RIOT v.2 is an updated version of the Research Instruction Online Tutorial.
The original tutorial was designed to augment the information literacy component of the PWR first-year writing courses. RIOT v.2 maintains that goal with updated content and design.
The tutorial's main objective is to cultivate students' information literacies.
MODULE 1 Think
Learning Goals:
- to recognize assignment requirements
- to choose a topic
- to brainstorm
- to locate background information
- to determine specific information needs
- to begin research question formulation
Complementary activities:
- Brainstorming, mind mapping, free writing (topic)
- Background research
- Project statement (question formation)
- Keywords (focus formulation, listing)
Components:
- Topic selection suggestions
- Brainstorm components of topic
- Background research
- Identify information gaps/ need to knows
- Examples of research question generation
- Discipline discussion
MODULE 2 Find
Learning Goals:
- to distinguish between information source types
- to judge appropriate source type for needs
- to choose appropriate search strategy and tool
Complementary activities:
- Identify research questions and sub topics
- Identify audience
- Identify voices in the conversation (where)
Components:
Overview of information types
- Books
- Popular articles
- Peer reviewed articles
- Web sites
- People/interviews
Overview of tools for discovery
- Catalog
- Databases
- Web search engines
- Teachers/ friends/ family
Search terms
- Brainstorming
- Combining
- Recording
- Recursive
- Focus formulation
MODULE 3 Tools
Learning Goals:
- to become familiar with local tools
- to actively engage previous module concepts
Components:
- CU Library web page overview
- The Library Catalog
- Choosing a database
- Common database interface features
- Help available
MODULE 4 Evaluate
Learning Goals:
- to understand the need for critical evaluation
- to explore evaluation criteria
Complementary activities:
- Annotated bibliography
- Author background investigation
- Identify information gaps
Components:
- Why evaluate
- Questions to guide evaluation
- Examples
MODULE 5 Cite
Learning Goals:
- to recognize research conversation
- to understand academic integrity
- to understand pragmatics of citing
Complementary activities:
- Drafting
- Constructing bibliography
Components:
- Discussion of research and its connection to writing and knowledge creation
- Academic integrity (plagiarism)
- Pragmatics of citing
- When to cite: paraphrase, summarize, direct quote
- How to cite: introduction to styles
