ENGL 1001: FiR Library Workshop Menu

Learning Outcome

(use Bloom's, Krathwohl's, or Fink's taxonomies)

Activity

(estimate time)

Assessment Criteria

How will you know students have met the objective?

Threshold Concept(s)

(or knowledge practices or dispositions from the Framework)

Learning Outcome 1

Create an effective keyword search strategy

• Instructor models mind map with class input
• Students mind map their own topics

(10 minutes)

Use volunteered topic or sample topic.

Students generate a list of at least 10 potential keywords to search on.

Searching as strategic exploration

Talking points:

Think about: "What is the initial thing that made you want to write about this topic?” “What specific examples can we think of of this broader thing you’re looking at?” If you discover, at this early stage of the research process, that what you ACTUALLY want to research is not quite the thing you first had in mind – that's perfectly fine!

We’re not going to want to just take all of these terms and put them in our search – we might need to try thinking of them in different combinations

Learning Outcome 2

Use ChatGPT (or an AI tool chosen by the student) to brainstorm search keywords

• Instructor will model prompting ChatGPT for a list of search keywords on the topic we mindmapped
• Class discussion: How is the list of keywords different from what we generated with the mind map?
• Students will prompt ChatGPT for keywords on their research topic

(10 minutes)

Students will develop a search strategy that incorporates keywords from both their mindmap and their generative AI results

Searching as strategic exploration

Talking points:

Generative tools can be really useful in helping us come up with search terms we might have missed, or might not have known to look for. But the work we did at this mindmap stage isn’t just coming up with keywords – it's figuring out what direction we actually want our research to go. And that’s a process we keep working on throughout the research process. In order to get the keywords that will be most useful to us, we need to put in that work!

Learning Outcome 3

Compare search results found in library databases with search results found by ChatGPT

• Instructor will select keywords from both mindmap and AI-generated results to search a library database
• Instructor will prompt ChatGPT to find peer-reviewed research on the selected topic
• Class discussion: How useful and relevant are each of these results? How do we know that we’re getting research that actually exists and is peer-reviewed? (15 minutes)

• Students will explain how they know that an article is peer-reviewed or not
• Students will explain some of the differences between the search results they found using ChatGPT vs. Library databases
• Work through research journal checklist with one source (perhaps just author category)

Searching as strategic exploration

Talking points:

ChatGPT has gotten much better at finding results that actually exist, if you are careful with how you prompt it – but you still always have to verify information. And it may be that the articles generated are real, but they don’t contain information that’s relevant to what you’re looking for.

Are there any voices or perspectives that aren’t being surfaced when you use ChatGPT? What about when you search with the library databases? There is a risk of only hearing one side of the story – how do we get around that risk?

Learning Outcome 4

Identify and explain ethical issues surrounding gen AI.

AI chatbots use racist stereotypes even after anti-racism training

Elon Musk’s AI Data Center faces lawsuit over air pollution complaints

OpenAI used Kenyan Workers making $2 an hour to filter traumatic content from ChatGPT

Students will choose one article to read and then think-pair share with students who chose a different article.

Students will each read one short article

Think-pair-share: “Does the article you read affect how you think about AI? If so, how? What other ethical concerns have you heard about involving AI? Are you likely to change how you use generative AI tools based on any of these concerns?”

Authority is constructed and contextual;

Information has value

Talking points:

I don’t want to push the idea that AI is bad, or that you should never use it. I do think it’s worth knowing about some of these controversies and thinking about how they relate to your own personal sense of ethics.

Learning Outcome

(use Bloom's, Krathwohl's, or Fink's taxonomies)

Activity

(estimate time)

Assessment Criteria

How will you know students have met the objective?

Threshold Concept(s)

(or knowledge practices or dispositions from the Framework)

Learning Outcome 1

Describe how browsing behavior influences web search results.

Poll students on which search tools they use: Google, Bing, Duck Duck Go, or they don’t care. (5 min)

Signed in to your account, visit Google Ad Center, then select Manage Privacy to see what data Google has profiled about you. (10 min)

Students explain that their prior web browsing behavior has created a descriptive advertising marketing profile of them.

