A Note to the Instructor

What is Go for the Gold?

Go for the Gold (http:\\www.lib.jmu.edu\gold) is a set of Web-based instructional modules designed to teach students the following information literacy skills:

  1. Identify and locate library services and collections.

  2. Formulate and conduct an information search that includes a variety of reference sources, such as encyclopedias, library catalogs, indexes, bibliographies, statistics sources, government publications, and resources available on the Internet.

  3. Evaluate information in terms of accuracy, authority, bias, and relevance.

  4. Employ efficient database searching techniques, such as use of Boolean operators, truncation, phrase searching, nesting, and field-specific searching.

  5. Identify the bibliographic elements essentials for properly citing an information source.

  6. Apply appropriate ethical guidelines to the use of information.

How can I make sure my students learn information literacy skills?

Go for the Gold Exercises
The eight modules in Go for the Gold contain exercises that students complete online. The exercises are composed of multiple choice questions students may answer by reading the modules and searching appropriate databases. After completing the exercises, they will submit their responses and receive feedback. Students who wish to improve their score may study the content of the module, redo the questions they missed, and resubmit their responses.

Students' scores for each module will be stored in the Exercise Score Report Database for instructors to view. To see your students' scores, go to the Go for the Gold program and click on Exercise Score Reports. Enter your JMU userid and password. Your students will be listed in alphabetical order with their scores on each of the eight modules.

Course-related Assignments

In order to give students practice in using the basic skills presented in Go for the Gold, GENED Cluster One faculty make assignments that require students to find information related to the content of the course.  A well designed information literacy assignment:

 

  • relates to course objectives
  • specifies information literacy learning objectives
  • requires the student to find and use information to generate a product (paper, speech, brochure, debate etc.)
  • provides guidance or instruction on sources to consult and search strategy
  • has a clear set of instructions

For more guidelines on how to make effective assignments, see Information Literacy Assignment Checklist.

Following are some assignments that may be helpful for Cluster One students:

 
Information-Seeking Skills Test (Requirement)
The General Education program requires students taking Cluster One courses to demonstrate proficiency in information-seeking skills by passing the online Information-Seeking Skills Test (ISST) by the end of the first year. The best preparation for the test is to read the eight Go for theGold modules and do the accompanying exercises. The ISST is administered in Ashby Hall - L7.

Passport Events

If your students need additional help in learning how to find, evaluate and effectively use information, you may want to have them attend one of the Passport events on information literacy. 

 

University Level Research 101 – Monday February 25    7:00-8:15, Carrier Library 301

Do you feel like you don’t know much about the library? Do you feel as if your research skills stop at Google and Wikipedia? Then this session is for you.  Come learn about the vast resources available to you either in the JMU Libraries or via the Library web.  Students are encouraged to bring their research problems to this session.

Spice Up Your Work Multimedia Content – Monday April 7   7:00-8:15, Carrier Library 301

Ok, you’ve found books and articles for your paper, but wouldn’t a picture be worth a thousand PowerPoint words?  Could some music, art or statistical data make your point better than a paragraph?  In this session we’ll be looking at some non-traditional library materials to bring your work to life. 

 

PowerPoint Slide Shows

If your students need additional help, the following slide shows may be helpful:

The library welcomes feedback from faculty on Go for the Gold and any other matters of concern. Please address suggestions or comments to:

  • Lynn Cameron, Coordinator of Library Instruction, at camerosl@jmu.edu, phone 568-3826
  • Kathy Clarke, General Education Librarian at clarkeke@jmu.edu, phone 568-2911

Send comments to: Lynn Cameron
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