Survivor Library

Article Challenge #4

2008-03-27T20:06:00.006-05:00

Learning Objective(s): After completing this challenge, you will be able to select a database (or database set) appropriate to your topic and effectively construct a search strategy using a keyword (or combination of keywords) to find an article on your topic.

Challenge: Work with a partner to complete the following:

1. Select one of the available topics and determine the keyword(s) you will type in the search box.

2. Navigate to a database set, choose database(s) to search and perform a search for a full-text, peer-reviewed article on that topic.

3. Examine your first page of results and refine your search, if necessary (hint: notice the yellow box on the left side of the blog - it contains terms you might use to focus or re-direct your search) Keep your results list window open - you will need to get back to it later

4. Click on "Post a Comment" and report the following:
Database searched, keyword(s) used, did you find a good full-text article? - why or why not? - review your process and try to determine what went wrong

Technical Difficulties?

2008-03-15T14:16:00.002-05:00

Are you having trouble viewing the tutorials? Can't see the images on the wiki pages and/or links? Use this forum to describe technical difficulties -- that is, problems with the technology -- you are having with this site or the wiki.

MMY Challenge #2

2008-03-10T16:15:00.002-05:00

Learning Objective(s): After completing this challenge, students will be able to conduct a search in a database for an article that somehow uses a specific test or measurement as the study instrument.

Challenge: Navigate to one (or all) of the EBSCO databases recommended for education and psychology. Try to find an article that uses your test instrument in its methodology. (Remember to try the full instrument name as well as the acronym in your search!)

Answer this question as a comment added to this post.

MMY Challenge 1

2008-03-10T16:03:00.003-05:00

Learning Objective(s): After completing this challenge, you will be able to effectively use the Mental Measurements Yearbook (MMY) through EBSCO Host to find a review of an assessment.

Challenge: Navigate to the EBSCO Host Mental Measurements Yearbook database and try to find your assigned test. Remember to try the full name, as well as the acronym, in your search. Answer the following questions as a comment to this blog post.

1. Did you find your test?
2. Did you find it using its full name or acronym?
3. In what volume of MMY is the review located?

Citation challenge #1: Formatting a journal article citation

2008-01-21T16:53:00.002-06:00

Learning Objective(s): After completing this challenge, you will be able to use an online APA style guide to correctly format the reference page entry for an article found online through a database.

Challenge: Choose one of the articles on your results list, and use the Quick Guide to APA Style (linked from the bottom of the library class page) to put the citation in the right format.

Type the correctly formatted citation as a comment to this post.

Article Challenge #3: Finding Articles using Databases

2008-01-21T16:47:00.000-06:00

Learning Objective(s): This challenge will help you figure out where and how to start searching for articles; after completing the challenge, you will have an opportunity to evaluate your search strategy.

Challenge: Think about and record answers to #1 and #2. Then do #3 and #4.

1. Based on what you think your research topic might be, which database(s) do you think you’ll need to use?
2. List some search terms that might work, and decide upon two to combine with AND.

3. Navigate to that database from the library home page, decide whether you want to search for full text or not, then type your search terms and take a look at the first page of results.

4. Find the "narrowing" terms along the left side of the page. Which ones may help focus or narrow your search down?

Please comment on this post and include: your probable topic, database(s) used, search terms entered, narrowing terms that look promising. Also, briefly discuss whether your strategy has you on the right track. Be prepared to share your search story with the class.

More Progress...at last!

2008-01-11T16:07:00.000-06:00

Well, with the new year, lots of exciting things have happened!

I am team-teaching a one credit elective LIBM course called Electronic Information Retrieval. We have been asked to modify the content as we see fit to make it more hands-on and interactive, even though it is entirely online (through Blackboard, our current CMS).

Also, I have been asked by our Interim Director of Libraries to work with others on creating the content for a possible one credit course covering information literacy in general.

These are two EXCELLENT opportunities to develop this project further, as well as test its effectiveness.

