Faculty Supports in the LLC

The Library & Learning Commons offers faculty a number of options for information literacy instruction.

Book a library orientation

Introduction to Library & Learning Commons Services (10 min)

Learners may feel overwhelmed by the amount of resources and services that are available to them through the Library & Learning Commons, or how to access assistance.

Faculty can arrange for LLC staff to introduce classes to our spaces and services through either in-person visits or via Kaltura Virtual Classroom.

Orientation topics can include:

• library tours
• an overview of the face-to-face and remote services available at the LLC
• instructions about how to order items from other libraries
• accessing library resources off-campus

 

In-class Instruction (1 hour)

Library staff are available either in-person or via Kaltura Virtual Classroom, to attend your class to provide information literacy instruction tailored to your assignment. This option typically run for an hour and allows students to ask questions and clarify assignment and research requirements. 

Library staff provide instruction sessions throughout the semester that are booked on a first-come, first-served basis. Please note sessions are most effective when they coincide with class projects and when students have been made aware of assignment requirements and research topics.

As the course instructor, please:

• update your course syllabus to include the library instruction session in your course schedule
• post an announcement about the session expressing your expectations of the value of the session to your students
• identify the skills and information that you expect your students to gain from the session
• require an active learning exercise and, if possible, assign grade points (i.e. as part of the participation or project grade) to reinforce what is being learned. Library staff are available to assist in the design of these assignments. 

Some examples of customized library instruction sessions include:

• assignment-based introduction to print and electronic resources in the library
• developing effective searches for research topics
• placing requests for items from other libraries
• accessing library resources off-campus
• citation and/or annotated bibliography construction
• self-directed research exploration

 

Information Literacy Tutorial

LLC staff have developed an Information Literacy Tutorial that introduces students to the research process, and acquaints them with searching for and integrating resources into their work. There are seven modules with an exam at the end. 

The modules include: 

Research Questions, Background Reading, Keywords, Searching, Where to Search, Evaluating Sources, Writing & Citing.

Access the Information Literacy Tutorial

 

Videos

We have created several videos that can be added to your Brightspace courses. Topics include: 

• searching and database selection tips and techniques
• critical evaluation of resources
• citation assistance