RHE 398t | Main / Introduction and How to Use the Wiki

The Rhetoric 398t Wiki

This site was created as a knowledge-sharing community between Rhetoric instructors and Library Instruction Services (LIS) in order to facilitate the integration of research skills into the RHE 306 classroom. The content was first created during a Fall 2008 semester-long pilot where LIS librarians collaborated with four Rhetoric instructors, and Dr. Mark Longaker, the Rhetoric 306 Director. During this collaboration, these four instructors taught library research themselves rather than scheduling a library instruction session. The material in this wiki represents a mix of materials LIS librarians felt would be useful and materials requested by RHE instructors over the course of the pilot. The materials are constantly being updated as resources and the curriculum change.

Our goal for moving away from the single library instruction session and to this integrated model is to improve student learning of important research and information evaluation skills. Teaching these skills over the course of a semester, rather than in a one hour class, means that students can be introduced to concepts at the point of need over the course of the entire semester, skills can build upon each other, and fundamental concepts can be revisited.

Please feel free to request explanations, assignments, guides and resources that you don't see listed here already.

How to use this wiki

You can use the left-hand navigation to work through the topics, unit-by-unit; the content was created and structured to follow you throughout the semester as you build upon research concepts with your students. You can also search the wiki using the search box in the upper-right hand side.

Topics Pages
The topics pages are generally structured the same way - first there is an explanation, then suggested exercises to reinforce the concepts you just covered, handouts, if available, and links to relevant areas of the Resources/Databases section. In addition, the exercises included on the topics pages are each tailored to the type of classroom in which you teach, whether it be a hands-on classroom, a room with some technology, or none at all. You can browse by topics to the left, or search using the search box above right.

You should feel free to modify any materials here for use in your classroom. If you do so, we encourage you to upload any materials you modify or create for the benefit of your colleagues. Each topic page includes a "Variations created by AIs..." page created for that very purpose.

To upload something to the wiki, click "Attach" in the upper right hand corner under the search box and upload your file. Be sure to remember exactly what you name it in the "Name Attachment As" field because you'll need that exact syntax to create a link to the attachment in the wiki. Once it is uploaded, go the relevant Variations Created by AIs page, click edit, and link to your attachment by using the syntax on the Background Information Variations created by AIs page. If you have trouble with this, contact a librarian in LIS and we'll take care of it for you. It isn't the most straightforward wiki software in the world!

Resources/Databases Pages
The Resources/Databases section covers library resources (primarily, but not exclusively, databases) you may want to introduce to your students and tips for using these resources. Some of these pages will link you out out of this wiki to pages on the Library website.

Assessment Tools Page
Find links to the pre and post-tests you will be asking your students to complete. LIS staff will send you a list of EIDs for students who have completed each of these, along with survey results.

Classroom Reservations Page
Use the form linked here to reserve a classroom in the libraries for one meeting of your class.

Contact LIS Staff

We look forward to working with you and supporting you as you incorporate this material into your course. Please don't hesitate to contact us using the contact information in the left-hand navigation bar.