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0 Research and Critical Inquiry Microcourse

Request Course Readings

Faculty may submit a request to place course materials on reserve. Reserve materials may be library copies or instructors’ personal copies. Books, articles, recordings, videos, or other media can be placed on reserve as well. Students may come to the ASK Area, located on the first floor of Albertsons Library, to access our course reserves copies for in-library use. 

Email circulation@boisestate.edu if you have questions about reserve items.

"Becoming a Learner"

The University Foundations text Becoming a Learner: Realizing the Opportunity of Education should be available through inclusive access for all UF100 students this semester UNLESS the student opted out of inclusive access when they enrolled in the course. Be sure you have made the Course Materials tab viewable in your Canvas course so most students will be able to access the text.

For students who have opted out of inclusive accces, they can still access Becoming a Learner: Realizing the Opportunity of Education in the library through our course reserves program. They will need to come to the ASK Area, located on the first floor of Albertsons Library, to check-out this text for in-library use.

Research and Critical Inquiry Microcourse (RCIM)

The Research and Critical Inquiry Microcourse (RCIM) serves as an introduction to the Albertsons Library and research skills that will not only help your students with their papers and projects but will also help them navigate information used in their personal lives and future employment.

Teaching these important critical thinking skills to first-year students improves the quality of resources they use in assignments, and in turn, improves learning. Information literacy and college-level research skills are intertwined with intellectual foundations, specifically Boise State’s ULO 3 Critical Inquiry: collecting and organizing evidence/data/reasons and evaluative reasoning.  

In the RCIM, they will view content and complete tasks in four content areas including:

  • The Albertsons Library
  • Strategies for searching
  • Learning how to use available tools to find quality sources
  • Evaluating sources

After completing the RCIM, they will receive a completion badge that they can upload into your Canvas course in order to receive credit for their work. 

Getting Started

Access the RCIM at the following links:

UF100: https://boisestatecanvas.instructure.com/courses/25718

UF200: https://boisestatecanvas.instructure.com/courses/25719

Students will be automatically enrolled in the Research and Critical Inquiry Microcourse.

To verify that you have been successfully enrolled in the course:

  • Log into Canvas after the course opens.

  • Click on Dashboard or Courses (scroll down to select “All Courses”), and you will see Research and Critical Inquiry Microcourse listed there.

If you think you may not have been enrolled, first check both the Dashboard AND Courses tabs in Canvas and then email librarybadges@boisestate.edu.

FAQ for Faculty

Q: Who should I contact if I have questions about the RCIM?

  • All questions may be sent to librarybadges@boisestate.edu. For help with course content, quizzes, and assignments, please direct your students to visit the Albertsons Library Ask Area and speak to a librarian or use the library's chat reference service available in the bottom corner on the library's homepage. We are available Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm.

Q: Why do we include information literacy skills in the UF curriculum?

  • Information literacy is one of the most important critical thinking skill areas that first-year college students should engage with. Information literacy and college-level research skills are intertwined with intellectual foundations, specifically Boise State’s ULO 3 Critical Inquiry: collecting and organizing evidence/data/reasons and evaluative reasoning.  Teaching information literacy skills improves the quality of resources that students use in assignments, and in turn, improves learning.

Q: How many library badges are there?

  • Students earn 1 overall course badge. The following is an overview of the modules: 
    • Introduction
    • The Foundation of Research
    • The Process of Research
    • The Search for Research
    • The Ethics of Research
    • Conclusion
    • NOTE: students must also complete the 2 assignments located in the Final Assignments and Badge section at the end of the course.

Q: Are students required to do the Introduction and Conclusion also?

  • Yes, both the Introduction and Conclusion have assignments/quizzes and are part of the course.

Q: Who is required to complete the RCIM?

  • All UF 100 students are required to complete the RCIM during the semester they are enrolled as a UF 100 student. All UF 200 students will be required to provide verification of completion. If they are unable to do so, they will be required to complete the RCIM during UF 200.

Q: Do CWI transfer students who completed the CWI library badges need to complete the Albertsons Library RCIM?

  • We have created a module specifically for College of Western Idaho transfer students. Please see the information sent in the email at the beginning of the semester for more information, as well as the "Earn Your CWI Transfer Badge" tab above. Contact us if you need assistance.

Q: When should I assign the RCIM?

  • Students find information literacy skills most meaningful if they can immediately apply them to a required project that involves locating outside sources. You may decide to align your coursework with your students’ completion of the RCIM. 

  • UF 100 lead faculty and UF 200 faculty should assign it during their courses and set the due date for their students.

  • Contact Georgann Kurtz-Shaw, georgannkurtzsha@boisestate.edu, if you would like assistance developing projects or assignments that utilize the skills taught in the RCIM.

Q: How do students get started on the RCIM?

  • The library curriculum is available in the Canvas learning management system. See links to our "Quick Start Guides" in the box above for the most up-to-date information. Students should be pre-enrolled in the course, but it will not be available to them until it opens each semester.

Q: How long will it take students to complete the RCIM?

  • Most students report that the course can be completed in approximately 3-4 hours. Because some assignments require manual grading, students can expect to see their Grades section updated in Canvas M-F, within 24-48 hours after completing the online activities.

Q: How will I know if my students earned the library badge?

  • Create an assignment in your UF course site, and ask students to submit  a screenshot of their badge certificate page with the window visible that has their name and/or email address and time/date of completion listed. 

  • Students should upload their certificate by your due date.