Think Like a Researcher: Instruction Resources: Guide Organization

This guide is intended to share information TRAIL project materials with interested Writing faculty and librarians.  It is organized in the following way:

• The Background tab provides an introduction to the Teaching Research & Information Literacy (TRAIL) collaboration between the Merritt Writing Program (MWP) and the UC Merced Library.  This collaboration embeds information literacy into Writing 10, an introductory composition writing class.
• The Numbered tabs present the main sections of the information literacy related materials groups into sections.  Sections will include outcomes and items such as lesson plans, suggested readings, tutorials, reflective journal prompts etc.  Though these sections are numbered, instructors may find that a different sequencing is preferable.  These materials do not represent everything that Writing faculty are doing in the classroom but represent the key TRAIL components.
• The Overall Summary tab shows the menu of TRAIL lesson/activities, readings, tutorials, reflections, and assignments along with a potential pathway for using the materials.
• The remaining Summary tabs pull together the content by information type.  Users can view readings, journal prompts, and assignments.
• The Assessment tab contains information related to assessment of TRAIL via the Assessment in Action project sponsored by ACRL.
• The Permissions Form tab contains a document to ask students permission to review their portfolio documents.

Key characteristics of TRAIL include

1) lesson, activities, readings, and tutorial focused on information literacy concepts

2) regular student reflective writing

3) sequenced assignments resulting in a Problem/Solution argument essay.