This was my first online class it was a very positive experience. I definitely have had more student interaction due to the Discussion Forums. It’s almost as though personalities come shinning through. I prefer online classes because it seems that the student gets more individual attention and is ever-conscience that his/her work is being inspected more closely. I feel that way because we usually get an almost immediate evaluation of our work, which serves two purposes: 1) it keeps us on our toes; and 2) it let’s us know exactly how we are doing (did we get the concept or not?). If we didn’t quite get it, we get a nice note from Dena.
I don't think I can say one is more difficult than the other. I do know that if we hadn't kept up with the assignments, we would likely have found this class very difficult. I would describe this class as structured, challenging, focused, precise, and very interesting. If you would ask which I prefer, it would be the online class based on my experience this semester. Yes, I do think online learning is very appropriate for library research courses due to all the research you have to do on the internet. We have instant access to resources offered by links. Yes, I would have come to a face-to-face workshop if it was a required, but I feel more people are able to take this class because it is online.
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Blog Reflection No. 4...Evaluation of what I've learned so far and how it has affected me personally...
I believe Information competency is the ability to retrieve information, using resources available on the World Wide Web. It is important because without the knowledge on how to proceed, the search process is lacking.
To me it means I’ve utilized the best resources that will produce the most accurate, current, and appropriate information available for my topic.
An information competent student should be able to identify information that is needed and have the ability to locate, evaluate and use it effectively.
Home computers and the virtual library make it possible to access unending information. The vast amount of electronic information has added levels of complexity to the research process. This process requires a more educated approach.
Am I an information competent student? Well, I feel we’ve covered a tremendous amount of information in a very short time. I feel that my research techniques have certainly improved over what they were before taking this class. I feel I am on my way to becoming one. I need to implement what I’ve learned in order grow in this process. Each day resources change, so I need to keep informed. I don’t plan on selling “The Research Process…Fourth Edition” back to the bookstore. It is an excellent reference book and I plan to keep it and refer to it often.
To me it means I’ve utilized the best resources that will produce the most accurate, current, and appropriate information available for my topic.
An information competent student should be able to identify information that is needed and have the ability to locate, evaluate and use it effectively.
Home computers and the virtual library make it possible to access unending information. The vast amount of electronic information has added levels of complexity to the research process. This process requires a more educated approach.
Am I an information competent student? Well, I feel we’ve covered a tremendous amount of information in a very short time. I feel that my research techniques have certainly improved over what they were before taking this class. I feel I am on my way to becoming one. I need to implement what I’ve learned in order grow in this process. Each day resources change, so I need to keep informed. I don’t plan on selling “The Research Process…Fourth Edition” back to the bookstore. It is an excellent reference book and I plan to keep it and refer to it often.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Blog Reflection No. 3...Noticeable Improvements on Research Techniques...Compare / Evaluate the Past with the Present...
No, my statements as stated in Blog 2 remain unchanged. I have noticed that the process has become easier in that I have spent less time wondering where to begin because of the topic selection process. The steps taken to complete our assignments each week are precise and sequential. The fact that I am a “hands-on” person has made it a little easier to grasp information.
In comparing the research methods from the past to the present, I can only say that in the past we were given a topic...read a few books...pepared an outline, using it as a guide for the writter's masterpiece (fruits of our labor). I feel the basic steps are similar, but not as thorough as the process we have been exposed to in this class. In the past my focus was not necessarily on evaluating the resources and deciding what information was appropriate, for me it was mainly the gathering of related information that was readily available and current. I did not have a clear understanding of the development of a research paper. I have more of an appreciation for the particulars involved in moving forward in the research process. I feel certain my research techniques will undoubtedly improve as I follow the systematic procedures offered in this course. At the time I was doing research papers there were no home computers. We now have the best of both worlds…libraries and access to the world wide web through internet service.
Some key things that will help me with future projects are:
· Focus on a topic that interests you.
· Perform a relatively quick search on availability of information
(if I had done thatI would not have had to switch topics).
· Select a manageable topic (time management is essential)
· Organize your thoughts (determine the thesis for your topic)
· Understanding your sources and determine what characteristics
are needed (popular or scholarly).
· Follow your outline…its benefits are twofold (organizes your
thoughts and after all the research is done it serves to help
you write your paper).
I think this process will definitely help with future assignments. I also feel this process could be applied to our day-to-day living (i.e., a task at work, being proactive about our health...you may want to research medications you are prescribed, etc. There are countless opportunities to exercise what we have learned.
I am also glad to say that our instructor never assumed for a minute that we understood it all. The information was provided in our reading assignments and our instructor saw to it that we used the tools available to develop and accomplish our task.
