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
http://www.ala.org/ala/acrl/acrlstandards/informationliteracycompetency.htm
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 TutorialPasadena Public Library, CAhttp://www.ci.pasadena.ca.us/library/tutorial.asp
Research Tutorials and GuidesCal Poly Pomona University Libraryhttp://www.csupomona.edu/~library/html/tutorials_general.html
TILT – Texas Information Literacy Tutorialhttp://tilt.lib.utsystem.edu/
Cycle of InformationBridget Rawding Merrimack College, MA
Over to You
Sample tutorial design Template to create your own
http://web.simmons.edu/~brady/mla/index.html