EZ Research Workshop Tutorial

Do you want your students to be more knowledgeable in using the library databases (for finding articles) and other library resources?

Would you like this to occur without using YOUR class time?

Well our E-Z Research Tutorial can do just that!

These workshops will enable students to acquire knowledge that will improve the quality of their coursework, decrease their frustration with research, and save them time.

To give students a reason to attend these workshops, we are asking faculty to offer some type of incentive. This could be in the form of extra credit and/or required attendance or whatever you think will work. Students will receive a certificate of completion at the end of the session. If you think of other incentives that will work, please let me know so that I can share with others. Thanks for your cooperation.

These workshops are in response to a faculty survey the library conducted in Winter 2001/02. A few of the survey results:

• over 65% of the faculty think that students in lower division classes need instruction in the use of databases and other library materials
• over 75% of the faculty think that students in upper division classes need instruction in the use of databases and other library materials
• 93% of faculty gave a rating of average to poor when rating lower division students ability to do library research
• over 56% of the faculty indicated that they expect students to learn on their own

Goals: These workshops are aimed at helping students become proficient in the use of library resources, search strategies, and electronic databases. Many of the basic learning outcomes of the CSU Information Competencies checklist are covered in the E-Z Research workshop sessions.

By the end of the workshop students will be able to:

• Choose appropriate databases for their research needs
• Construct searches to find articles on specific topics
• by using the boolean operator "and" and to produce a more on-target search
• Conduct searches in databases
• Use the SFX button to help locate articles
• Use Document Delivery
• Understand the purpose of the Library PIN/Password

Benefits:

• Students will have access to library instruction 24/7.
• Students will acquire knowledge that will improve the quality of their coursework, decrease their frustration with research, and save them time
• Students will acquire this knowledge on their own time thus freeing the faculty from taking up class time
• Students will become more knowledgeable navigating the Library homepage