Howard University librarians Niketha McKenzie, Kimberly Prosper, and Adia Coleman share their strategy for helping students transition from the open web searching they are accustomed to, toward more rigorous, college-level research. They detail how they use Credo to support the concept of pre-search and build familiarity with research databases. By likening Credo to an “Academic Google,” they have been able to gain buy-in from students while demonstrating the value of authoritative resources. Students have reported feeling less frustrated by the research process, and faculty appreciate that the library is providing a guide that helps students perform better.

1. PRE-SEARCH TO
RESEARCH
Credo as “Academic Google”

2. Niketha McKenzie
First Year Experience Librarian
Adia Coleman
Patent & Trademark Librarian
Kimberly Prosper
S.T.E.M. Librarian
Pre-Search to Research: Credo as “Academic Google”

3. Learning Outcome
In this webinar, we will explore how to:
 Promote “One-Shot” instruction as a two part workshop.
 Incorporate student comfortability and convenience as a tool for student engagement and
research buy-in.
 Develop a shared platform of accountability for librarians and faculty as partners in student
retention and scholarship.
Presentation Workflow
Phase I: “Pre-Search” |Phase II: “Research” |Phase III: “The Credo Effect”

4. “Pre-Search”
Learning Outcome: Revision “One-Shot” instruction as
a two part workshop.
Project Information Literacy Findings:
College libraries are far larger and more
complex than high school libraries.
It is daunting to conduct online searches for
academic literature for the first time.
Most freshmen find their research
competencies from high school are inadequate
for college work.
________________________________________________ Source: Project
Information Literacy Research Report: “Learning the Ropes” | December 4,
2013 | Alison J. Head
Niketha McKenzie
First Year Experience Librarian

5. Instructional Problem ?
The Credo Solution
• A limited number of instructional librarians.
• Rethinking ways to improve our first-year
instructional framework.Problem
• One stop shop for information literacy instruction.
• Easily embedded into online courses.
• An exceptional workshop reinforcement tool.
Credo
Solution

6. InfoLit Modules
Process - Instructional Framework
Putting Your Skills to Use
This interactive presentation will
walk you through the process of
collecting appropriate resources
for use in a research paper or
project using open web and
library tools. You will also have the
opportunity to print or save the
materials that you collect
throughout the exercise.
Hybrid Model
Credo provides a variety of library
tutorials that focus on the
research process, how to write a
paper, study skills, and
presentation tools and
techniques.
These tutorials are easily
embedded into blackboard and
can be used as a reinforcement
resource for professors.
Pre-search to Research
A two part library instruction
workshop that focus on research
support. In the pre-search
workshop students “unpack” their
topics and focus on the research
process. In the Research
Workshop, students explore
library databases and other
resources to support their
informational need.
2 PART

7. The 4 “P’s” of Pre-search using Credo
Process Preparing to
Unpack
Practice &
Play
Position
Tools: Credo
Reference
Instructional Videos
Tools: Credo
Reference Mind
map tool
Tools: Credo
Reference database
Research Ready

8. Position
Preparing students to delve into academic research, moving them
from K-12 models to scholarly platforms.

9. “Research”
Learning Outcome: To incorporate student
comfortability and convenience as a tool for
student engagement and research buy-in.
Adia Coleman
Patent & Trademark Librarian

10. The 4 “R’s” of Research using Credo
Realization Redirecting Refining Reflection

11. Realization
We know that students cannot begin to do
their research without being made aware
of ALL the resources they will have access
to.
 Awareness
 Resource Matching
 Discovery Expansion
 Information Need Identification
 Time Management
 Answers:
 WHAT Howard University has…
 WHERE resources are located…
 HOW to access them…

12. Redirecting
We have the students conduct a simple search on Google using their keyword search terms
that they formed in the “Pre-Search Process”.
Google Credo as “Academic Google”

13. Refining
- Credo as “Academic Google”
Knowing what to look for
Tools
Related
Resources
Content
Types

14. Reflection
“We do not learn from experience … we learn from
on experience.” - John Dewey
01 02 03 04
Students
reflect on their
KEYWORDS
from their
brainstorming
practice.
Students
reflect on the
visual aid that
displays all of
the
RESOURCES
that Howard
University
offers.
Students reflect
on their ROAD
MAP to give
them a
navigation into
their topics.
Students can
now feel
comfortable with
starting in
Google and
moving to
Credo, and
knowing what
elements to look
for.

