Teaching Information Literacy at UCBA

Information Literacy Activities and Worksheets provide active learning opportunities for students to practice the application of research concepts to their research assignment/project.

How To Use:

• Small groups or individuals
• Stand alone activities or as component to scaffold a research project/assignment (e.g. research journal)
• Modify worksheets to meet course/activity/assignment needs

Canvas: incorporate into course and use asynchronously or synchronously

• Module or Page - include as part of introducing library research or specific research assignment/project
• Assignment - assign as component of scaffold research assignment/project for graded or participation points

Students develop their research topic idea and identify keywords related to their topic as a starting point to finding sources for their research assignment/project.

Learning Outcome: Use keywords and applicable limiters when searching for information.

Instructions:
*video includes pause points to work on worksheet*

• Download Keyword Map worksheet 
• Watch Mapping Your Research Ideas video* (2:53 minutes)
• Fill in Keyword Map worksheet using your research topic/question 

Students identify keywords related to their research question as a starting point to finding sources for their research assignment/project.

Learning Outcome: Use keywords and applicable limiters when searching for information.

Instructions:

• Download Key Concepts & Keywords worksheet 
• Watch Key Concepts & Keywords video (2:15 minutes)
• Fill out worksheet using research question

Provides practice opportunity to identify keywords, set up search, and find a source using an example research topic/question.

Learning Outcomes: 

• Use keywords and applicable limiters when searching for information
• Recognize the value of different types of information sources within the context of the research topic

Instructions (small groups or individual): 

• Review key concepts and keywords (or complete activity)
• Watch The Information Timeline video (3:28 minutes)
• Use any search tool to find one source on example research topic/question
• Complete Find One Source worksheet 
• Discussion and share worksheet results (e.g. Discussion Board, Flipgrid) 

Discussion Questions:

• What are the benefits and drawbacks to the search tool?
• What are the characteristics of the source chosen?
• What search strategies would you recommend?

Learning Outcome: Recognize the value of different types of information sources within the context of the research topic.

Instructions:

• Login to Canvas and go to the Commons
• Search for "The Information Timeline"
• Choose Import/Download
• Choose course to import module
• Select location within course
• Assign points (optional) for pre and post reflections and comprehension checks

Note: modules from the Canvas Commons can't be nested within a course module. If using a module-based format for course, each individual page of the Information Timeline module can be moved, as needed.  

Opportunity for students to practice evaluating a source to determine credibility.

Learning Outcome: Evaluate a source's credibility by considering authority, type of source, creation process, purpose, and/or point of view.

Instructions (small groups or individual):

• Watch Evaluating Information Sources (3:18 minutes)
• Complete Evaluate Source worksheet
• Discuss worksheet results (e.g. Discussion Board, Flipgrid) or include as component of research assignment

Discussion Questions:

• Given the source requirements (if applicable), what is the best type of source for the research question? 
• How will you use this source in your research assignment?
• What value does this source add to your research assignment?
• What do you need to know about the source to determine if it is credible?
• Does the information relate to your research topic and/or answer some aspect of your research question?
• Is the information up-to-date, current, or does it never go out-of-date?

Provides opportunity to take a close look at a scholarly journal article and analyze the content.

Learning Outcomes:

• Evaluate a source's credibility by considering authority, type of source, creation process, purpose, and/or point of view.
• Recognize a given scholarly work may not represent the only, or even the majority perspective on the research topic.

Instructions (small groups or individuals):

• Watch Anatomy of an Article: How to Get the Most Out of Your Reading (2:36 minutes)
• Review Reading Scholarly Articles handout (supplemental)
• Use any search tool to find one scholarly journal article using example research topic/question  
• Complete Scholarly Article Analysis worksheet
• Discuss worksheet results (e.g. Discussion Board, Flipgrid) or include as component of research assignment

Discussion Questions:
These can be used as a stand alone activity or as part of larger discussion on scholarship as a conversation.

• What is qualitative research?
• What is quantitative research?
• How do you define expertise?
• Is there any reason to question the credibility of this research?
• Were there any voices left out of this conversation?
• Are there some aspects of this research topic that aren't represented in the article?