Dear colleagues across campus: As your partners in teaching, learning and research, the Patrick Power Library is committed to helping students develop information literacy and research skills essential for academic success.
Information literacy includes the ability to effectively and ethically find, use, evaluate and cite information. We help instructors incorporate these concepts and skills in the classroom with our instructional services, including the Academic Integrity Foundations (AIF) and ResearchBase courses on Brightspace. Librarians can also visit your class to teach information literacy sessions customized for your course and assignment needs. Keep reading to learn more about these opportunities! To book an information literacy session please contact our librarians:
- Dr. Heather Sanderson, Information Literacy Librarian: 902-420-5541, heather.sanderson@smu.ca
- Cindy Harrigan, Instructional Development Librarian: 902-496-8789, cindy.harrigan@smu.ca
Promote ethical research habits with Academic Integrity Foundations (AIF)
AIF is an assignment in Brightspace that promotes ethical and responsible work habits. As an online, asynchronous course it can be assigned to your class and completed at any time and place convenient for students. AIF teaches students about:
- Academic integrity
- Recognizing and avoiding plagiarism
- Incorporating source material in assignments
- Citing source material
- Strategies for avoiding academic mistakes
Encourage students to develop essential research skills with ResearchBase
Students enrolled in Research Base will learn about essential research skills and have opportunities for hands-on practice. This is a self-directed course that can be assigned to students via Brightspace. ResearchBase covers topics such as:
- An introduction to academic library resources and services
- Searching for material in the library catalogue and journal article databases
- Evaluating sources, including differentiating between scholarly and non-scholarly sources
Book a customized class or workshop
Librarians are available throughout the academic year to teach customized information literacy classes. Through these sessions students will develop skills in finding, ethically using, and critically evaluating information sources such as articles and databases; and in conducting academic library-based research.
Librarians will work with instructors to design classes and workshops that meet course and assignment requirements. Classes in advanced research skills and specialized resources can also be arranged for upper-year classes, graduate classes and TAs. Librarians are available to visit classes online and in-person, and offer flexible hours.
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