In comparing the research methods from the past to the present, I can only say that in the past we were given a topic...read a few books...pepared an outline, using it as a guide for the writter's masterpiece (fruits of our labor). I feel the basic steps are similar, but not as thorough as the process we have been exposed to in this class. In the past my focus was not necessarily on evaluating the resources and deciding what information was appropriate, for me it was mainly the gathering of related information that was readily available and current. I did not have a clear understanding of the development of a research paper. I have more of an appreciation for the particulars involved in moving forward in the research process. I feel certain my research techniques will undoubtedly improve as I follow the systematic procedures offered in this course. At the time I was doing research papers there were no home computers. We now have the best of both worlds…libraries and access to the world wide web through internet service.
Some key things that will help me with future projects are:
· Focus on a topic that interests you.
· Perform a relatively quick search on availability of information
(if I had done thatI would not have had to switch topics).
· Select a manageable topic (time management is essential)
· Organize your thoughts (determine the thesis for your topic)
· Understanding your sources and determine what characteristics
are needed (popular or scholarly).
· Follow your outline…its benefits are twofold (organizes your
thoughts and after all the research is done it serves to help
you write your paper).
I think this process will definitely help with future assignments. I also feel this process could be applied to our day-to-day living (i.e., a task at work, being proactive about our health...you may want to research medications you are prescribed, etc. There are countless opportunities to exercise what we have learned.
I am also glad to say that our instructor never assumed for a minute that we understood it all. The information was provided in our reading assignments and our instructor saw to it that we used the tools available to develop and accomplish our task.
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Blog Reflection No. 2 - Comments on Lib 3 Course as we wind down week five...
No, my opinion has not changed pertaining libraries. In addition to the statement in Chapter 1, Pg. 2 (top), which reads: “Libraries are an essential part of the national information infrastructure, providing people with access and participation in the electronic arena. They are fundamental to the informed debate demanded by the constitution and for the provision of access to electronic information resources to those who might otherwise be excluded.” (http://www.ala.org/ala/oif/statementspols/
statementsif/interpretations/quadaaccesselectronic.htm, I feel libraries offer a relaxed and specialized/unique environment that cannot be duplicated anywhere else. It offers educated and knowledgeable librarians who can interact and offer their expertise to help patrons fulfill their task. They maintain the traditional ambiance and have incorporated the advances of electronic resources, and in so doing, became “virtual libraries”…the best of both worlds. The role libraries have had and still do have in my life is that they are essential now and will continue to be an asset to future generations. I feel they are irreplaceable in today’s world and the last of the traditional methods offering educated service to the public.
As we wind down week five of our nine-week course I feel we’ve covered many areas.
Some of the things I read and participated in over the last few weeks have helped to familiarize me with the necessary steps to locate and process information. The course has made me focus on the word “research”…to explore and follow a line of investigation. To date I feel we were provided with an organized method of approaching this task.
Within the “Steps in Preparing a Research Paper” we learned to organize our thoughts and information. There are key considerations when choosing a topic that I really never thought of before. There are several preliminary sources available to help…it was my first experience with the Library of Congress Subject Headings volumes.
There are simple, yet important questions we need to ask ourselves to provide the framework for our paper (i.e., purpose, focus of the paper and what will be proven or shown). The answers to these questions give us our thesis. These questions also determine the search strategy we will use in locating information. We were shown how to prepare a working outline, which organizes our information in an easy to understand pattern, as well as determining if we should use the popular/scholarly sources. Other considerations would be to identify if we are dealing with a primary, secondary, or tertiary source. Reviewing the differences, it seems that they can be intermingled. I found that it is key to saving time and narrowing your search by using appropriate search terms to locate your sources. The information provided on “Analyzing Information Needs” was extremely helpful as well as detailed information on selecting sources. We are provided with some questions to help evaluate our sources. Documenting our sources is explained in relation to plagiarism.
Computer technology has made it possible to retrieve information with speed and accuracy. We were given the advantages and disadvantages of the electronic format. Two basic concepts are needed when searching electronic information…1) some search engines permit limited searches, while others search the entire contents (full-text search). 2) Electronic records in a database are made up of different data elements (fields). We were introduced to the various types of databases that are available online as well as stressing the different search engines available and methods of searching electronically (i.e., Boolean method involving logic).
Chapter 4 offers information on Classification Systems and Catalogs. There are two major classifications: DC and LC. I am most familiar with the Dewey Decimal Classification System (AKA “DC”), which begins with the number system and is used by Public libraries and small college libraries. The Library of Commerce Classification System (AKA “LC”) begins with letters and is used by larger colleges and universities. Much detail is provided describing each system. This chapter also covers information pertaining to Online Catalogs. It provides some familiar screens with different search techniques.
