Research Guides
Teaching & Learning: Topic Development
The Teaching & Learning Guide provides information to help you with your needs as an instructor including class materials, statistics and assessment information, important reminders, and readings and resources.
Example Activities & Lessons
There are many approaches to assist students in developing their research topic; you might help students expand on what they already know or direct them to resources to get ideas and background information on topics others have looked into. Talk with the professor/TA about what approach they prefer.
- Mind MapActivity using mind mapping skills to show their understanding of the topic and narrow or broaden their focus. Students can create individual maps, switch maps and add onto each others', or create group maps on a whiteboard.
- Brain HurricaneActivity to help students brainstorm topics using sources like the library catalog, the internet and the reference collection.
- Topic MappingThis worksheet is part of the Research 101 portal. The worksheet provides some questions to help students get started on developing their topic and coming up with keywords to help them search for resources.
- Search Planning ChecklistA checklist to help students plan their search process. The worksheet includes a list of sources and the amount of time it takes to search/get access to these resources for the sake of time management. Part of the Research 101 Portal.
Here's how UW Librarians are using this lesson objective
- Engl 121D_VillarStoehr_Jan13_WorksheetThis worksheet was used to guide students through developing their topic and research question in preparation for searching
When do I teach Topic Development?
Topic development is necessary to teach when:
- Students have recently received the assignment and have yet to determine what their paper/project will be about.
- Students have a broad topic but have yet to focus it into a research question
- Even if students have research topics, it can be helpful to spend a few minutes talking or writing about their topics to prepare them to begin developing search terms or finding sources
 |
| Credit: pixabay |