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Assignments | Pitfalls | Resources
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When designing assignments for your students, it can be helpful to consult
with a librarian regarding resources available at the Oviatt Library. Librarians
will be happy to answer any questions you may have.
Prior to handing a Library assignment out to your students, consider providing
your subject specialist librarian with an advance copy, along with recommended
sources (if any) you would like your students to use. With a copy of the
assignment in hand, librarians are better able to assist students in finding
the resources they require. When an assignment is over, feel free to ask
librarians for feedback. (e.g., did any students seem confused or have trouble
understanding the assignment? Were there any resource access problems related
to the assignment?)
Go to http://library.csun.edu/About_the_Library/librarians.html to find your subject specialist librarian.
Suggestions for Library Assignments:
- Check with your subject specialist librarian in advance of the assignment
to assure availability of, and access to, required Library resources.
- Test the assignment beforehand. Try to put yourself in the students'
shoes with their experience and perspective, which is probably much more
limited than yours ("walk" or "web" it through).
- Request
an instructional session for your class to familiarize students with
research techniques and sources.
- Tell the students what purpose the research assignment serves.
- Describe the specifics of the assignment (e.g., length, acceptable types
of sources, format for references/bibliography - APA, MLA, etc.).
- Provide students with a printed list of sources if there are specific
ones you want them to use – and perhaps caution them against
sources that you want them to avoid. Include CSUN Library call numbers
and/or World Wide Web address(es).
- Library orientation lectures may be requested by calling (818)
677-2277 or by filling out the online lecture request form located
at: http://library.csun.edu/Library_Services/instreq.html.
- A list of Librarian Subject Specialties can be found
at: http://library.csun.edu/About_the_Library/librarians.html.
Characteristics of Effective Assignments
- Clarity: Give library research assignments in
writing (rather than verbally) to reduce confusion.
- Terminology: Select terminology carefully and define
any questionable words. Students tend to take library research assignments
at face value and may be confused by terms that they or a librarian cannot
interpret definitively. For example, some instructors differentiate between
magazines and journals, while others use the terms interchangeably. Does "use
the Library's computers" or "use the Internet," mean CSUN
Library's catalog - or another computer database? Does an assignment such
as "find an article on the Internet" refer to the Internet in
general, or one of the Library's paid subscription databases, which often
offer full text versions of magazine and journal articles online? Additionally,
do students understand what is meant by "primary" or "secondary" sources
(if you require their use)?
- Currency: The Oviatt Library regularly updates and
adds to its resources. New sources and ways of accessing information occur
with increasing frequency. By checking your assignments regularly, you
can make certain that you are not asking your students to use outdated
or withdrawn sources.
- Appropriate Time Frame: Remember to allow for students' inexperience
and for the availability of materials.
Pitfalls to Avoid
- Assuming that most students know the basics. The information environment
changes rapidly. As a result, students may need an introduction (or re-introduction)
to current Library resources. Many students have no prior experience using
the CSUN Library. Even students who have attended a previous Library orientation
may not have received information relevant to the needs of your current
assignment. Keep in mind that transfer or new graduate students may have
no prior experience using the CSUN Library.
- Thinking that required sources are readily available. Double check current
Library holdings as resources are often added or updated from semester
to semester. The CSUN Oviatt Library may not own the identical items that
you have used at other libraries. Consider re-testing an assignment before
giving it out in a new semester.
- Giving the entire class the same assignment and sources. If an entire
class has the same assignment, students find themselves competing for materials.
As an alternative, for example, instead of requiring the entire class to
research the Enron bankruptcy scandal, you might ask them to research corporate
accounting and white collar crime. If it is necessary for a whole class
to use a particular source or set of sources, it may be helpful to place
them on reserve in the Reserve Book Room. To place items on reserve, you
may fill out the online form accessed via the following website: http://library.csun.edu/Library_Services/Reserves/index.html.
For questions about placing materials on reserve, call (818)
677-2072.
- Assigning a scavenger hunt? The least effective scavenger hunt
only asks students to locate random facts (e.g., "How many volumes
comprise the Oxford English Dictionary?"). Librarians rather
than the students frequently end up locating the answers. The most
effective scavenger hunts balance the search process with identifying
appropriate information sources (e.g., "What source in the Oviatt
Library Reference Room would provide an overview to literary criticism
written about Maya Angelou?").
Resources
The Library offers a variety of customized orientations and/or advanced
instructional sessions. Go to the list of reference subject specialties to
find a librarian in your subject area who can give your class an orientation
or an in-depth, hands-on demonstration. Your subject specialist can be found
at the following URL: http://library.csun.edu/About_the_Library/librarians.html.
Early scheduling can guarantee that a librarian and Library facilities will
be available to fit your specific course needs.
