Research Machine

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What is a Research Machine?

Instructions

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How to prepare students for the activity

Set-up

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Searching as Strategic Exploration+

Abstract

Individual activity with group discusssion

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ACRL Frames

Dylan M. Juhl

Research Machine An Exercise in Visualizing your Research Process

Information Creation as a Process

Authority is Constructed and Contextual

Information has Value

Scholarship as Conversation

Research as Inquiry

Searching as Strategic Exploration

The framework"depends on these core ideas of metaliteracy, with special focus on metacognition, or critical self-reflection."

ACRL Frames

Ask: What do you consider research? What does it look like? Ask: Is looking up the location of the nearest Starbucks research? Why or why not? Introduce a Concept: Research is gathering information to solve a problem. Take this as a moment to empower your audience. Under this broad definition, emphasize that they perform research every day; those tools and skills can be applied, improved, and expanded on in academic or professional research.

Set-Up

Define Research

A Research Machine is your own personal research system. It's called a machine because a machine has inputs (a need for information), a process with that input (research), and an output (your information creation).This is called version 0.1 because you are developing your concept for your Research Machine. Later, you can update and upgrade as you learn new skills and tools to use in your academic research.

1. List the steps you take from the moment you develop a question to when you answer it within an academic context. Is this different than your informal, everyday research?
2. List any tools you use at each step from asking your teacher to your class notes to a specific database.
3. Create a visual representation of each step and the way you move through those steps. Is it linear or more of a wibbly-wobbly mess?

Give students 3 min or less for version 0.1. This is meant to get ideas out of their head and onto a page.If students are willing to share, use their machines to point out strong research techniques and ask questions about areas that may be lacking. This sets up a transition into the rest of your session.At the end of the session, ask how students would update and upgrade their Research Machines. Either allow time for an upgrade to version 0.2, discuss as a class, or let them revise and resubmit throughout the term.

Instructions

• Before starting the activity, make sure to emphasize that they already perform research daily. They have basic skills. You will help them build on those skills and apply them to an academic context
• Create your own Research Machine to emphasize different Frames, research tools, concepts, etc. WAIT to show this after students completed version 0.1
• If students ask for examples, reassure them there is no right or wrong answer. You want to see what they think of their research process. Get the process out of their heads and on to paper. AFTER their initial version, sharing examples can be helpful.
• This can be used as an activity in a one-shot IL session or over the course of a whole term.
• One-Shot: Open with creating version 0.1. Conclude the session with updating and upgrading their machines with some time to discuss their changes.
• Extended IL Session: Open with creating version 0.1. Halfway through the term, have students update and upgrade to version 0.2. During the final weeks, have students update and upgrade to version 1.0 and add an accompanying explanation of the improvements they added throughout the term.

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