UW librarians work with faculty and teaching assistants to develop information workshops tailored to specific courses and assignments. By telling us in detail the objectives of your course assignment, you can arrange for an effective information workshop tailored to the content of your course and your learning objectives for your students.
We encourage you to work with a librarian to decide on a focus for the information workshop, such as: selecting and using research databases; using effective search strategies; finding academic journal articles; searching for information on the Web; evaluating information; using information effectively and ethically. This is just a short list of possibilities; many other topics could be the focus of an information workshop.
We incorporate active or collaborative learning activities such as hands-on computer training, working in teams to solve specific problems, and interactive, web-based tutorials that may require students to produce a worksheet that can be turned in for credit.
The UW Libraries also offers a Research 101 tutorial designed to introduce beginners to the process of information research. The tutorial provides a conceptual framework for understanding information production and use, and follows this with modules on focusing a research topic, selecting appropriate sources, identifying relevant search vocabularies, and designing and implementing effective search queries. A worksheet is provided for students to analyze a research assignment and build strategies for finding needed information.
This tutorial can be used alone--a good plan for large lecture courses for which it may be too cumbersome to schedule formal workshops--or as a prerequisite for an Information Workshop that may build on the baseline skills acquired via the tutorial. Please call or e-mail for more information about using the tutorial to support your course learning objectives.
As you know, information, and the number of ways to access it, is growing at an astounding rate. Information literacy instruction helps students locate and access information resources more effectively for their research projects.
Instructors have consistently reported that Information Workshops benefit both them and their students by:
reinforcing the critical thinking emphasized in the classroom.
assisting students in writing better research papers using more appropriate and varied sources.
making students more independent, confident users of libraries and information resources.
helping students acquire a more systematic approach to using the Internet and other electronic resources.
Information workshops are held in a variety of computer classrooms and other teaching spaces in the UW Libraries. A workshop can also be presented in your classroom. Ask a librarian about facilities available for information workshops. Several computer classrooms are available that contain projectors and computers for students to use to access online databases and the Internet. Teaching the concepts of searching, followed by time for hands-on practice at the computers, reinforces concepts and allows the students to retain the workshop's content longer.
To arrange an information workshop, please use our online Request form.
An Information workshop for any course level may be scheduled at any time during the quarter. It is highly recommended that you synchronize a workshop with the most immediate student need possible. A workshop held at the time students will realistically be starting their research for a project will increase motivation and retention. Even if you are not sure what assignment the students will be working on, you can contact us to reserve a date and time. We can develop an effective library assignment together. There are many alternatives to the traditional term paper that meet similar objectives regarding effective library and information use.
Information workshops can be arranged at your convenience. To ensure that your needs and the needs of your students are met and to give the librarians teaching the classes adequate time to prepare, we require that you contact us at least two weeks prior to your desired instruction date, and provide a copy of the relevant assignment at least seven days prior to a scheduled Workshop date.
Information Workshops are taught by librarians, graduate reference assistants, and graduate students in the UW Information School who have been trained in theories and methods of library instruction.
More Information
For further information about any aspect of our User Education program, please contact Amanda Hornby at 685-1901 or at hornbya@u.washington.edu. Or contact your subject librarian.
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Last modified: Monday March 30, 2009 (hrm)
