Course Syllabus

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LIR10: Intro to Information Literacy | Sect 0423 | Fall 2017

Course Description

An introductory course to learn and apply the skills needed to conduct research efficiently and effectively.

Student Learning Outcomes

1.  Analyze a research need
2.  Find information effectively and efficiently by using a variety of search techniques
3.  Access needed information in multiple publication formats
4.  Evaluate the quality and relevance of information sources
5.  Recognize several ethical and legal issues related to the use of information

Class Meetings

This is a fully online course. I open Weeks One, Two and Three one week at a time. After I grade Week Three, I will open up the remainder of the course for students who wish to work ahead.

Instructor Contact

Instructor: Erin Daniels

Message me through the Inbox feature of Canvas. I'll get back to you as soon as I can.

Office Hours: Mondays 9:15am-10:15am @ Doyle Library. Ask for me at the Research Desk on the 2nd floor of Doyle Library.

Course Web Site

Students will use the Canvas course web site for all coursework, including assignment descriptions, weekly readings, discussions, communication with instructor, and assignment submission.

Textbook

There is no required textbook for this course.

Required Software

Important Dates 

Day Class Begins: Monday, August 28, 2017
Day Class Ends: Sunday, October 8, 2017
Day/Time of Final Exam: To be Arranged
Last Day to Add
without instructor's approval:		 Wednesday, August 30, 2017
Last Day to Add
with instructor's approval:		 Thursday, September 7, 2017
Last Day to Drop
and be eligible for enrollment/course fee refund:		 Friday, September 1, 2017
Last Day to Drop
without a 'W' symbol:		 Thursday, September 7, 2017
Last Day to Drop
with a 'W' symbol:		 Thursday, September 28, 2017
Last Day to Opt
for Pass/No Pass:		 Monday, September 11, 2017
First Census Date: Thursday, September 7, 2017
Mid-Term Date:  

Dropping the Class

If you decide to discontinue this course, it is your responsibility to officially drop it. A student may be dropped from any class when that student's absences exceed ten percent (10%) of the total hours of class time. It is strongly advised that if you need to miss more than one class/homework deadline in a row that you contact the instructor to avoid being dropped from the class.

Attendance

For classes that meet online, students who fail to log on and initiate participation by 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time of the first day of the class may be dropped by the instructor. 

Pass‐NoPass (P/NP)

You may take this class P/NP. You must decide before the deadline, and add the option online with TLC or file the P/NP form with Admissions and Records. With a grade of C or better, you will get P.

See Important Dates above for deadline to opt for P/NP. Once you decide to go for P/NP, you cannot change back to a letter grade. If you are taking this course as part of a certificate program, you can probably still take the class P/NP. Check with a counselor to be sure.

Instructor Announcements

I will post announcements on the “Announcements” page in Canvas throughout the semester. Canvas notifies students according to their preferred Notification Preferences. Set up your Notification Preferences under "Account".

Late Policy

All assignments are due at 11:59pm PST on the due date. I accept one late assignment per student which is due before the last day of the class.

Homework

There is homework that needs to be completed every week. This includes completing the readings for the work and completing the weekly coursework. The weekly coursework generally includes a section of questions about the readings and/or a section to complete part of your final project. There is one final project for this class which is due the last day of class. Each week we build a part of the final project.

Exams

We have one final exam. This is an "open-notes" exam - meaning that you can use any course material to help you succeed on the exam. I open the exam around the fourth week at it is due Sunday, October 8 at 11:59pm PST. No late exams accepted.

Grading Policy

Click the “Grades” link in Canvas to keep track of your grades.

Grades will be assigned as follows:

A

90%

900 points or more

B

80%

800 to 899 points

C

70%

700 to 799 points

D

60%

600 to 699 points

If taking Pass/No Pass you need at least 70% of the total class points.

I grade assignments immediately after the due date (and often before, if submitted early). Most assignments are graded within 48 hours of the due date. You can see the feedback I provide by clicking on the “Coursework” for any given week after I have graded it.

Detailed Point Breakdown

Week One: Introduction Discussion (25pts); Week One Coursework (120pts)

Week Two: The Plagiarism Spectrum Discussion (40pts); Week Two Coursework (90pts)

Week Three: Week Three Coursework (160pts)

Week Four: Current Information Landscape Discussion (60pts); Week Four Coursework (105pts)

Week Five: SRJC Libraries: Things to Know (50pts); Week Five Coursework (70pts)

Week Six: Final Project (180pts); Final Exam (100pts)

Standards of Conduct

Students who register in SRJC classes are required to abide by the SRJC Student Conduct Standards. Violation of the Standards is basis for referral to the Vice President of Student Services or dismissal from class or from the College. See the Student Code of Conduct page.

Collaborating on or copying of tests or homework in whole or in part will be considered an act of academic dishonesty and result in a grade of 0 for that test or assignment. Students are encouraged to share information and ideas, but not their work. See these links on Plagiarism:
SRJC Writing Center Lessons on avoiding plagiarism
SRJC's statement on Academic Integrity

Special Needs

Every effort is made to conform to accessibility standards for all instructor-created materials. Students should contact their instructor as soon as possible if they find that they cannot access any course materials. Students with disabilities who believe they need accommodations in this class are encouraged to contact Disability Resources (527-4278).

Week by Week (General Course Outline)

Below is a broad overview of the flow of the course and what you can expect generally from each week. This does not replace the actual assignment prompts given each week. Most assignment in course build towards creating your final project.

Week One

This week you will get oriented to the course, select a research topic for your Final Project, and complete some "background" research on your topic.

Homework/Coursework includes:

  • Introducing yourself to the class
  • Answering questions about the syllabus and other pages on the course website
  • Selecting a research topic for your final project*
  • Completing some background research on your topic*

Week Two

This week, we will review what a library database is and the types of things you generally find in databases. We will cover how to search the SRJC Library Databases to find sources for your topic. We will also cover plagiarism and the ethical use of information.

Homework includes:

  • Answering questions about the weekly readings
  • Finding two sources on your topic using SRJC SmartSearch and/or library databases*
  • Completing a response to a reading on plagiarism

Week Three

This week we will cover how to evaluate your sources and how to write annotations for your annotated bibliography.

Homework includes:

  • Investigating the credibility of your sources based on author, source of publication, and author's use of evidence*
  • Writing two annotations*

Week Four

This week we cover using the internet for academic research, as well as evaluating and citing your internet sites.

Homework includes:

  • Locating an internet source on your topic*
  • Investigating the credibility of your web source*
  • Writing an annotation for internet source*
  • Completing a response to a reading on an internet issue

Week Five

This week, we'll learn to locate books at the SRJC Libraries. You will also become familiar with the services provided at the SRJC Libraries. We will also introduce tools for creating proper citations for your four sources.

Homework includes:

  • Locating a fourth source for your topic
  • Writing an annotation for your fourth source
  • Taking an online tour of the library and completing a quiz

Week Six

This week your Final Project is due and you will take the Final Exam online. You will pull together all the pieces of your Final Project that you completed during the previous five weeks. You will be reformatting your work into a Word document (or similar) and creating correct citations for your four sources that you've located.

Homework includes:

  • Completing your Final Project, including creating properly formatted citations for your sources and reformatting all portions of final project into one finished document.
  • Taking the final exam

*Contributes directly towards the creation of your Final Project. In other words, if you do these assignments, you are doing your Final Project.

List of assignments

Note to students: the assignments listed below are in alphabetical (not chronological) order. To see them listed by due date, go to Modules.

 

Course Summary:

Date Details Due