They learn how much information is available beyond the books they find in the library. And they learn how to find appropriate sources for the information they' re seeking. About 2,000 Fort Lewis College students have taken the course since its inception in Fall 1996. This year, about half of the 400 students enrolled are taking the courses as a self-study program with only a few class meetings during the semester. The rest meet once a week with their instructor on a regular class schedule.
Results are positive.
Students in the self-study course do as well as those who meet regularly for class. Participants demonstrate an average 17 percent improvement in their ability to research, find and cite materials. And course evaluations indicate that students are finding the skills they've developed useful for research in other courses. In fact, Evans Greenwood said some Fort Lewis faculty are taking the course course materials may be accessed from the web-site without a password to teach themselves how to use the new research technology. Community members also are welcome to study the materials to learn modern-day library research methods, she added.