Toolbook usage and literature retrieval

Author: Gao Xiaofang
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-08-01
Features: The teaching objective of this course is to strengthen "general education," enhance students' national confidence and innovative awareness, broaden their foundational knowledge, improve their basic skills, and enable them to learn how to utilize various types of reference materials and significantly boost their self-learning ability. It also lays a solid foundation for them to independently examine academic sources and conduct research efficiently in the future. The full name of this course is "Use of Reference Books and Literature Retrieval." Its main content consists of three parts:
(1) The nature, origins, and use of reference books in various fields such as literature, history, philosophy, economics, law (dictionaries, encyclopedias, almanacs, yearbooks, handbooks, indexes, abstracts, bibliographies, tables, etc.);
(2) Topics on cultural misunderstandings (astronomy, calendar systems, geography, palaces, official ranks, imperial examinations, musical scales, surnames, ancient literary forms, poetic metrics, yin-yang and the five elements, the history of Confucian studies, couplet writing, etc.);
(3) The collection and organization of materials.
Combining in-depth instruction with extensive practice (in-class lectures, out-of-class exercises), mental engagement with hands-on activities, reading, searching, writing, and discussion, the course integrates skill training with moral education. Both in-class and out-of-class learning are emphasized, as are traditional methods and modern techniques. With diverse formats and a focus on practical results, the course aims to comprehensively improve teaching quality.