And the best news of all: I got notification today that my IRB application has been approved! I can create a survey and begin administering it to volunteers in my first library instruction one-shot session, which is next Wednesday.

Yea!!!

Article Challenge 2: Getting the article

2007-12-09T22:04:00.000-06:00

Learning Objective(s): After completing this challenge, you will be able to easily figure out how to get the full text of any article.

Challenge: The article your professor suggested was an excellent source of information for your paper. You know that a good way to find out more about a topic is to read some of the references listed at the end of a helpful article or book. You highlight five articles on the list and have to figure out how to get at least three of them in next seven days. Click here to get the list of articles you highlighted.

Article Challenge 1: : Finding a known journal article (SLC 1.3.a.1)

2007-11-29T13:36:00.000-06:00

Learning Objective(s): After completing this challenge, you will know where to look to determine whether a particular article is available online

Time Limit: 10 minutes - if you finish early, you can try the bonus challenge

Challenge: Your instructor has given you a citation for an article he thinks will add to your research proposal. There is more than one way to find the article, but some are better (and quicker) than others. Use the LS hints below if you need to by clicking on the link.

Here is the citation (without the proper second line indentation):
Kuhlemeier, H. (2007). The impact of computer use at home on students’ Internet skills. Computers and education, 49(2), 460-480.

Is this article available online through NSU Libraries? Add a comment to this post that describes how you find out (tell me how you figured it out: list your pathway and search terms, if appropriate), then answer the following questions:

1. Is it available online?
2. If not, is it available in print at NSU?
3. If not, how can you get the article?

LS Hint #1: Elements of a journal article citation
LS Hint #2: Difference between a library catalog and a research database
LS Hint #3: Some useful tools : online journal search, catalog search

More progress?

2007-11-29T10:00:00.000-06:00

Learning Objective(s): Things don't always go as planned!

Challenge: Finding time in between the mundane tasks to actually sit down & get creative with this idea! I've got one SL challenge drafted - another middle-of-the-night idea struck, so I got up and frantically wrote it out by hand. I think it's a good one. Now my problem is that I think I should name them with a number system that corresponds to the ACRL Info-Lit Standards - that will make mapping them much easier later, don't you think? Speaking of mapping, I've got to do that with SAILS as well - again, lots of fun & creative info-lit projects to do, but when do I do them?

Progress?

2007-11-19T11:18:00.000-06:00

Well, I came in on Wednesday eager to get going on this instruction idea. My first concern was to make sure I had proper permissions from CBS to use the Survivor idea as a frame for the library instruction game I wanted to develop. I sent an email to designatedagent@cbs.com, which was the only address I could find on the web site that seemed appropriate to offer legal permissions and such. Unfortunately, at this posting, Monday, 11/19/07, there has been no reply.

In other respects, the project is coming along nicely. I've gathered articles for a lit review outlining the use of games in adult education. I also did a Google search on the use of Survivor ideas in library instruction. There are a few others doing it, though not in the same way. From what I can tell, most are calling it Library Survivor, and are using it as a format for drop-in instruction. None appear to be using a blog to frame the game.

Last week I also worked behind the scenes within this blog to set up the perimeters for playing the game. My next steps are to write a few challenges and place them within the blog with links to hints, etc. Then some more brainstorming to time the session properly. Then, the conference proposal!

Copyright Disclaimer

2007-11-14T00:04:00.000-06:00

Initial creation of this blog was a late night brief spark of creativity - a bit of progress on an idea I've had, but hadn't quite been able to get my head around. Thankfully the URL and title were avilable. I definitely need to research whethor or not I'm allowed to use (or alude to) the CBS show, Survivor. It probably didn't matter much when I was teaching 7th grade English...but since technically a blog post is "published," I know I ought to make sure I go by the book on using the name SURVIVOR anything. I'm definitely fine with that - I'm just tired now, and would like to go back to bed! I promise to do the research and take care of the legal stuff tomorrow.