Suggestions for Developing Library Assignments
Design assignments that encourage students to develop critical thinking skills.
Choose assignments that require students to learn about resources in a specific discipline, develop skills to evaluate information and integrate knowledge, or learn the research process. Avoid assignments, like scavenger hunts, that ask them to find specific facts. For examples of assignments that integrate critical thinking skills, see The "Knowing" and "Doing" of Information Literacy. Librarians can assist you in designing assignments that will help students develop critical thinking skills.
Send a copy of your syllabus or a description of the assignment to the library.
When students ask a librarian for assistance with an assignment, it is helpful to have a copy of the same information given to the student. Librarians can review assignments in anticipation of students asking for help and can notify you if they have any questions.
Verify that Savage Library resources are adequate for the assignment.
If you are designing a new course or new assignment, contact a librarian to verify that your students will be able to find what they need. Occasionally, students may need to borrow materials from other libraries (interlibrary loan); however, the bulk of their research should rely on our collection. Encourage students to exhaust our collection first before considering other library collections. If our collection is insufficient, let us know what we should add to satisfy your class needs.
Give students options.
Build variety into the assignment. Craft the assignment so that students will not be competing for the same sources. If you expect many students to use the same sources, or a limited number of sources, consider using our Reserve service so that everyone will have equal access.
Provide guidance on the types of sources your expect students to use.
Many students, predominately freshmen and sophomores, are unfamiliar with the different types of sources available to them. They assume that anything owned by the library is appropriate for them to use as a resource for their assignment. Coach them along by explaining expectations in detail. If you expect students to find and use articles from scholarly sources, then explain the difference between scholarly and popular sources, or ask a librarian to talk with the class. We are glad to help.
Help students pace themselves when completing an assignment.
Novice researchers tend to look at the final product rather than the process involved in getting there. Help them understand the time and steps involved in completing your assignment. If appropriate, provide them with an outline of the steps involved and deadlines for each step. If some of the steps require library research, librarians are willing to work with students a number of times in order to help them understand and complete the process.
Test drive the assignment.
If your assignment is instructor-tested, then you will know that it meets your objectives adequately and minimizes student frustrations.
Explain your preferred citation style.
If you wish your students to cite sources using a specific style (APA, MLA, etc.), please explain your style expectations to them. The library has books for many different styles and library-created guides for some of the more popular styles developed from the latest editions of the style books. If the guides and books do not answer a student's citation question, librarians will refer the student to the professor for a clarification of expectations.
Consider requesting a session or workshop on finding and selecting appropriate print and electronic sources of information.
Knowledge and familiarity with traditional library research is not as common among students as many believe. Also, Savage Library is regularly adding new databases, which may not be familiar to even experienced student researchers. A library session or workshop can help students get off to a good start. Contact Nancy Gauss, library instruction librarian, (943-2278) to discuss the possibilities.
Encourage students to ask for help from Savage Library and the Writing Center.
Librarians and Writing Center tutors are here to help your students. Please encourage your students to take advantage of our services.
Updated January 2004
Send Comments to Nancy Gauss, ngauss@western.edu
