embedded library instruction in a first‐year biology laboratory course

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Embedded Library Instructionin a First‐Year BiologyLaboratory CourseIgnacio J. Ferrer‐Vinent a & Christy A. Carello b

a UCD‐HSC, Metropolitan State College of Denver,and Community College of Denverb Metropolitan State College of DenverPublished online: 11 Oct 2008.

To cite this article: Ignacio J. Ferrer‐Vinent & Christy A. Carello (2008) EmbeddedLibrary Instruction in a First‐Year Biology Laboratory Course , Science & TechnologyLibraries, 28:4, 325-351, DOI: 10.1080/01942620802202352

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Embedded Library Instructionin a First-Year Biology

Laboratory Course

Ignacio J. Ferrer-VinentChristy A. Carello

ABSTRACT. A biology professor and a science librarian collaboratedto develop and embed research-based library instruction in a new first-year biology laboratory course. This paper describes the rationale,collaborative process, and the various aspects of the program.Assessment was done through library exercises as well as preinstruc-tion and end-of-semester student surveys asking attitudinal andobjective-skills questions. Course professors were also surveyedregarding the value of the program to their students.

KEYWORDS. Biology, information literacy, bibliographic instruction,library instruction, first-year experience, collaboration, assessment,surveys, embedded

Science & Technology Libraries, Vol. 28(4) 2008Available online at http://www.haworthpress.com# 2008 by The Haworth Press. All rights reserved.

doi: 10.1080/01942620802202352 325

Ignacio J. Ferrer-Vinent, PhD, MLIS, is Assistant Professor, AurariaLibrary, University of Colorado at Denver and Health Sciences Center. Heserves as the Science Reference and Instruction Librarian to the threeinstitutions of higher learning at that campus: UCD-HSC, MetropolitanState College of Denver, and Community College of Denver (E-mail:[email protected]).

Christy A. Carello, PhD, is Associate Professor of Biology, MetropolitanState College of Denver (E-mail: [email protected]).

The authors would like to thank Elaine Jurries, Science and EngineeringBibliographer, Auraria Library, for valuable consultation and suggestions.The authors would also like to thank all the biology laboratory courseprofessors who participated.

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INTRODUCTION

During the first years of college, students generally need to make atransition away from Google-type searching toward specializeddatabase research to find pertinent information for their courses.Introductory-level science courses are the perfect place for sciencemajors to obtain lifelong library research skills that will help themthroughout their careers in college, graduate school, and beyond.Librarians and science faculty are joining together to reach this goal.

Library research education is a common component of thecurriculum for biology students (Sinn 1998). The methods used forteaching library skills take many forms and formats, have changedthroughout the years, and will probably continue to change. Ascomputers and computer applications such as Web-based tutorialshave become more efficient and user-friendly, some librarians have atleast partially incorporated their use for library instruction (Kearnsand Hybl 2005; Lee and MacMillan 2004; Kaplowitz and Contini1998). Others have preferred face-to-face library instruction forbiology students (Reichardt and Campbell 2001; Kaplowitz andContini 1998). A recent study found no difference in efficacy betweencomputer-assisted and face-to-face instruction (Zhang, Watson, andBanfield 2007).

Collaboration between classroom faculty and librarians has beenidentified as a key element in the success of a library instructionprogram (Spackman 2007; Kearns and Hybl 2005; Curzon 2004;Huerta and McMillan 2004; Bowden and DiBenedetto 2001;Reichardt and Campbell 2001; Orians and Sabol 1999). Otherpractices in library instruction that have become more common areassessment of learning outcomes and of students’ subjective opinions(Spackman 2007; Choinski and Emanuel 2006; Kearns and Hybl2005; Lee and MacMillan 2004; Bowden and DiBenedetto 2001;Samson 2000; Kaplowitz and Contini 1998).

Library research skills are critical to biology students because ofthe rapid advancement of the subject. As a result, a librarian and abiology faculty member teamed up to develop and integrate libraryinstruction and research exercises into a freshman biology laboratorycourse. The subject- and course-specific library instruction is tailoredto the students’ biology interests and provides a solid platform forlaunching their careers in science.

