Captivating open university students with online literature search tutorials created using screen capture software

Purpose – The aim of this paper is to share the experiences and challenges faced by the Open University Library (OUL) in using screen capture software to develop online literature search tutorials. Design/methodology/approach – A summary of information literacy support at the OUL is provided as background information to explain the decision to experiment with screen capture software with particular subjects. A detailed consideration of the design, development and implementation stages of a literature search tutorial in information and communication technology is given before a critical appraisal of the problems encountered. Findings – The paper highlights the challenges in writing and designing self-guided online learning materials in a subject context. It considers the strengths and weaknesses of the particular screen capture software used, especially with regard to accessibility. Practical implications – The paper is of interest not only to other academic libraries, but also any organisation seeking to publish online help or learning materials for different audiences. Originality/value – This paper is the first to document the use of screen capture software for information literacy purposes in a UK academic library and distance-learning context

Video killed the 'PDF' star: taking information resource guides online

Easy-to-use technologies now allow librarians to create their own customised digital and video tutorials. This article takes a look at publisher-created video tutorials. It considers the pros and cons of libraries creating their own video-format guides, and elaborates on DCU Library's own experience in producing video-based tutorials on databases customised to local needs using Camtasia and Screentoaster

Using online video to promote database searching skills: the creation of a virtual tutorial for Health and Social Care students

In recent years, online tutorials have become well-established tools for the delivery of information literacy training as information professionals continue to seek new and more effective ways to reach audiences. However, the rapid transience of technologies, and the ongoing need to maximise the efficiency of services, mean that the question of how best to exploit the online medium needs further exploration. This paper focuses on a project at the University of Surrey Library to develop a new approach to online instruction. The goals of the project were to explore how the addition of video might create a more engaging user experience, and how the online video tutorial might therefore both improve existing information literacy training as well as offering a ‘just in time’ point of support. This paper examines the practical challenges involved in creating useful and accessible content and compares different software solutions for producing and editing video, audio, screencasts and subtitles. Further, it also examines the specific issues encountered when using external content, including database modifications and e-copyright issues. Finally, it touches upon the feedback collected so far in order to begin the evaluation of the resource. Using video can maximise the impact of e-learning tools, helping online tutorials to deliver information in a more personal and immediate way. However, when allowing for the time investment in creating and managing such resources, both their role alongside alternative information literacy approaches and their lasting value must be carefully considered

Creating, sharing and reusing learning objects to enhance information literacy

From June 2010 until the present, a suite of online reusable learning objects (RLOs) has been created by staff at the Institute of Technology Tallaght (ITT Dublin) library covering a range of information literacy (IL) competencies. These RLOs have helped to facilitate student transition from second to third level, advance IL and enrich the student learning experience.The purpose of this paper is to outline the development of these RLOs and how the resources have been shared, reused and repurposed to enhance IL progression. A review of recent literature explores some of the key issues around the creation of digital learning resources and best practice, as well as the pedagogical foundations on which the learning objects are built. The design, development and implementation of the RLOs and the collaborative working arrangements that the digital resources have helped to foster are also outlined and the authors examine the issues and challenges experienced by the project team during the course of the RLO development. The significant usage and substantial impact that the learning objects have had on student-centred education and the various evaluative mechanisms used to measure the effectiveness of the RLOs is discussed, as well as future development plans. These learning tools have promoted best practice in innovative delivery methods and added value to the wider higher education (HE) community in the Republic of Ireland through their sharing, dissemination and reuse as open educational resources (OERs) via the National Digital Learning Resources (NDLR) service. The paper is likely to be of particular relevance to academic library practitioners and teaching staff in Irish HE as it provides an overview and links to a suite of digital learning tools that can be used or adapted in other academic settings. In terms of originality, there is no evidence of any published literature within the context of Irish HE sector covering the development of RLOs to support IL initiatives and will inform future research on how learning objects can be used to support learning and teaching practice both in the Republic of Ireland and further afield.This article is based on a poster presentation at LILAC 2012.

Student Preference and Results after Comparing Screencast and Static Tutorials: A Usability Study

Tutorials can be “captivating” and if designed in a pedagogically sound way can provide valuable active learning experiences. However, the incorporation of multimedia takes extra time and expertise as far as learning the software, scripting, storyboarding, capturing, adding call outs, hotspots, captioning and recording. With demands on time at a premium it is important to evaluate whether the efforts result in the desired goals. Do students learn better with this type of platform/presentation of material or would they learn just as well, or better, with another? To test this, a usability study of two types of tutorials was conducted with 21 students representing diverse cultures and learning styles. Four hypotheses were tested to determine if tutorials made with screencasting software or those that that were static web pages with screenshots resulted in better comprehension for the task at hand.published or submitted for publicationis peer reviewe

Library Technologies for Boutique Services

In this chapter I examine the latest Library technologies at the time of writing (Summer 2011) and test them against the central tenets of the boutique library concept to see if they compliment or contradict each other. I draw on two specific practical case studies from my own experience at my former employer, Royal Holloway, University of London Library Services (RHULLS), and also illustrate how easy it is now to set-up a boutique Library service from scratch thanks to web technologies. My focus is very much on practical and pragmatic practitioner experience with the odd discussion on the future of technology included, in the hope that this book delivers both immediate value and insight to the reader and a record of the current thinking about UK academic library systems

Scientific production on mobile information literacy in higher education: a bibliometric analysis (2006–2017)

This paper offers a bibliometric analysis of the scientific production on Mobile Information Literacy (m-IL) in Higher Education published between 2006 and 2017, taking into account papers covered by Web of Science (WoS), Scopus, Library and Information Science Abstracts (LISA), Library and Information Science and Technology Abstract (LISTA), and Education Resources Information Center (ERIC). Bibliometrics, as an integral part of research evaluation methodology, helps us to identify the subject’s evolution over the period studied. In this research we aim to: a) identify the most relevant journals that publish literature in this field, b) calculate the authors’ average productivity and identify the most productive authors, and c) discover the most significant trends in this academic field, through statistical and co-occurrence word analyses of the titles and the keywords used to index papers. The bibliometric results of this research provide a snapshot of the literature on Mobile Information Literacy that highlights the most relevant journals, authors, and trending keywords

T0WARD CY83RGN0S1S

Can we experience enchantment with cyberspace as we can with outer space? Can late-night web browsing provide unexpected encounters equivalent to those had in the space between radio frequencies? These questions drive my art and research. What I am pursuing is cybergnosis, or intuitive experiences of mysterious spiritual realities on the cyberplane. My goal is to question traditionally held divisions between technology and the human, and to explore marginal views of technologies. My research involves embedding myself in outlier online communities, some composed of people who feel afflicted by computers, and others who are collaborating with them in unusually empowered ways, be they spiritual, psychological, political or otherwise. I use video based performance, net-based projects, and multimedia installations to evoke empathetic yet critical renderings of these experiences. In this report, I write about five of my artworks: Estrin Tide is Fresh, Everyone Else is Tired (2016), Hello Nebula? It’s me, Margaret. (2015), Innernet Addict (2015), T0WARD CY83RGN0S1S(2015), and Welcome to my Homepage! (2014).Studio Ar

#MDXPD Product Design 2019

A review of Middlesex Product Design staff, student and professional collaborator publications, research, awards and project work for 2019