Preview Information Literacy–Core - Faculty Guide to Information Literacy – Core - Research Guides at Greenville Technical College

Below are links to preview the videos, tutorials, and quizzes that are part of our Information Literacy–Core subscription, categorized by GTC CORE Competency.

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COMMUNICATION: Citations and Academic Integrity

Tutorial: Why Citations Matter This tutorial provides an overview of why it is important to cite sources, and an explanation for why different citation formats and citation styles exist.
Tutorial: APA Citations Use this tutorial to provide students with an introduction to the APA citation style format and examples of popular source types such as books, journals, and websites. The tutorial includes several “check your understanding” questions with drag and drop exercises where students can format citations of different source types properly.
Quiz: APA Citations This quiz corresponds with the APA video and tutorial.
Video: MLA 9th Edition Citation Style Use this video to provide students with an overview of the MLA 9th edition citation style, including an explanation of the “container” concept and an overview of using the citation style for popular source types such as books, websites, and journal articles.
Tutorial: MLA 9th Edition Citation Style Use this tutorial to provide students with an overview of the MLA 9th Edition citation style, including both in-text citation format and works cited format. Tutorial provides an explanation and examples of different sources using the container concept introduced in MLA 8, and also includes several “check your understanding” questions with drag and drop exercises where students can format citations of different source types properly.
Quiz: MLA Citations This quiz corresponds with the MLA video and tutorial.
Tutorial: Academic Integrity Provides students with an introduction to the concept that information has value, and that acting with academic integrity and ethical behavior is essential to success as a student and as a participant in the scholarly conversation.
Video: Plagiarism This video provides examples and explanations of specific types of plagiarism, such as cloning, aggregation, and self-plagiarism, as well as strategies to prevent plagiarizing and a reminder of the possible consequences of academic dishonesty.
Tutorial: Information Has Value
Quiz: Information Ethics
Tutorial: Copyright Use this video to aid in instruction on intellectual property and copyright, including exceptions to copyright restrictions such as fair use, and guidance on the ethical use of others’ intellectual property.

COMMUNICATION: Presenting Research and Data

Video: Synthesis This video focuses on strategies for writing a strong paper that brings together ideas from multiple sources, including identifying main ideas, and paraphrasing and summarizing techniques.
Tutorial: Synthesizing Information for Academic Writing This tutorial defines and explores information synthesis, including strategies for bringing together ideas and facts from multiple different sources at various stages in the research process, including background research and note taking, annotated bibliographies, and outlines. It also reviews different examples of final products of synthesis, such as literature reviews, persuasive essays, and research papers.
Quiz: Synthesizing Information for Academic Writing This quiz corresponds with the multimedia on synthesizing information.
Tutorial: Annotated Bibliography Students will become familiar with annotated bibliographies and the role annotations play in research and scholarship. Use this tutorial to help students identify the purpose, structure, and content of annotated bibliographies and create their own annotations.
Video: Thesis Statements Use this video to help students identify the purpose of their research efforts and construct evidence-based statements. Students will learn how to narrow in on a topic, conduct background research, and synthesize the existing body of evidence in order to craft a compelling argument.
Quiz: Thesis Statements This quiz corresponds with the Thesis Statements video.
Video: Anatomy of a Research Paper This vdeo provides students with an overview of the basic structure of a research paper.
Quiz: Anatomy of a Research Paper This quiz corresponds with the multimedia on writing research papers.
Video: Writing Help Use this video to help students craft clear and effective written assignments. Students will review the value of sentence variety and the importance of proofreading their work.
Tutorial: Digital Privacy This tutorial will introduce students to the idea of digital privacy and their responsibilities as information users. Students will analyze how they engage with online tools and services and consider ways to protect their personal information, plus the limits of what individuals can do to protect their privacy.
Tutorial: Paraphrasing, Quoting, and Summarizing This tutorial provides students with an overview of paraphrasing, quoting, and summarizing depending on the goal of their writing, plus how to accurately represent their sources.
Video: Academic Writing This video will encourage students to think about their role as academic writers. Students will also learn about the importance of background research and considering mutliple perspectives when joining the scholarly conversation.
Tutorial with Video: Oral Communication
Video: Understanding the Communication Need Use this video to help students analyze the purpose of communication methods. Students will be introduced to the advantages and disadvantages of each in order to choose the best type for a given situation
Tutorial: Presentation Skills Presentation skills are key to getting information across. They allow you to engage your audience, keep their attention, and teach them; the best presentations have both style and substance. This tutorial provides tips on presenting information successfully!
Quiz: Writing and Communication This quiz corresponds with the multimedia on writing and communication.