326 SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY LIBRARIES

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This article describes the rationale, collaborative process, andspecifics of the program that embeds library research education into anewly developed biology curriculum for a first-year laboratorycourse. This study demonstrates that research-based library instruc-tion results in improved general library skills.

METHODOLOGY

Collaboration

At the start of the fall semester in 2005, a biology professor e-mailed the library requesting a predesigned library scavenger huntthat could be included as part of the library skills section of a newfreshman biology lab course. This request grew into a collaborativerelationship being established with the science librarian and a three-hour library instruction session becoming part of library researcheducation within the biology laboratory curriculum.

The professor had been assigned to develop a new general biologylab course with an enrollment that would grow to about a thousandstudents. She wanted to include a library skills lab and alsoincorporate some practical biology library exercises into the course’stextbook, which she was writing. The professor and the librarian metfor about one hour to discuss and decide on the content and basicformat for the library portion of the lab course:

N a three-hour instruction/lab session taught in the libraryN a library skills chapter written by the science librarian in the lab

manualN face-to-face instruction of students by the librarianN graded assignment of library skills practice exercises written by

the librarian in consultation with the professor and included inthe course lab manual

N time allocated within the session for students to complete thepractice exercises with assistance from the instructors and thelibrarian

They agreed to work on their individual responsibilities and tokeep in contact by e-mail to modify the format, content, and logistics.There was a trial run of the instruction session with a summer 2006senior-level biology course.

Ignacio J. Ferrer-Vinent and Christy A. Carello 327

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Embedded Library Instruction and Assessment

The multifaceted library instruction is embedded in the first-yearbiology laboratory course and laboratory manual in several ways:

N a chapter in the biology lab manual about library researchN a library instruction sessionN graded assignment of library research exercisesN weekly course assignments that require library researchN a course presentation that requires library research skills

Chapter in the Biology Lab Manual About Library Research

The biology lab manual purchased by the students is updated everysemester (Carello 2006). Lab #2 in the manual is a chapter written bythe science librarian about library research methods, which thestudents read before the second laboratory (Ferrer-Vinent 2006). Thechapter explains most of the points that will be covered during the face-to-face library instruction and contains library research exercises.

Library Instruction Session (Lab #2)

A three-hour-long live, face-to-face, subject- and course-specificsession is taught by the librarian in the library instruction room, whichis equipped with enough computers for each student and an instructorcomputer connected to a video data projector. The students come tothe library accompanied by their instructor, who varies with eachsection of the lab course. The session alternates lecture anddemonstration by the science librarian with hands-on work by thestudents. The in-class skills practice is facilitated by the presence andassistance of both the librarian and the biology professor.

The librarian begins each session by describing some local librarybasics, the online biology subject guide, and the online class guide.The librarian then discusses and demonstrates how to narrow aresearch topic, use Boolean searching, use the library catalog, use aunified catalog (Prospector) and interlibrary loan for accessingmaterials not available at the campus library, and cite books in abibliography using Council of Science Editors (CSE) style, as well asdelineates the value of reference works. The students then work witha research partner to complete the first two library exercises, whichdeal with narrowing their own research topics for the course and


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searching the catalog for books containing information related totheir topics. After identifying several books, they retrieve them fromthe shelves, check them out at the circulation desk, and write correctcitations for these items.

Students return to the library instruction lab for the next lectureand demonstration portion of the three-hour session. The librarianexplains the difference between scholarly and popular sources, thelevels of scholarly literature, the utility of abstracts and bibliogra-phies, and how to select appropriate proprietary databases, use thosedatabases to obtain scholarly journal articles, and cite journal articlesand electronic resources. Working with their research partner again,students answer the next three questions in their lab manual exercises.They need to identify and obtain two journal articles on their ownresearch topics and write correct citations for them. Students alsoreceive a citation for a journal article that has been predetermined bythe librarian to be unavailable online. Students need to use the librarycatalog and the library’s print periodical collection to find the article.After locating the article they identify it as either a peer-reviewed/refereed or popular press publication and decide if it is primary orsecondary literature. As mentioned previously, while they arecompleting the exercises, the students are able to ask the librarianor the biologist for assistance. The last exercise asks questions aboutthe research process, as discussed in class.

