Using Hands-On as a Learning Tool What is Hands-On Library Instruction? Hands-On is an instructional web site designed to teach the basics of research and using libraries. The site presents a series of self-paced lessons that users can work through in a linear or non-linear fashion. The lessons deliver concept-level instruction in the setting of Cleveland State’s University Library. Skills and concepts are reinforced by active learning exercises that ask users to take a Hands-On approach to the material. The skills and concepts presented seek to support and promote the ACRL’s Information Literacy Standards. What skills and concepts are covered? The lessons from Hands-On Library Instruction are organized into five content areas: Research Planning: covers analyzing the assignment, topic selection, topic development, and finding background information. Finding Books: covers the ins and outs of using the Library’s Scholar catalog. Finding Articles: covers concepts of scholarly versus popular literature, peer-reviewed journals, searching by title and topic, and selecting indexes. Searching the Web: defines the Internet and WWW, covers what info is on the public web and what is not, introduces search engines, subject directories, and the invisible web. Evaluating Information: covers the role of evaluation in users’ lives, evaluating search results, analyzing content, and evaluating information on the web. Who Should Use Hands-On Library Instruction? Hands-On Library Instruction was designed for undergraduate students, but it will assist anyone unfamiliar with the basics of research and using libraries. More specifically, the site is intended to support the information literacy instruction needs of English 102 classes, providing a learning framework against which students can conduct their own library research. How Should Hands-On Library Instruction Be Used? Research shows that students make the best use of instructional materials when they are integrated into the course work. Instructors are encouraged to connect the Hands-On lessons to assignments and classroom activities. Hands-On is also designed to be flexible. Instructors can pick and choose the Hands-On lessons that best fit their instructional needs and assign them to students. Approaches to Integrating Hands-On into Your Course Additional Exercises Additional exercises are being developed for each section, and instructors are welcome to offer their own exercises or assignments that can be posted to the Hands-On site. Contact the Library's instruction team for more information. Research Process Assignment The content sections of Hands-On can be assigned in parallel to student’s work on their research paper. For example, when students receive their research paper assignment, they can be assigned the “Analyzing Your Assignment” lesson from the Research Planning section of Hands-On. The student could then be required to document their plan for executing their assignment. This approach can be transferred to any lesson or section of the Hands-On site. Group Presentation Assignment Some students learn better when they are asked to learn something and then help others learn. Students can be given group assignments asking them to work through a section of Hands-On and then instruct their classmates on it in a presentation followed by exercises that they design. Use Hands-On for Demonstration during an Instruction Session Instructors can reserve instructional classrooms available at the Library and use the Hands-On modules to reinforce and/or support a library instruction session that they give. Work with a Librarian The University Library’s Instruction Team is dedicated to working in collaboration with faculty members and instructors. We will work with you to adapt one of the above mentioned approaches or to create a new approach that meets your needs. Feel free to contact a member of the Instruction Team to discuss possible approaches. Instruction Team Contact Information: Kathy Dobda - Library Instruction Coordinator and Education Librarian Marianne Nolan - Multimedia Center Coordinator, Distance Learning and History Librarian