Coursework

This is a one hour credit class that is 10 weeks long. I plan to teach it using a combination of asynchronous and synchronous interactions.

Course content, such as assignments and required readings, will be housed in Blackboard. Students will participate in online discussion forums and take short quizzes through Blackboard. I shall also meet weekly with students online (Wednesday evenings from 7:00-8:15 pm) using Adobe Connect. Although many students may not have access to a microphone to ask questions, they will be able to use text chat to communicate. I will then be able to respond verbally using Adobe Connect. Meeting in real time with students using Adobe Connect will provide me with the ability to cover that week’s lesson and to demonstrate key points or skills. =Course Summary= Students will be evaluated using the following methods:

Students are expected to attend and participate in every class, and in the online discussion boards. Class participation includes not only sharing observations and questions but listening respectively to others.
 * Participation (21%)**

Each week there will be an assignment pertaining to the topic covered in class that week.
 * Assignments (24%)**

Students will be expected to keep a journal over length of the course reflecting on their journey through the research process. Each week they will write a short journal entry that completes the following 2 statements: “Something new I learned this week was…” and “Something I struggled with this week was…”
 * Journal (11%)**

There will be a total of 6 quizzes. Each quiz will consist of true/false, multiple choice, or short answer questions. Students will take the quizzes online through Blackboard.
 * Quizzes (13%)**

A research portfolio in lieu of a final exam will be due the last day of class.
 * Portfolio (31%)**

Email Blackboard || Welcome Letter || Assignment 1 due 9/2 [Administrative Tasks] ||  || Sept. 1 Adobe Connect Blackboard || Course Overview Publication Cycle of Information A. Demonstrate an awareness of the publication cycle of information. 1. Identify how information is disseminated. 2. Distinguish between informally and formally produced information. 3. Recognize primary, secondary and tertiary sources. 4. Describe the timeline of the information cycle. || Quiz 1 (Pre-Test) due 9/1
 * ** Date ** || ** Topics ** || ** Assignments ** || ** Readings ** ||
 * Aug. 25
 * Class 1

Discussion Board 1A due 9/3 Discussion Board 1B due 9/5 Discussion Board 1C due 9/6

Assignment 2 [Info Log] due 9/7

Begin thinking about your topic! || Badke Chapter 1 //Information Fog//

Badke pages 58-64 // Appraising Information Overabundance // Sept. 8 Adobe Connect Blackboard || Organization of Information B. Recognize different ways information is organized and packaged. 1. Identify various formats in which information is available (e.g., print, photograph, mp3, streaming video, online.) 2. Identify various types of information sources (e.g. book, scholarly journal, reference book, website.) 3. Name the major disciplines of knowledge and some subject fields in each discipline. 4. Demonstrate an understanding of library classification schemes. C. Define an information need. 1. Identify and articulate a research topic or other information need. || Discussion Board 2 post due 9/9 Disc. Board 2 response due 9/12
 * The above readings must be completed by the beginning of **
 * Class 2 on Sept. 8 ** ||
 * Class 2

Journal Entry 1 due 9/11

Assignment 3 [Topic] due 9/13

Quiz 2 due 9/14 || // Understanding Plagiarism and How It Differs from Copyright Infringement //

// Not Plagiarism but Mixing and Matching //

// Giving Plagiarism the Weight It Deserves // Sept. 15 Adobe Connect Blackboard || Using Information Ethically G. Use information ethically. 1. Demonstrate an understanding of what constitutes plagiarism H. Demonstrate an awareness of economic, legal, and social issues surrounding the use of information. 1. Discusses issues related to intellectual property, copyright, and fair use of copyrighted material. || Discussion Board 3 post due 9/16 Disc. Board 3 response due 9/19
 * The above readings must be completed by the beginning of **
 * Class 3 on Sept. 15 ** ||
 * Class 3

Journal Entry 2 due 9/18

Assignment 4 [Plagiarism] due 9/21 || Badke pages 20-30 [Chapter 2]

Badke Chapter 8 //Learning to Read for Research//

Sept. 22 Adobe Connect Blackboard || Research Process Locating Background Information C. Define an information need. 2. Explore subject-specific sources to increase familiarity with a topic and discover related terminology 3. Narrow or broaden the scope of a topic to create a manageable focus. 4. Formulate research questions based on the topic or information need. D. Select appropriate finding tools to locate and retrieve information. F. Select and evaluate information and its sources. 4. Record or save information using appropriate means 5. Select and summarize main ideas of desired information. 6. Determine if selected information satisfies research questions. || Journal Entry 3 due 9/25
 * The above readings must be completed by the beginning of **
 * Class 4 on Sept. 22 ** ||
 * Class 4
 * 1) Identify types of information and sources contained in a particular retrieval system.
 * 2) Locate different types of information using the appropriate finding tool.
 * 3) Retrieve information sources using classification schemes.
 * 4) Use access points of print sources to locate relevant information.

