How The Project Evolved
This project began twelve years ago with a research based assignment. Our collaboration began in 2002 when Professor Tooley approached BCC Librarian, Karen Carreras-Hubbard and asked her to create a library research presentation. The library presentation was combined with an evolving, multi-step, plagiarism proof assignment that required students to research in the library over several weeks. Students were assigned to seek, critically think about, and choose:
-
General & Subject Specific Encyclopedia sources
-
Book sources, which may need to be self-ordered through the CWMARS or Virtual
Catalog, or requested as InterLibrary Loans (ILL)
-
Periodicals from our databases, our collection, or via ILL.
-
Primary source material.
-
Appropriate Internet source material
Why the Project Works
- It Is Cross-disciplinary. It is used in Western Civilization, American History, Comparative Religions, and Holocaust studies classes. These elements can also be applied to many disciplines.
- It Is Plagiarism Proof. Because of the need for the student to complete and document each step.
- It Develops Critical Thinking Skills. The directed and active approach to research taught here imparts deductive reasoning, data interpretation, textual analysis, evaluation, inference, successful articulating and presenting of arguments, and the ability to self-correct interpretations if the need arises.
- Students Engage In The Same Steps Taken On The Graduate Level Research.
The Library Connection
-
Each library presentation is tailored to the discipline.
-
The Librarian anticipates and works with over one hundred students over a two month period each semester on their assignments. Thus, students:
Get individual attention
•Thoroughly learn research methods
•Become information literate.
-
The Library becomes an integral part of the learning process, and both print and non-print resources are used equally.
The Library Presentation Covers
-
Searching our periodical Index Databases
-
Searching the Public Access Catalog
-
CWMARS, Union Catalog, Virtual Catalog and WorldCat
-
Scholarly vs. Popular articles
•Primary and Secondary materials
-
Archival materials on databases
-
Archival material on the internet
-
Online Sources
-
Our links
This Project And Library Use
This project has impacted collection development. At a time when libraries have decreased their print reference collection acquisitions, we have built up our collection in the social sciences. Students have come to view the reference area as not only a place to find materials, but to communicate with fellow researchers, comparing search strategies and discoveries.
We have also added to our online resources, acquiring Britannica Online and Credo. Reference. In addition, we have created suitable online links for students in these subject areas, while stressing the need for students to apply evaluative criteria to their selection of online materials.
This project has also driven up patron placed hold through the CW/MARS and virtual catalog systems, as well as increased ILL requests for both books and articles. Approximately, two hundred students are involved with these research assignments every year.
From Student Learning To Insititutional Success
This project can fulfill a Core Competency requirement. BCC's Core Competencies portfolio is a required, general education component of each degree program and a graduation requirement. Successfully completed projects from Professor Tooley's classes may be submitted by students for a core competency in one of the following : Critical Thinking, Historical Awareness or Written Communications with Sources.
Institutional Effectiveness
Every project submitted as a core competency requirement contributes to the overall assessment of the success of teaching and learning specifically within the History Department and at the College in general. As part of an ongoing assessment of best practices, a committee has been created to examine and assess the institution through the success of competency projects.
Student Learning - The Real Results
WHY WE CAN SAY THIS IS "THE BEST THING WE DO":
1. Students learn college-level research.
2. Students learn complex processes.
3. Students learn to redo work until they get it right. Self-reflection is an important
component of critical thinking.
4. Students learn that everything has a history - even skateboarding (done in US
History II)! - and therefore they are more apt to see themselves as a living part
of the continuum
5. Students visit the Library while the Reference Department becomes a living
community where students run into each other, talk with each other, sharing
informaiton, and help each other.
6. Students learn how to use critical thinking to choose best resources - we are
hardly medieval monks with one book in the abbey - we are overloaded with information. Our students learn how to sift through the superabundance to find
the uggets of gold.
7. Students learn that the best way to learn something is to have to prepare it, and
articulate it to others by presenting it to the class.
8. Students get a low-stress chance to practice public speaking.
|
