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This information has been provided for educators interested in learning more about Searchpath.
What Is Searchpath?
Searchpath is a self-instructional tutorial to teach students basic library and research skills. It covers the research process from initial topic selection to citation styles and the issue of plagiarism. There is a link to Searchpath under Library Instruction on PML's homepage.
Its content is organized into six modules:
| 1 - Starting Smart |
an overview introducing students to various types of resources. |
| 2 - Choosing a Topic |
tips on narrowing a topic and discusses search concepts. |
| 3 - Finding Books |
live practice searches in our online Library catalog. |
| 4 - Finding Articles |
live practice searching an article database. |
| 5 - Using the Web |
comparative evaluation of Web sources. |
| 6 - Citing Sources |
touches on the topics of plagiarism and copyright. |
Each of the six modules takes about 10-15 minutes to complete, and students can do this on their own time outside of class. Each of the modules is followed by a short quiz.
Who Is It Designed For?
Searchpath is designed primarly for introductory-level research classes. It can be used with any class that has a library research component.
Does Searchpath Replace Library Instruction?
No! We continue to offer course-related library instruction and hope that you will incorporate it into your syllabus. Timing is important! Please schedule library instruction with us for a date after your class has received a research assignment, so students learn about searching databases at a time when they need to know this information. Also, we generally do not offer instruction sessions without an accompanying assignment. Research has shown that:
- Students learn best and retain most when they need the information.
- Library instruction is more effective when the course instructor is present.
- Library instruction is more effective when coordinated with a class assignment.
The library has its own electronic classroom. Please schedule early to reserve the date and time you need -- preferably call us two weeks ahead. Requests will be filled on a first-come basis. We can also arrange a library instruction session.
Contact:
Boris Teske , phone: 2992, email: teskeb@latech.edu
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