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This information has been provided for librarians,
instructors, faculty and other educators interested in learning
more about Searchpath. If you have contributions or suggestions
about using Searchpath, please email us.
What Is Searchpath?
Searchpath
is a new resource for BHC students, a self-instructional tutorial
to teach them 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 on the Libraries' home page.
Its content is organized into six modules:
| 1 - Starting
smart |
an overview
that introduces students to various types of sources.
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| 2 - Choosing
a topic |
which provides
tips on broadening and narrowing a topic and discusses
search concepts.
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| 3 - Using the Library Catalog |
which has
live practice searches in our online catalog.
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| 4 - Finding
articles |
in which
students can practice searching the InfoTrac
database.
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| 5 - Using
the Web |
which includes
the comparative evaluation of Web sources.
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| 6 - Citing
sources |
a module
that also includes the topics of plagiarism and copyright.
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Each of
the six sections takes about 10-30 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 for students in classes with a substantial writing
component or introductory-level research, especially for English
101. However, we hope instructors of other classes will find
it useful and assign it to their students.
How
Can Instructors Effectively Use Searchpath with Their Courses?
Please have
students complete Searchpath before they begin their
research or attend a library session. Students can complete Searchpath
on their own time and submit their quiz results to you.
Each module
is followed by a short quiz and a results page, which provides
a summary of questions answered right or wrong and an overall
percentage score for that module. The results pages can be
printed out with the student’s name at the top and submitted
to you as proof of completion. We strongly suggest
that students be required to pass the quizzes with
a score of at least 85% or better. They may retake a quiz
as many times as they want. In addition, some instructors
have chosen to give extra credit points to students who complete
Searchpath.
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 BHC
Library has an electronic classroom which librarians use for
computer demonstrations and hands-on training. It is heavily
booked, so please schedule early to reserve the date
and time you need--preferably call us at least 2 weeks ahead.
Requests will be filled on a first-come basis.
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