The majority of undergraduate students who come into the OWRC are seeking assistance in developing research questions and theses. The quality of a research question can make or break a writing assignment. Students often have interesting ideas that would serve as a fruitful means of inquiry but can have trouble scoping their questions to be clear, specific, relevant, open-ended, of personal interest, and manageable enough to fit within the frame of their assignments. Our suggested lesson plan and supplementary resources, inserted strategically into a syllabus, are designed to aid students in building these skills that will aid them throughout their college careers and beyond.
You can access the lesson plan through the tabs above. It takes about 45 minutes on average to conduct the lesson. Preparation includes reviewing the lesson plan and gathering materials such as printouts. If you would like any assistance in preparing for your library instruction, please feel free to schedule a consultation with John or Kathleen by following the link to the right.
A printable version of this lesson plan is available here. |
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Lesson Name & Topic: |
Developing Research Questions This lesson plan is designed to aid students in building fundamental skills in developing clear, specific, relevant, open-ended, and manageable research questions. |
Objectives: |
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Time Needed: |
30-minute preparation 45-minute class session |
Preparation: |
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Supply List: |
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Outline: |
Importance of Research Questions (10 minutes):
Characteristics of Effective Research Questions (5 minutes):
Guidelines for Developing Research Questions (5 minutes):
Activity 1: Evaluating Regular vs. Research Questions (10 minutes):
Activity 2: Developing Research Questions (10 minutes):
Conclusion and Reflection (5 minutes):
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