EN124, College Research
Creators: name: Filipan, Rhonda
name: Shatat, Mara
name: Trostel, Katharine G.
Publisher: name: unknown
Year: 2021
Subjects: subject: Information science
subject: Research
subject: Writing
subject: Library science
subject: Reading
subject: Information literacy

description: EN 124, College Research, is the second of a two-semester course designed to refine reading, writing, speaking, and critical thinking skills, and to introduce students to the principles and methods of college-level academic writing and research. Writing assignments will be based on a combination of personal experience, analysis, and research. Students are expected to engage in intensive writing and research activities, both in and out of the classroom; to share and discuss their writing and research with classmates, in both large and small groups; to respond critically to each other's work; to engage in self-assessment; and to participate in all class discussions of assigned readings.

This collaboration between the library and English department was an effort to address the needs of Ursuline's composition students while acknowledging our very limited resources and faculty time. It began in 2017 after observing that students struggled to formulate research questions and construct substantive arguments from secondary sources. Originally, our English composition course included a one-shot library session for students before they began their research paper. Ultimately, that model proved grossly inadequate. To address this problem, we embedded five library sessions. What we developed serves as a model for how to work with scarcity and to make productive connections outside of our academic silos. Our most effective tool for assessment was a pre- and post-library session knowledge survey measuring the student's previous library experience, research skills, and confidence levels. Results showed increased confidence in research skills but also continued confusion over source types such as scholarly journal articles.
description: EN 124, College Research, is the second of a two-semester course designed to refine reading, writing, speaking, and critical thinking skills, and to introduce students to the principles and methods of college-level academic writing and research. Writing assignments will be based on a combination of personal experience, analysis, and research. Students are expected to engage in intensive writing and research activities, both in and out of the classroom; to share and discuss their writing and research with classmates, in both large and small groups; to respond critically to each other's work; to engage in self-assessment; and to participate in all class discussions of assigned readings. This collaboration between the library and English department was an effort to address the needs of Ursuline's composition students while acknowledging our very limited resources and faculty time. It began in 2017 after observing that students struggled to formulate research questions and construct substantive arguments from secondary sources. Originally, our English composition course included a one-shot library session for students before they began their research paper. Ultimately, that model proved grossly inadequate. To address this problem, we embedded five library sessions. What we developed serves as a model for how to work with scarcity and to make productive connections outside of our academic silos. Our most effective tool for assessment was a pre- and post-library session knowledge survey measuring the student's previous library experience, research skills, and confidence levels. Results showed increased confidence in research skills but also continued confusion over source types such as scholarly journal articles.