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1. Home
2. Chapter One:
   Preparing for Research
3. Chapter Two:
   Matching Needs with Tools
4. Chapter Three:
   Computer Searching
5. Chapter Four:
   Finding Books
6. Chapter Five:
   Finding Articles
7. Chapter Six:
   Searching the Web
8. Chapter Seven:
   From Research to Writing
9. Chapter Eight:
   Citing Your Sources
10. Save My Progress
11. Go to my Saved Progress
12. Library Home

First Steps: An Explorer's Guide to Research

What is it?

A web-based tutorial designed for first-year students and others who are new to UNCG and Jackson Library.

What are the goals?

The overall goal of the tutorial is to introduce new users to the basics of research. However, it can be used with various goals in mind. It offers the means to provide research skills instruction to students who do not have the opportunity to attend in-house instruction. It also will provide faculty with a tool to use in conjunction with an in-house library visit, to ensure that students have basic research skills in place, allowing in-house time with students to be more project-oriented and thus more productive.

What is the tutorial like?

• It is modular, divided into eight chapters.
• It is progressive: the modules build upon one another.
• It is interactive: there are opportunities for students to do hands-on exercises.
• At the end of each module is a test that is not graded, but is designed to reinforce concepts already taught.

How long does it take to complete the tutorial?

This will depend on the student, but we expect it to take most students between 20-30 minutes to complete each module.

How can I integrate the tutorial into my teaching?

The tutorial can be assigned as homework either for a grade (Pass/Fail) or as extra credit, or you may choose to simply make your students aware that the tutorial is available. However, including it on your syllabus will be a more powerful tool for encouraging them to use it!

How will I know that my students have taken the tutorial?

At the end of each chapter quiz, students will be invited to submit their name. A personalized certificate will be generated that they can print and present to you.

What are the system requirements for the tutorial?

The tutorial will be viewable in Netscape or IE versions 4 and higher on PC platforms and 7.0 on Macintosh. The tutorial consists mainly of html pages which should load fairly rapidly over a 28.8 modem. Some of the graphics in the tutorial may require more load time. The tutorial may also include some flash movies requiring the shockwave plug-in to view, but viewing these movies will be optional so that if a student does not have the plug-in or the bandwidth to view the movie, they won't be penalized.

Remarks:

This tutorial is still a work in progress. We expect that we will see areas that will require improvement as students and faculty use the tutorial. We encourage you to take the tutorial yourselves and complete the evaluation form at the end. Also, please encourage your students to complete the evaluation as well. Sharing your experiences with us will help us make it better!