SLS 1102 - First Year Florida
There are many activities that you can consider as a SLS 1102 instructor, to
work research skills, information literacy and the Libraries into your syllabus.
If you would like to include a library activity in your class this semester,
these are recommended options.
Several basic library orientations scheduled early each semester. Orientations include exploration of the Library website and a brief tour of Library West. These are mostly in the first two weeks of classes, so if you want to assign an orientation, please make the announcement early.
First Year Florida faculty and Peer Leaders are encouraged to bring their classes to the library orientations. Please let the orientation coordinator know if you plan to bring your class, so that we can provide adequate seating, handouts and supplies for your students. Our classroom 211 in Library West comfortably accomodates 17 people. Room 212 accomodates 40 attendees. If two sections are interested in attending, the coordinator will make special provisions for your class so that they have a quality experience.
The Libraries have a series of new interactive online tutorials
that teach the basics of information literacy. The Research
101 tutorial covers how to select a topic and develop research questions,
how to select, search for, and find information sources, and finally, how to
evaluate sources such as periodical articles, books and Web sites. Online assessments
are available (through the Internet & WebCT) for each section and your student's
results can be E-mailed directly to the instructor or dropped into the WebCT
grade book. Students can also take a virtual tour of Library West. Other tutorials
are being developed, and will be ready for access in Summer 2008. Access information
will be posted here or you may contact Jana
Ronan for details.
For a different approach, show your students our fun video that dramatizes the
research process and demonstrates how students may get assistance from librarians.
You can check out a copy of this brief video (22 minutes) to show in class or
you can ask students to watch the video as an assignment. Contact Paul
Victor for copies of this video.
We recommend that you follow up the viewing with discussion in class. Use this
brief quiz for talking points, or as an in class assignment, to ensure that
your students have watched the video.
Do your students want to learn about the UF Libraries, but
are too busy to visit in person? No problem! You can have them watch our new
library video orientations that are available through
YouTube. Each video is short (~3 to 8 minutes) and designed to offer you a quick
overview of each library's collections and services. And you can choose to assign
only the videos that are pertinent to the student’s major or all of them.
The videos are centered on a light-hearted storyline which students will understand
by watching the brief introduction & conclusion. These videos will be a
good introduction for the students and help them learn what the UF Libraries
has to offer them.
Another way to incorporate library skills into your class is to assign resource reports to your class. Devote a class session to the library and have teams of students explore and then make brief presentations about the following library services. Ask the teams to present their reports using PowerPoint or the Web, incorporating photos of the team at Library West and even demonstrating use of services such as course reserves or the reference desk.
Some services for teams to explore are:
-
· Course reserves and Interlibrary Loan – what are these services?
· Study space – where is the best?
· Library West Information Commons – what is it and what can I do there?
· Getting a book – how do I find one and then check it out?
· Accessing the library remotely – how do you do it?
· Articles – what is the best place to find online articles for a paper?
· Libraries and subject areas – which one do you use for art, biology, pharmacy, history, law, teaching children, etc.?
· Getting help – how do you contact a librarian to ask a question?
Another way to motivate your students to use the library and learn how the large UF library system operates is to design a simple assignment that requires them to use the services and collection in Library West.
Option one: Consider putting a book, article or video on reserve that ties into one of the topics that you are covering in class. Require students to read or view the item. This simple assignment accomplishes the goal of getting your students into the building to see the facilities, as well as the important goal of getting their Gator1 card activated.
Option two: Ask
students to search Academic
Search Premier, a very easy to use periodical index, to explore the
college experience. Ask students to locate the article, read it and discuss
it in class. Encourage them to seek the assistance of a reference librarian
to complete the task. Reference librarians are available at the Research
Assistance Desk at the third floor of Library West, and online through Ask
A Librarian. Most of the ideas and topics that you will be covering
in your course curriculum lend themselves very well to this assignment.
Some examples are study skills, learning styles, community service, Habitat
for Humanity, etc.
Assign your class a fun crossword puzzle that covers library basics. Students can use our online guide for new students, Just Getting Started, to research the answers. Download the PDF here. Contact Jana Ronan for the answer key.
The Libraries are developing a list of secondary resources
that can be assigned to students to read in conjunction with the 2008-09
Common Reader book. The Common Reader selection will be announced on February
22, at 1:30 pm. Contact Suzanne Brown
or Melissa Shoop for more information.
