I like the idea of presenting students with a short-term and long-term vision for their library orientation. Short-term are things I want students to understand by the time the hour long instruction is over. These would be lower on Bloom's taxonomy. For example, what type of information do databases contain? How do you log into the library? Which library guide do you need to visit to learn more about VitalSource electronic textbooks? How can you contact an ECPI University librarian?
A long-term vision would be goals I have for after they have applied and practiced what they learned from the library instruction. For example, students will find ___ peer-reviewed sources for their end of term paper/project? Students will know how to reference a journal article and a book. Students will apply the limits explained in an assignment guideline to the search limits in order to retrieve relevant results.
I would also be interested in these from students. What do they hope to get now out of today's session (short-term vision)? What do they hope to obtain later after applying what they have learned in today's session (long-term vision)?
This will help students see the applicability of the library instruction and it will prime their thinking to be within the framework of information literacy. They will start thinking of research as a process, rather than simply a means to an end (gathering a book/article in order to write a paper). By bringing to light the nuances of research, students will learn it is a complex process. They may feel more empowered to keep trying with a search, rather than feel like there is "nothing" on their topic, if they understand searching as an interative process that needs continual assessment and refinement.
