 minutes)

Learners will use information ethically by avoiding plagiarism. [Complements the interactive tutorial]

Learning Outcomes

• Learners will recognize plagiarism .
• Learners will identify means of correcting plagiarism.
• Learners will correct plagiarized material.

Teaching Methods

• Given an excerpt from a publication and two excerpts from research papers, learners will correctly identify the plagiarized excerpt.
• Given several alternative means of correcting plagiarized material, learners will select an acceptable correction methodology.
• Given an original publication and a portion of it which has been plagiarized, learners will rewrite the plagiarized portion so that it no longer plagiarizes from the original.

Assessment Suggestions

• At least 90% of learners will identify correctly a plagiarized segment with at least 90% accuracy.
• At least 90% of learners will select correctly an acceptable plagiarism correction methodology with at least 90% accuracy.
• At least 90% of learners will rewrite a plagiarized segment so that it no longer plagiarizes, with 90% accuracy.

Carlos and Eddie's Guide to Bruin Success with Less Stress (interactive tutorial)

Designed as an introduction to academic integrity and intellectual property, Charlie and Eddie’s Guide to Bruin Success with Less Stress aims to help educate UCLA students about their role in the academic community and to help them make informed choices. The tutorial was constructed with the intention of engaging students and demonstrating how issues related to ethical uses of information and various media formats are relevant not only to their academic careers, but also to their daily lives. We hope that you and your students find this tutorial interesting and informative and that it serves as a catalyst for meaningful class discussions.