Amanda Nichols Hess

Online and Face-to-Face Library Instruction: Assessing the Impact on Upper-Level Sociology Undergraduates

Online information literacy instruction: Can it impact learning as effectively as face-to-face instruction? Using a quasi-experimental design, this study examined that in relation to upper-level sociology students; it also considered whether library instruction affected participants’ perceptions of learning formats’ (i.e., online or face-to-face) effectiveness and the academic librarys place in their research. Using a pretest/posttest design, no significant learning difference was found between the two instructional delivery formats. However, data suggested that instruction did impact online participants’ perceptions of the academic library as a place for research. Implications of this research and future directions for inquiry are discussed.

The MAGIC of Web Tutorials: How One Library (Re)Focused its Delivery of Online Learning Objects on Users

Oakland University (OU) Libraries undertook an assessment of how to leverage its resources to make online tutorials more focused on users’ needs. A multi-part assessment process reconsidered Web tutorials offerings through the lenses of faculty and staff feedback, literature review, and an analysis of other universities’ online tutorial offerings. From there, OUs e-Learning and Instructional Technology Librarian developed the MAGIC guidelines (Manageable, Available, Geared at users, Informative, Customizable) to resituate OU Libraries’ online tutorials and place users at the center. Putting MAGIC into practice meant integrating Web tutorials at points-of-need, identifying and sharing essential information, and engaging students in the learning whenever possible.

The Librarian Leading the Machine: A Reassessment of Library Instruction Methods

This article builds on the 2007 College and Research Libraries article, “The Librarian, the Machine, or a Little of Bsoth.” Since that time, Oakland University Libraries implemented changes to its instruction program that reflect larger trends in teaching and assessment throughout the profession; following these revisions, librarians undertook a new study to assess the effectiveness of online library instruction in face-to-face courses in comparison to the hybrid model that had been in place. The study’s design and its results serve to contribute to discussion of best practices in information literacy pedagogy, online learning, instructional design, and the role of the librarian therein.

Books, Bytes, and Buildings: The Academic Library's Unique Role in Improving Student Success

ABSTRACT Student persistence and completion are paramount in higher education, and institutions are employing targeted programs and initiatives to address these concerns. The academic library can play an especially important role in these efforts, given its unique interdisciplinary mission and its integrated instructional programs. With a foundation in both higher education and library and information science literatures, this article describes how one academic library engaged in cross-campus programs, partnerships, and initiatives to contribute to student success efforts. Other libraries may find these examples useful as they consider how to frame their work in the context of their institutions’ student persistence efforts.

To search or to browse: How users navigate a new interface for online library tutorials

ABSTRACT As academic libraries create online learning objects, it is important to consider whether such resources actually reach and answer the questions of intended users. This study considers three points of inquiry for one academic library: How its users make their way to the librarys tutorials; user preference for searching or browsing for resources, when given both modes of access; and the kinds of online learning objects or tutorials users are seeking. A close examination of Web analytics and users’ search terms within the tutorials interface helped to illustrate patterns of access and highlighted users’ needs for tutorials and online learning objects.

Byte-Sized Pieces: Equipping Academic Librarians to Integrate Technology into Library Instruction through Manageable, Maintainable, and Meaningful Staff Development

Technology changes how classroom instruction happens, and, unlike K-12 educators who receive pedagogical training, academic librarians are not always experts in teaching information literacy—especially with the advent of twenty-first century technology tools. As such, the question of how to prepare on-the-ground academic librarians to effectively teach with technology tools while still addressing the Association of College and Research Libraries information literacy competency standards needs to be considered. This article shares how one academic library addressed this need while also considering how to: assess knowledge, competencies, and needs; share information in meaningful ways; and encourage librarians to build their technology knowledge independently and as part of a cohort.Technology changes how classroom instruction happens, and, unlike K-12 educators who receive pedagogical training, academic librarians are not always experts in teaching information literacy—especially with the advent of twenty-first century technology tools. As such, the question of how to prepare on-the-ground academic librarians to effectively teach with technology tools while still addressing the Association of College and Research Libraries information literacy competency standards needs to be considered. This article shares how one academic library addressed this need while also considering how to: assess knowledge, competencies, and needs; share information in meaningful ways; and encourage librarians to build their technology knowledge independently and as part of a cohort.

Advancing Research Data Management in the Social Sciences: Implementing Instruction for Education Graduate Students Into a Doctoral Curriculum

ABSTRACT Research data management (RDM) skills are vital yet often untaught in graduate programs, especially in the social sciences. In this article, the authors present a case study of how a research data librarian and an education librarian partnered to provide targeted RDM instruction for a previously unconsidered student group: education doctoral students. They discuss the design, development, and implementation of this focused RDM support. Assessment data from a workshop and in-class sessions are presented and contextualized. From this information, the authors offer practical suggestions that other social science librarians can use to create similar workshops at their institutions.