Information Literacy @ Madison College Libraries - Faculty Info: Creating Effective Research Assignments

Creating Effective Research Assignments

• State learning objectives clearly

• Assess students' research skills and knowledge

• Use clear terminology; provide definitions or examples when necessary

• Remind students that research takes time

• Test your assignment

• Discuss the assignment with a librarian

Research Assignment: Checklist

RATIONALE:

• Does the assignment have a clearly stated purpose or learning objective?

• Does the assignment related to specific course learning outcomes?

BASICS:

• Have you checked/updated the assignment?

• Do you have due dates/interim due dates included?

• Are time frames reasonable for the work & research that's expected?

• Does the assignment require the use of complex sources or unfamiliar research skills?

• Would students benefit from an in-person library session or use of library online tutorials?

MECHANICS

• Have you specified a minimum/maximum length?

• Have you specified a particular style of citation and paper format? Do they have to adhere to strict rules, or is it more important that they are consistent and conscientious?

• Have you included a statement about what constitutes  plagiarism?

LIBRARY SOURCES / ACCEPTABLE SOURCES

• Have you discussed the assignment with a librarian?

• Does the library have a copy of the assignment? Is it available on Blackboard? 

• Does the assignment indicate what resources that students ought to consider?

• Have you checked to see that needed resources are available?

REFERENCES

• Have you specified a minimum number of sources?

• Have you specified the types of sources required?

  • scholarly/peer-reviewed articles?

  • magazines?

  • government documents/online government resources?

  • websites?

  • interviews/transcripts?

  • documentary videos?

• Have you built-in flexibility to accommodate the availability of different information types?