Types Of Assignments
"The emphasis of this segment is to introduce the workshop participants
to seven types of assignments. The purpose, objectives, and characteristics
of each type are explained so that the participants understand the benefits
and drawbacks. Mixing good and bad assignments encourages workshop participants
to evaluate the information being provided. The specific types are as follows:
1. Vague Assignments are usually observational in nature and lack specific
goals or objectives. They are ineffective and are often phrased broadly such
as "go look at 'fill in the blank' or find some information about 'a topic'."
Students either ignore the assignments or become confused about whether they
have accomplished what the instructor intended.
2. Bibliography/Citation Completion Exercises are very useful in acquainting
students with subject specific literature and indexing resources, including
different electronic indexes, It is important that instructors designing this
type of assignment include an opportunity for library instruction since the
exercises usually require the student to use advanced subject specific resources.
Additionally, assignments must be designed so that an entire class is not trying
to retrieve one specific issue of a journal.
3. Scavenger Hunts are strongly discouraged as an effective teaching
experience. They require each student to locate some specific piece of information,
based on assumed intuitive knowledge. The student is not expected to use tools
such as an index or online catalog to locate the "random" information.
These assignments usually overload library resources because all class members
are required to put their hands on a specific book or journal issue. If a library
has a recurring problem with scavenger hunt assignments, special guidelines
may be established whereby the student is handed an answer. Then workshop participants
receive a handout that specifically defines and explains how the service desks
handle this type of assignment
4. Research Papers or Oral Reports are usually a good type of assignment
if the topic is carefully chosen and sufficient pre-assignment library instruction
is provided. The assignments usually require students to assimilate information
and think critically. One drawback is that they are time consuming for the students
to execute and for the instructor to grade. Instructors should be reminded that
this type of assignment does not need to be a lengthy term paper, but could
be a two-page report or five minute presentation.
5. Skills Exercises are focused toward teaching students transferable
information seeking and information processing skills, rather than specific
subject information. They are good assignments because they teach basic skills
that are later revisited and expanded for subject-based research. Sample skills
include searching the online catalog and a basic periodical index, locating
a government document, or using a microfilm reader. These assignments are most
appropriate for freshmen-level introductory or interdisciplinary classes.
6. Short Answer Exercises are a hybrid between skills exercises and
research papers. They require the student to locate specific pieces of relevant
information from different sources and are useful in acquainting the student
with subject specific reference literature. However, participants should be
cautioned to keep exercises open-ended. Otherwise, the assignment will start
to resemble a scavenger hunt. As an example, a good question tells a student
to locate and cite a book that provides vaporization temperatures of different
substances; a bad question tells a student to locate the vaporization temperature
of mercury. The latter example represents an assignment that requires every
person in a very large class to use the same resource. By the fiftieth student,
the book automatically opens to the exact page with the answer highlighted.
7. New Ideas is an open category that allows for innovation, originality,
and new developments in teaching and learning styles. However, faculty should
be encouraged to consult librarians for input and should have a contingency
plan if student feedback reveals problems in completing or understanding the
assignment.
PHRASING OF ASSIGNMENTS
This section uses comparative examples to explain the ambiguity found in poorly
phrased assignments. Workshop presenters need to present this material from
the approach of communication breakdowns and take care not to suggest poor teaching
on the part of the faculty. The four main pitfalls regarding assignment phrasing
are as follows:
1. Over specified. This problem appears when the students have no flexibility
to evaluate material or the assignment requires more detail than is found in
publicly available resources. One example is telling a class to locate a 1997
survey of drug and alcohol use by teenagers aged 14-18. A better assignment
is to ask students to locate a survey on drug and alcohol use by persons younger
than 18.
2. Under specified. This problem occurs when students do not know where
to start looking for the information or may not be able to tell if they have
completed the assignment to the instructor's expectation. One example is an
assignment that instructs students to find some information about a chosen company.
It is better to tell them to find size, administration, basic history, and product
line information for a chosen company, for a two-page report.
3. Mismatched. This problem occurs primarily with research papers and
oral reports. It is usually caused by a misunderstanding between the instructor
and students about the scope of the assignment or an erroneous assumption about
the quantity or type of information that can be found on a particular topic.
Examples include a five-minute speech assignment on an overly broad topic such
as gun control or an assignment on the long-range social impact of an event,
which occurred last week.
4. Misinformation. This problem occurs in three primary circumstances:
accidents, such as a typographical error in a call number or author's name;
inaccuracies, such as referring the student to outdated or unavailable resources;
and deliberate negative reinforcements, such as an instructor who feels that,
since he or she finds the library confusing and hostile, students should be
educated on this fact of life. One way to address the problem of negative reinforcement
is by appealing to the faculty members' professionalism, offering assistance,
and pointing out that this is a disservice to the students. Group Exercise #1
At this point, the participants have received enough information to begin critically
evaluating assignment statements. In a group exercise led by the facilitator,
the workshop attendees participate in a comparative discussion on pairs of assignments.
"
From "Creating a Library Assignment Workshop for University Faculty"
by Pixey Anne Mosley. Journal of Academic Librarianship January 1998 pp.35-37
