Pulp Fiction: 

From Paper to Power

Clearly state expectations for student use of technology for specific projects / assignments. Consider including a "technical requirements" or "technical expectations" statement in your course syllabus.  Information on available campus technology training resources for students as well as software/equipment available in student computer labs should be included. Make yourself available as a troubleshooting resource for students, and/or  be prepared to suggest appropriate resources students can contact if you are unable to answer their questions. Inform your students about the importance of technology literacy and expectations both you and your department have for the students learning.

Practice what you preach!  Become an expert in the different types of technology you expect your students to learn, and make yourself available as a resource when they have questions.  If a student presents you with a technological enigma, contact someone who can assist.  Set an example by requiring your students to set up an e-mail account and to communicate often with you via this format.  Offer to help students set up an online e-mail account if they don't have one. Be patient with students who are beginners, keeping in mind the initial frustration and overwhelming amount of information required to master technology.

Make technology a priority - At the least, a necessity.  The technological world today demands productive members of society who are fluent in various types of software, basic searching and evaluating skills, and the desire to continue adding to the technology knowledge base.  

Clarity - If students are unable to understand the assignment, they will have trouble completing it.  Give assignments in writing (not orally) to reduce confusion.  Also, consider mailing or dropping off a copy of the assignment at the library information desk.  Librarians will be better-prepared to help students if they can anticipate research needs.

Currency - The library is constantly changing, and new sources and ways of accessing information replace old ones every day.  Check your assignment regularly so students are not asked to use outdated or no-longer-existing methods and sources.  If you would like an orientation to the library and its resources, contact the instruction coordinator (605)688-5955 for a Faculty Orientation.

Accuracy - try to use the correct terminology for students.  Know the difference between a search engine and a subject directory, an online database and the Internet, what a "browser" is, and the different imaging formats.

Appropriate Time Frame - Do the assignment yourself to see how long it takes before you decide how long students need to complete it.  Does the library/university provide enough electronic resources to support the assignments? Will students need to go beyond databases and search the Internet? Will those students who are not familiar with these electronic resources have time to learn? Always allow for the students' inexperience and the likelihood that the technology may be down at certain times.

Critical Thinking - Encourage a critical approach to what students find online.  Choose assignments that require integration of knowledge rather than merely finding one piece of information (scavenger hunts).  For example, construct an assignment that requires students to integrate the use of an electronic bibliography or index with course materials.  Or, create an assignment requiring students to use both primary and secondary sources web resources, or popular and academic literature.  Consider requiring the students to evaluate various web pages on a particular topic based on timeliness, accuracy, relevance, etc.

Bibliographic Instruction - Consider asking the library to lead a presentation to the class on how to effectively search the Internet, evaluate online resources, or search a relevant electronic database.  Librarians are information technology literacy experts and are happy to work with you to tailor a library instruction session to your needs.  To request an instruction session, call 605-688-5955 or fill out the online request form. 

Refer - Stress to students that there are a variety of resources available to them on campus.  Student Computing Services offers free classes for students on how to use all the Microsoft Office Programs, build web pages, etc.  The library offers free training sessions on searching library databases, surfing the Internet, evaluating electronic resources, etc. Make yourself available for consultation, and have knowledgeable class members provide peer support. Professional librarians are also available at reference and information desks during the day, evenings, and weekends or by appointment to help students retrieve the information they need.

Assuming Most Students Already Know the Basics - Don't assume your students have prior experience using technology.  Although most students visit the library their freshman year, SDSU does not have a mandatory orientation session for transfer or new graduate students, and as a result they may have no experience in this library system.  In addition, basic skills may be inadequate for upper level research.  Consider scheduling a bibliographic instruction session tailored to your class.  Make sure students are aware of free classes on how to use various technology available via Student Computing Services and the Library.

The Mob Scene - an entire class looking for one piece of information or researching one topic.  Even an electronic version of the "mob scene" assignment is conducive to plagiarism and little effort on the part of the student.  Give your students a variety of topics from which to choose, and allow them to design their own topic, which will hold more interest for them, and they will be willing to invest more time in research, etc. 

Requiring Resources that are not Available or No Longer Exist- We all know the Internet changes every minute of the day.  Make sure electronic resources you require your students to consult are up to date and still available on the web.  In addition, the library is constantly acquiring new resources, and discarding others, and resources may change dramatically from semester to semester.  It is always a good idea to retest the assignment before giving it out. Persistent, stable, or durable URL's are another option to ensure web content will be there when your students go looking for it.  More database vendors are beginning to include this feature in their product.  Infotrac, ProQuest, and JSTOR are only three of the library databases with this capability.  See the handout on persistent URL's for more information.

The Scavenger Hunt - Online trivia hunts can be a fun introductory exercise, but they lack clear purpose, and do not teach students how to use electronic resources in-depth for future research. Try to avoid questions which ask for obscure facts - students may spend fruitless hours searching millions of web page indexes.  Try a WebQuest, or other web-based assignment which integrates critical thinking skills and requires the student to produce something other than just regurgitate it.

The annotated webliography is similar in structure and content to a regular annotated bibliography.  Compiling an annotated webliography is an excellent exercise in critical thinking, and requires the students to focus on/select only the main points covered by a specific resource.  It also provokes critical evaluation of a resource, and questions such as:  Is this a resource I find useful?  Would I recommend this resource to a peer?  How recent is the resource? The webliography includes web and electronic resources, but may also be combined with print resources. Compiling.  Listed below are suggestions for assigning an annotated webliography. 

 

	Webliography annotations should provide information that helps a reader understand the value of the site, such as the authority of the author, the point of view of the site, and the frequency that the site is updated.
	Students could be given the option to compile their annotated webliography as a web page, or as a Word Document.
	Students should include resources important to their discipline, or on a specific topic assigned by the instructor.
	Annotations are based on an estimate of a web site's reliability, objectivity, and usefulness as a source of information.
	A short webliography might include 10-15 resources, a longer webliography (used as a final project) might include 50-75 sources.
	Require students to use at least 3 types of online resources such as:  search engine, meta-search engine, online database (Infotrac, etc.), subject directory, etc.
	Assign the webliography as a group project (groups of 3 or 4).
	In class, direct teams to exchange annotated webliographies and evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of each.

 

Annotated Webliography Examples   Sample annotated webliography assignment in a syllabus for a communication disorders class: http://www.marshall.edu/commdis/courses/315/annweb.htm  An Annotated Webliography of Downtown Revitilization Resources.  Compiled by a graduate student, includes introduction, sources, etc.:  http://www2.hawaii.edu/~kleban/Revitalization.htm  Petition of Amelia Bloomer Regarding Suffrage in the West - Under "teaching activities" toward the bottom of the screen, give a sample of a webliography assignment, directives, etc.: http://www.nara.gov/education/cc/bloomer.html