Assignment 5 [Subj. Ency.] due 9/27

Quiz 3 due by 9/28

|| Badke Chapter 3 //Database Searching with Keywords and Hierarchies//

Sept. 29 Adobe Connect Blackboard || Search Strategy E. Construct, implement, and revise search strategies to effectively retrieve information. 1. Identify keywords, synonyms, and controlled vocabulary related to the information needed 2. Demonstrate an understanding of search language and protocol. 3. Compose search statements combining keywords and search language suitable to the selected finding tool. || Assign. 6 [Search Strategy] due 10/2 Assignment 6 [revised] due 10/5
 * The above readings must be completed by the beginning of **
 * Class 5 on Sept. 29 ** ||
 * Class 5

Journal Entry 4 due 10/3 || Badke Chapter 5 //Library Catalogs and Journal Databases//

Oct. 6 Adobe Connect Blackboard || Finding Books & Articles D. Select appropriate finding tools to locate and retrieve information. 3. Locate different types of information using the appropriate finding tool. 4. Retrieve information sources using classification schemes. 5. Use access points of print sources to locate relevant information. E. Construct, implement, and revise search strategies to effectively retrieve information. 1. Identify keywords, synonyms, and controlled vocabulary related to the information needed 2. Demonstrate an understanding of search language and protocol. 3. Compose search statements combining keywords and search language suitable to the selected finding tool. 4. Execute search statements in various finding tools. 5. Determine when to adjust search statements based on quantity and relevance of search results. F. Select and evaluate information and its sources. 1. Determine relevancy of retrieved information by examining citation elements. 2. Evaluate the quality of retrieved information and its sources using established criteria (e.g. objectivity, currency, authority, usability, and accuracy.) 3. Use evaluation criteria to select relevant and appropriate information. 4. Record or save information using appropriate means 5. Select and summarize main ideas of desired information. 6. Determine if selected information satisfies research questions. G. Use information ethically. 2. Identify and record elements in a bibliographic citation regardless of source format. || Assignment 7 [Books] due 10/8
 * The above readings must be completed by the beginning of **
 * Class 6 on Oct. 6 ** ||
 * Class 6
 * 1) Distinguish between free Internet search tools and fee-based research databases.
 * 2) Identify types of information and sources contained in a particular retrieval system.

Journal Entry 5 due 10/10

Assignment 8 [Articles] due 10/11

Quiz 4 due 10/13 || Badke Chapter 6 //Internet Research// // Is the Internet Killing Critical Thinking //

Oct. 13 Adobe Connect Blackboard || Using the Web D. Select appropriate finding tools to locate and retrieve information. 1. Distinguish between free Internet search tools and fee-based research databases. 2. Identify types of information and sources contained in a particular retrieval system. 3. Locate different types of information using the appropriate finding tool. E. Construct, implement, and revise search strategies to effectively retrieve information. 1. Identify keywords, synonyms, and controlled vocabulary related to the information needed 2. Demonstrate an understanding of search language and protocol. 3. Compose search statements combining keywords and search language suitable to the selected finding tool. 4. Execute search statements in various finding tools. 5. Determine when to adjust search statements based on quantity and relevance of search results. F. Select and evaluate information and its sources. 1. Determine relevancy of retrieved information by examining citation elements. 2. Evaluate the quality of retrieved information and its sources using established criteria (e.g. objectivity, currency, authority, usability, and accuracy.) 3. Use evaluation criteria to select relevant and appropriate information. 4. Record or save information using appropriate means 5. Select and summarize main ideas of desired information. 6. Determine if selected information satisfies research questions. G. Use information ethically. 2. Identify and record elements in a bibliographic citation regardless of source format. || Discussion Board 4 due 10/14 Disc. Board 4 response due 10/17
 * The above readings must be completed by the beginning of **
 * Class 7 on Oct. 13 ** ||
 * Class 7

Assignment 9 due 10/19

Journal Entry 6 due 10/16 || // Sources and Citations at Dartmouth // UCLA //Citing & Documenting Sources//

Purdue OWL //2009 MLA Guide//

Oct. 20 Adobe Connect Blackboard || MLA Citation Style G. Use information ethically. 3. Demonstrates an understanding that there are different documentation styles 4. Apply a documentation style in a correct and consistent manner. || Assignment 10 due 10/25
 * The above readings must be completed by the beginning of **
 * Class 8 on Oct. 20 ** ||
 * Class 8

Quiz 5 due 10/26

Journal Entry 7 due 10/23 || // A Call to Arms //

// Free (or Fee) to All //

// The Future of Privacy // Oct. 27 Adobe Connect Blackboard || Information Issues H. Demonstrate an awareness of economic, legal, and social issues surrounding the use of information. 2. Discuss access to vs. ownership of information. 3. Discuss free vs. fee-based access to information. 4. Discuss expectation of privacy in the online environment. || Discussion Board 5 post due 10/28 Disc. Board 5 response due 10/30
 * The above readings must be completed by the beginning of **
 * Class 9 on Oct. 27 ** ||
 * Class 9

Journal Entry 8 due 10/30

Finalize Research Portfolio ||  || Nov. 3 Adobe Connect Blackboard || Wrap-up || Research Portfolio due 11/3
 * Class 10

Quiz 6 (Post-Test) due 11/3 ||  ||