Introduction | Designing an Assignment | Assignment Examples | Bibliography
                               
                                                       

    > Introduction

The following resources are recommended to faculty for assistance in preparing well-designed assignments that will address the development of student research skills, critical thinking skills, and subject knowledge. Content for this page was gleaned from a number of the web pages listed below and this section especially is attributable to the University of Washington Libraries' Designing Assignments web page.

Faculty might also consider:

  • Collaborating with your Scribner subject librarian
    Your librarian can help you design an effective assignment and assess the feasibility of the assignment in regard to collection strengths and weaknesses.
  • Scheduling a library instruction session for your class
    A library instruction session can introduce students to research strategies for accessing, using and evaluating appropriate resources for the successful completion of the assignment.
  • Placing materials on Course Reserves
    Material that will be in high demand for an assignment should be placed on reserve to ensure access for all students.
  • Incorporating the ACRL Information Literacy Standards in assignments
    Examples of how the Association of College & Research Libraries (ACRL) Information Literacy Standards may be incorporated in to assignments and activities to develop student information literacy skills.

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 > Characteristics of Well-Designed Assignments:

    • Clear & unambiguous
      - define terms, i.e., students don't always know the difference between journals and magazines
      - be specific about requirements, such as length, citation format, acceptable types of sources
      - state the learning outcomes for the assignment as well as the grading criteria
    • Time frame
      - assign reasonable due dates (test the assignment to see how long it takes to complete)
      - use incremental assignments to help students successfully complete a larger project
    • Library resources
      - be sure the library has the appropriate materials for the successful completion of the assignment
      - be consistent with the names or titles of resources (and compatible with library terminology)
      - electronic resources are constantly changing, either in name, access or content, so update assignments as often as necessary

      University of Maryland Libraries Creating Effective Research Assignments web page says it best:

      • An effective research assignment...

      • has a specific, understood purpose.
      • relates to some aspect of course subject matter or learning objectives.
      • leads to increased understanding of a subject or the process of locating information related to a subject.
      • makes students aware of the variety of information sources and formats available (e.g., print, electronic, microform, video).
      • teaches students to select and evaluate quality information sources appropriate to their topics.
        reinforces habits of ethical scholarship.

 > For more information:
    • Designing Assignments
      University of Washington Libraries provide tips on designing effective assignments, possible pitfalls to avoid, and examples of alternatives to the term paper.
    • A Guide to Assignments for Library Research
      Colorado College provides a guide to developing assignments for library research using Kuhlthau's information seeking model, Bloom's taxonomy of educational objectives, and Wiggins and McTighe's Facets of Understanding


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            > Skidmore Assignment Repository

Scribner Seminars:

    • Final Project (scroll down to section)
      Democracy Inaction/ Michael Arnush

      Students were also given the following information in regard to the assignment:

Other Skidmore Courses:
 

 > For First Year Courses
 
> In General
    • Examples of Assignments (scroll down page)
      Dalhousie U. lists a variety of assignment by title, description, and type.

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 >>>> Bibliography

Henderson, LaRhee and Buising, Charisse. (Oct 2000) "A peer-reviewed research assignment for large classes."
Journal of College Science Teaching, 30(2): 109-113.
An example of incorporating a collaborative and peer-evaluated writing assignment into the science curriculum.

Leckie, Gloria. (May 1996) "Desperately seeking citations: Uncovering faculty assumptions about the undergraduate research..." Journal of Academic Librarianship, 22(3): 201-208.
Examines the research paper assignment and the student's limitations in successfully completing the assignment.

Parker-Gibson, Necia. (2005) "From the Womb to the Web: Library Assignments and the New Generation.” In The Reference Collection: From the Shelf to the Web. William J. Frost, ed. Binghamton, NY: Haworth Information Press, an imprint of the Haworth Press, pp.83-102. Published simultaneously as (2005) “From the Womb to the Web: Library Assignments and the Next Generation.” The Reference Librarian. 91/92: 83-102.
Examines library assignments in the Internet age with suggestions for improving student outcomes.

Quarton, Barbara. (Jun 2003) "Research Skills and the New Undergraduate." Journal of Instructional Psychology, 30(2): 120-124.
Describes a typical assignment and ways to foster research skills in undergraduates.


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Page maintained by Barbara Norelli
Lucy Scribner Library, Skidmore College
Last updated: August 29, 2007