ENHANCING FIRST-YEAR STUDENTS’ RESEARCH SKILLS THROUGH SCAFFOLDED LIBRARY RESOURCES: A FOCUS ON
TEACHING AND REFLECTION
Dusty Ross
Appalachian State University
Slides: tinyurl.com/RossLOEX
Slides
Session Goals
App State Facts
My Research
Week 2 Module
Week 2: “Getting Started” Forum
Example: Student response to “Getting Started” Forum
When conducting my research I used terms such as “Food crisis,” “America's health crisis,” and “Processed foods.” I stuck to fewer words because I believed it would help me attain a wider range of research. For books I searched “Books on America's health crisis,” from there I took a deeper dive into the summaries of the specific books that interested me. It took a little over an hour to find 10 sources, the longest part of the process was watching the videos all the way through. I also spent lots of time trying to find websites that varied in information.
Some websites only touched on how eating a diet consisting of processed foods can negatively impact your blood sugar. I tried my best to find examples that mentioned other factors such as mood, poor sleep, and depression. I tried looking for articles and videos that were produced by familiar names and foundations. I mainly just used safari and youtube to help me find my sources. Even though there might be better source finders, they still provide good sources. Some challenges that I faced were finding information backed up with evidence. Many people within the “health & wellness” community don’t use scientific evidence.
There were a handful of sources that I did not use simply because there was no scientific evidence attached or mentioned within the article. About 1/5 of the articles I encountered were within this category. I included sources that provided a variety of information that were also backed up with scientific evidence. Not all but most of my sources provided different claims, evidence, and perspectives that represent a holistic group of sources. What was everyone's favorite part of this activity? Mine was trying to find video sources because it kind of just felt like I was watching youtube!
Week 3: Concept Map Activity
Example: Concept Map Activity Forum Response
For my topic I chose to research America’s health crisis, and the role processed foods play in it all. Growing up, I consumed many "Processed Foods" and it wasn't until I was 16 things started to change. At 16 I learned how to cook and I started buying my groceries locally. When I incorporated more of these meals I noticed a big shift in the way I felt. After that I wondered why. Ultimately, I found out that the food I was consuming on a daily basis was slowly harming me and my overall wellbeing. I dug a little deeper and saw many articles saying how America was going through a serious health crisis. Question to my peers: Did you already have an idea of what your topic was going to be about? Or did you mostly find it in your research?
Concept Map Activity Forum Response to Peer’s Question
To answer your question, I didn't really have an idea about what my topic was going to be. I brainstormed multiple different topics that I was passionate about and eventually on something I hold very dear to my heart, which is Formula 1. But, what really made me choose this topic is the fact that there was actually research out there. So yeah, I mostly did “find” my topic in my research. I found some stuff online when I looked last week, but the library even had F1 research articles. I was surprised it was a topic I could actually pick for the semester and I could do real research on.
Week 4: “Sources” Forum
Example: Student response to “Sources” Forum
The first source I found with a Google search, would be considered a popular source. Overall, it is very informative, but although the website claims to have a mission to inform the masses about serious public health issues, they are also biased, as the website offers paid membership for additional information. I appreciated how the article differentiates processed foods that are good for you (olive oil, roasted nuts, and frozen veggies) compared to processed foods that are extremely harmful such as (fried foods, artificial sweeteners, gums, and stabilizers).
The second article I chose was a CBS News article, which I considered to also be a popular source that also includes a primary source within. The article tells the story of a 15-year-old girl named Tiara Channer. After transitioning to a whole foods diet, combined with exercise Tiara overcame her per diabetic diagnosis. I really like how this article gives a primary source that uses ethos to connect with the reader. Then, the article continues to explain “The federal loophole that allows food companies to decide what's safe for you to eat” which makes you wonder, why are companies allowed to do this? Why are they allowed to harm people and get away with it?
Week 7: Critical Reflection
Week 15: Critical Reflection
Student reflection
“At the beginning of learning how to research, I really struggled with finding sources, I didn’t use the proper websites or keywords when I searched for supporting information at first. As I moved on in the course, I learned how to rearrange my keywords and search for information relevant to my topic…[this] helped me further understand my sources and contribute that information into my papers, especially my Argumentative Narrative.”
Student reflection
“Another important lesson I learned throughout this course was how to properly utilize the App State library for research. I found our class zoom meeting with the librarian extremely helpful and informative. I knew that the library was a great resource, but I did not know how to go about using it. I now understand how to use the library as a source for scholarly articles that I can include in my future essays.”
Student reflection
“This class redefined how I view researching a topic. Before this class, I would just take the first site from google and use it as a resource, having to shape my essay around the source due to lack of quality of the source. This class has taught me how to use a library search engine, rigorously review sources for bias and opinions, as well as understand the difference between a study or a peer-reviewed article and op-eds or magazine articles.”
How to Reach Me
Please feel free to email me with any questions
Dusty Ross rossdk@appstate.edu
Slides: tinyurl.com/RossLOEX