Writing & Speaking Instruction
The NC State University Libraries’ provides instruction and curricular support to instructors and faculty in the First Year Writing & Speaking program including ENG 101, ENG 110, WRT 111, WLEN 101, and COM 110. Frequently asked questions about our instruction offerings for Writing and Speaking classes
The Writing and Speaking instruction curriculum has been designed to help instructors and students with common research assignments and library research skills. Some lessons have recommended or optional asynchronous Moodle modules to complement the skills offered in the session. Review our “Choosing a Library Instruction Session or Module” chart to see our recommendations.
NC State University Libraries’ is committed to ensuring that library instruction services are accessible to all faculty, staff and students. In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, all of our shared instructional materials meet WCAG 2.1 AA Standards. We recommend that all slides are viewed using Microsoft PowerPoint. All Microsoft Office Suite products are available for free to NC State faculty, staff and students.
For in-person library instruction, we will honor any requests for reasonable accommodations. For more information about the types of accommodations we can provide, please reach out to library_instruction@ncsu.edu. These requests can be best fulfilled if notice is provided at least 10 days in advance. Learn more about accessibility at the Libraries.
Introduction to the Libraries
The Writing & Speaking Instruction Team has two ways to introduce your students to the library’s spaces, collections, and services: An asynchronous, virtual Introduction to the Libraries Moodle Module and an in-person, interactive Library Scavenger Hunt. Instructors and students can request and complete both if desired.
- NC State Libraries Online Orientation
This online orientation will introduce students to the libraries at NC State University, provide an overview of the available collections and services, and explain how students can access them. We recommend this module for every student, regardless of whether they will attend an in-person library instruction session.
- Scavenger Hunt
The Library Scavenger Hunt is an in-person library orientation that allows students to explore D.H. Hill Jr. Library’s spaces and services. Students will navigate throughout the building and explore our online resources in a timed challenge that encourages teamwork and creative thinking.
This session is only available to ENG 101, WRT 111, and WLEN 101.
General or skills-based instruction
These instruction sessions are not related to specific assignments, but address skill sets that are foundational to library research or common college-level assignments.
- Creating an Annotated Bibliography
Annotated Bibliographies are often assigned to help students evaluate sources before they start writing their research papers, but they serve other purposes in the academic world as well. This session will contextualize annotated bibliographies as part of the research process and review the qualities of an effective annotation. This session is adaptable to any topic or discipline for which an annotated bibliography is assigned. Review the materials from this session.
In this session, our instructors will:
- Explain the purpose and structure of an annotated bibliography in the context of the research process
- Engage students in analyzing and evaluating sample annotations
- Demonstrate how to break down a topic to begin searching for research
- Creating Literature Reviews
Students often need assistance understanding how literature reviews fit into the larger cycle of the research process and how they are different from other types of research articles they might read or write. This session will contextualize the process of creating literature reviews. This session will be most effective if students have already been introduced to their assignment and have topic ideas in mind. Review the materials from this session.
We recommend the “Recognizing Scholarly Sources” Moodle module to supplement this session.
In this session, our instructors will:
- Discuss the purpose of a literature review in the research process
- Define literature reviews as a genre of scholarly writing
- Review examples of literature reviews
- Begin breaking down topics to search for sources
- Evaluating and Using Sources in Assignments
Research assignments tend to have a minimum requirement for using peer-reviewed sources, but students will need to find and use a variety of source types to fully address their research topic. This session will introduce the BEAM framework for analyzing sources to determine utility and relevance in relation to their assignment. This session will be most effective if students have already been introduced to their assignment and have topic ideas in mind. Review the materials from this session.
In this lesson, our instructors will:
- Help students distinguish the purpose and formats of popular, informational, and scholarly sources
- Discuss how each source type provides a particular perspective or advantage to address a research question and communicate to a specific audience
- Lead an activity for students to practice determining the quality and relevance of sources
- Finding Scholarly Sources for Your Assignment
Students may know they have to reference peer-reviewed sources for their assignments but struggle with identifying scholarly sources or even knowing what kind of information scholarly sources provide. This session will review academic source types and provide students the opportunity to search for sources for their assignment. Review the materials from this session.