CRITICAL THINKING: Sources of Information

Video: Data, Information, and Knowledge This video defines and explains the differences and relationships between data, information, and knowledge, and how each might be used or encountered in research.
Video: Primary and Secondary Research This video illustrates the differences between primary (original) research (with a focus on methods used in sciences and social sciences) and secondary research, and the ethical considerations associated with each.
Tutorial: Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary Sources
Quiz: Primary and Secondary Sources This quiz corresponds with the multimedia on primary and secondary resources.
Video: Peer Review This video will provide students with an understanding of what peer review means, how the process works, why it is an indicator of quality, and how to locate peer-reviewed sources during their research process.
Quiz: Peer Review This quiz corresponds with the multimedia on peer review.
Video: Types of Sources This video provides students with a helpful overview of the wide variety of source types they may encounter during research. In addition to defining and describing different source types, it also addresses how to select the appropriate source for their information need, analyzing the capabilities and constraints of different source types, and how to determine source quality.
Tutorial: Source Types Students will be introduced to a variety of source types that they may encounter during their research. Use this tutorial to help students locate and evaluate relevant sources to meet their research needs.
Quiz: Types of Sources This quiz corresponds with the multimedia on source types.
Video: How to Read Scholarly Materials Do your students feel intimidated by scholarly materials? Use this video to help students get familiar with these valuable resources and learn tips for approaching, analyzing, and integrating scholarly materials into their projects.
Tutorial: How to Read Scholarly Materials Do your students feel intimidated by scholarly materials? This tutorial will walk students through the types and components of scholarly materials as well as strategies for strategic reading.
Tutorial: Selecting Appropriate Digital Sources This tutorial will help students identify their information need in order to locate and assess relevant resources. Using the techniques in this tutorial, students will also be able to distinguish among types of online sources in order to select those most appropriate for their information need.

CRITICAL THINKING: Inquiry and Evidence-Based Reasoning

Video: Inquiry Use this video to introduce students to the value of using an inquiry-based mindset. Students will learn how to use inquiry to ask questions and solve problems thoughtfully and effectively.
Video: Evidence-Based Reasoning Use this video to introduce students to the importance of supporting research conclusions with evidence. Students will also learn how to assess their research question in order to locate the approptiate supporting evidence.
Video: Why Thinking Matters
Tutorial: Logical Reasoning

CRITICAL THINKING: Visual and Quantitative Literacy

Video: Searching for Images To be an effective communicator using visual information, students first need to develop the skills necessary for locating images. Use this video to introduce students to strategies for locating images and get familiar with image databases or subject-specific collections accessible through the library.
Video: Interpreting Images Interpreting visual information is a critical skill students will use beyond their academic careers. Use this video to encourage students to ask questions and consider context when interpreting visuals.
Tutorial: Why Does Visual Literacy Matter? Introduces students to the role visual materials play in their daily lives and the skills they will need to communicate quickly and universally using images and media.
Quiz: Visual Literacy This quiz corresponds with the multimedia on visual literacy.
Tutorial with Video: Intro to Maps and Geographic Literacy
Video: Using Quantitative Data Use this video to help students incorporate quantitative data in their research and evaluate available sources for currency, accuracy, authority, relevance, and objectivity
Video: Evaluating Statistics Statistics are widely used to support arguments and positions. Use this video to encourage students to think critically about how the statistics they encounter were created and used to convey information.
Quiz: Quantitative Reasoning This quiz corresponds with the multimedia on quantitative reasoning.