Finally, the librarian distributes and briefly reviews a one-pagesummary of important points that were discussed during class (seeAppendix A). This handout is a brief, easy-to-read schematicsummary sheet of steps in finding library resources, etc., thatstudents can use in doing any biology library research in this courseor others. Of course, students also have a more detailed explanationof the library instruction session’s content in their lab manual chapterfor future reference.

Graded Assignment of Library Research Exercises

Graded library research exercises (see Appendix B) are integratedinto the library instruction session, as mentioned above. Theseexercises promote several goals:

N Using critical thinking throughout the research processN Focusing a research topic


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N Becoming familiar with the library catalogN Identifying and retrieving library materialsN Using databases to obtain scholarly informationN Identifying parts of a citationN Finding a specific journal article within the library’s print

collectionN Understanding the difference between scholarly and popular

press articlesN Understanding the difference between primary and secondary

literatureN Citing resources correctly using CSE style

Exercises that are not completed during the three-hour lab sessionmust be completed outside of this session. The assignment issubmitted to the section instructor at the next lab meeting.

Weekly Course Assignments That Require Library Research

The general biology laboratory is equipped with computers.Students use these computers to complete lab assignments andconduct library research. Students are required to reinforce theirlibrary research skills by utilizing the library databases to obtainsupplemental information pertinent to the experiment of the day.

Course Presentation That Requires Library Research Skills

During the last biology laboratory session, students give a ten-minute PowerPoint presentation and hand in a one-page write-up onone species. Students must discuss the geographic distribution of thespecies, its life history traits, and current research projects on thespecies. Preparation, which begins during the library instructionsession and continues throughout the semester, requires obtaining aminimum of three peer-reviewed articles. Students are required tosubmit a reference list of their sources along with their write-up.

Assessment

Several methods are used to assess the effectiveness of the libraryinstruction lab and the course’s library research assignments. Someitems are purely subjective and/or of a general nature and some areassessed learning experiences:


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N Graded library research exercises (see Appendix B). The libraryexercises performed during the library session are graded by theprofessor of each section and constitute another aspect ofassessment.

N Weekly course assignments that require library research.Assignments in each biology lab require the use of librarydatabases.

N Course presentation. During the last lab, students presentindividual topic presentations.

N Preinstruction survey (see Appendix C). Students are askedattitudinal and objective questions at the beginning of thelibrary session.

N End-of-semester survey (see Appendix D). This survey is done atthe last lab meeting, after the students’ research topic presenta-tions. Like the preinstruction survey, it is composed of subjec-tive and objective questions.

N Professor survey (see Appendix E). After each semester is over,the professors are asked to complete a survey that asksquestions regarding their thoughts about the library instructionand how well their students performed in the exercises andpresentations.

RESULTS & DISCUSSION

Collaboration

Collaboration for this successful venture involves only two people,a biology professor and a science librarian. One reason for the successof the collaborative process stems from both parties being interestedin accomplishing the task within a certain time frame. The initialmeeting of collaborators lasted only about one hour. Currently, theymeet once or twice a semester to discuss successes, failures, andpossible changes. Both parties come to meetings prepared to discusstheir ideas, requirements, etc., and are willing to provide alternativesand allow each other to concentrate on what each does best.

The authors feel that keeping meetings and the number of peopleinvolved to a minimum is essential in facilitating the flow ofinformation and efficient decision making. Therefore, any possibleconsultation with others in their respective departments is purposely


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done separately from the core group of two collaborators. Thisavoids some problems that are typical of committees, such asscheduling conflicts and prolonged discussions, while still allowingfor the input of ideas from colleagues.

As others have indicated (Kearns and Hybl 2005; Bowden andDiBenedetto 2001; Dewald 1999), librarian–faculty collaborationresults in more meaningful instruction for the students, since relevantcourse content can be integrated into the library skills instructionand exercises. Further, the authors’ collaboration permitted theinclusion of the library chapter in the biology lab manual, provi-ding more validity to the library encounter in the eyes of thestudents, as suggested by Reichardt and Campbell (2001) and Dewald(1999).

Embedded Library Instruction and Assessment

Collaboration allowed embedding various facets of libraryinstruction into the biology laboratory course. These facets will bediscussed and/or analyzed in the following sections.

