Online Instruction: Preparing and Creating Visual Tutorials MLA Conference May 11, 2005 Vivienne Piroli

One Approach… Tutorials – what should they be? Instructional Design – a crucial foundation Knowing what works – examples of tutorial designs Creating your own – something to take away Questions and comments

Tutorials “Any period of tuition or training; a printed account or explanation of a subject intended for private study.” Oxford English Dictionary Bibliographic Instruction Library Instruction Library Orientation Research Instruction User Education

Why a Tutorial? Inform users about library services, resources and materials Encourage library users to become more self-sufficient patrons Reinforce “teaching” that happens at the reference desk and other one-on- one situations Easier to reach a wider audience at once

Opportunities for Teaching Person to person One-to-one Group Lectures Demonstrations Interactive/hands on Peer tutoring Workbooks Handouts Pathfinders Guides Self-paced audio Online tutorials

Growth of Online Tutorials - Reasons Patron demand Increasing number of electronic resources Increase in variety and formats of all resources Increase in number of instruction sessions Better technology proficiency among librarians reducing reliance on institution’s Webmaster or design team Augment and customize help screens in databases Don’t require a person to give answers Anytime, anywhere access Dramatic increase in patrons with Internet access Cost effective for distance education and multiple locations

Growth of Online Tutorials - Reasons More customizable than a “one-size-fits-all” approach of database help screens Multiple, simultaneous users Not mandatory like some instruction/ training sessions - only if you need it Act as a reinforcement or follow up to in- person training Self-guided, self-paced

Getting to Online Decide what is suitable for an online tutorial Should print guides be maintained in conjunction with an online counterpart? Will instruction sessions be replaced or augmented with an online tutorial? Who will create the tutorial? What level of expertise and equipment will be required to create and maintain the online tutorials?

Elements of Good Teaching Instruction must meet the perceived need Practice or active learning is involved Collaborative learning is included Variety of media to appeal to different learning styles Educational objectives exist so both teacher and student are aware of rationale for instruction

Elements of Good Teaching Concepts are taught in addition to “the mechanics” Provision is made for follow up instruction Assessment occurs so teacher can gauge effectiveness of teaching and make any necessary adjustments

Active Learning Principles Active learning is very compatible in an online learning environment Allows for connections between familiar experiences and new information Creates opportunities to apply concepts to problems Can provide experiences for critical thinking and creative action

Characteristics of the Learner Multi-tasking - reliance on experimentation - non-linear approaches to comprehension Collaborative Short attention spans Impatient or inattentive to extended text Visually stimulated Activity oriented

Learning Styles Not about “is this person smart?” but, “how is this person smart?” People perceive and process information differently - heredity - upbringing - environmental factors Kolb/Gardner, visual, auditory, kinesthetic and tactile

Information Literacy Defined as: “a set of abilities requiring individuals to “recognize when information is needed and have the ability to locate, evaluate, and use effectively the needed information.”” ACRL Information Literacy Competency Standards

Role of Information Literacy Standards, performance indicators and outcomes are guiding principles for all learning experiences Tutorials and lessons attempt to incorporate the competency standards in their architecture and content

Information Literacy and Technology IL related to information technology skills IT skills enable an individual to use computers, software applications, databases etc IL overlaps with IT but has a broader area of competence IL focus is on content, communication, analysis, information searching, and evaluation IT fluency focus is on understanding technology and an increasingly skilled use of it

Information Literate Individual Does your tutorial contribute to any of the following?: - determine the extent of information needed - access the needed information effectively and efficiently - evaluate information and its sources critically - incorporate selected information into one’s knowledge base - use information effectively to accomplish a specific purpose - understand the economic, legal, and social issues surrounding the use of information, and access and use information ethically and legally

IL Performance Indicators and Outcomes - Some Examples Determining nature and extent of information needs - can construct a research/statement/question/topic - Understands library books are arranged by subject and LC classification scheme - recognizes the formats in which information is available: books, articles, Web sites, audio etc. - identifies the purpose and audience of potential resources - popular versus scholarly resources - realizes that some information may need to be constructed from raw data

IL Performance Indicators and Outcomes - Some Examples Using information to accomplish specific purposes - can use information to address research statement/question - can quote and paraphrase information - manipulates digital text, images and data transferring them from original formats - maintains a log of information seeking strategies

Components of the Online Tutorial Clearly stated goals and objectives Curriculum & Pedagogy - content Assessment Evaluation

Components - Goals and Objectives Tutorial topic is defined precisely and its purpose is clearly outlined Objectives of the tutorial are listed - by the end of this lesson you will be able to…. Direction of objectives should incorporate: - knowledge - understanding - skills

Components - Content: Curriculum & Pedagogy This is the learning opportunity to ensure a high degree of relevance to the stated goals and objectives Easy to follow and should be presented in a logical and sequential order Create learning activities that promote desired outcomes - teaching strategies - related learning outcomes Avoid jargon – if necessary provide a glossary Provide necessary details and instructions on how to complete the assignment Offer links to additional help or contacts

Components - Assessment Assessment is necessary to determine if the student has mastered the lesson(s) of the tutorial as set out in the objectives Adequate to assess just one of the objectives – not necessary to cover each one Assessments can be in the form of: - surveys - sample exercises - multiple choice tests - questions and answer formats - true/false statements

Components - Evaluation Evaluation examines if the goals of the tutorial have been met Assessment must be complete before evaluation can take place Evaluations can be in the form of: - anecdotal evidence - correlations between goals and assessment results - user surveys - user feedback through forms/interviews/focus groups etc

Web Design Considerations Adapted from Writing for the Web: A Primer for Librarians, Eric H, Schnell Use a consistent writing style with language that is familiar to users (avoid library jargon) Try not to put all of the content on the top level page. Give links to other pages to avoid cluttering the space Each Web page should be able to stand alone and contain one theme or concept – it is a good idea to annotate links to other resources

Web Design Considerations Graphics and animation are good if they have a purpose and add value beyond looking “cool” When using large images provide thumbnail images with which to access them Fonts and graphics can display differently in different browsers and machines Keep font attributes (bold, italics etc) to a minimum – aim for a consistent look It’s a good idea to develop templates for additional pages which give a uniform look to the Web site

Web Design Considerations Provide contact details for the user as well as the URL Make the site as easy to navigate as possible with links to the top level/home page Offer links to software or plug-ins the user may need to fully use the site (Adobe Acrobat Reader etc.)

Knowing What Works! World Wide Web Tutorial World Wide Web Tutorial Pasadena Public Library, CA Research Tutorials and Guides Research Tutorials and Guides Cal Poly Pomona University Library TILTTILT – Texas Information Literacy Tutorial Cycle of Information Cycle of Information Bridget Rawding Merrimack College, MA

Over to You Sample tutorial design Template to create your own