Teaching Research with the Library: Students as Information Creators

Suggestions can be adapted for different class levels. Gustavus library faculty enjoy collaborating with you—reach out to your library liaison to explore or refine assignment ideas. When relevant, assignments are tagged with the corresponding Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education frames.

Students as Information Creators

• Me, Myselves, and I – Have students create a photo diary reflecting student life; prompt them to discuss identity, audiences, and rhetorical choices. Frame(s): Authority is Constructed and Contextual; Information Creation as a Process; Information Has Value

• Collaborative Lecture – Have groups gather sources to create a lecture. Prompt them to discuss organization and source selection. Frame(s): Research as Inquiry; Scholarship as Conversation; Searching as Strategic Exploration

• Timeline – Assign students to report on a significant year; have them decide which events to include and how to present them. Frame(s): Research as Inquiry; Scholarship as Conversation; Searching as Strategic Exploration

• Swap Meets – Have students share resources they're using for a project with classmates. Prompt students to share topic and source insights with peers to foster research community. Frame(s): Authority is Constructed and Contextual; Information Has Value; Scholarship as Conversation

• Explain Why – Have students discuss how their sources support claims in scholarly writing in an informal writing prompt. Frame(s): Authority is Constructed and Contextual; Information Has Value; Scholarship as Conversation

• Process Sequence – Structure an assignment that helps students write like researchers, such as field report → research proposal → preliminary bibliography → final project → reflective essay. Frame(s): Information Creation as a Process; Information Has Value; Scholarship as Conversation

• Anthology – Have students compile an anthology on a theme, writing critical introductions for selections. Students gain experience selecting and synthesizing sources. Frame(s): Authority is Constructed and Contextual; Information Creation as a Process; Scholarship as Conversation