New Literacies Alliance

Academic research articles have a structure and language that is different from our other reading materials such as textbooks. This lesson can help students new to academic research understand these differences and learn strategies for finding information in such articles.

The Evidenced-Based Practice lesson is mapped to the Research as Inquiry Frame and addresses how to match a clinical question to types of research evidence.

The Citations lesson is mapped to Information has Value and Scholarship as Conversation Frames. It discusses why citations are a foundation of scholarly communication and the basic components of a citation. Through infographics and videos, students will learn the differences between paraphrasing, summarizing and quoting.

The Search Strategies lesson is mapped to the Searching as Strategic Exploration Frame and introduces the concept of strategic searching in order to use search tools more effectively. By understanding strategic searching techniques, students will be able to not only compose an initial search query, but will be able to refine and revise their search in order to locate relevant sources. In this lesson students will learn how to:

• Identify keywords and search terms
• Strategically…

The Question Authority lesson is mapped to the Authority is Constructed and Contextual Frame.  The lesson introduces the concept of authority in the research process, that it is constructed and contextual, and that the authority sought changes based on the research question. Criteria for evaluating authority are discussed, as is the idea that not all voices are represented in authoritative conversations.

The Types of Information lesson is mapped to the Information Creation as a Process Frame and introduces various types of information in relation to typical research questions. Characteristics of information are discussed including what criteria can be used to identify popular, professional, and scholarly materials.  

The Scholarly Conversations lesson is mapped to the Scholarship as Conversation Frame and introduces the concept of scholarly conversations developing over time, and how to follow a scholarly conversation.

The Access Matters lesson is mapped to the Information has Value Frame and introduces the concept of information access barriers and their consequences using the themes of Government, Research, and Well-Being.

The Ask the Right Questions lesson is mapped to the Research as Inquiry and Searching as Strategic Exploration Frames and helps students learn how to determine the scope of their investigations by creating an appropriate research question. This lesson introduces the first step in a research process and criteria used to refine a topic into an appropriate research question. To accomplish this, the lesson will:

• Define a research question and the difference between a topic and a research…

The Value of Information lesson is mapped to the Information has Value Frame and introduces the concept of information, including personal information, as a commodity which carries value and has a cost. This lesson introduces new ways of assessing the value of information. To accomplish this we:

• Define information cost and value
• Give an overview of the perceptions of the cost of information
• Explore the different characteristics of value-added information
• …

The Choosing Information paths lesson is mapped to the Information as Creation Process Frame and helps students learn to recognize that information may be perceived differently based on the format in which it is packaged. In this lesson, students identify various characteristics of information formats, and match information needs to the most appropriate digital format. Moreover, students observe the changes that occur to information as it is repackaged in different formats, and evaluate the…