This activity took place over three weeks of our course, from Week Six through Week Eight.

Learning Objectives:

• Practice using the internet to find sources
• Practice using the library databases to find sources
• Learn how to evaluate sources based on quality and relevance
• Begin developing citation skills

PART I: Asynchronous Research Activity

1. Read ALL entries under “Finding Sources” (https://www.oercommons.org/courses/college-writing/view) 
2. Begin searching for sources relevant to your final paper topic. You may use a Google search or the Library website, whatever is easier for you.
3. Choose two sources: one MUST be a book and the other can an article or other source found online
4. Email me (kaliano@lagcc.cuny.edu) an annotation for each source
5. The title, author, and any other key info about the source
6. A description of what the source seems to be about
7. An explanation of how it relates to your topic

Students were able to receive instructor feedback on source choices before sharing them publicly with classmates.

PART IIA: Attend synchronous contextual research skills workshop

At this session, we will:

• Review how to find materials via the LaGuardia Library website
• Investigate scholarly books, Google Books, and Google Scholar
• Discuss other research avenues (YouTube, podcasts, etc.) and how to use the internet as a research tool effectively.

PART IIB:

1. Read ALL entries under “Evaluating Sources” and “Using Sources” (https://www.oercommons.org/courses/college-writing/view) 
2. In a post of about 150 to 250 words, describe a source you will be using for your final paper (it must be a secondary source, not a primary case study; that is, a scholarly work NOT a comic book or a movie). Explain what the source is and how it serves your project
3. Respond to at least two of your classmates, assessing the relevance of their source of (a) the project that they have described working on and (b) whether or not it has relevance for your research project.

PART IIIA: Synchronous Library Workshop

At this session, we will:

• Work with a LaGuardia Librarian to learn how to use the library website to conduct research
• Receive an overview of how to build citations

PART IIIB: 

1. Read all entries under “Citing Sources” at https://www.oercommons.org/courses/college-writing/view
2. Perform your own search of the library databases for materials relevant to your topic
3. Select one source and read it
4. Write a 100-200-word summary of the source and create an MLA citation for the source and post it to our class Source Discussion Board
5. EXTRA CREDIT: For each additional library source that you submit a summary and citation for you will receive FOUR POINTS OF EXTRA CREDIT!

The goal was to have a class list of relevant sources by the end of this activity, easily accessible on our BB Discussion Board and annotated by the entire class.