This document proposes an instruction session to teach first year students how to use the library's Summon discovery tool. The one hour session would introduce students to searching in Summon, choosing appropriate search terms, evaluating results, and using limiting features. Students would work in pairs on computers in a lab environment. The goals are for students to be able to navigate Summon to find quality resources for assignments. Assessment would involve students providing references and explanations for three resources found using Summon.

1. NC Libraries and Learning
Commons
Instruction Session Proposal

2. Instruction Proposal
To design an instruction session using
Summon to explore library resources.

3. Needs Assessment
● May have had instruction before, maybe not
● They know Google and believe it's the best
method for finding resources
● Need to know how to navigate libraries'
resources
● Only one session, one hour but cannot
overwhelm the student

4. Learner Characteristics
● First year students
● Students are expected to have a working
knowledge of general computing principles
which includes windows navigation and
internet competencies

5. Instructional Goals Statement
Students will navigate Summon to find
resources for their research assignments.
● Consensus from library staff needed
● Unified plan to promote Summon
● Consultation with faculty

6. Instructional Analysis
● Students will navigate to College homepage
● Students will find Summon search box
● Discussion: choosing search terms
● Students enter search terms and examine results
● Discussion: good or bad results?
● Limiting features
● Evaluating results
● Using abstracts and email function

7. Performance Objectives
● Find homepage
● Find Summon search box
● Choose appropriate search terms
● Evaluate initial results. Does search need to be changed?
● Use limiting features
● Evaluate results for currency, relevancy, authority
● Use abstracts to choose articles
● Email results

8. Motivation
● Instructors need to endorse session
● Best way to find good quality resources
● Wikipedia and general internet resources will
not be accepted

9. Learner Participation
Lab environment
● Learners will be paired up and follow instruction along on computers
● Instructor will look for feedback from students before moving on to next
step
Classroom environment
● Partner students with ipads
● No ipads; ask students to use teaching computer to demo process
Time allotted throughout instruction for discussion of the process

10. Testing/Assessment
● Provide 3 good quality resources
● Short explanation of how they found the
resources and why they were chosen
● Reference list and explanation evaluated by
instructor and librarian
● Testing to see if quality of resources has
improved as compared to previous classes
with no instruction

11. Instructional Materials
● Handouts on search development process;
offer in paper and pdf for use with other
classes
● Screencasts to help explain the mechanics of
searching via Summon