Information Has Value

• understand how the commodification of their personal information and online interactions affects the information they receive and the information they produce or disseminate online
• make informed choices regarding their online actions in full awareness of issues related to privacy and the commodification of personal information

Talking points:

How are your search results ranked? What makes something the “top result”?

Search engines make money from advertising and use your personal data to sell targeted advertising. They aren’t designed to surface the “best” information, just the ads you’re most likely to buy from

Learning Outcome 2

Articulate the different purposes and audiences for web search engines and the library search tool.

Half the class searches in a commercial search engine (Google, Bing, or Duck Duck Go) and the other half searches in library search. Share out answers to questions. (10 min)

Students explain that commercial search engines are designed to sell you products, get you to do something, or get you to go somewhere. Library search is designed to help academics find scholarly research.

Authority Is Constructed and Contextual

• use research tools and indicators of authority to determine the credibility of sources, understanding the elements that might temper this credibility

Talking points:

Let’s pretend we’re researching sports gambling. Let’s all search for “sports gambling.” Without clicking on any results, describe the author, audience, and purpose of the tool. What assumptions does the tool make about who you are and what you want to do? What does the tool want you to do?

Assess the value of your top 5 search results. What would you use each one for? Could you use each in a college research project? How?

Learning Outcome 3

Choose sources of information from multiple perspectives, contexts, and/or genres

Use what we know about rhetoric and genre to add keywords to our search. (20 min)
(see table below)

If you have 75 minutes, have students explore using library search filters rather than keywords to indicate genre.

Authority Is Constructed and Contextual

• define different types of authority, such as subject expertise (e.g., scholarship), societal position (e.g., public office or title), or special experience (e.g., participating in a historic event)

Searching as Strategic Exploration

• identify interested parties, such as scholars, organizations, governments, and industries, who might produce information about a topic and then determine how to access that information

What can we do about search engine desire to sell us things, especially if our goal is to learn, not to buy?

Find the website of an organization or government agency that produces information about your topic or a related issue. Share out the name of the organization and title of the page you found Find a genre/source type about your topic, based on what you’re missing.

Information Producers

Genres/Source Types

Department

Repository

Agency

Collection

Services

Archive

Organization

Oral history

Association

Podcast

Council

Blog

Learning Outcome

(use Bloom's, Krathwohl's, or Fink's taxonomies)

Activity

(estimate time)

Assessment Criteria

How will you know students have met the objective?

Threshold Concept(s)

(or knowledge practices or dispositions from the Framework)

Learning Outcome 1

Describe the usefulness of print books.

Two-minute free write: ask students reflect on when and why print books may be useful for their research.

Prompt: when may a print book be more helpful than a web resource (web article or social media content) for your research? (Bonus question: what research topics or questions may be better approached or answered using a print book?)

After free write, ask students to discuss their reflections in small groups.

Ask small groups to share some of their reflections and discussion with the rest of the class.

Scholarship as conversation:

• identify barriers to entering scholarly conversation via various venues
• recognize that scholarly conversations take place in various venues

Talking points:

Some subjects, like literature, history, and theory-focused subjects like philosophy or theology, are often better covered by books.

Books often include more context to help readers understand how we got here in a scholarly conversation.

For more context about a specific book, you can consult a book review for a useful summary.

Many books aren’t digitized. Many valuable books exist only in print.

Books are a slower, foundational part of a scholarly conversation. They often establish or explore key theories or cultural and historical context.

Books are designed for depth. They’re especially useful when you need in-depth background, historical context, or long, complex argument to support a thesis.

Books can’t be revised as easily as web content. Their stability makes them more reliable for reference and research.

Learning Outcome 2

Use the library catalog to find a print book relevant to your research topic.

Librarian demonstrates searching for a research topic and applying ‘held by library’ filter to find a relevant print book. (Ask students to volunteer research topics for searching.)

Ask students to similarly search for their research topic and apply filter to find a relevant print book.

