Johanna Tuñón

Innovative Methods for Providing Instruction to Distance Students Using Technology

Abstract Bibliographic instruction is one of the major challenges facing libraries that support distance students. Most libraries have neither the budget nor staff to send librarians to all places students might be located. This paper will examine three innovative methods tried at Nova Southeastern University for providing quality bibliographic instruction to distance students: one synchronous, another asynchronous, and the third combining features from both synchronous and asynchronous methods of delivering instruction.

ABD or EdD? A Model of Library Training for Distance Doctoral Students

ABSTRACT Libraries have been struggling for years to move beyond 1-shot library training. In spite of efforts in the last decade to promote information literacy for undergraduate and graduate students alike, libraries more often than not are still not reaching the goals articulated in the Association of College & Research Librariess information literacy standards. The problems are compounded when institutions serve students who also happen to be taking part or all of their classes online or at field-based sites. The model for providing a library training program for students in the Doctor of Education (EdD) program in a distance program focuses on providing students with training that builds sequentially and developmentally at the points of need for students in the 1st year of classes and provides additional support for students once they have completed their course work. This multistepped approach is designed to help doctoral students throughout the doctoral process.

Free and Easy to Use Web Based Presentation and Classroom Tools

A number of free Web-based tools are available for distance librarians to create presentations and online assignments. The relative merits of presentation tools like Dabbleboard, Jing, Prezi, Tildee, 280 Slides, and Glogster, and classroom tools like Make Beliefs Comix, Picviewer, Photopeach, and Wordle are assessed for ease of use by distance librarians. Because most of these applications are cloud based, little or no downloading is required to use these applications from any PC. As long as one has an Internet connection, distance librarians can use these free and easy tools to reach out and touch students!

Expanded Assessment Study Examining the Citation Patterns from Traditional and Nontraditional Institutions and Their Effect upon the Quality of Doctoral Dissertation Reference Lists

ABSTRACT This study used citation analysis in conjunction with a subjective rubric with five validated criteria to assess the quality of a purposive sample of 452 education dissertation reference lists produced at a nontraditional institution from six doctoral programs. These programs used a variety of distance education models. The citations were then compared with the 100 reference lists selected from doctoral education programs at 10 traditional institutions. Criteria included the breadth of resources, depth of the literature review as shown through the citing of critical historical and theoretical works, depth as demonstrated through the scholarliness of citations chosen, currency, and relevancy. The study discusses how the expanded sample of traditional reference lists continued to demonstrate consistent patterns. In contrast, although the sample of reference lists from distance education programs was much expanded, the patterns of the subsets of reference lists at the nontraditional institution were significantly diverse. The patterns of 35 doctoral reference lists from another for-profit, nontraditional institution known for providing distance education were also examined to compare the results of the two nontraditional programs. Possible reasons for differences in citation patterns by traditional and nontraditional programs are discussed, and the possible role of distance education and program criteria are examined for insights they offer into the use of citation analysis as an assessment tool of the library research skills of doctoral students.

Creating a Research Literacy Course for Education Doctoral Students

Abstract Education students are often not very information literate, and doctoral students are no exception to this “rule of thumb.” The challenge of preparing doctoral students in education to use online resources as they begin the literature review process becomes even more complicated when these students are also distance students who happen to meet at various sites throughout the United States. This presentation will discuss the pros and cons of designing and delivering online and face-to-face versions of a one-credit elective course for students in Programs for Higher Education at Nova Southeastern University. The advantages and disadvantages of delivering content in synchronous and asynchronous formats are examined. Issues addressed include: (1) the relative merits of using WebCT versus using ordinary Web pages and WebBoard discussions, (2) how to incorporate active learning into both modalities for delivering the course, (3) how to pace and structure the delivery of both versions of the course to meet the needs of distance learners, (4) how to meet the needs of students with different learning styles, (5) how to assess learning outcomes, (6) how effective group work was in synchronous and asynchronous environments, (7) how much sequential and developmental learning is necessary in the instructional process for doctoral students, and (8) how the dynamics of collaboration with an academic program can impact the political realities of the design process.

Creating a Research Literacy Course for Education Doctoral Students:: Design Issues and Political Realities of Developing Online and Face-to-Face Instruction

Education students are often not very information literate, and doctoral students are no exception to this rule of thumb. The challenge of preparing doctoral students in education to use online resources as they begin the literature review process becomes even more complicated when these students are also distance students who happen to meet at various sites throughout the United States. This presentation will discuss the pros and cons of designing and delivering online and face-to-face versions of a one-credit elective course for students in Programs for Higher Education at Nova Southeastern University. The advantages and disadvantages of delivering content in synchronous and asynchronous formats are examined. Issues addressed include: (1) the relative merits of using WebCT versus using ordinary Web pages and WebBoard discussions, (2) how to incorporate active learning into both modalities for delivering the course, (3) how to pace and structure the delivery of both versions of the course to meet the needs of distance learners, (4) how to meet the needs of students with different learning styles, (5) how to assess learning outcomes, (6) how effective group work was in synchronous and asynchronous environments, (7) how much sequential and developmental learning is necessary in the instructional process for doctoral students, and (8) how the dynamics of collaboration with an academic program can impact the political realities of the design process.

Creating an Information Literacy Badges Program in Blackboard: A Formative Program Evaluation

A formative program evaluation using Stufflebeams (2010) Context, Input, Process, Product (CIPP) model was conducted to assess the use of digital badges for tracking basic library instructional skills across academic programs at Nova Southeastern University. Based on the evaluation of pilot library modules and Blackboard Learns badges achievement tool conducted in the fall of 2013, recommendations were made for changes to the rollout plans for 2014. This report of the findings discusses how the context, input, process, product, impact, effectiveness, sustainability, and transportability criteria used in making the recommended changes in the library instructional module identified problems in the program and permitted course corrections to the plan before the program was fully implemented.

Providing Reference in a Joint-Use Library

SUMMARY As a one of a kind joint-use facility between a private university and a county government, the Alvin Sherman Library, Research, and Information Technology Center at Nova Southeastern University (NSU) provides reference services to both NSU students on and off campus and public users. Reference librarians have had to adjust to the variety of users and demands for new services and at the same time find new and creative methods of offering, promoting, and providing instruction about their services to public users as well as NSUs local and distance students. Tracking statistics can assist in identifying user needs.

How do you spell 'support'? Multiple methods of library support to distributed education programs

This paper consists of librarians from two universities, one in the US and one in Canada, discussing and demonstrating the various ways they offer support to multiple distributed education programs. Because different programs on the same campus often offer distributed courses in different formats, libraries are required to become expert in all formats offered. This presentation will discuss library support via WebCT, Blackboard, FirstClass, proprietary courseware, email, the web, and Conferencing software. Where appropriate, differences between library support in the US and Canada will be noted and examined.