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This information has been provided for librarians, instructors,
faculty and other educators interested in learning more about Searchpath.
If you have contributions or suggestions about using Searchpath,
please e-mail
us.
What
Is Searchpath?
Searchpath is a resource for
WVU students, a self-instructional tutorial to teach them basic library and research
skills. It covers the research process from initial topic selection to citation
styles and the issue of plagiarism. There is a link to Searchpath on the Libraries'
home page or it can be accessed directly
from http://www.libraries.wvu.edu/instruction/searchpath.
Its content is organized into six modules:
| 1.
Starting smart |
is
an overview that introduces students to various types of sources. |
| 2.
Choosing a topic |
provides
tips on broadening and narrowing a topic and discusses search
concepts. |
| 3.
Using MountainLynx |
has live practice searches in our online catalog. |
| 4.
Finding articles |
provides
practice searching in the Periodical Abstracts database. |
| 5.
Using the Web |
includes the comparative evaluation of Web sources. |
| 6.
Citing sources |
includes the topics of citing, plagiarism, and copyright. |
Students can
complete the tutorial on their own time outside of class. Each of
its six sections takes about 15 minutes and students can complete
one or more modules at a time. Each of the modules is followed by
a short quiz (see details below).
Who
Is It Designed For?
Searchpath
is designed for students in classes with a substantial writing component
or introductory-level research, especially for ENG 102 and 103, ULIB101, ULIB 293, ULIB 300, ULIB 301 and any other course where the WVU instructor believes the tutorial's modules will be useful to students. Instructors are encouraged to assign all the modules and have students take the quizzes and their results so that learning can be assessed.
How
Can Instructors Effectively Use Searchpath with Their Courses?
Please
have students complete Searchpath before they begin their
research or attend a library session. Students can complete Searchpath
on their own time and submit their quiz results to you.
Each module
is followed by a short quiz and a results page, which provides an
overall percentage score for that module, as well as a summary of
questions answered right or wrong. Students can either print the
six results pages with their name and submit the printouts to you
as proof of completion or they can email their quiz results to you.
Many instructors
have chosen to give extra credit points to students who complete
Searchpath. We strongly suggest that students be required
to pass the quizzes with a score of at least 85% or better.
Students
may retake a quiz as many times as they want to improve their score.
Does
Searchpath Replace Library Instruction?
No! We continue
to offer course-related library instruction and hope that you will
incorporate a library session into your syllabus. Timing is important!
Have your students complete Searchpath, then schedule library instruction
with us for a date after they've received an assignment.
Then they will learn about searching databases when they need these
skills to complete their research assignment. Research has shown
that:
- Students
learn best and retain most when they need the information.
- Library instruction
is more effective when the course instructor is present.
- Library instruction
is more effective when coordinated with a class assignment.
WVU Libraries
has two electronic classrooms, which librarians use for computer
demonstrations and hands-on training. These are heavily booked,
so please schedule early to reserve the date and time you need--preferably
call us at least 2 weeks ahead. Requests will be filled on a first-come
basis.
To arrange a
library instruction session contact:
Carroll Wilkinson, phone: 304-293-0308, e-mail: Carroll.Wilkinson@mail.wvu.edu
or
Your department's library liaison. See http://www.libraries.wvu.edu/liaisons/
to find the name of your liaison.
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