Sample Effective Assignments

One of the primary strategic goals of the Library is to ensure that CSN students acquire essential information literacy skills. One of the best means for imparting these skills is through the use of effective research based assignments in the classroom. Consequently, teaching faculty play a vital, integral role in this process. The Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) has developed Information Literacy Standards for Higher Education, and these standards serve as the basis for information literacy skills programs at many institutions of higher education.

The five individual standards that comprise the Information Literacy Standards for Higher Education are listed below with sample assignments from other academic institutions. These sample assignments can serve as a guide, and provide ideas, in helping you develop your own effective research based assignments for your students.

Standard 1: The information literate student determines the nature and extent of the information needed.

   Standard 1 Skills:

• Identifying, developing and refining a research topic.
• Identifying the key concepts and terms related to the research topic.
• Identifying a variety of information formats (print, electronic, visual).
• Understanding how information is created, organized and disseminated.

Examples of Effective Assignments Incorporating Standard 1:

• American River College: A magazine, journal, textbook comparison
• American River College: Social movements assignment: Primary and secondary sources
• California State University, Chico: Brain hurricane
• California State University, Chico: Information Timeline
• The University of Texas at Austin: Background information
• The University of Texas at Austin: Cycle of information
• James Madison University: An exploration of print marketing resources

Standard 2: The information literate student accesses needed information effectively and efficiently.

   Standard 2 Skills:

• Identifying the most appropriate information resources (journal database, reference sources, etc.).
• Developing a research plan that identifies keywords, synonyms and subject headings relevant to the research topic (brainstorming).
• Creating and implementing effective searches (Boolean operators, truncation, etc.).

Examples of Effective Assignments Incorporating Standard 2:

• The University of Texas at Austin: Brainstorming Keywords
• The University of Texas at Austin: Finding Articles
• The University of Texas at Austin: Finding Books
• California State University, Chico: Choosing the Right Database
• California State University, Chico: Database Records
• California State University, Chico: Database Safari
• California State University, Chico: Finding Articles

Standard 3: The information literate student evaluates information and its sources critically and incorporates selected information into his or her knowledge base and value system.

   Standard 3 Skills:

• Identifying the source of the information (has it gone through the editorial process).
• Identifying the author and their qualifications.
• Identifying validity, accuracy and potential bias.
• Comparing information from different sources (peer-review vs. popular).

Examples of Effective Assignments Incorporating Standard 3:

• American River College: Change the World
• American River College: Students Take a Stand
• The University of Texas at Austin: Developing and Researching Your Controversy
• The University of Texas at Austin: Evaluating Web Sites
• The University of Texas at Austin: Popular vs. Scholarly
• California State University, Chico: Applying the C R A A P Test

Standard 4: The information literate student, individually or as a member of a group, uses information effectively to accomplish a specific purpose.

   Standard 4 Skills:

• Organizing the information logically for its intended purpose.
• Integrating information from a variety of media, if necessary.
• Communicating the information effectively to the intended audience.

Examples of Effective Assignments Incorporating Standard 4:

• American River College: Research Presentations
• The University of Texas at Austin: Research Log

Standard 5: The information literate students understands many of the economic, legal, and social issues surrounding the use of information and accesses and uses information ethically and legally.

   Standard 5 Skills:

• Understanding intellectual property, copyright, and fair use of copyrighted material.
• Understanding what constitutes plagiarism and does not represent work attributable to others as his/her own.
• Selecting an appropriate documentation style and using it consistently to cite sources.

Examples of Effective Assignments Incorporating Standard 5:

• The University of Texas at Austin: Music: Plagiarism Assignment
• California State University, Chico: Bibliographies
• California State University, Chico: Ethics

Suggestions for Effective Assignments

• Memorial University Libraries: Ideas for Library/Information Assignments
• Gustavus Adolphus College Library: Suggestions for Assignments
• University of Maryland: Designing Assignments that Contain Writing and Research
• University Library, California State University, Chico: Creating Great Assignment: Tips for Faculty

ACRL Information Literacy for Faculty and Administrators

• Association of College and Research Libraries: Information Literacy for Faculty and Administrators