Regrettable Research: Designing Research Assignments to Avoid Common Student Pitfalls

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Regrettable ResearchDesigning Research
Assignments to Avoid Common Student Pitfalls

• Brought to you by
• Megan Lowe, ULM Reference Librarian
• Sponsored by
• The Academic Section

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Session Overview

• Purpose
• The Issues
• The Solutions
• A Demo
• Question Answer Time

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Purpose

• Identify problems and issues in various areas
• Identify common misconceptions
• Discuss solutions for dealing with these
  situations
• Discuss how to communicate with faculty
• View an example demonstration

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The Issues

• Resource(s) Issues
• Faculty Issues
• Student Issues
• Our Own Issues (yeah, us librarians and library
  staff!)

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The Issues (Continued)

• Resources
• Changes (additions, deletions, updates, etc.
• Embargoes
• Technical Difficulty (our end, their end, etc.)

• Faculty
• Ignorance
• Confusion
• Misconceptions    

• Student Issues
• Ignorance
• Confusion
• Misconceptions
• Fear

• Our Own Issues
• Impatience
• Confusion
• Misconceptions
• Miscommunication / Lack of Communication

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Solutions

• Communication
• Information literacy
• Good faculty-librarian relations
• Marketing

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Demonstration

• The presentation you are about to see was
  originally given in the fall of 2006, as part of
  ULM's "University Week" - the week prior to
  students returning to campus. ULM's Teaching
  Learning Resource Center (TLRC) arranges a
  two-day series of workshops aimed at faculty on
  various topics, from dealing with behavioral
  issues to shared governance - sort of like
  professional development. These workshops are
  conducted by faculty and staff.

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Demonstration (Continued)

• The TLRC makes a point of including a "Library
  Resources Update" session. In the fall of 2006,
  Mona Oliver, director of the TLRC, approached me
  about doing a session on "regrettable research."
  She came up with the title of the presentation
  you are about to see.
• It has been re-formatted for this PowerPoint.
  It is available in a web format.

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-Regrettable Research-Designing Research
Assignmentsto Avoid Common Student Pitfalls

• Welcome to the University Library!

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-Regrettable Research-Designing Research
Assignmentsto Avoid Common Student Pitfalls

• Overview
• Some Common Misconceptions
• Some Things to Bear in Mind
• Some Things That Make Librarians Sad
• Some Things to Remember About Assignments
• Question Answer Time!

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-Regrettable Research-Designing Research
Assignmentsto Avoid Common Student Pitfalls

• Some Common Misconceptions
• Students know how to research
• If they don't know, students will develop
  research skills independently
• Students know how to use the Library
• The Library has the resources my students need
  for the assignment
• Students got the "research paper" experience in
  high school

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-Regrettable Research-Designing Research
Assignmentsto Avoid Common Student Pitfalls

• Some Common Misconceptions (Cont.)
• Students learn to write in freshman English
• If I forbid them to use the 'Net, they'll use the
  Library's resources
• Students know plagiarism is wrong
• Turnitin.com will prevent students from
  plagiarizing assignments
• Students these days are computer-savvy

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-Regrettable Research-Designing Research
Assignmentsto Avoid Common Student Pitfalls

• Some Things to Bear in Mind

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-Regrettable Research-Designing Research
Assignmentsto Avoid Common Student Pitfalls

• Some Things to Bear in Mind
• Resources come and go - make sure you check!
• Using the same assignment year-to-year means
  students can get answers from older friends and
  classmates, instead of doing the work
• Librarians don't mind working with you on...
• assignments
• tailoring sessions
• resources
• and many other things!
• Assignments make the "library session" a much
  more meaningful experience
• Why are you making this assignment? What do you
  hope your students gain from such an assignment?

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-Regrettable Research-Designing Research
Assignmentsto Avoid Common Student Pitfalls

• Some Things That Make Librarians Sad

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-Regrettable Research-Designing Research
Assignmentsto Avoid Common Student Pitfalls

• Some Things That Make Librarians Sad
• Scavenger hunts
• Assignments that require the entire class to
  consult one specific source
• Students who tell us that their "professor said
  y'all had this resource!" when we don't
• Assignments that aren't easy to understand -
  either by your students or us!
• Assignments for which we have insufficient
  resources

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-Regrettable Research-Designing Research
Assignmentsto Avoid Common Student Pitfalls

• Some Things to Remember About Assignments
• Make sure you can complete your own assignment
• Make sure the assignment and its requirements are
  clearly spelled out
• Are you giving the students sufficient time to
  complete the assignment?
• Again make sure the library has sufficient
  resources for your assignment
• Librarians are happy, willing, and able to
  conduct library sessions and help design
  assignments

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-Regrettable Research-Designing Research
Assignmentsto Avoid Common Student Pitfalls

• Some More Things to Remember About Assignments
• What do you hope to accomplish with this
  assignment?
• Don't assume that your students have had contact,
  formal or otherwise, with the library and
  research
• What resources do you want your students to have
  contact with?
• Will the assignment encourage plagiarism and
  cheating?

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Question Answer Time
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Thanks For Coming!

• If you have comments or questions "after the
  fact," please don't hesitate to contact me at
  lowe_at_ulm.edu!