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Morris Library Explorer is a Web-based interactive multimedia library instructional package created at Morris Library at Southern Illinois University. Explorer consists of a frequently asked questions data file, a resource selection aid, a virtual tour of the library, and a tutorials section, so that it may be used for library orientation and to provide "just-in-time" basic reference service.
Full text
Morris Library Explorer is a Web-based interactive multimedia library instructional package created at Morris Library at Southern Illinois University. Explorer consists of a frequently asked questions data file, a resource selection aid, a virtual tour of the library, and a tutorials section, so that it may be used for library orientation and to provide "just-in-time" basic reference service. Explorer may be accessed at any time and from any location, making it useful for distant learners and on-campus students while allowing for self-paced study. Effective use of technology enabled cross-departmental collaboration in Explorer's development and ongoing maintenance.
As at many academic libraries, the beginning of the semester at Morris Library at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale is a busy time, due in part to faculty requests for library orientation workshops. These workshops take many forms. Some professors simply want their students to tour the building, whereas others request that librarians outline and demonstrate key resources. Workshop leaders may also try to answer common questions about circulation policies or library hours. Students also may come with assignments designed to teach them how to use the library without requiring workshop participation.
The observations of librarians at Morris Library agree with Varner, Schwartz, and George's (1996) conclusion that students, especially new students, have mixed reactions to these orientation workshops. Some are overwhelmed by the amount of material or by the number of handouts. Some are frankly bored and see no value in learning material that they consider irrelevant.
Librarians also tend to be ambiguous about the value of traditional workshops. While workshops have the advantage of reaching large groups of students at one time and allow librarians to control what content is presented to students, some librarians prefer one-to-one "just-in-time" sessions with students. Eadie (1992) noted that students working on course assignments have more motivation to learn and retain material. There are problems with the one-to-one approach. Reference staff may not be available when students come to the library. Students may prefer to do most of their research from home or from on-campus offices. Distant learners may not have the opportunity to make use of either workshops or one-to-one in-person reference encounters.
To address these concerns, a team of librarians and staff developed the Morris Library Explorer (ht tp: / /mccoy. lib. siu. edu/explorer/), a Web-based multimedia orientation program designed to provide assistance to new students on campus and distant learners. Explorer presents information via four independent modules: a virtual tour, a frequently asked questions data file, a tool for selecting appropriate information resources by subject, and tutorials on topics ranging from Boolean searching to evaluating Web sites. Tiefel (1995) discussed the need for libraries to effectively employ technology so that users can learn the intricacies of using the library's resources. In talking about interface designs, Tiefel discussed the need for short, selfdirected modules that allow the student flexibility in acquiring the instructional content (p. 329). These were key issues in the design and development of the Explorer product.
Explorer can be accessed at any time from the World Wide Web, thus allowing users to choose when and where they will cover the material. The content of its modules duplicates to a large extent the material that is presented in the traditional orientation workshops and in the library's bibliographic instruction seminars. Explorer, however, is "content rich": the Web-based, asynchronous format permits the presentation of more information than is provided in a traditional one-hour workshop. Users who have participated in a traditional workshop may use these modules to reinforce or augment what they have previously learned, whereas those who have not been in a class orientation workshop, including distant learners, may learn the material for the first time at their own pace. Users are free to select the module or modules that they feel will best meet their needs, thus organizing their own workshop.
Learning Styles
While attention to learning styles is important in the classroom, it becomes even more important in the Webbased learning environment. In the classroom, interaction between the instructor and students may occur at any time, but in the Web-based environment, the instructor must pay particular attention to instructional methods that lead the student to interact through the Web. In the Web environment, it is particularly important to develop learning experiences that equal the classroom environment.
With any Web-based tutorial, there are challenges with regard to the effective delivery of content. An important point to understand is that the delivery and style of the content is actually one-to-one communication in terms of learning style, not group communication. While the Explorer modules are accessed by many, the approach is to ensure that a variety of media and interactive elements are provided in order that "there are a variety of tasks that cater to various learning styles, not the assumed style of the group" (Williams and Peters 1997, 109). The Web is a principally visual medium, which means that emphasis is placed on the appropriately balanced layout of textual and graphical elements. Yet, this idea caters to a learning style that is "flat" in nature, much like that of reading a book.
Explorer's design addresses the need to accommodate different learning styles and features a self-paced learning environment with depth and interactivity. To keep students engaged, the Explorer team created a dynamic learning space focused on such critical issues as interface design, interactive components, and synchronized multimedia. The team used slide show formats in some sections to present information in small units. Dewald (1999) noted that "modules that provide information in small blocks, breaking it up into parts and subparts with summaries and reviews, help learners absorb material gradually and organize the material in their own minds" (p. 29).
To a lesser extent, Explorer uses auditory information to augment the visual information layout. While a student can read the information, the ability to hear the speaker allows the student to absorb content through both visual and auditory modes. This is a natural combination for providing an environment for greater comprehension.
