Support for Research Assignments
Beginning in Spring 2026, library teaching support for research projects will be offered primarily through online tutorials, drop-in research workshops open to all ENGL110 students, and the ENGL110 Research Guide. If you are a new ENGL110 instructor, graduate TA, or have special source requirements, see below for details on how you can request an in-person, librarian-led class session.
Please contact Lauren Wallis with questions!
Getting Started with Research Tutorial
Students navigate an example research process in a “choose your own adventure” interface. The tutorial covers topic development, search strategies in DELCAT and databases, and evaluating source relevance for a topic. Activities emphasize the cyclical (sometimes frustrating) nature of the research process and support students in developing confidence and a flexible mindset toward academic research.
After students complete this tutorial, they can use the research log assignment (coming soon) to apply their learning to their own research topic. Students will develop keywords, complete background research as needed, search in DELCAT and a database, and identify a few potentially relevant sources for their research topic. Students can complete the research log on their own, during class time, or during an open research workshop at the library (more info below).
Engaging with Scholarly Sources Tutorial
Through interviews with two UD faculty members, this tutorial helps students understand how scholarly conversations take place in both informal and formal ways. It also addresses how scholarly sources are created and used. Students will use example publications by UD faculty to practice identifying common components of scholarly publications, including surface-level markers such as author credentials and in-text representations of scholarly conversations such as literature reviews.
How to Use the Tutorials in Your Courses
Student Access
Provide the following links for students to access the tutorials.
Getting Started with Research Tutorial: https://guides.lib.udel.edu/engl110/researchtutorial
Engaging with Scholarly Sources Tutorial: https://guides.lib.udel.edu/engl110/sourcetutorial
Giving Credit for Tutorial Completion
You can choose how to give a completion grade for the tutorials. When students complete a tutorial, they will automatically receive an email with all of their answers. You can create a Canvas assignment for students to upload a screenshot of the email or copy and paste the entire content of the email. I know these are clunky options, but it’s the best solution we could find to allow us to keep accurate stats and assessment data (crucial for keeping the library instruction program going) while also ensuring that you as instructors can be sure your students did the assignment.
When to Assign the Tutorials
The tutorials can be completed in any order. I recommend assigning Getting Started with Research when you introduce your research assignment, since it uses an example topic. When students are ready to work with their own topics, you can assign the Research Log.
You can assign Engaging with Scholarly Sources prior to the research assignment to introduce students to the idea of scholarly conversation and scholarly sources, or in conjunction with the research assignment.
Research Workshops
Research workshops open to all ENGL110 students will take place from Week 4 through Week 9. Any ENGL110 student can attend and work on their research log with a librarian there to help. There will not be formal instruction during these workshops, so students will be most successful if they have completed Getting Started with Research and have their own research topic in mind, even if it’s still broad. Students can expect to leave the workshop having found some relevant sources for their topic and knowing how to get research help from librarians when needed.
Class Sessions for New Instructors (and other exceptions)
We will continue to offer a librarian-led class session for new instructors. Please use the instruction request form to request a session. Additionally, if you are a returning instructor and have source requirements in your research assignment that are not covered in the tutorial (such as historical or contemporary primary sources available through our databases), you can also use the form to request a class session and discuss options.
Support for Multimodal Assignments
The Library supports ENGL110 multimodal assignments through assignment design consultation, student resources, limited librarian instruction, and access to production and teaching spaces.
- Designing an assignment? Explore assignment design resources or schedule a consultation
- Trying a new multimodal assignment? Request a librarian-led session
- Bringing your class to the library? Reserve the Creative Technologies Instruction Room to use on your own
- Looking for student resources? Add our Canvas modules or link to our project guides.
For full details about support for course-related video, audio, and graphic design assignments, see the Creative Media Assignment Support page.
For questions or support, contact:
Student Success and Curriculum Partnerships
Areas of Expertise: Audio Production, Graphic Design, Multimedia Literacy, Video Production, Assignment Design
Canvas Modules
Ready-to-use modules available in Canvas Commons. Customize them for your assignment or add Amanda as a Resource Assistant for help.
Tip: If the links below don’t open the module in Canvas Commons, search the module name or “Amanda McCollom”.
- Library Resources for Multimedia Projects: Separate pages for video projects, podcast projects, graphic design projects, and library resources.
- Audacity Tutorial: Hands-on practice for learning how to use Audacity for podcast projects including recording, editing, and mixing audio.
- Video Project Resources: In-depth resources for planning, script writing, storyboarding, sourcing content, and editing videos.
- With any module, you can unpublish pages you don’t need. Feel free to rename the module, customize content as needed, or split the content into different modules.
Student resources are also available on the E110 Research guide, and project guides for video, audio and graphic design projects.