Library Scavenger Hunt: Let the Race Begin
At a Glance
Discipline
- Interdisciplinary
Instructional Level
- College & CEGEP
Course
- Introduction to Research Methods
Tasks in Workflow
Social Plane(s)
- Group
Type of Tasks
- Collecting & seeking information
Technical Details
Useful Technologies
- Moodle
- Library Search Engines
- Device to take photos & upload to Moodle
Class size
- Small (20-49)
Time
- Single class period (< 90 mins)
Inclusivity & Accessibility
- Variety of action & expression
Instructional Purpose
- Application & knowledge building
Overview
For this activity students are grouped in pairs or in trios and are given a document detailing the items/references they must search for in the library. The students are given the entire class time to complete this task and their goal is to find all items on the list as quickly as possible. Once they have found all the items on the list students upload the complete document to Moodle. To complete the task students must engage with various library resources (search engines, searching the physical spaces, consulting a librarian). The students must also draw on their knowledge of referencing guidelines (APA or MLA).
NOTE: This activity has been circulating among the Social Science teachers at Dawson College, therefore, I am not comfortable taking full credit for it. Activity edited by Selma Hamdani (Social Science, Psychology).
Instructional Objectives
- Identify and access the appropriate library resources
- Develop information literacy
- Recognize different sources of information (book, article etc.)
- Evaluate library sources
- Apply APA (or MLA guidelines)
- Collaborate effectively with their teammate
Workflow & Materials
Activity Workflow
Contributor's Notes
- This ALA promotes hands-on learning through active engagement as students navigate the library and resolve challenges.
- It fosters teamwork and the development of research skills.
- Students start to think and learn like experts in the field in a field-relevant setting.
- Students learn to approach information gathering and analysis more strategically and professionally while enjoying the learning journey.
- The student enjoyment of the activity leads to student engagement.
- Time is always a challenge. It is sometimes challenging for student to finish in a timely fashion specially if they are not familiar with the search engines of the library.
- There is also the added challenge of relying excessively on a librarian’s help to find the sources instead of learning how to search.
- The final challenge is that of plagiarism. There is always a risk of teams plagiarizing each other’s work.
- To deter from plagiarism, I encourage healthy competition between the teams by offering bonus points or some small incentive (sweets) to the first 3 teams that finish this assignment.
Applied Strategies
Published: 18/11/2024
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