Chapter in the Biology Lab Manual About Library Research

The library skills chapter embedded in the lab manual providescredibility to the process, as mentioned above, and allows students topreview what they will be doing and hearing during the librarysession. In addition, as Kaplowitz and Contini (1998) have indicatedis important, the chapter gives the students something tangible theycan have with them for reference later in the semester.

Library Instruction Session

Even though there are many biology laboratory sessions requiringan equal number of library instruction classes, the advantage of face-to-face library instruction is obvious to the authors. Students caninterrupt with questions at any point for instant clarification. Theycan mimic on their own computers what is being demonstrated,which reinforces teaching points. Both the librarian and the biologistare able to help students during the learning exercises. In addition, allstudents attend and complete the entire session, which might nothappen with an online tutorial. Alternating between lecture/demonstration and the hands-on exercises is intended to help


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students stay alert and allow immediate practicing of the researchskills just discussed.

A three-hour session allows enough time for lecture/demonstra-tion, questions, and practice. Having the library skills sessions in thelibrary gives students the opportunity to become familiar with thelibrary and the people who work there, including the sciencelibrarian, since some of the library research exercises need to bedone in the library. The authors hope that this personal instructionand help during the session will promote a relationship with thelibrary that will grow during students’ academic careers and beyond.

Graded Assignment of Library Research Exercises

One goal of the library exercises is to reinforce the mechanics ofdoing library research, such as navigating the library homepage,obtaining the desired resources in the library or online, etc. Thesecond goal is to lead the students to thoughtful selection of pertinentdatabases, evaluation of information resources, crediting sources, etc.All of this is done within the context of each student’s research topic.

The exercises are a graded assignment for the course and relate topresentation topics, which adds to the likelihood that students willattempt to complete all the exercises correctly, thereby practicing andlearning the desired library skills. The majority of students completethe exercises during the library session; therefore, the librarian canobserve and note their methods, confusions, etc., and use thisinformation to modify the instruction methods. Observation ofstudents’ work indicates that they are attaining the intended goals ofthe exercises.

Since they are directly related to presentation topics, the in-classexercises move students toward a final course goal by helping them toavoid typical student procrastination (Huerta and McMillan 2004),an obvious phenomenon observed by academic reference librariansnear the end of any semester.

Weekly Course Assignments That Require Library Research

As the semester progressed, students became more proficient atidentifying good primary sources. The library research process ispracticed each week through this aspect of the course. Students willcarry the skills they learn into their future academic endeavors.


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Course Presentation That Requires Library Research Skills

Lab course professors noted that as a result of the libraryinstruction class, students used generally high-quality resources,resulting in more professional presentations.

Preinstruction and End-of-Semester Survey Results andComparison

All of the students (246) completed the preinstruction survey.However, only 114 (46 percent) of the students completed the end-of-semester survey due to logistical problems in their final lab session.The authors are considering ways to correct this problem, such asusing printed forms hand-delivered to each instructor rather thanonline surveys and asking students to complete the survey at the startof the last lab session rather than at the last minute, when they areabout to head out the door.

A recent study indicates that effective library instruction canreduce library anxiety. (Nicholas, Rudowsky, and Valencia 2007) Inthat regard, the authors were happy that students continued to visitthe library and to utilize the specialized online databases throughoutthe semester. The end-of-semester surveys indicated that 97 percent ofthe students visited the library at least once during the semester, with44 percent visiting five times or more (see Table 1). About three-fourths of the students asked librarians for assistance during thesemester. Almost 100 percent used the library’s online resources toobtain information for their course.

There was a significant increase in the number of students whobecame aware of Prospector (a unified catalog) and interlibrary loanas ways to obtain items not present at their library (see Table 2).

TABLE 1. Visits to the Library

Preinstruction survey End-of-semester survey

Visits % Visits % Grouped %

5+ 44

YES 88 3–4 27 97

1–2 25

NO 12 None 3 3


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Being able to efficiently obtain resources not available at one’s homelibrary is an essential research and learning skill with lifelong utility.

