Taming the Dragon

The Collaborative Revitalization of an Online Library Skills Course

Carol Hansen

Stewart Library, Weber State University, Ogden, Utah

&

Nancy Lombardo

Eccles Library, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah

How many librarians does it take to create an online course?

Today’s Objectives

Who’s here today? Attendees will

Understand the development of the Internet Navigator online course

Get details on its collaborative management and funding

View some of the newer elements of the course

Please ask questions at any time

The Internet Navigator Course

What makes it unique? Long term experiment in collaborative

online course development Multiple uses Emphasis on information literacy

competency assessment

The Challenges

Enabling student learning The ability to define, access, find evaluate

and use information effectively On and off campus Across the state and around the world Taking advantage of new technologies,

new pedagogies and shared resources NOT recreating the wheel at every

institution

Technology Background

Library catalogs go online late 80’s Email gets popular early 1990’s Netscape Browser October 1994 Internet Navigator launched Jan 1996 Focus is on “what is the Internet?” Infotrac goes on the Web June 1997 By 1998 a whole new focus is needed

Utah Academic Library Consortium 14 academic libraries

9 public (U of Utah, Utah State, Weber State, Utah Valley…)

2 private(BYU and Westminster) Over 151,000 students

History of cooperation Collecting, borrowing Sharing (Pioneer), Nevada Libraries too Instruction - Internet Navigator

Goals of Online Course

Meeting the needs of a diverse student body

Enabling use of curriculum for multiple purposes

Integrating latest Web technologies Including latest pedagogies Managing course for delivery at multiple

institutions

More Goals

Support lifelong learning Be learner centered Emphasize collaboration across

distances Emphasize individual inquiry Be structured enough for freshman Enable exploration of values and

reflection

First version Included content on

Different versions of email (pine, vax, etc) Gopher Telnet Catalogs Search Engines Evaluating information HTML FTP

The Shift

From - “what is the Internet?” To - effectively finding and using

scholarly content found in Web based library resources

Other shifts Online and distance ed merge Emphasis on information literacy and

assessing student learning

1998 Our plans began June LOEX of the West in Cedar City New Tutorials – RIO, TILT, Net trail The UALC Information for Life Task

Force formed Representation from all academic

institutions in Utah The State Library offered PL

representation

Primary Goals for New Course

Promote information literacy in a global and dynamic information technology environment for all types of learners

Share curriculum Promote shared resources in Utah

New Course Outline

1. What is the Internet 2. Getting Started with Research 3. Information Navigator 4. Web publishing

Interactive Exercises Research Assignments

Topic selection Annotated bibliography HTML and Web publishing

Quizzes

Early Administration and Funding

Began with one time funding from HETI For 10 librarians

Naively, no funding was sought for maintenance and ongoing support

Technical and server support was donated by U of U Eccles Library

Site has been mirrored since 1995

Information for Life Grant Requested $25,000 from UALC funds

for: Staff

Project Director Team Programmer Graphic design

Development and implementation of the new course

Ongoing maintenance EXTREMELY time consuming

Program Planning

Development Over a dozen librarians worked in teams to write first

drafts of new curriculum over a year Team worked with programmers and graphic artist

Implementation Over a summer, 4 librarians rewrote rough drafts of

modules Group of 4 loaded new curriculum Larger team proofed and made additional

suggestions Maintenance Team meets regularly

New course

Tested Spring 2000 Over 1500 students enrolled each year

at WSU alone Very positive student response

Over 85% rated course as excellent or very good

Funding for ongoing maintenance

Assessment

Learning outcomes identified Pretest, skills survey Exercises – self assessment Research project – practical Quizzes – knowledge Internal feedback forms End of course evaluation – their feelings Cyclical process

Still to come Assignments requiring students to

reflect even more On their information needs,values, ethics On how they use information now and in

the future to gain knowledge in their areas of interest

New Student end of course evaluation Assessing priority learning outcomes

What we’ve learned

Statewide funding is critical Collaboration is fun Collaboration takes more time

For those involved in development and maintenance

Results are richer and more useful Students are loving the course Students are learning

Demonstration of New Course and Questions? http://www-navigator.utah.edu Syllabus Instructors (Global!) /Faculty page – statewide clearinghouse Flash Exercises

Call number Evaluating

Questions? chansen@weber.edu