Research Guides: HCL Learning Objects Lab: Database

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Pedagogy: Design Phases

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Browse by Type: Database

Learning objects classified in the "databases" category function as e-reources unto themselves. Browsable and/or searchable, they are created by students or librarians in order to highlight relevant research materials.

ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY TOOL

Greatly simplifies the process of creating, maintaining and updating annotated bibliographies. Rather than manually cutting and pasting information, authors can import HOLLIS records with a single mouse click. The application automatically checks for changes in cataloging records, and alerts authors when any are found. To build your own, see HELPFUL TIPS, below.
Example:

Other Examples: African Video Collection, Germanic Film Database, Online Resources for Music Scholars

Type: Database

Learning Goals: Especially recommended to help students use/search and identify recommended information resources, among other things.

Estimated Production Time: Varies (depends on level of customization)

Recommended Software: Bibliography authors seeking to create an annotated bibliography using the new tool are encouraged to submit requests using the ITS Online Special Request Form. Note: This learning object makes use of the Virtual Collections Tool.

Publication Options: Can be integrated directly into course iSites and/or added to the HCL Web in a non-iSites format.

Experts, Consultants, & Collaborators: Bassey Irele, Chris Jaris (For suggestions or questions from other colleagues, check for Comments at the bottom of this box, or add your own.) See also: HCL News: Author/User Comments

HELPFUL TIPS:

Instructional Design Tips
more...less...
To begin, consult Pedagogy: Design Phases.

This learning object is most germane when:
- There exists a particular collection or sub-set of resources, owned by Harvard libraries and cataloged in HOLLIS, of relevance to learners.
- The collection is large enough that the ability to search for items within it will be of value.
- The ability to link recommended materials to related sources outside the immediate collection will be useful.
Pedagogical Style Guide:
- Select items that can be tied together thematically, or that share elements in common, such as authorship, format, subject, and so forth.
- To enhance retrieval, add descriptive tags to each record to supplement data provided by HOLLIS (if it's possible (?), allow students to add their own tags).
Resources:
- Higgins, 1941. Bibliography; a beginner's guide to the making, evaluation and use of bibliographies.
- HCL Communications, 2/12/2010. Annotated Bibliography Application Launched.
Technical Development Tips

LIBRARY MULTI SEARCH TOOL

The Library Mutli Search Tool (also known as the Widget Generator) is a utility designed by OIS to generate snippets of HTML you can use to enhance a web site with library system functionality. The Widget Generator uses a simple wizard-like interface to help you select resources, modify form labels, test the form and generate the HTML. Then you just copy the markup and paste into a web page. To build your own, see HELPFUL TIPS, below.
Example:

See also: Andover-Harvard Library Homepage

Type: Widget, Database

Learning Goals: Especially recommended to help students use/search a group of library e-resources most likely to contain information of relevance for their topics.

Estimated Production Time: 1-2 hours

Recommended Software: No special software required. To create one, see the E-Research Form Generator.

Publication Options: Can easily be added to course iSites (with faculty permission) and HCL LibGuides by simply copying/pasting the HTML created by the form generator.

Experts, Consultants, & Collaborators: TBA (For suggestions or questions from other colleagues, check for Comments at the bottom of this box, or add your own.)

HELPFUL TIPS:

Instructional Design Tips
more...less...
To begin, consult Pedagogy: Design Phases.

This learning object is most germane when:
- Your target audience has very little time and wishes to conduct one sweeping search of library e-resources that have been pre-selected for their anticipated relevancy.
- Orienting students to the mechanics and characteristics of particular, individual e-resources is not of primary concern.
- You wish to temporarily focus students' attention on the contents of a selected group of e-resources by constraining options.
Pedagogical Style Guide:
- Determine how may e-resources to include based on your goals.
- If you anticipate that students who encounter your tool will have research topics that map easily to one discipline, choose relevant subject-specialized e-resources from that discipline in combination with at least one interdisciplinary database.
- If you anticipate that students who encounter your tool will have research topics that don't map easily to one discipline, and you'd like to keep things simple, choose a small selection of interdisciplinary e-resources.
- If you anticipate that students who encounter your tool will have research topics that don't map easily to one discipline, and yet they'd like to be as thorough as possible, choose a selection of interdisciplinary e-resources in combination with subject-specialized databases representing a variety of disciplines.
- If anticipated research topics are likely to be obscure, include more e-resources to increase the likelihood of hits.
- If anticipated research topics are likely to be broad, include fewer e-resources to decrease information overload.
Resources:
- Labelle, 2007. Initiating the Learning Process: A Model for Federated Searching and Information Literacy .
Technical Development Tips

SHARED REFWORKS LIBRARY

RefShare provides RefWorks users with a quick and easy way to share their research information, further enhancing collaborative research. Users can share their RefWorks references with both members of their own institution and globally with any researcher having Internet access. To build your own shared database, see HELPFUL TIPS, below.
Example: