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English 111--Introduction to Composition

Library Use Survey

These online surveys will help us determine how we can improve our instruction in order to help you with your research. The pre-visit survey helps us evaluate your needs before the semester begins and the post-visit survey helps us determine what you have learned and where we may want to provide further assistance.

Link to pre-visit survey

Link to post-visit survey

Before Visiting the Library

Before visiting the library, please complete the following four tasks:

  1. Reflect on your strengths and weaknesses when it comes to using the library to research a question or idea.
  2. Watch the concept mapping video below.
  3. Create a concept map for your research question or topic area
  4. Generate a series of key terms (with synonyms) to build a search strategy

Consortium Library Virtual Tour

Take the Virtual Tour to find out about what the library can do for you. This is where you can learn about the building, the services and the collections.

Reflect on Your Use of Sources

After you write each of your papers, please reflect on the way you have used sources. Possible questions you might ask yourself as you reflect:

  • What challenges did you encounter when using sources?
  • How did you work through those challenges?
  • Where in your paper do you use sources?
  • What purpose do those sources serve? Did you use sources that supported your position? Sources that challenged your position? Both?
  • Were you confident in the way you cited your sources?
  • In general, what have you learned?

Discussion Activities

These activities are designed to help class members build on oral discussion as they move into dialogic writing.

They Say/I Say Activities

The exercise documents listed below are designed to help writers learn to incorporate the ideas of others into their writing. Some of the examples focus on literacy as a theme, but they can be adapted to any set of readings or issues.

Responding to Rhetorical Situations
& Using Sources

The following group exercises are designed for two reasons:

  1. to help students understand the elements of rhetorical situations; and
  2. to provide practice using sources to respond to questions

Concept Mapping

The following Concept Mapping Video will demonstrate a process that will help you begin your research.