Resources:
ILS 244 Syllabus
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Use of Information Sources
ILS 244W SyllabusFall 2009
Monday, August 31 - Friday, December 18
NOTE: Please print a copy of this page and keep it nearby for ready reference.
REMEMBER: ILS 244W requires an ongoing routine of involvement through reading, planning, doing, and thinking. Plan ahead; Make appointments with yourself for work sessions; Do something everyday toward coursework; Be prepared to use idle time (standing in grocery lines, waiting for a train) to write ideas or read and edit portions of a working paper.
REQUIRED TEXT
List-Handley, C. J. (2008). Information literacy & technology (4th ed.). Dubuque, IO: Kendall/Hunt Publishing. ISBN: 978-0-7575-4676-1
COURSE DESCRIPTION
The range of media, technology and services available to students in the modern library is examined and applied. This is a W-course, which requires a minimum of 20 pages of writing and work on improving writing content and style. Application for this W-course will be in the form of short term-style papers which will be researched and written over the course of the semester and a reflective diary of research methods used. This course fulfills one of the GE requirements for SCSU in the W-course category. Enrollment in this course is limited to 20 students.
COURSE OBJECTIVES
The student will:
- Become familiar with the library as a tool for independent learning
- Become familiar with specific departments of the library and their function
- Utilize library facilities to solve practical problems
- Develop research skills through specific assignments
- Utilize various media to produce a specific product
TENTATIVE COURSE SCHEDULE
[NOTE: Click on unit number to link to detailed assignment, lecture, and related activities (quiz, etc.)]
- Unit 1 Information Problem-Solving Skills (Aug. 31-Sept. 7)
- READINGS IN TEXT: Chapter 1 (pp 1-18) in List-Handley
- OTHER READINGS: Read ONE of the following:
- DUE: 2-3 page paper on one of the following:
- Working in 2016
- Communicating through handwritten letters versus text messaging
Unit 2 Organizing Information (Sept. 7-14)
READINGS IN TEXT: Chapter 2 (pp 23-46) in List-Handley
DUE: Daily Themes
Unit 3 Reference and Information Sources (Sept. 14-21)
READINGS IN TEXT: Chapter 3 (pp 51-71) in List-Handley
DUE: Weekly Paper (this will be a revision of the Week 1 paper)
Unit 4 Dictionaries (Sept. 21-28)
READINGS IN TEXT: Chapter 4 (pp 77-91) in List-Handley
DUE: Daily Themes
Unit 5 Encyclopedias (Sept. 28-Oct. 5)
READINGS IN TEXT: Chapter 5 (pp 99-117) in List-Handley
OTHER READINGS: Read ONE of the following Hot Topics!:
DUE: 2-3 page paper on one of the following, using the Big6 method:
- College Students & Stress
- College Students & Sleep
- College Students & Relationships
- Eating Well & Exercising in College
- Sexual Health in College
- Using Alcohol & Other Drugs in College
- Stopping Smoking
Unit 6 Indexes (Oct. 5-12)
READINGS IN TEXT: Chapter 6 (pp 123-152) in List-Handley
DUE: Daily Themes
Unit 7 Biographical Dictionaries (Oct. 12-19)
READINGS IN TEXT: Chapter 7 (pp 159-176) in List-Handley
DUE: Weekly Paper (this will be a revision of the Week 5 paper)
Unit 8 Atlases and Gazetteers (Oct. 19-26) DUE: Daily Themes
Unit 9 Yearbooks and Handbooks (Oct. 26-Nov. 2)
READINGS: Read page 19 of the following:
DUE: 2-3 page paper on one of the following:
- The Value of Excellence
- Strategically Pursuing Excellence
Unit 10 Bibliographies (Nov. 2-9) DUE: Daily Themes
Unit 11 Non-book Information Sources (Nov. 9-16) DUE: Weekly Paper (this will be a revision of the Week 9 paper)
Unit 12 Government Publications (Nov. 16-24) DUE: Daily Themes
NOTE: November 25-29 Thanksgiving Recess
Unit 13 Subject Information Sources - Part 1 (Nov. 30-Dec. 4) DUE: Begin final paper
Unit 14 Subject Information Sources - Part 2 (Dec. 4-9) DUE: Revise final paper
Unit 15 Subject Information Sources - Part 3 (Dec. 10) DUE: Submit final paper
Note: December 11 Reading Day
FINAL EXAM WEEK (Dec. 12-18)
GENERAL POLICIES
Each student will
- assume responsibility for your learning
- use the provided learning guides and resources; conduct data
searches when necessary
- manage your time effectively (plan a schedule and practice
time management)
- ask for assistance when you need it; avoid unnecessary frustration
and confusion
- remain active in the Message Center, Email, threaded discussions and
other activities
- prepare all work at graduate performance levels
- follow good online etiquette
The instructor will
- provide assistance/knowledge in facilitating understanding of the
course content
- guide students through the course
- facilitate discussion through questioning, probing, examples, etc.
