HowardUniversity

The Founders Library

Reference Department

Basic Library Skills for Education Students

Objective: After participating in the learning exercises, the education student should be able to locate and use the literature of the field effectively and confidently.

Desired outcomes:

  • Locate sources.
  • Search online catalogs and determine the format and location of sources.
  • Follow procedures for obtaining materials not available in one of the HU Libraries.
  • Develop a research strategy.
  • Identify key concepts and select keywords and phrases.
  • Use Boolean operators [and, or, not] to combine descriptors, key concepts, words, and phrases.
  • Conduct a literature search.
  • Define the research topic.
  • Use catalogs and indexes to identify books, articles, and other materials on the topic (including the online catalog, ERIC, PsycInfo and other relevant databases).
  • Search the Internet.
  • Make use of controlled vocabulary: Thesaurus of ERIC Descriptors, Thesaurus of Psychological Index Terms and the Library of Congress List of Subject Headings.
  • Use bibliographical references to identify other relevant sources of information.
  • Demonstrate the concept of citation indexing: Social Sciences Citation Index and Science Citation Index.
  • Identify ways of keeping current on a subject.
  • Make effective use of resources once they are found.
  • Identify factors to consider in evaluating materials found, including Web sites.
  • Locate reviews of books and tests.
  • Distinguish between scholarly and popular treatment of topics in the literature.
  • Write and cite in the format and style of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association or the style prescribed by the department or the course.
  • Increased awareness of information sources in education and related disciplines.
  • Aware of the major journals, indexes, and abstracting services in education and related fields of study.
  • Use standard education and education-related reference tools such as specialized encyclopedias, handbooks, dictionaries, etc.
  • Aware of the state-of-the-art in electronic information retrieval and document delivery.
  • Aware of the role of professional associations in providing services related to literature and information retrieval.
  • Aware of the role of the Library Counselor/Subject Specialist in the research process.

Teaching Methods/Techniques

The library counselor/subject specialist for Education uses a variety of methods and techniques to help students achieve the desired outcomes, including, but not limited to:

  • Online help guides
  • Learning modules designed for particular class projects or assignments
  • Work sheets
  • Bibliographies
  • Outlines
  • Suggested Web sites
  • Search strategies

Assessment Methods

  • Pen and paper tests
  • Online quizzes
  • Class discussions
  • Take-home exercises
  • Demonstrations by the students

Resources for the Librarian and the Education Student

ERIC Thesaurus

A guide to the ERIC thesaurus
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Guide to Effective Searching of the Internet

APA (American Psychological Association) Style Guides

Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education

Education Help Guide

Strategies for Doing Library Research

Copyright and Fair Use

Prepared by

Frances C. Zeigler, M.S.L.S., M.Ed.

Liaison Librarian, Education and Psychology

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