Faculty Containers

Faculty containers were designed to provide instructors with information literacy content that is relevant to the University of Maine System and can be easily shared within a learning management system such as Blackboard. Instructors may choose to add the entire module or select one or more of the units below to add to their course. For more information or to set-up a faculty container in a course, please contact uma.library@maine.edu

The Research Expedition Module

A digital badge with a compass and the words Info Literacy on a banner

This module contains seven units, each of which is described further below. Students that complete the module also have the option of downloading a certificate and requesting a digital badge pictured to the right. To navigate through the module as a whole, visit the Research Expedition.

Overview of Each Unit

  1. Five Ways Information Literacy Can Change the Course of Your Life defines and promotes information literacy in ways that are relevant to students.
  2. Map Your Research Journey introduces students to the concept of library databases and the deep web. It provides basic information about accessing library databases from off-campus, beginning the research process, and using Boolean Operators.
  3. Oceans of Information: Learn to Distinguish Between Different Sources briefly outlines the peer-review process and distinguishes between scholarly and popular sources.
  4. Use RADAR to Evaluate Information highlights the importance of evaluating information from the open web. Students are introduced to a tool to help them evaluate information and asked to apply what they’ve learned to two different websites.
  5. Research Quest: Find Books, Journal Articles, and More is an interactive scavenger hunt through the University of Maine System library databases, book collections, and more. Citation tools, search limiters, and interlibrary loan are covered as well.
  6. Learn the Ropes: Synthesize Research Like a Pro provides students with tips about how to approach challenging scholarly articles and ways in which to synthesize their research findings.
  7. Don’t End Up in Deep Waters: Cite Your Sources outlines the citation process, discusses plagiarism, and examines several examples of scenarios requiring citations.

Certificate and Feedback Form

The World is Your Oyster is the final component of the module. It allows students to download a certificate, request a digital badge, and provide optional feedback.

Accessibility

Every attempt has been made to make the faculty containers as accessible as possible. For the best user experience, please consider directing students to use Firefox as a browser for PCs or the Blackboard App for tablets and smart phones. See examples of the faculty containers in the Blackboard App below.

Blackboard App Container Screen Shots