In this session, our instructors will:
- Define peer reviewed scholarly articles
- Review common characteristics of scholarly articles
- Demonstrate searching in Discover
- Preserve class time for independent and guided article searching
Specialized or assignment-based instruction
These instruction sessions are based on common assignments in the English 101 courses taught at NC State. They serve as an introduction or reinforcement of instructor introduction to the genre-based assignment and learning objectives.
- Selecting a Topic for Your Autoethnography
Choosing an in-group that is both personal and researchable is a challenge for many students working on an autoethnography project. This session will help students in selecting a research topic and guide them through the process of making connections to relevant academic literature for their research assignment. Review the materials from this session.
We recommend the “Finding Scholarly Sources” Moodle module to guide students through finding articles for their assignment after the session or the "Autoethnography" Moodle module before the session to leave more time during the in-person session for article searching.
In this session, our instructors will:
- Provide resources to help students select a topic that is both personal and researchable
- Demonstrate how to find appropriate scholarly sources in library databases
- Preserve class time for independent and guided article searching
- Translating a Scholarly Article
Whether or not we realize it, we frequently encounter the findings of scholarly research in our daily lives. While social media posts, podcasts, news stories, and long-form journalism may be grounded in academic research, when presented to a general audience, the layout, the language, and even the key takeaways may be quite different. This session will help students trace the lineage of popular representations of scholarly writing and analyze the differences between the two genres in preparation for their assignment to “translate” a scholarly article. Review the materials from this session.
In this session, our instructors will:
- Review examples of scholarly article representations in news, magazines, and social media
- Discuss differences in academic and non-academic writing about research
- Share tips for choosing a topic and searching for articles
- Preserve time to search in library database
Instruction for Public Speaking (COM 110)
These instruction sessions address foundational research skills needed for the common Informative and Persuasive Speech assignments for the COM 110 courses taught at NC State.
- Evaluating and Using Sources in Your Speech
In the “Evaluating and Using Sources in Your Speech” session, we will help students distinguish the purpose and formats of popular, informational, and scholarly sources; discuss how each source type provides a particular perspective or advantage to address a research question and communicate to a specific audience; and lead an activity for students to practice determining the quality and relevance of sources. This session will be most effective if students have already been introduced to their assignment and have topic ideas in mind. Review the materials from this session.
In this session, our instructors will:
- Help students distinguish the purpose and formats of popular, informational, and scholarly sources
- Discuss how each source type provides a particular perspective or advantage to address a research question and communicate to a specific audience
- Lead an activity for students to practice determining the quality and relevance of sources
- Finding the Right Sources for Your Speech
Speech topics are often opportunities for students to incorporate their passions and interests into academic courses, but this same opportunity may present challenges when it comes to finding sources that meet assignment requirements. Whether they’re writing informational or persuasive speeches, students will need a variety of sources that may or may not be found in library databases. This session will be most effective if students have already been introduced to their assignment and have topic ideas in mind. Review the materials from this session.
In this session, our instructors will:
- Distinguish various kinds of authority and credibility
- Identify challenges or opportunities in finding sources related to their topics
- Introduce a framework to determine information needs
- Preserve class time for independent and guided article searching
- Selecting a Topic for Your Speech
In the “Selecting a Topic for Your Speech” session, we will help students identify a topic of interest for their speech assignment that is appropriate in scope and researchable; discuss common challenges in selecting a topic; and lead an activity for brainstorming possible speech topics. This session is appropriate for the advocacy, informational, and persuasive speech assignments. Review the materials from this session.
In this session, our instructors will:
- Provide resources to help students select a topic that is appropriate for the assignment and researchable
- Introduce a framework to help them narrow the scope of their speech topic
- Lead an activity for students to brainstorm potential speech topics and refine them as you start researching.
Advanced Topics
This session will help students explore disciplinary research sources and develop subject-specific research strategies. A subject specialist librarian will contact you to schedule and plan your session.
Instruction with the Studios:
The Studios provides instruction on the skills and technologies found in our hands-on learning spaces in the Hill and Hunt Libraries including the Makerspace, Innovation Studio, Gaming and VR Studio, Live Capture Studio, and Media-making spaces.
Using our choose-your-own adventure Multimodal Project Ideas lesson, instructors and students can explore the different pathways of synthesizing multiple skills from across the Studios. Learn more about hands-on learning and instruction in The Studios