INFORMATION LITERACY: Getting Started with Research

Tutorial: Why Information Literacy Matters Use this tutorial to show students how information literacy is relevant to their day-to-day lives. Students will become familiar with their own information seeking habits, privilege, and skills used in their personal, academic, and professional lives.
Video: Life in the Information Age Technology is changing the way we locate, analyze, and share information. Use this video to introduce students to the evolving information landscape and their roles as responsible information consumers and creators.
Tutorial: Study Skills
Video and Tutorial: The Research Process Use this video to demonstrate the value of pre-research. Students will learn how to align their initial exploration to their assignment requirements.
Tutorial: Developing a Research Focus In this tutorial, students will be introduced to pre-research techniques to determine the scope and depth of their research focus.
Video: How to Narrow Your Topic Do your students have trouble selecting a topic for a research assignment? This video will outline the process to help students hone in on a compelling research topic with appropriate scope using strategies like strategic searching. Students will also understand the importance of open mindedness and flexibility in the research process.
Tutorial: Background Research Tips Determining a manageable research question can be challenging for students. Use this tutorial to introduce strategies for aligning a research focus with assignment guidelines and research tools such as concept maps.
Video and Tutorial: Beginning Research with Wikipedia/Google This video will help students understand the process of background research by introducing techniques for gathering background information using Google and Wikipedia.
Quiz: The Research Process This quiz corresponds with the Research Process videos.
Tutorial: Research for Persuasive Writing This tutorial will introduce students to the purpose and characteristics of persuasive writing in order to locate and select the most appropriate types of evidence to support their assignments. Students will also be able to evaluate both supporting and conflicting evidence in order to incorporate the appropriate types of evidence that will strengthen their position and present a nuanced view of their selected topic.
Video: Creating a Research Plan Information overload can be a major roadblock in the research process. This video will help students conceptualize a research pathway and consider solutions to common research challenges.
Video: Framing a Problem If your students are having trouble formulating a research question for assignments, start with this video to help students begin the framing a problem. Students will learn the importance of asking open-ended questions and how to approach research as a process.
Quiz: Research Strategies This quiz corresponds with the multimedia on research strategies.
Tutorial: Scholarship as Conversation Use this tutorial to encourage students to develop a scholarly mindset. In this tutorial, students will learn how their projects help build the body of work in a given field. Additionally, students will become familiar with the process of attribution and critical evaluation.

INFORMATION LITERACY: Searching for Information

Video and Tutorial: Searching as Exploration This video digs deeper into exploratory search strategies. Students will learn how to craft a search statement and the importance of neutral language.
Video: Choosing a Database Students can use this video to receive guidance on how to select the best database(s) for their information need and assignment requirements.
Quiz: Choosing a Database This quiz corresponds with the multimedia on choosing databases.
Tutorial: Choosing and Using Keywords This tutorial will walk students through the process of selecting, refining, and expanding their collection of search keywords in order to locate the most relevant information to their research topic.
Quiz: Choosing and Using Keywords This quiz corresponds with the multiemdia on keywords.
Tutorial: Search Techniques, Part 1 Use this tutorial to familiarize students with strategic searching. Students will learn the purpose and uses of natural language and Boolean operators to broaden and narrow the scope of their search.
Tutorial: Search Techniques, Part 2 Students will learn strategic search approaches to navigate scholarly databases. Use this tutorial to introduce advanced search techniques for broadening and narrowing the scope of a search.
Video: Refining Search Results Use this video to help students navigate the search process. Students will learn techniques to conduct effective background research using multiple keywords in order to narrow in on a research focus.
Quiz: Search Techniques This quiz corresponds with the multimedia on searching techniques.

