Each of the modules in this course is designed to give you a solid foundation for one of the steps in the research process, in the following ways:
Module 1: Intro to Information Literacy will help you understand the concept of information literacy so you can define it and describe how it applies to different contexts. You will also learn about the full research process as it relates to this course. What you learn in this module provides the foundation for what you will learn and practice in the rest of the course.
Module 2: Planning and Research Topics will help you understand that research is a process of exploring information about topics or problems. Research is more effective when you refine your topic into something that helps you focus your search for information. You can use the main ideas in your topic as keywords in search engines, databases, etc.
Module 3: Searching will help you understand that searching for information to answer research topic involves exploring a variety of information sources found through multiple searches. Finding credible, useful, and relevant information sources usually takes some trial and error. Searching is more effective if you can identify appropriate search tools, create targeted search statements, and refine your search based on what you discover.
Module 4: Finding and Evaluating will help you understand that information sources are created for many different purposes by people with varying levels of expertise, trustworthiness, and credibility. Knowing how to evaluate information sources helps us find high-quality, relevant information. Evaluation involves questioning the purpose and origin of information sources using specific evaluation criteria and choosing the most credible and relevant sources from what you find.
Module 5: Synthesizing Information will help you understand that we are constantly learning and expanding on current and past knowledge. You can join in this scholarly conversation by first learning what others have said about a topic, and then sharing your own insights about what you learned. This involves the ability to identify key ideas in information sources, then combine, or synthesize, those key ideas into your own work, while always giving credit to the creators of those sources through citations.
Module 6: Disseminating is the final step of the Research Process. It is when you fully enter the scholarly conversation by sharing your research so others can learn, reflect, add or try to refute your claims. Dissemination usually means publishing your work in some way, although it can also mean sharing your work via submission to be graded by your professor.
Each module in this course begins with a brief introduction to that module’s big ideas, the things you should understand after completing the module. This is followed by a summary of the module objectives, and the skills you will develop and practice. Finally, there is a “to-do list” that outlines the readings, quizzes, and assignments you will be responsible for completing.
Readings expand your knowledge and understanding of the big ideas and concepts that underlie the skills you will learn and practice in the module assignments.
Quizzes test your comprehension of the readings and reinforce your learning.
Assignments give you a chance to practice specific research skills that help you refine your own information literacy.
Here is a list of quizzes and assignments in order:
- Syllabus Quiz (Commenced Attendance)
- Module 1 Quiz
- Module 2 Quiz
- Plan: Module 2 Assignment
- Module 3 Quiz
- Search: Module 3 Assignment
- Module 4 Quiz
- Find & Evaluate: Module 4 Assignment
- Module 5 Quiz
- Synthesize: Module 5 Assignment
- Disseminate: Module 6 Final Project