EMBED A PATHFINDER INTO YOUR iLEARN COURSE
Would
you like to embed a librarian into your iLearn course? The Library has
the tools to create such a “virtual librarian”. We call it a Library
Pathfinder. You know the content and research needs of your course;
working together we can create a custom Library Pathfinder for your
course.
COURSE SPECIFIC PATHFINDERS
Pathfinders are attractive
mini-websites written by librarians in cooperation with faculty to
address the research needs of your class. These customized web-based
guides direct students to a focused subset of resources that will help
them complete successfully assignments in a given course. Pathfinders
are as easy to use as Google, but guide students to resources
appropriate to college level research, including:
- specific online journal and reference work articles, ebooks, evideos, online images and maps and other online documents.
- The most recent news articles (constantly updated)
- Open source resources
- Search boxes and links to library databases
- Tips on conducting successful searches
- Library instructional videos
- Link to Ask-a-Librarian (7 days a week email reference service)
HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO CREATE A PATHFINDER?
If you are interested in having a Pathfinder created for your course, contact your Library Liaison
and let us know what you would like. The initial discussion takes about
15 to 20 minutes. Many faculty send a copy of the assignment, reading
list and/or syllabus. You do NOT need to provide us with URLs to
anything the Library owns or subscribes to; just give us enough of a
citation so we can clearly identify the resource. Give us your
thoughts on what you might like in the Pathfinder. After two or three
days we will send you a link to a draft for your critique. We will then
make revisions based on your feedback.
There
is no set format for what a Pathfinder should be. Some faculty want to
use the Pathfinder as an electronic reserve reading list. Others want a
few databases highlighted with tips about how to run successful
searches. The content of your Pathfinder is completely faculty driven.
If you want additions or changes made to the Pathfinder after you start using it in class, that can happen fairly quickly.
Pathfinders
can be created for classes currently underway, or they can be developed
for classes being taught in future semesters. We will work at whatever
pace suits you. We can keep the Pathfinders from being displayed
publicly until the moment is right for you.
HOW WILL MY STUDENTS ACCESS THE PATHFINDER?
Each
Pathfinder has a unique URL. We (or Academic Technology) can help you
embed the Pathfinder into your iLearn Course. There is also a main page
for Pathfinders, http://libguides.marist.edu/. Students can locate the Pathfinder they need by the subject category.
SUBJECT PATHFINDERS
The
Library also is creating Pathfinders for subjects that are frequently
asked at the Reference Desk. For example. we recently published the Citation Style Pathfinder (http://libguides.marist.edu/citation) that provides links to resources about APA, MLA, CSE, Chicago/Turbian styles, as well as a page devoted to Zotero.
Even if you do not request a Pathfinder be created for your class, you
may want to direct your students to a subject Pathfinder.
