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Library instruction: online or in the classroom?

Article Excerpt
Abstract

Three groups of students in an English composition course received basic information literacy instruction by completing an online tutorial, attending a presentation by a librarian, or doing both. An analysis of pre and post-test scores revealed that while learning occurred in all three groups, there was a significant difference in learning between the group who received both forms of instruction and the group who attended an in-class presentation. While most students were comfortable with online learning, almost half still preferred classroom instruction.

Introduction

Kraemer Family Library at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs (UCCS) introduced its first Web-based information literacy skills tutorial in the spring of 2004. Called LiONiL (Library Instruction Online for Information Literacy), the tutorial provides a program of instruction that emphasizes basic library concepts and skills that students can apply in all disciplines. LiONiL was originally designed as an alternative to in-class instruction in English 141, Writing and Rhetoric II, a core composition course that introduces students to the reading and writing activities that are integral to academic research. LiONiL raises students to a common level upon which librarians and faculty can later build more information literacy competencies unique to a particular course or discipline. The tutorial also provides faculty with a mechanism to help satisfy the information literacy core education requirement at the University and a means for measuring learning outcomes for course and discipline assessment plans.

A statistical analysis of the LiONiL pre and post-test scores was conducted after the inaugural semester in spring 2004 to measure the efficacy of the tutorial. The results of the study (Byerley, 2004) demonstrated that significant learning occurred, although scores on the post-test were not as high as hoped. The Student Satisfaction Questionnaire at the end of LiONiL revealed that a small majority of students (54 percent) preferred the online format of instruction because it was flexible, self-paced, interactive, and convenient. Even still, almost half of the students in the sample remained skeptical of online learning. These students were more comfortable in a live setting where the librarian could explain concepts, demonstrate skills, and answer questions. While the study demonstrated that online instruction was effective, it also concluded that more evidence was needed to determine if LiONiL is a viable alternative to classroom instruction.

Review of the Literature

Other studies have compared online library instruction and face-to-face library instruction with varying results. At the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hills (Holman, 2000) librarians found that online instruction was equally as effective as traditional instruction. This study also revealed that...

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