Although the percentage of students who reported using Internetsearch engines for obtaining information remained about the same,the use of subject-specific databases for scholarly information didincrease significantly (see Table 3). Still, some students persisted intheir belief that they could get online journal articles by using thelibrary catalog. The library catalog can be used to obtain onlineaccess to some journals, but observation of students searching duringthe library session suggests that they sometimes think they can use thecatalog in the same way as a literature database to identify articles.Kearns and Hybl (2005) reported similar problems. The authors aretrying to correct misperceptions on this point.

The majority of students recognized the reference desk as the bestplace to get help in the library. There was no significant change in thisperception from preinstruction to postinstruction surveys. They mayhave had other instruction at Auraria Library in which this point wasstrongly emphasized.

Students indicated that they used print resources, such as referencebooks, nonreference books, and print journals, to learn about their

TABLE 2. Best Alternative Ways to Obtain a Book If Your Library DoesNot Have It (Due to rounding, totals may not equal 100.)


% %

Prospector/ILL 49 70

Library catalog 13 5

Google 38 24

TABLE 3. Databases Used to Find Scholarly Journal Articles for ThisClass (Due to rounding, totals may not equal 100.)


% %

Article databases 62 73

Library catalog 21 9

Search engines 16 18


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topics during the course. Slightly less than one-third reported using e-books, which the authors found surprisingly high. It is true that e-books are conveniently accessible anywhere and anytime from thelibrary online, and that science e-books do not need to be read intheir entirety, but instead can be searched for pertinent information.

Students expressed strong satisfaction regarding the librarysession. Eighty-four percent of students thought it had been usefulfor finding information for their topics. A similar number (85percent) mentioned that it helped them learn how to use the libraryand its resources. In reference to the library research exercisesassignment, 86 percent said the exercises had been helpful inbecoming familiar with the library. Perhaps this is indicative of theneed for subject-specific science library instruction early in a student’scareer. The authors expected that the chapter in the biology labmanual about library research would be useful to students; never-theless, they were surprised and pleased that 68 percent reportedreferring to the chapter later in the semester. This highlights theimportance of collaboration between teaching faculty and librariansfor the benefit of the students, without which this library chapterwould not have been produced.

Among the objective skills questions, it was gratifying to see that26 percent more students in postinstruction surveys reported beingable to recognize the title of a journal within a citation(see Table 4).This basic and seemingly simple task is apparently a concept difficultfor students to grasp, as mentioned by Kearns and Hybl (2005). Thelibrarian will address this point more specifically in future sessions.During the in-class exercises, students tended to confuse the articletitle for the journal title. Perhaps students are so accustomed toviewing articles within online databases that they do not consider theoriginal source, that is, the journal. Improvement by the end ofthe semester could be attributed to the library exercises, in addition to

TABLE 4. Identifying the Title of a Journal in an Article Citation


% %

Correct 50 76

Incorrect 50 24


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the library instruction, and to the continued weekly course assign-ments that required library research.

Most students (88 percent) already knew the usefulness of areference list or bibliography in research. Only a slight improvementwas seen in the end-of-semester surveys. Presession knowledge in thisarea again could be attributable to previous Auraria Libraryinstruction in which this is emphasized.

Students persist in having difficulty recognizing the correct sequenceof steps to use in finding good peer-reviewed articles. Even though thepercentage of correct answers went from 28 percent to 40 percent, itwas still below 50 percent (see Table 5). The major error was wanting toobtain the full text of the article before noting the complete citation.This sequence often works, but researchers know the problems that canbe created by not recording a citation when it is available.

Professor Survey

The instructor survey responses were very encouraging. Theprofessors thought that the library instruction class and the libraryexercises were useful to their students by familiarizing them with thelibrary and its resources, as well as with how to use them (see Tables 6and 7). They indicated that the quality of the information used bythe students in their presentations was enhanced by the libraryinstruction (see Table 8). In addition, they felt confident that thebenefits derived from the library instruction would serve theirstudents in future biology courses (see Table 9).

TABLE 5. Sequence of Steps in Finding Peer-Review Articles

Preinstruction End of semester

% %

Correct 28 40

Incorrect 72 60

TABLE 6. Usefulness of Library Instruction Class

%

Extremely useful 25

Very useful 75


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CONCLUSION

This first-year biology laboratory course incorporates libraryresearch education through a chapter in the lab manual, a face-to-face library instruction session, library research exercises, and weeklycourse assignments, plus a course presentation that requires libraryresearch skills.

