Combines the results of action research in the high school library media center with conclusions in the professional literature to argue that systematic formal instruction in electronic search skills is necessary for awareness of library media software and competence in its use. Focuses on the why, what, where, and how of teaching electronic…

A three-year study at the University of Alabama compared a traditional lecture method for teaching library research skills with a course-integrated, computer-enhanced approach by assessing each method's impact on the quality of bibliographies from engineering students' term papers. In four of the five semesters, no significant differences were…

Describes a project at Earlham College that provided faculty with free searches on DIALOG for one year to explore the effects of using new information technology. Changes in student assignments and on faculty attitudes are discussed; the impact on library reference services is considered; and students' use of online searching is examined. (two…

Discusses the rationale for and development of a course for undergraduate biology majors which includes a bibliographic instruction component. This component is described in detail, and the importance of cooperation between the biology faculty and library staff is discussed. Examples of assignments, research projects, and laboratory exercises are…

Discusses ways in which online searching promotes the development of research, computer, and critical thinking skills, and reviews two databases that offer access to information on elementary school science. Lesson activities for grades four through six are suggested, and information on the vendor, system requirements, and cost of each database is…

This workbook on library skills for psychological research covers: (1) how to look up books by title or author, including an introduction to STARS (the Stony Brook Automated Retrieval System); (2) how to find books by subject using STARS and how to consult the Library of Congress List of Subject Headings; (3) the kinds of informational questions…

This second edition of a workbook for a psychology course taught at the State University of New York at Stony Brook is designed to help students develop library skills for research in that field. Nine major topics are covered: (1) the author-title and subject catalogs; (2) major reference books; (3) journals in psychology; (4) periodical indexes…

Examines an online searching instructional program for high school seniors from the perspective of several cognitive learning theories and proposes a synthesized approach to applying learning theory to bibliographic instruction. Topics discussed include concept-based teaching; novice versus expert search methods; mental models; cognitive…

In the fall 1995, a professor teaching an undergraduate course asked the Reference Center at the University of Southern California to conduct a research session on Dante related resources on the Internet, and to show her students how to search the Dartmouth Dante Project. A simple homepage was created for the class, which listed the course…

This student manual is designed to supplement a course for the enhancement of library research capabilities using the speech and hearing sciences as a subject base. It is divided into sections, each of which displays commands and features from a number of printed and computerized reference works. Section titles include: (1) "Syllabus";…

Describes an assignment for an education course in which students assume the role of prominent educational theorists. A librarian introduces students to a variety of library resources in the field of education, which they use to find background information on their selected theorist, prepare a formal in-character speech, and participate in an…

While most librarians are aware of the increasing amount of electronic resources available in and from libraries, they may not realize how much World Wide Web information is being used in higher education classrooms. Making a web page with links to related sites for use in class and instructing students on finding Web information can be a daunting…

In the fall of 1990, the Computer Services Section of the Department of Public Instruction in North Carolina began a project to study how the use of an online catalog in the media center would influence student academic achievement and provide a vehicle for students to gain the skills needed to access information. For a year, the media…

Computer-aided learning provides motivation, student responsibility, and workplace competency skills. Because of recent research on at-risk and non-traditional learners, along with the demand for industry-driven instruction, the administration at this vocational/technical school realized that the mere existence of technology is insufficient to…

This review of the research literature describes and discusses functional/information literacy in the age of computers and the resulting "information explosion," together with means by which students can become competent information users in the future and be enabled to lead productive, meaningful lives. Defined as comprising library…