English Instruction Program

ENGL 102 and WRIT 101 courses

First year English students take part in a 4 points blended model of instruction, where they receive a mixture of asynchronous and synchronous components, with active learning being the focus of much of the synchronous time.

The 4 points of contact students receive during their first-year English course are as follows:

  • 1st Point: A short, 15-minute, synchronous visit where students are introduced to the library and various ways of getting research help. Here they also receive guidance on how to self-enroll in an online tutorial the library has developed called SearchPath.
  • 2nd Point: Students work through the SearchPath tutorial. It gives them a brief overview of things that they'll need to know when conducting research, such as understanding keywords, how to evaluate resources, and how to navigate library subject guides. Students receive a certificate of completion when they get 50% or higher on the SearchPath quiz. More information can be found on the English Subject Guide.
  • 3rd Point: A 30-minute synchronous workshop where students work in groups to evaluate sources based on an example topic and report back on their findings of whether the example sources are reliable and/or relevant. 
  • 4th Point: A 50-minute optional synchronous Research Essentials workshops where students work through taking a essay topic and turning it into a search strategy. Basics of using the library's search and tips for narrowing results are also given. Then students have time to work through their own research topics and receive help finding applicable resources that they can then evaluate. These workshops are drop-in and students receive proof of attendance. 

Contact Alison Pitcher, the English Librarian, if you have any questions or to book a session.

All other English courses

Literacy instruction can be tailored to your course content and student needs.

Examples of purpose-built instruction session topics include:

  • Navigating specific databases.
  • Understanding how to search for literary topics.
  • Troubleshooting searches on lesser-known authors or works.
  • Including sources in an English paper.

Contact Alison Pitcher, the English Librarian, if you have any questions or to book a session.