The Health and Human Sciences Library Liaison team created a set of online information literacy classes for units with high enrolments. The content mirrored what was previously delivered during face to face classes. The need for this was driven by increasing student numbers, particularly in nursing on the Gold Coast, and the subsequent increase in the number of classes required to be delivered by library staff. The challenge of providing information to greater numbers of students without a concurrent increase in staff has been identified at other academic libraries (Walters et al., 2015). The methodology developed can be applied to the delivery of information literacy to students in other units and disciplines.
We provided the online module to four different units. We were aware that moving into an online learning environment meant students would need resources which were interactive and that engaged them in the learning process (Greer, Nichols, Hess & Kraemer, 2016). With this in mind, the tutorial was developed using the software LibWizard, which allows for self-paced, guided and interactive content. We included short videos, quizzes and live searching activities.
Based on student feedback and our own evaluation, there are a number of elements we plan to adapt to continue improving this resource. This includes the mode of delivery, how students interact with the content and methods for evaluating learning outcomes. We plan to use a flipped classroom approach, whereby students complete a general online module before the session, and then use this new knowledge to complete engaging activities in class (Caroll, Tchangalova & Harrington, 2016). This approach provides additional opportunities for student s exposure to information literacy instruction; rather than a traditional one-shot library session (Loo et al., 2016, p. 274) and there has been an increase of research published on the benefits of this model (Obradovich, Canuel & Duffy, 2015). We believe that this would be the best approach to take for facilitating engaging learning activities and imparting practical, useful skills for our students.
Carroll, A. J., Tchangalova, N., & Harrington, E.G. (2016). Flipping one-shot library instruction: Using Canvas and Pecha Kucha for peer teaching. Journal of the Medical Library Association, 104(2), 125 129. http://dx.doi.org/10.3163/1536-5050.104.2.006
Greer, K., Nichols Hess, A., & Kraemer, E.W. (2016). The librarian leading the machine: A reassessment of library instruction methods. College & Research Libraries, 77(3), 286 299. https://doi.org/10.5860/crl.77.3.286
Loo, J. L., Eifler, D., Smith, E., Pendse, L., He, J., Sholinbeck, M., Dupuis, E .A. (2016). Flipped instruction for information literacy: Five instructional cases of academic librarians. The Journal of Academic Librarianship, 42(3), 273 280. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.acalib.2016.03.001
Obradovich, A., Canuel, R., & Duffy, E. P. (2015). A survey of online library tutorials: Guiding instructional video creating to use in flipped classrooms. The Journal of Academic Librarianship, 41(6), 751 757. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.acalib.2015.08.006
Walters, K., Bolich, C., Duffy, D., Wuinn, C., Walsh, K., & Connolly, S. (2015). Developing online tutorials to improve information literacy skills for second-year nursing students of University College Dublin. New Review of Academic Librarianship, 21(1), 7 29. https://doi.org/10.1080/13614533.2014.891241