SUGGESTIONS FOR FACULTY
WHEN REQUESTING A LIBRARY INSTRUCTION SESSION
Students need sound information skills to be successful
during their college career and throughout their lives.
The instruction librarians at King's
College welcome the opportunity to collaborate with faculty to help students effectively complete class assignments and develop research
skills. Instruction classes are available to faculty
as a means of
achieving this important goal. A few simple guidelines are offered to
facilitate the scheduling process
and to create the most positive and effective instruction sessions that are best suited to meet the needs of the
student
community.
Suggestions for Faculty
Contact a
Reference/Instruction
Librarian at ext. 5641 at least two weeks or more prior to the desired date
to schedule a library session. Sufficient time is required for the librarians to
tailor a class designed to meet your students' needs. Sessions are scheduled on a first-come,
first-served basis. Reserving your time well in advance ensures that you will obtain your preferred date or time.
Faculty attendance and participation in each instruction session is highly
recommended. Your presence helps to focus the students' attention and demonstrates the value you place on information literacy instruction.
Instruction sessions can be
designed to meet the requirements of your course and the information needs
of your students. Students are more focused if they have
a personal stake in the instruction sessions if they are geared toward specific assignments, topics or
projects. Consult with the librarians who will be conducting
your session to discuss course objectives, particular
assignments and the information resources that would be most beneficial to the students.
Please provide the librarians with a copy of your syllabus and student assignment beforehand to enable them to properly prepare.
Effective Use of Instruction Time
The instruction librarians endeavor to make full use of
an instruction session, especially when the session is limited to 50 minutes. Faculty
are asked to follow these suggestions:
Ensure that
your students know the date, time, and location of the instruction session.
Encourage
students to arrive a few minutes early to make certain that the session begins on
time.
Class
announcements and the distribution of assignments or other materials should be done at
the end of the instruction session so that students
may concentrate solely on the presentation.
Characteristics of Library Instruction Sessions
Instruction sessions can be provided for most classes and are
taught in the library's computer lab by one or more reference
librarians. Faculty are welcome to schedule more than one session if the
need arises for a particular class. Librarians may also visit individual classrooms to provide
instruction on search strategies, the online catalog or other information sources.
Twenty-eight computers provide hands-on learning opportunities
for students. The sessions feature handouts, visual
demonstrations and practice activities presented in a variety of teaching and learning formats.
Sessions are created to assist students to successfully meet their
course/assignment objectives and improve their research skills.
Instruction to meet particular course assignments or
objectives can be prepared. However, instruction sessions frequently contain the
following segments:
Database resources
Online
catalog
Print sources
Search strategies
Internet searching
Web page
evaluation
Recommendations for Creating Effective Library Assignments
Create assignments
that
contain clear instructions.
develop the skills required to
design an effective search strategy.
lead to the successful achievement of course
objectives.
demonstrate how research is
performed for a specific subject.
require the integration of
knowledge.
encourage critical thinking skills
and evaluation of resources.
require a bibliography that is due before
the paper's deadline.
require information from a variety
of formats.
Some faculty may want to create
a different type of assignment for their class rather than the traditional
research paper. Suggestions for alternative assignments can be found inTerm
Paper Alternatives: Ideas for Information-Based Assignmentsfrom
the University of Newfoundland. .
Be certain that the library owns the resources required to effectively complete
your assignment. The library collection is constantly changing,
and many resources are either added, updated periodically or may no longer be available. Reference
librarians can provide you with suggestions for materials needed for the assignment
and can
tell you if an item is available.
Do not assume that your students have previous experience in using a library's
resources. Many students may have computer experience, but not
the necessary skills to utilize various information sources.
The use of the web is expanding, and library materials are increasingly
web-based. Students often tell us that they are not
allowed to use web sources for some assignments, yet many full text
journal articles are available on the web
through our subscription services. Please be precise in your instruction for student use of the
web for research, and reinforce the distinction between these library sources and general
Internet
searching.
Avoid issuing assignments that require the use of information from specific
print materials for an entire class. A temporary misplacement of materials
may be an unfair inconvenience to students. You are welcome to place items on
reserve by contacting the
Circulation Desk in the library at ext. 5640.
Students may not be familiar with
assignments that contain library terminology. A
glossary of terms is available to assist students in understanding the
standard language used in an academic library.
D. Leonard Corgan Library • 14 West Jackson Street •
Wilkes-Barre, PA 18711 • (570) 208-5840