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ENG 151 Online Information Literacy Module: Home

Step 1 - Introduction

To listen to the module directions, click on the above recording.  If you prefer to read the directions, see below:

Welcome to the online information literacy module for ENG 151.  I’m your friendly reference librarian here to get you started.   Notice the module is clearly organized into steps.  This is Step 1.  When you are finished listening to me, go to Step 2, follow the directions to the demo source, print it out, and read it.  Next print out a copy of the SCARAB Rubric in Step 3.  Now you are ready to view the demo video in Step 4.

Once you have viewed the video, you have completed the instructional part of this module.  Follow your course instructor’s directions as to how to proceed with Step 5, which will give you practice in evaluating additional sources.

Notice that after Step 5, there is a box listing Research Guides that can lead you to good sources for your ENG 151 papers.

If at any time you need my or another librarian’s help, click on the Ask a Librarian link in the box on the left side of the page.  This will give you several ways to contact us.

MCC Library

MCC Library Homepage

Questions? To contact an MCC Librarian, click on

Ask a Librarian!

Phone: 815-455-8762

 

Spring Semester 2019 Hours

(January 22 - May 17)

Monday through Thursday: 

8:00am to 8:30pm

Friday:  8:00am to 4:30pm

 

Spring Break Week 2019 Hours

(March 25 - 29)

Monday through Friday: 

8:00am to 4:30pm

Step 2 - Read the Demo Source

Directions to access demo source:

  • Go to the Library Webpage
  • Click on "Databases" then "A to Z Databases"
  • Select "Academic Search Complete"
  • Enter your myMCC login (if you are off-campus)
  • Type in the search box: instructional framework for evaluating sources
  • A source should come up titled "A School-Wide Instructional Framework for Evaluating Sources"
  • Click on the PDF Full Text file and read the source

Step 3 - Handouts

Step 4 - Demo Video

After reading the demo source in Step 2, watch this video which will walk you through how to evaluate the source with the SCARAB rubric.

ENG 151 Why are we doing this?

INFORMATION LITERACY is one of MCC's four general education goals.  Part of Information Literacy is the ability to evaluate information for QUALITY and to select sources that are SUITABLE for the information need!  We're here today to help you develop these skills in ENG 151.  Following this session (and with some practice), you should be able to: 

 1. Evaluate the quality of a resource using multiple criteria including authority, objectivity, and accuracy.

2. Judge the suitability of a resource to the information need by assessing  such characteristics as its purpose, scope, intended audience, point of view, timeliness, publication format, and relevance.

3. Select appropriate search tools to identify and locate information sources for argumentative papers.

4. Recognize that information issues are becoming increasing important in our society.

5. Recognize different information formats , such as journal articles, newspaper articles, blogs, etc.

Step 5 - Practice in Evaluating Sources

Now that you have seen how to use the SCARAB Rubric to evaluate a source, it's time to evaluate some sources on this mock topic:

Should there be limits on the collection and use of personal data by companies?

Follow your instructor's directions as to which sources below to evaluate and where to post your evaluations.  Some of these sources are rather long.  You don't need to read them in detail to do this exercise.  Skim!

Step 5 - Source 1

  • Click on Hello Barbie, goodbye privacy from chicagotribune.com
  • An item titled, "Hello Barbie, goodbye privacy" should come up.
  • Evaluate the source with the SCARAB rubric.

Step 5 - Source 2

  • Go to the Library Webpage
  • Click on "Databases," then "A to Z Databases"
  • Choose the Academic Search Complete database.
  • If asked for a login, enter your myMCC user name and password.
  • Type in the search box, how does target know so much about its customers
  • An item entitled "How Does Target Know so Much about its Customers? Using Customer Analytics to Make Marketing Decisions" by Corrigan, Craciun, and Powell should come up.  Skim the source, particularly the section called "Controversy on Data Mining," then evaluate the source.

Step 5 - Source 3

Step 5 - Source 4

  • Click here
  • A source titled "Report to the President: Big Data and Privacy" should come up.  It's quite long, so just skim the executive summary section before evaluating with the rubric.

After Step 5 - Finding Good Sources

Now that you have completed this module, you are ready to continue your research for this and other courses.  Below are several research guildes that will lead you to good search tools for the types of papers you will be writing in this course.
http://libguides.mchenry.edu/ENG151-online-module
libguides.mchenry.edu
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description: Wide crawl of the web for February 2019
operator: Common Crawl Admin (info@commoncrawl.org)
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software: Apache Nutch 1.15 (modified, https://github.com/commoncrawl/nutch/)
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