In the final weeks of the semester, FWS students typically work much more independently to complete writing assignments. This transition is especially true now given our unique semester calendar. For many students, their final writing projects involve at least some independent research – whether they are charged with locating a single source to build upon course readings or building a robust bibliography to support a full-scale research paper.
I’ll note that is not too late to connect with a librarian. Cornell Libraries offer superb instructional support for FWS teachers and students. In my FWS, librarians have
- Run synchronous, online sessions;
- Customized materials to assist my students asynchronously, such as videos, library research guides, or self-guided tutorials; and
- Held one-on-one research consultations with students in my FWS.
- Follow this link to Request Class Instruction
I require FWS students to conduct independent research in my FWS for many reasons – the most compelling being that I am inspired by their curiosity and enjoy seeing how they use writing to deeply explore a question or idea seeded in course material and class discussion.
Educational researchers Thomas S. Dee and Brian A. Jacob found in their study, “Rational Ignorance in Education: A Field Experiment in Student Plagiarism,” that students who completed an anti-plagiarism tutorial before submitting scholarly papers were substantially less likely to plagiarize. If nothing else, please consider assigning one or both of the superb options below. I work with students in class to complete the CAS Plagiarism Tutorial and then assign Indiana University’s Certification Test for homework.
- Cornell University College of Arts & Sciences Plagiarism Tutorial
- Indiana University’s How to Recognize Plagiarism Certification Test
For more ideas on teaching research, follow this link to a real time GoogleDoc | Teaching Research in FWSes to learn more about these topics and for lesson planning ideas and resources. Join other FWS instructors to post ideas for additional classroom activities and instructional tools that you have tried or are considering.