Evaluation by several assessment methods demonstrated students’improvement in performing library research, as well as students’satisfaction with the program. Course professors felt that this libraryinstruction occurring early in the students’ careers will help them infuture biology courses. Naturally, the library research chapter in themanual and the instruction session will constantly change based onobservation, continuing assessment, and library research practices.

Collaboration between the biology professor and the sciencelibrarian allows integration of various aspects of library instruction

TABLE 7. Usefulness of Library Exercises

%

Extremely useful 25

Very useful 50

Useful 25

TABLE 8. Benefit of Library Instruction Class to Students’ CoursePresentations

%

Very beneficial 75

Beneficial 25

TABLE 9. Benefit of Library Instruction Class to Students for OtherBiology Courses

%

Extremely beneficial 25

Very beneficial 75


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throughout the semester and makes it relevant to specific coursecontent and students’ interests. Inclusion of the library researchchapter in the lab manual makes it easy for the students to consult itwhenever they need it during the course. Valuable personalized helpis available during the library instruction session as students completelibrary research exercises and begin research on their chosen topics.Embedding library research education into a subject-specific course iscritical to student success.

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Zhang, L., E. M. Watson., and L. Banfield. 2007. The efficacy of computer-assisted

instruction versus face-to-face instruction in academic libraries: A systematic

review. Journal of Academic Librarianship 33 (4): 478-84.


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APPENDIX A: SUMMARY HANDOUT

Ignacio Ferrer-VinentScience Reference & Instruction Librarian

[email protected] to the Auraria Library http://library.auraria.edu/__________________________________________________________

How to efficiently use the library and get the information you need

__________________________________________________________

BIBLIOGRAPHIC CITATIONSGather all reference/citation information as you do your research

Go to: Research Guides .. List all by Subject .. Style Manuals(Citing Sources)

Also: See examples in the library instruction chapter (Lab 2) of yourlab manual.

__________________________________________________________

RESERVESGo to: Search course reserves ..Instructor or Course

__________________________________________________________

Need more HELP? Go to the REFERENCE DESK!Also try:

Go to: Research Guides .. class guides .. BIO 1091Go to: Research Guides .. List all by Subject ..Sciences [Biology]

BOOKS ARTICLES

Identify item(s)you want:

Library Catalog Multi-subject databases:

Research Tools (Catalog-…) OneFile

Academic Search Premier

Subject search Subject area databases:

Biology dictionaries BiologyZoology encyclopedias Database by title: BIOSIS

Journal searchScience Direct

Nature LondonWeb of Science

BioOne

Get item(s)you want:

Library Catalog Print

Location Download to disk, etc.

Availability E-mail to yourself

Call number Auraria periodicals

If Aurariadoesn’thave it:

Prospector Search for full-text

Interlibrary Loan (ILL) Interlibrary Loan (ILL)

World Cat


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APPENDIX B: GRADED ASSIGNMENT OF LIBRARY RESEARCH

EXERCISES

1. Your Topic___________________________________________________________

Focus on a library research topic and narrow its scope

1a Write a phrase or two that describe the focus of your presentationfor this course. Underline some of the key concepts.(Note: This might not be your final focus. You can always narrow thescope more as you go along through literature research and writing.)

1b List a few key concepts related to the topic of your presentation.(Hint: Use these initially as keywords in your literature search.)

__________ __________ __________

1c List some synonyms (words that have the same meaning) oralternate terms (terms that are used interchangeably or similarly) foryour key words.(Example: river…stream.) (Hint: You might also use these askeywords in your literature search.)