INFORMATION LITERACY: Evaluating Information

Video: What is Authority? Use this video to introduce students to the concept of authority, how it relates to research, source selection, evaluation, and attribution.
Video: Introduction to Bias This video introduces the idea of bias and prejudice and the importance of awareness of one’s own bias and the bias of others when evaluating sources and situations, and responding to arguments.
Video: Types of Bias This video builds on the introduction to bias video by discussing specific types of bias such as social bias, confirmation bias, and communal reinforcement.
Quiz: Bias This quiz corresponds with the video on bias.
Video: Evaluating Sources Use this video to encourage students to think critically about the information they encounter in print and online. Students will become familiar with strategies for evaluating sources based on these criteria: authority, accuracy, currency, relevance, and objectivity.
Tutorial: Evaluating Information Students will learn how to evaluate a range of resources in order to select the most authoritative sources on their research topic.
Quiz: Evaluating Information This quiz corresponds with the multimedia on evaluating information.
Tutorial: Understanding Misinformation Teaches students to identify the characteristics and purpose of misinformation and understand its effect on their personal and academic lives; also teaches news evaluation strategies.
Quiz: Misinformation
Tutorial: Evaluating Digital Sources Using Lateral Reading This tutorial will introduce students to the practice of lateral reading. Students will learn how to evaluate online materials by digging deeper into the origins and motives behind sites. Students will also have the opportunity to practice lateral reading on their own through a guided activity.
Tutorial: News Reporting vs. Opinion Pieces in Journalism This tutorial will help students differentiate between news journalism and opinion journalism in order to analyze the purpose, standards, and expectations related to reporting and editorializing.
Tutorial: Analyzing Information
Tutorial: Evaluating Sources for Diverse Points of View
Tutorial: Fact-Checking

PROFESSIONALISM: Culture and Citizenship

Video: Introduction to Cultural Issues Understanding their own cultural identity is the first step for students to develop empathy for others from different backgrounds. Use this video to encourage students to consider how their identity is affected by culture and world events.
Video: Global Citizenship This video will introduce students to their roles as global citizens by encouraging them to think critically about their daily actions in a global context.
Quiz: Culture and Citizenship This quiz corresponds with the multimedia on culture and citizenship.
Video: Introduction to Civic Engagement Part of being a responsible, informed citizen is engaging with the goals and challenges of the community. Use this video to help students begin reflecting on ways they have been (or could be) involved with civic issues in their community
Video: Introduction to Civic Action Effective communication is a key part of successful civic action. Use this video to introduce students to the fundamental role communication plays in the stages of planning, implementing, and discussing civic action.
Quiz: Civic Engagement and Civic Action
Tutorial: Digital Privacy This tutorial will introduce students to the idea of digital privacy and their responsibilities as information users. Students will analyze how they engage with online tools and services and consider ways to protect their personal information, plus the limits of what individuals can do to protect their privacy.
Tutorial: Introduction to Digital Citizenship
Tutorial: Digital Citizenship in Practice
Quiz: Digital Citizenship in Practice

PROFESSIONALISM: Integrity

Tutorial: Academic Integrity Provides students with an introduction to the concept that information has value, and that acting with academic integrity and ethical behavior is essential to success as a student and as a participant in the scholarly conversation.
Video: Plagiarism This video provides examples and explanations of specific types of plagiarism, such as cloning, aggregation, and self-plagiarism, as well as strategies to prevent plagiarizing and a reminder of the possible consequences of academic dishonesty.
Tutorial: Information Has Value
Quiz: Information Ethics
Tutorial: Copyright Use this video to aid in instruction on intellectual property and copyright, including exceptions to copyright restrictions such as fair use, and guidance on the ethical use of others’ intellectual property.

PROFESSIONALISM: Writing and Communication

Video: Understanding the Communication Need Use this video to help students analyze the purpose of communication methods. Students will be introduced to the advantages and disadvantages of each in order to choose the best type for a given situation
Tutorial: Presentation Skills Presentation skills are key to getting information across. They allow you to engage your audience, keep their attention, and teach them; the best presentations have both style and substance. This tutorial provides tips on presenting information successfully!
Tutorial with Video: Oral Communication
Quiz: Writing and Communication This quiz corresponds with the multimedia on writing and communication.