Ask pairs or small groups to share and confirm their found print books are available for circulation.

Searching as strategic exploration:

• design and refine needs and search strategies as necessary, based on search results;
• understand how information systems (i.e., collections of recorded information) are organized in order to access relevant information

Talking points:

Apply filters: “Books” and “Availability—held by library”.

Select a search result. Show students what a record looks like. Where is the call number? How can you tell if the title is available for check out?

Be sure your book is available (not checked out) before you try to find it in the library stacks.

Remember the fourth floor has upper and lower floors.

Learning Outcome 3

Locate a print book in the library stacks.

Ask students to record the floor and call number of the print book they found.

Lead students to the library stacks to locate their print books. Encourage students to help each other locate their print books. Encourage students to browse other print books nearby the print books they’re searching for to find related titles.

Ask students to check out their print books at the self-checkout machine or at the library services desk.

If students need help locating their print books or checking out their print books, then they should ask the librarian or library desk students for help.

Searching as strategic exploration:

• understand how information systems (call numbers) are organized in order to access relevant information
• recognize the value of browsing

Talking points:

“Stacks” is a fancy library word for “where all the books live.”

Each book has a label on its spine listing its call number. Think of this number as the book’s street address. This number tells you where the book lives in the library.

Once you find your book, browse other books nearby on the same shelf or stack. Do you notice other titles that sound interesting or relevant?

• Call numbers are used to organize books by subject.
• Call numbers are made up of letters and numbers.

Books are placed on the shelf in order of their call numbers.

• Books on similar topics are generally located nearby.

Learning Outcome

(use Bloom's, Krathwohl's, or Fink's taxonomies)

Activity

(estimate time)

Assessment Criteria

How will you know students have met the objective?

Threshold Concept(s)

(or knowledge practices or dispositions from the Framework)

Learning Outcome 1

Explain the strengths and limitations of their research process.

Think-Pair-Share (5-10 minutes)

Students reflect on doing research for ENGL 1001 (with the journal).

Students partner with one another. They talk about their research topic and the process for searching. What went well/consider a strength? What did not go well/consider a limitation?

Ask volunteers to report on what they learned.

One-Minute Paper

Students share something they learned from their partner about the search process they would like to incorporate. Students share something they felt was helpful to share with their partner about the research process.

Instructor will use Qualtrics/MS Form (Or other tools) to let students:

• Write down helpful tips from peers
• Write down things that aren’t clear

The paper includes descriptive words about both the strengths and limitations of their research

Searching as Strategic Exploration:

• design and refine needs and search strategies as necessary, based on search results;

Talking points:

• Instructor shares the students have had experience with research before this class.

Learning Outcome 2

Formulate a plan for what they would do differently if they were going to publish their project.

Individual searching ( 3 minutes)

Students practice searching the library databases with their topic.

One-Minute Paper

Students share their search strategies. They talk about how their search strategies would change over time.

Record keywords/search engines they used overtime

Scholarship as Conversation:

• contribute to scholarly conversation at an appropriate level, such as local online community, guided discussion, undergraduate research journal, conference presentation/poster session;

Information has Value:

• decide where and how their information is published;

Talking points:

The librarian shared a video or resource either in class or before class about the publishing process.

Students will be asked to incorporate their research journal entries for ENGL 1001.

Learning Outcome 3

Describe how their research process changed from the first research journal entry to the last. 

Think-Pair-Share (5-10 minutes)

Each student brings a copy of the first journal entry and the most recent journal entry. Share with a partner and the partner shares their feedback, observations on the changes. Then the individual looks at the observations and thinks about that other perspective.

One-minute paper

Ask students to reflect and answer the following prompt: How have your ideas of what research is changed from the beginning of the unit to the end of the unit?

What additional questions were asked during the process?

Research as Inquiry:

• use various research methods, based on need, circumstance, and type of inquiry;

Talking points:

Librarian asked them to bring a copy of their research journal. They will be sharing it with a colleague.

We have experience and time to do research and reflect on the process throughout the semester.

Think about the research process from the first library session to this session.