Appropriate time frame Do the assignment yourself to see how long it takes before you decide how long students need to do it. Remember to allow for their inexperience and for movement of materials. Pitfalls to Avoid Assuming most students know the basics Do not assume that your students have had prior experience using the UM Libraries, a prior orientation to the Libraries, or that their general orientation is relevant to your assignment. Transfer or new graduate students may have no experience in the UM Libraries. Requiring resources not available Do not assume what the Libraries own or do not own.
Resources change from semester to semester.
UM Libraries may not own exactly what other libraries that you have used own. It is always a good idea to retest an assignment before giving it out. If an entire class has the same assignment, needed resources will be difficult to find at best, disappear or be vandalized at worst. Instead of asking the whole class to research the history of IBM, ask them to research a major public American corporation of their choosing. If it is necessary for a whole class to use a particular source or set of sources, have them put on reserve.