- provide feedback
- maintain records
- mark exams/assignments and maintain records within 15 working days
- respond to messages on Tuesdays and Thursdays
GRADING POLICIES
W-courses require a minimum of 20 double-spaced printed pages of writing. and work on improving writing content and style. Each student will write a series of short papers over the semester. The daily themes (graded 1/0 for completed/missing) count 15% of your course grade. The weekly papers count 15% of your course grade (graded by focus corrections). The major paper counts 20% of your course grade.
Each student is to prepare a Resource Guide to his or her major or primary minor area of academic study. The Resource Guide will 1) help you, and possibly other students, identify resources in a broad area of study and 2) list specific tools and sources in a given library (such as Buley Library) that may help locate books, magazine, journal, and newspaper articles for research in this area. The Resource Guide counts 30% of your course grade.
Each student will take a weekly quiz that covers lecture material. The journal does not count toward your course grade. The quizzes counts 10% of your course grade.
Each student is asked to make specific entries into their course journal. The journal does not counts toward your course grade.
During final exam week, each student will write a one-page, well-written paper on a topic that will be announced. The final is intended to demonstrate improvements in the student's writing. The final counts 10% of your course grade.
Attendance is automatically monitored and recorded by the Blackboard/Vista courseware and all entries are stamped with date and time of posting. While it is expected that every student will participate regularly, there may be times when illness, official university activities, etc., force a student to miss a day(s) of online activity. Final course grades may be lowered for each unexcused absence from online activity. Attendance for the purpose of this course is defined as frequency. A student who does not participate in any one week can expect to have their final grade lowered by 10% for each week of "absence" from the course. For example, a student does not participate for a week and has not received written permission from an
official university office for the absence; if the student's grade would otherwise be an "A" (4.0), it is now a B+ (3.6) and if the student's grade would otherwise be an "A-" (3.7), it is now a B+ (3.3). [A=4.0; A-=3.7-3.9; B+=3.3=3.6; B=3.0-3.2; any average below 3.0 (B) is below expected level of performance.]
I believe in providing reasonable accommodations for students with documented disabilities on an individualized and flexible basis.Ê If you are a student with a disability, the university's Disability Resource Center (DRC) determines appropriate accommodations through consultation with the student. Before you may receive accommodations in this class, you will need to make an appointment with the Disability Resource Center,Ê located in EN C-105A (or call 1-888-500-SCSU, then press 0 and ask for the Disability Resource Office) to arrange for approved accommodations. However, if you would like to speak with me about other information related to long term or short term special needs please contact me, Dr. Brown, brownm6@SouthernCT.edu, and give specific instructions on adaptions or accommodations needed. Reference:
Accommodating Students with Disabilities: A Guide for Teaching and Administrative Faculty is available on the web at: www.southernct.edu/drc
On this class site, every effort has been made to acknowledge the work of others. Any omission is unintentional. If anyone finds an oversight, please contact me at brownm6@southernct.edu immediately so that any error can be corrected.
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