In Chapter 5 the Internet/World Wide Web is discussed. Simply described it is a series networks linking millions of computers around the world. I was not aware that its inception was in the 1960s for the U.S. Defense Department for military purposes, then expanded to include researchers in universities and other government agencies and continued to expand. In the early 1990s legislation extended its use to K-12 schools, junior colleges, and community colleges. The legislation included provisions for businesses to purchase part of the network for commercial use and so on. Today, the Internet is a massive information and commercial system that extends around the world and includes academic, corporate, governmental and individual entities. Its capabilities are far-reaching. In simple layman’s language we have been introduced to “how the Internet works” without the technical language. I never thought of a browser as the means of accessing The World Wide Web. Search engines are discussed and “spiders” and “crawlers” introduced to me for the first time. I will definitely come away from this chapter more informed concerning the capabilities and workings of the Internet.
statementsif/interpretations/quadaaccesselectronic.htm, I feel libraries offer a relaxed and specialized/unique environment that cannot be duplicated anywhere else. It offers educated and knowledgeable librarians who can interact and offer their expertise to help patrons fulfill their task. They maintain the traditional ambiance and have incorporated the advances of electronic resources, and in so doing, became “virtual libraries”…the best of both worlds. The role libraries have had and still do have in my life is that they are essential now and will continue to be an asset to future generations. I feel they are irreplaceable in today’s world and the last of the traditional methods offering educated service to the public.
As we wind down week five of our nine-week course I feel we’ve covered many areas.
Some of the things I read and participated in over the last few weeks have helped to familiarize me with the necessary steps to locate and process information. The course has made me focus on the word “research”…to explore and follow a line of investigation. To date I feel we were provided with an organized method of approaching this task.
Within the “Steps in Preparing a Research Paper” we learned to organize our thoughts and information. There are key considerations when choosing a topic that I really never thought of before. There are several preliminary sources available to help…it was my first experience with the Library of Congress Subject Headings volumes.
There are simple, yet important questions we need to ask ourselves to provide the framework for our paper (i.e., purpose, focus of the paper and what will be proven or shown). The answers to these questions give us our thesis. These questions also determine the search strategy we will use in locating information. We were shown how to prepare a working outline, which organizes our information in an easy to understand pattern, as well as determining if we should use the popular/scholarly sources. Other considerations would be to identify if we are dealing with a primary, secondary, or tertiary source. Reviewing the differences, it seems that they can be intermingled. I found that it is key to saving time and narrowing your search by using appropriate search terms to locate your sources. The information provided on “Analyzing Information Needs” was extremely helpful as well as detailed information on selecting sources. We are provided with some questions to help evaluate our sources. Documenting our sources is explained in relation to plagiarism.
Computer technology has made it possible to retrieve information with speed and accuracy. We were given the advantages and disadvantages of the electronic format. Two basic concepts are needed when searching electronic information…1) some search engines permit limited searches, while others search the entire contents (full-text search). 2) Electronic records in a database are made up of different data elements (fields). We were introduced to the various types of databases that are available online as well as stressing the different search engines available and methods of searching electronically (i.e., Boolean method involving logic).
Chapter 4 offers information on Classification Systems and Catalogs. There are two major classifications: DC and LC. I am most familiar with the Dewey Decimal Classification System (AKA “DC”), which begins with the number system and is used by Public libraries and small college libraries. The Library of Commerce Classification System (AKA “LC”) begins with letters and is used by larger colleges and universities. Much detail is provided describing each system. This chapter also covers information pertaining to Online Catalogs. It provides some familiar screens with different search techniques.
In Chapter 5 the Internet/World Wide Web is discussed. Simply described it is a series networks linking millions of computers around the world. I was not aware that its inception was in the 1960s for the U.S. Defense Department for military purposes, then expanded to include researchers in universities and other government agencies and continued to expand. In the early 1990s legislation extended its use to K-12 schools, junior colleges, and community colleges. The legislation included provisions for businesses to purchase part of the network for commercial use and so on. Today, the Internet is a massive information and commercial system that extends around the world and includes academic, corporate, governmental and individual entities. Its capabilities are far-reaching. In simple layman’s language we have been introduced to “how the Internet works” without the technical language. I never thought of a browser as the means of accessing The World Wide Web. Search engines are discussed and “spiders” and “crawlers” introduced to me for the first time. I will definitely come away from this chapter more informed concerning the capabilities and workings of the Internet.
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