CSUN University Librarians are available to assist classroom faculty as you work to develop effective assignments to promote the growth of information literacy and research skills. It is often helpful to consider linking the goals of library research assignments to your course objectives and goals. Below are some key characteristics of effective library research assignments:
To learn more about how to create effective assignments visit: https://libguides.csun.edu/guidelines-effective-research-assignments.
Test the assignment beforehand. Try to put yourself in the students' shoes with their experience and perspective, which is probably much more limited than yours ("walk" or "web" it through).
Request an instructional session for your class to familiarize students with research techniques and sources.
Tell the students what purpose the research assignment serves.
Describe the specifics of the assignment (e.g., length, acceptable types of sources, format for references/bibliography - APA, MLA, etc.).
Provide students with a printed list of sources if there are specific ones you want them to use – and perhaps caution them against sources that you want them to avoid. Include CSUN Library call numbers and/or URLs.