Introduction

This tutorial is designed to help learners develop library research skills in agricultural disciplines.

It has three components:

(1) The Planning Component
(2) The Searching Component
(3) The Learning and Evaluating Component

Each component can be accessed independently.

Each component is made up of multiple modules and each module explains different concepts, techniques/skills, and strategies needed in library research. The goal is to encourage learners to explore the research cycle presented in this tutorial (i.e. planning, searching and learning/evaluation). Each component can be accessed indedpendently. Learners can use the + SiteMap to access any module at any time.

a. The Planning Component helps students perform pre-research investigations. Students become familiar with basic information structures, and learn how to find background information and relevant information providers; they also learn how to manage their collected data.

b. The Searching Component helps learners become familiar with different search tools and the mechanics of searching.

c. The Learning and Evaluation Component introduces the steps of retrieving, managing, and evaluating, and thereby presents the logic of a holistic process of evaluation. It uses three learning strategies introducing(concept mapping, mental imagery, and storytelling) to develop the critical thinking skills needed to validate information.

Note: This tutorial emphasizes using a combination of learning strategies to accommodate different learning styles that derive from different sensory preferences such as viusal, auditory and kinesthetic (Learning Styles Theory). It also takes in to consideration that people possess various forms of intelligences, such as linguistic, spatial or bodily -kinesthic, in addition to traditionally recognized logistic-mathematical intelligences (the Multiple Intelligences Theory). A sample of sequenced combinations of learning strategies is presented in the Learning and Evaluating component.

+ SiteMap

+ Index Page