15. “The Credo Effect”
Learning Outcome: Develop a shared
platform of accountability for librarians and
faculty as partners in student retention and
scholarship.
Kimberly Prosper
S.T.E.M Librarian

16. • Strengthens General Education.
• Competencies and Student Scholarship.
Library Value
Added
• To expand role as collaborative educational
partners.
Next Steps
The Credo Effect
• Cultivate Curiosity in Research.
• Increase comfort in academic research and
independent learning.
Student Voices
• Research Improvement in Curriculum.
• Alignment to Curriculum.
Faculty Buy-In

17. Student Voices
Cultivating curiosity
“Most students admitted that they had never used library
databases to conduct research. Indeed, most rarely even enter
the library to take advantage of the wealth of resources
available to them.”
Cultivating curiosity requires taking risks and allowing time for student innovation.
Steps to flex the curiosity muscle:
• Reframe "boring" situations.
• Promote Exploration and Experimentation.
• Support Questioning.

18. Student Voices
“ I am equally as thrilled with the opportunity to have a
second session during which the students will focus on specific
databases and have time for searches.”
Increase comfort in academic research and independent learning.
Steps to achieve independent learning:
• Model and release.
• Build in time for play and process.
• Support student thinking.
Increase comfort in academic research

19. Faculty Buy-In and Engagement
Research Improvement in the curriculum
“I am so glad that the library is moving in a direction
that meets our students where they are and moves them
to understand the need for critical thinking using a
step-by-step process for researching. In Ms.
McKenzie's words, "pre-search for research" is an
excellent approach for our students.”
Research Improvement in the curriculum:
• Use libguides as a collorbative tool for
curriculum design and development.
• Identify the problems and highlight the
library as the solution.
• Build respectful relationship with trust and
accountability practices.

20. Faculty Buy-In and Engagement
Aligning to Curriculum
“Helping the students focus on their topic and what they need to
know, i.e. a broad knowledge of their topic and narrowing the
topic through the research process fits right into the theory they
are reading about in the textbook.”
Curriculum collaboration:
• Bridging the gap between the information literacy standards and course learning outcomes.
• Creating an instructional plan as a collaborative tool for library instruction and faculty buy-in.
• Establish a dedicated website for disseminating library resources.

21. Library Value Added
“Most students admitted that they had never used the library
databases to conduct research. Indeed, most rarely even
enter the library to take advantage of the wealth of resources
available to them.”
Strengthens General Education
Academic Library Impact on Student Learning and Success: Findings from Assessment in Action Team Projects,”
Positive connections between the library and aspects of student
learning and success:
• Students benefit from library instruction in their initial
coursework.
• Library use increases students success.
• Collaborative academic programs and services involving the
library enhance student learning.
• Information literacy instruction strengthens general
education outcomes.
• Library research consultations boost student learning.

22. Next Steps & Action Items
“Needless to say, your workshops have transformed the
kind of research my students are beginning to conduct
and I look forward to having many more students benefit
from your instruction in the future!”
Facilitate the next steps of transitioning library instruction.
• Develop Sessions for professional development.
• Improve our team teaching practices.
• Increase library resource awareness for faculty and students.

23. Thank You.
QUESTIONS, COMMENTS OR REMARKS?

24. Join our final Credo in Action Webinar!
10 Creative Activities to Support Student Engagement
Using Credo
August 30th @ 2PM ET
credo.link/action