These brief, video tutorials are designed to help students use the library and enhance their information literacy skills. They are sequenced so that a student wishing to become information fluent may view each video by working through the page, top-to-bottom. Upon clicking on the videos, students may also access the video scripts.
Each video contains a short quiz while each heading section may include a comprehensive quiz for that set, e.g. "Library Orientation Quiz." Students may use these as "self-checks," or faculty may assign them. The results of the quiz will be emailed to students for forwarding to their instructors.
Type of Material:
Online video Tutorial
Recommended Uses:
These video tutorials could be used as homework, self-paced learning, independent study, or as part of a flipped classroom activity or lesson.
Technical Requirements:
An Internet connected device with video capabilities is required. Older browsers may need a flash plug-in.
Identify Major Learning Goals:
Students will be able to successfully navigate the University of West Florida library and become information fluent through the use of these tutorials. Students will be able to apply their academic research skills to the 21st century workplace.
Each individual video has its own specific goal such as instructing students on using the library catalog or identifying keywords.
Target Student Population:
These tutorials are aimed at undergraduate students at UWF and would be applicable for use in undergraduate research courses and first year experience courses. Upper level high school students can benefit from these tutorials.
Prerequisite Knowledge or Skills:
These tutorials are very easy to navigate. Users need only the most basic computer skills to use. Some exposure to research, the library and using online resources is helpful for context.
Content Quality
Rating:
Strengths:
This production level of these videos is very high, which may help students have more confidence in the material. There are a large number of short videos which cover information literacy, using library resources, research, and applying research skills to the workplace. Each video can be used on its own, as part of a unit on a research, or as a whole. Quizzes are separate from the videos and can be assigned as needed.
The information in each video is delivered quickly and informatively. The graphics and animation are minimal but still convey all of the information necessary.
Concerns:
These videos use an informal and "hip" voice to deliver the narrative. There are a lot of references to contemporary culture such as Star Wars characters. Eventually this will become outdated.
While this may be a strength for some learners, may students may be put off by the style. The narrative style would not work well with many more serious students, especially graduate students. The video format has no interactivity. This works for some topics, like Library Services, but many other topics would benefit from the integration of activities into the video.
Potential Effectiveness as a Teaching Tool
Rating:
Strengths:
Since the videos are so short; it is easy to assign a selection as homework to enhance a lecture or to use as part of a flipped lesson. The video topics cover all the major aspects of general library research as well as application of research skills to different settings. These videos would be very effective in a first-year experience course because the informal style makes the delivery of the information fun and informative for students without much experience at the college level. The UWF libraries also provide an excellent faculty guide of how to use these tutorials.
Concerns:
These videos are designed for the University of West Florida libraries, and much of the information is specific to the institution. They would not be easily adaptable for faculty at other institutions.
The topics of the videos would be effective for both undergraduate and graduate students, but the style is so specific to first-year students that other students may ignore the content because of the delivery style.
Ease of Use for Both Students and Faculty
Rating:
Strengths:
These tutorials have professional design and are visually appealing for students. Unlike many library tutorials, these were created by an instruction designer with input from librarians rather than by the librarians directly.
The main page that links all the videos is easy to navigate, with clear instructions for the students. The videos are lined up under headings to help identify the appropriate video. Students need nothing but the most basic computer skills to navigate the site. The tutorials all have closed captioning and transcripts.
Concerns:
Faculty at the University of West Florida would have no problems with using these tutorials, but anyone from an outside institution would not be able to use them without a lot of explanation about differences between there own institutions and UWF. These are not learning objects that can be easily used at multiple institutions.
Some other concerns are that students may look for the video tutorial page under the How do I page but they are not there, they are under the Research Help page. There is no back button after the video is finished, you have to use the back arrow of the browser to return to the landing page.
Creative Commons:
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