Online Instruction (Panel Session)

Reflecting on Online Instruction and Learning: Best Practices and Trends in Online Information Literacy Tutorials
Terrence B. Bennett, Business and Economics Librarian, The College of New Jersey Library; Melissa K. Prescott, Reference and Instruction Librarian, St. Cloud State University; Jennifer Sharkey, Associate Professor of Library Science, Purdue University Libraries

Best practices for online information literacy tutorials:
· Relate to specific course/assignment
· Incorporate active and collaborative learning
· Present information in multiple ways
· Have transferable concepts
· State clear objectives
· Give option to ask a librarian for help

Current design trends:
· Shorter, modular, discreet
· Point of need
· Increased interactivity
· Assessment
· Gaming aspects (representative student avatars)

Trends in use, presentation, marketing:
· Course requirements
· Direct links from portals or course management systems (Blackboard, WebCT)
· Distance learning
· Specific groups
· Point of need

ARCS model of motivational design:
· Attention – acquire and sustain
· Relevance – apply to personal needs
· Confidence – develop appropriate expectancy for success
· Satisfaction – apply skills outside learning environment

Professors who mandate tutorial completion add credibility to tutorials that librarians can’t hope to have because we don’t assign students’ grades

Discreet learning objects teach literacy at point of need while assisting students in completing tasks (ex: tutorial walks students through search process from library home page search interface)

Use the four learning styles to construct effective teaching practices:
· Auditory – listening, hearing
· Reading/writing – processing text
· Kinesthetic – moving, doing, touching
· Visual – seeing, observing

While most people respond using all four learning styles, there is usually one that is predominant

When designing tutorials, incorporate elements for each learning style, spread throughout the tutorial; when possible, blend the elements to support more than one style at a time (ex: voice over narration, task completion, video/animation, text, charts, etc.)

The goals and objectives of the tutorial should ensure inclusion of all learning styles

Assessment in online learning is the same as in face-to-face instruction:
· Tests student learning
· Assesses effectiveness
· Verifies attendance/completion
· Gathers usage data

Assessment can drive backwards design: technology can make formative assessment (reinforcing the learning process) more interesting, more relevant, more interactive (ex: short quiz mid-tutorial); summative assessment (end of tutorial) may be less effective due to limitations of technology

Tutorial design ideas stemming from assessment components:
· Immediate scoring and feedback on wrong answers
· Opportunity for user-to-user feedback (ex: noting particularly helpful/applicable section)
· Ability to assess which modules are and are not read important for future planning