Creating a Lesson Plan

BACKGROUND:

Class	Politics 332
Lecturer	Prof: C. Africa
Number of Students	45
Date	20 September 2017
Time	11:30 – 12:30
Frame	Scholarship as a Conversation

ASSIGNMENT 1:

Conduct a review of the literature on democracy, with a particular focus on the South African context.

I am Economic and Management Sciences Faculty Librarian at the University of the Western Cape and I have been requested by a Lecturer from Political Science Studies to conduct training with Politics 332 students. I had 2 sessions with the students, the first session covered the following: 

• Identify information need
• Evaluate databases and other information resources
• Set up search strategies and use various search techniques
• Formulate search strings based on your own research assignment
• Identify relevant material types
• Undertake critical evaluation of your sources
• Search more efficiently on the internet
• Avoid plagiarism

Their assignment requires them to:

·         Locate at least five academic sources on democracy. Discuss the insight that their material provides in terms of understanding why some support democracy or and others do not;

·         Locate at least five media articles (search for them online using the Mail & Guardian website, IOL and news24) which discuss satisfaction  and;

·         Interview 10 South Africans over the age of 18 years (they may interview people that they know).

RESEARCH INSTRUCTIONS:

For your research project you need to gather data to answer one of the following research questions:

·         Do South Africans support democracy?

·         How satisfied are South Africans with the state of democracy in the country?

·         Are South Africans confident that democracy will endure in the country?

Develop a research instrument consisting of five open-ended questions which will enable to you to gain insight to answer the research question you have chosen.

LESSON PLAN

This is a second session with POL 332 students:

 LEARNING OBJECTIVE:

Students recognize the discipline-specific resources available in their field and can articulate the factors that influence their ability to participate in scholarly conversation.

ACTIVITIES

·         Librarian will bring 3 index cards for students to conduct a literature search for one of the given research questions using different information sources i.e. interviews, journal articles, and newspaper sources

·         Librarian will divide students into 3 groups

·         Students will brainstorm and map their search terms for finding information and drafting questionnaires for their interviews

·         Students will collate the information and alternate groups every 15 minutes to participate in all 3 groups.

·         Librarian will give feedback of the process showing the dispositions of contributing to scholarly conversation; and ask students to comment if they understand the responsibility that comes with entering to the conversation though participatory channels.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

·         Recognize the broad range of information sources

·         Exhibit mental flexibility

·         Value the contributions of others

·         Identify the contribution that particular articles, newspaper or scholarly interviews make to disciplinary knowledge.

 

Dispositions or attitudes addressed by lesson:

• Question the origin and context of information they find to determine its suitability to meet the information need
• Be persistent, adaptable and flexible
• Recognise the broad range of information sources
• Participate in the scholary conversation on online platforms using the language of the disciplines
• Maintain an open mind when encountereing different perspectives
• Seek help when needed
• Give credit to the original ideas of other through proper attribution and citation