Library 10 Information Research -- Syllabus

globe
Table of Contents

"If you plan for a year, plant a seed. If for ten years, plant a tree. If for a hundred years, teach the people. When you sow a seed once, you will reap a single harvest. When you teach the people, you will reap a hundred."

-Kuan Chung, from the Kuan-tzu (Book of Master Kuan)

Library 10 Section 32027 with David Sheftman's English 1A Section 31701

Library 10 Section 32046 with Emily Wheeler's English 1A Section 31720

  • Instructor: Jacqueline Shuirman
  • Office hours: Wednesdays, 1:30 pm to 8:00 pm or by appointment
  • email: jashuirm@cabrillo.edu
  • voice mail: 479-5726

English 1A/Library 10 Partnership

You will practice effective reading, writing and critical thinking skills as you complete your assignments for English 1A. You will also write a research paper. This class aims to help you step by step through the research process laying the groundwork from selecting a topic to evaluating and citing your sources.

The following topics will be covered:

  • The story of Information: its origins, organization, formats and types.
  • How technology has determined the way in which information is presented and accessed.
  • Articulating a research question into a focused topic and identifying words and concepts to describe that topic.
  • Designing a research strategy, with the ability to reappraise and refine the strategy as needed.
  • Using the online library catalog to find books and other materials on a focused topic.
  • Using electronic databases to find periodical articles on a focused topic.
  • Using the Internet to find Web documents on a focused topic.
  • Critically evaluating sources as to authorship, accuracy, purpose, bias and appropriateness.
  • Principles of scholarly and ethical research, utilizing citation formats and respecting intellectual property.

Grading And Due Dates

Library 10 is a one unit class. This class is transferable to University of California and the California State University systems. You may take this class for a letter grade or for a credit/no credit. You must let me know by October 4th. if you choose the credit/no credit option.

Grading is as follows:

  • Completion of all the readings and exercises in Chapters 1 through 9
  • Completion of Part One and Part Two review quizzes
  • Final project: an annotated works cited list consisting of 5 resources that you used to write your research paper.

You can earn 230 points.

Assignment
Due Date
Points
     
PART ONE: Chapters 1 - 5 , Quiz
October 17
104
PART TWO: Chapters 6 - 9, Quiz
November 15
96
Final Project
December 12
30

Grades will be calculated using the traditional method.

A = 90 - 100 (230 - 207pts.)
B = 80 - 89 (184 - 206pts.)
C = 70 - 79 (161 - 184pts.)
D = 60 - 69 (138 - 160pts.)
F = 59 and below (137 -0)

Caveats to the learner: Research is challenging work. It requires tenacity and a Sherlock Holmesian "...the game's afoot" approach. Self-paced courses require self direction. Know your due dates and pace yourself accordingly.

Final Project

For your final project you will submit an annotated works cited list of the resources you used to write your research paper. Select five top quality resources (books, articles, Web sites, interviews, etc.) and create a works cited list following the MLA style guide. Briefly describe each resource and explain why you included it. The work cited list must be typed using double spaces between each line. This can be the same works cited you write for your research paper.

WebCT and Library 10

This is an online class and all the course materials are posted on the WebCT site. You can access our WebCT class at http://www.cvc2.org/webct/.

You will need to be able to access the Internet at least two times per week. We recommend a modem connection of 56 baud rate to optimize the download times. DSL is even better!

Login: Your Username is the first two letters of your first name and the first two letters of your last name followed by the last four digits of your student I. D. (for example Jacqueline Shuirman would be JASH7732). The first time you login in your Password is STUDENT in all caps. You will be asked to choose your own password the first time you login. Be sure to write down your new password!

If you are unfamiliar with WebCT read "First Time User" and go through the orientation. We recommend that you login two times a week to keep up with the readings and exercises.