2. Books and/or Government Publications___________________________________________________________

Search a library catalog to find books relevant to a topicRetrieve library books from the shelvesCheck out library materials

2a Search the library catalog for two books that could be used assources for your presentation. One could be a government document.See if the books are available to check out. Write the Location andCall Number below.(Note: If a book you really want is not available at Auraria Library,you can request it through Prospector (three to five days) orInterlibrary Loan (one to five weeks).)Reference 1TitleLocationCall NumberReference 2Title


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LocationCall Number

2b Go to the stacks (book shelves) and get the books. For each book,write a bibliographic citation using proper scientific format. If youintend to use either of these two books as resources for yourpresentation, it might be a good idea to check them out now at theCirculation (check-out) Desk.Citation 1Citation 2

2c How long can you check a book out of the library?______________________________

3. Journal Articles___________________________________________________________

Use literature databases to identify and/or obtain scholarly articlesrelevant to a topic

3a Use the general, multisubject databases or those under the subjectof Biology or Science. Search two different article databases toidentify two scholarly articles related to your topic. Write thebibliography citation below.(Hint: Examining the titles and abstracts will help you chooserelevant articles.)

Article 1Article 2

3b Examine the bibliography (reference list) of the articles you havechosen and select one that could be of use to your topic. Write thecitation below, as it appears in the article’s bibliography.

4. Journals That Are Not Available Online___________________________________________________________

Use journals that are not onlineRealize differences in types of literature

4a During the library instruction section, you will be given a citationfor an article (not necessarily related to your topic). Find that articlein the Periodicals section of the library. Write down the Location andthe Call Number of the journal and circle the format in which it is tobe found.


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(Hint: First look up the journal title in the library catalog: from thelibrary’s homepage, click on Advanced search, click Journal Title,type the title of the journal in the box provided, click on Search.)Location: _________ Call #:_________ Format: Bound / Fiche / Film

4b Go to Periodicals to find the journal and article. Provide answersto the following question about this article:

1. Is this a refereed or peer-reviewed article, or is it popularpress?(Hint: Refereed/peer-reviewed articles are reviewed by the journaleditorial board or by scholars in the same research area to determineif the article should be published. Academic journals usually indicatereview policies in the Instructions to Authors section at the beginningor end of an issue. Popular press articles are usually written bynonscholars (journalists or writers) for a general audience with thepurpose of entertaining or persuading.)Circle one: Refereed/Peer-reviewed Popular press

2. Do you consider this article to be primary or secondaryliterature?(Hint: Primary literature deals with the reporting of original research.For example: a journal article in which scientists are reporting thefindings of their experiments. Secondary literature uses the findingslisted in the primary literature. For example: a literature reviewarticle that summarizes the findings of researchers in a given field ofstudy up to the present. Such review articles are good sources forrealizing what has been done in a particular area of research.)Circle one: Primary literature Secondary literature

4c Make a photocopy of the first page of the article. Attach thecitation you were given to the photocopy. Submit that photocopywith this assignment.

5. General Review___________________________________________________________

Answer the following questions to show your proficiency at using thelibrary.5a. List the steps you would take to find a book in the library.5b. List the steps you would take to find a scholarly article that isavailable online.


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5c. List the steps you would take to find a scholarly article that is notavailable online.5d. Write a proper citation for a Web site on your topic.5e. What information do you need to construct a proper citation fora journal article?5f. What information do you need to construct a proper citation for abook?

APPENDIX C: PREINSTRUCTION SURVEY

1. How long have you been on the Auraria Campus? (Chooseone.)

____ 1 year or less____ 2 years____ 3 years____ 4 or more years

2. Have you ever been to the Auraria Library? (Choose one.)

____ Yes____ No

3. Have you ever used the Auraria Library resources online?(Choose one.)

____ Yes____ No

4. If Auraria Library does not have a book you want, what is thebest alternative way to obtain it? (Check one.)

___ Google or Yahoo!___ Prospector or Interlibrary Loan___ Bookstore

5. Which two do you think are the best online sources for findinga scholarly journal article on your topic? (Choose all thatapply.)


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___ One File___ BIOSIS___ BioOne___ Library catalog___ Google___ Academic Search Premier___ Science Direct___ Web of Science___ Medline

6. Identify the title of the journal in this citation.??Leigh, SR.2004. Brain growth, life history, and cognition in primate andhuman evolution. Am J Primatol. 62, 139–164.

