Course Materials for LSI 580 Evaluation and Research
Department of Library Science and Instructional Technology
Southern Connecticut State University, New Haven CT

LSI 580-70
Fall 1999

CONTENTS:
Letter to Students
Unit I
Unit II
Unit III
Unit IV
Unit V
Unit VI
Unit VII
Unit VIII
Final Exam


Sample Research Instruments
Sample IRB Form
Sample Letters
Sample Consent Form

Welcome to ILS 680-70: Evaluation and Research -- online!

Research is increasingly becoming an expected job skill for all information professionals, whether you are an information science specialist, an instructional technology specialist, or a library science specialist.

The purpose of this course is to give you 1) basic research skills so that you can conduct competent research and 2) an opportunity to make a contribution to the field based on the knowledge you have gained in your master's program. [For an example of a project from one of my earlier LSI 580 classes, see the published version of Lisa Hack and Sue Smey's work in School Library Media Quarterly, June 1997.]

For those of you who have not yet warmed to the term "Statistics", let me assure you that statistics (at least basic statistics such as we will cover) is not difficult, can actually be fun, and will include a step-by-step recipe for you to follow.

You will be learning by doing (plan and conduct research) as well as by studying (text, journal articles, and lecture notes). There will be times when the learning-by-doing will be ahead of the learning-by-studying. I will fill in these gaps on an as-needed basis through emails.

For those times when frustration should take over, stop and ask yourself these questions: What exactly am I feeling right now? Why am I feeling this way? What do I need to appease this feeling? Once you get to the third answer, devise an action plan and carry it out.

Lets get started.