I'm wondering how others feel about teaching MLA to first year English students. In the past in my library research class (about 70 minutes) I showed MLA, LION, and ProQuest (substitute your favorite multidisciplinary database if your institution doesn't have PQ). Now I'm thinking of killing MLA in favor of JSTOR. (I'd still keep MLA on my subject and research guides, but just not give 7 of my precious minutes to it in class.)
I'm thinking about changing things because MLA can be so frustrating because it brings back far fewer results than other databases--sometimes none with first year students' unsophisticated research topics and search strategies, and for its lack of full text. (Of course they can get much of the articles full text from other Barnard/Columbia resources, but it takes some steps.) When doing my own literature research, I check MLA, but not first. I used to tell the students that they had to search MLA because it's the discipline's standard, but I wonder if they bothered.
If I substitute JSTOR, though, which will bring back lots of quality (but not recent) results, I will just be reinforcing the students' love for a database with a search interface I find somewhat problematic. But at least I get a chance to talk about what the problems are with JSTOR.
My question is, if I make this change, am I giving students what they want in favor of what [I think] they need?
btw In case you're thinking I could do all 4, I can't. I am always running out of time as it is. I haven't timed it out, but I think my presentation usually consists of 10-15 minutes of general library info/showing various resources, 20-25 on the library catalog, 5-10 on each of three dbs, and then any seconds remaining on internet search engines (Advanced Google, Clusty, Librarians' Internet Index, A9). I'm teaching a class in half an hour, so if I remember I'll time it, and see what I really do.
What's your outline?
Comments
la c-dog (not verified)
Fri, 10/19/2007 - 10:56am
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well, you know we're in
well, you know we're in totally different settings. we're just now considering getting jstor, but it's mainly because faculty (english and humanities) want it, probably more for themselves than for students. we don't subscribe to mla, so i don't think i'd be very helpful. we have really HIGH ACADEMIC sources like Opposing Viewpoints! ;) Seriously though, my outline looks like this:
10-15 minutes on the OPAC
Then I try to fit in about 3 databases:
ProQuest
If it's a lit class, Literature Resource Centere (GAle)
If it's one of the composition classes where they usually write papers on controversial hot topics I'll do Opposing Viewpoints and / or CQ Researcher
If time allows, I may quickly show them EBSCO as well, although since I'm already showing them ProQuest (which I think is easier to use), I usually don't.
Start and end with general library stuff like remote access; talk about the open Internet / search engines vs. Subscription DAtabases, sometimes throw in a tour, and that's 80 minutes.
Shitshow (not verified)
Sun, 10/21/2007 - 6:13pm
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Hey, that's something else
Hey, that's something else entirely (not to go off-topic) that may be more helpful to my students than anything else: a tour (and it could keep those snorers challenged to fall asleep then!)