___ Brain growth___ Primatology___ Journal of Primatology___ American Journal of Primatology___ Leigh

7. If you need help using the library, what is your best source?(Choose one.)

___ Circulation Desk___ Reference Desk___ Reserves Desk___ Fellow student

8. How could you make use of the bibliography in an academicjournal article? (Choose all that apply.)

___ To find other potentially relevant literature___ To learn more about databases___ To find names of other researchers on a given subject area___ None of the above

9. Indicate the correct sequence of steps to follow in finding agood peer-reviewed article for your topic using the LibraryWeb site. (Number in correct order: 1-2-3-4)

___ Get citation information on the article


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___ Choose pertinent articles by reading the abstracts___ Search article databases using key terms___ Obtain the full text of the article from the database or withthe help of the library catalog

10. Do you ever ask a librarian for help? (Choose one.)

____ Often____ Sometimes____ Seldom____ Try to avoid it____ Never

Thank you!

APPENDIX D: END-OF-SEMESTER SURVEY

1. How often did you visit the Auraria Library throughout thissemester? (Choose one.)

___ Never___ 1–2 times___ 3–4 times___ 5 or more times

2. How often did you use Auraria Library online resources thissemester? (Choose one.)

___ Never___ 1–2 times___ 3–4 times___ 5 or more times

3. If Auraria Library does not have a book you want, what is thebest alternative way to obtain it? (Choose one.)

___ Prospector or Interlibrary Loan___ Bookstore___ Yahoo! or Google


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4. Which databases did you use to find scholarly journal articlesfor this class? (Choose all that apply.)

___ One File___ BIOSIS___ BioOne___ Library catalog___ Academic Search Premier___ Google___ Science Direct___ Web of Science___ Medline

5. Identify the title of the journal in this citation:Mayberry, WJ, Lehman, FO. 2004. The fluid dynamics offlight control by kinematic phase leg variation between tworobotic insect wings. J Exp Biol 207, 4707–26.

___ Fluid Dynamics___ Experimental Biology___ Journal of Experimental Biology___ None of the above

6. If you need help using the library, what is your best source?(Choose one.)

___ Circulation Desk___ Reference Desk___ Reserves Desk___ Fellow student

7. How could you make use of the bibliography in an academicjournal article? (Choose all that apply.)

___ To find other potentially relevant literature___ To learn more about the database___ To find names of other researchers on a given subject area___ None of the above


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8. Indicate the correct sequence of steps to follow in finding agood peer-reviewed article using the Library Web site.(Number in correct order: 1-2-3-4)

___ Get citation information on the article___ Choose pertinent articles by reading the abstracts___ Search article databases using key terms___ Obtain the full-text copy of the article

9. Did you make use of any print (not online) resources to findinformation on your topic? (Choose any that you used.)

___ Encyclopedia, dictionaries___ Books___ Journals (in print)___ Other, please specify_________________

10. Did you use any electronic books (not journals) to findinformation on your topic?

___ Yes___ No

11. Do you ever ask a librarian for assistance? (Choose one.)

____ Often____ Sometimes____ Seldom____ Try to avoid it____ Never

12. How would you rate the library instruction class in terms of itsusefulness to you in learning how to use the library and itsresources?

___ Extremely useful___ Very useful___ Useful___ Not very useful___ Not useful at all


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13. How would you rate the library exercises in terms of theirusefulness to you in becoming familiar with the use of thelibrary and its resources?


14. Did you ever refer back to the library instruction chapter inyour laboratory manual during the semester?

___ Yes___ No

15. Comments and recommendations:

Thank you!

APPENDIX E: PROFESSOR SURVEY (END OF SEMESTER)

1. How would you rate the library instruction class in terms of itsusefulness to your students in learning how to use the libraryand its resources?


2. How would you rate the library exercises in terms of theirusefulness to your students in becoming familiar with the use ofthe library and its resources?

___ Extremely useful___ Very useful___ Useful


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___ Not very useful___ Not useful at all

3. Do you think the library instruction was beneficial to yourstudents in obtaining reliable information for their presentationsin the Bio II lab?

___ Extremely beneficial___ Very beneficial___ Beneficial___ Not very beneficial___ Not beneficial at all

4. Do you think the library instruction will be beneficial to yourstudents in completing other assignments in biology courses ingeneral?

___ Extremely beneficial___ Very beneficial___ Beneficial___ Not very beneficial___ Not beneficial at all

5. Comments and recommendations:

Thank you!


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embedded library instruction in a first‐year biology laboratory course

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