Teaching Online Research
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Many of our students already rely heavily on digital resources for their research, so – for many of them -- moving to online-only research will be a relatively seamless transition. What changes the most in moving to online pedagogy is our traditional in-person library workshop and the way in which we facilitate deep learning about informational literacy and digital research practices.
Here are some suggestions for creating a productive experience for your students that will help them become stronger and more nimble researchers.
Take advantage of existing resources
- Make sure students know how to connect to the library system from off-campus, including setting up Google Scholar for Stanford full-text privileges
- Assign the Nerd Squirrel videos
- Point students to Guides, such as the Library's Brainstorming Search Terms Guide
Communicate with the librarians
Online or in-person, the Green librarians remain strong collaborators in helping us teach our students how to be informed and strategic researchers.
- For PWR 1 instructors with an assigned librarian, join your librarian to your Canvas page.
- Synchronous engagement option: Invite your assigned librarian to class on your assigned "library workshop day" for 20-30 minutes of Q&A about the content students have watched in the Nerd Squirrel videos or specific to their own evolving research projects. Some librarians might also be willing to come earlier in the quarter for 10 minutes to introduce themselves and talk about the online resources. Show your students the Ask a Librarian IM/Chat feature (available 10am to 5pm).
- Asynchronous option: set up a Canvas discussion board chat for Q&A with the librarian; have students email a question to the reference desk.
Augment with key activities
- Adapt a pre-library workshop worksheet into a synchronous or asynchronous brainstorming activity for your students. See example worksheets.
- Have students complete Phyllis Kayten’s Search Activity.
- Have students complete Angela Becerra Vidergar’s Research Refresher Virtual Scavenger Hunt.
- Adapt Chris Kamrath’s Following a Citation Trail activity.
- Use Shannon Hervey's Research Collaboration activity (using Harmonize/discussion forum)