Using interactive testing components, students can assess their level of understanding of the material. While different in nature from the physical learning space, the ability to allow students to work through simulations offers a learning environment in which the student is engrossed in a process. It is this idea of process that augments the visual learning style, since the learner is also involved in decision making and not just absorbing information from a flat page.
Explorer in Detail
Many academic libraries have developed Web-based tutorials to address the limitations of traditional library orientations and to take advantage of the interactivity and multimedia aspects available in a Web-based environment. Some library Web sites include a frequently asked questions component or a virtual tour. Tools to assist users in selecting appropriate electronic and print resources are a feature of other academic library Web sites (e.g., the University of Minnesota Libraries' Research QuickStart at http: / /research. lib. umn. edu and the California Polytechnical Institute Library's Data Genie at http: / / www.lib.calpoly.edu/research/data_genie. html). Web-based tutorials are commonplace, but few libraries have packaged all these elements together as a unit. From the start, the Morris Library Explorer was designed to be a complete package of instructional tools. Common graphics, color schemes, and navigational elements tie the individual sections together.
Virtual Tour
The Virtual Tour, created with the new student in mind, contains both narrated and text-based tours of Morris Library (see Figure 1). This Web-based tour provides the information that cassette walking tours or guided tours formerly provided, except that the user can access the information much more conveniently. Instead of physically walking through the library, the user can launch an automated slide show complete with pictures, text, and audio. As the audio track plays, corresponding HTML pages are displayed.' This provides a convenient method for presenting the information at a bandwidth (28.8 KB) that can be accessed by most users.
Questions
The Questions module is a data file of frequently asked questions and answers about Morris Library's resources, services, and facilities. Users may browse through questions in ten broad categories or search the data file by keyword. When the user selects a specific question, the relevant response is displayed through the browser. (see Figure 2).2 If the answers do not satisfy users' information needs, users may link to a Web-based form that allows them to submit questions to the library's existing Ask Morris online reference service. The original content of the data file was derived from questions asked at reference desks throughout the library. This content can easily be modified as services or procedures change or when the same unanswered question appears several times in the log file. A simple input form allows librarians to add new questions or edit existing information.3
Lessons information.
Lessons
The Lessons section consists of several modules designed to provide just-in-time assistance to students completing course assignments. As noted earlier, these modules duplicate and elaborate on some of the information presented in the library's workshops. Explorer also includes topics for which there currently are no workshops, including citing materials and plagiarism.
As in the Virtual Tour, the Lessons section presents content in a slide show format. In the longer lessons, a table of contents appears in a separate frame that "not only provides continual overview of the material for the learner, but also allows the user to select the elements and their order" (Dewald 1999, 29). Students can choose the sections on which they want to focus, thus allowing them to tailor their orientation session.
The librarians at Morris Library have found that many new students who ask for assistance have no idea what they want to write or speak about, much less how to use information resources. Therefore, the core module, Research Strategies, is designed to take a student through the process of selecting a topic, locating background information, narrowing a topic, and selecting additional materials. A graphic of a nineteenth-century map presents the theme of being on a journey and also serves as an image map allowing students to go to different sections. The tone is deliberately kept light: "Okay, let's be realistic. It's 9 p.m. on Tuesday, you have just finished a biology exam, and the initial draft of a paper for your English composition class is due on Friday. You have to find a great topic."
The rest of the Lessons build on the Research Strategies module. For example, the Search Strategies lesson explains how to use indexes and other search tools. It was designed to teach students how to convert natural language queries into search queries that can be interpreted by online indexes. It covers the use of Boolean operators, as well as the difference between searching using standard subject headings and searching using keywords.
Using the Internet discusses major types of search tools, tips for using these tools, and how to evaluate Internet resources. Students may evaluate their progress through interactive quizzes and a Web scavenger hunt, which provide immediate feedback to the user. The frames interface, with the table of contents in one frame and the information in another, gives users the freedom to direct their course of study without being forced to go through the entire module.
Evaluating Information Resources covers how to distinguish primary versus secondary information sources and how to evaluate the reliability and credibility of information. In-line interactive quizzes created for this lesson allow students to assess their mastery of specific sections before proceeding further in that lesson. In addition to providing a raw score, quiz responses may provide positive or encouraging comments such as those an instructor might offer. For example, if their answers are correct, the phrase "Great job!" is displayed, whereas if they answer incorrectly, the message "Sorry, X number are incorrect. Let's give it another try, okay?" or "Maybe we should review the lesson" appears.
The Citing Resources module is an overview of the reasons for citing materials. It also lists commonly used citation guides available at Morris Library and links to related Web sites. The Plagiarism section presents a definition of plagiarism, gives examples, and broadly discusses plagiarism-related university policies. This section also includes an interactive quiz.
While the primary purpose of the Lessons module is to teach incoming freshmen how to conduct library-related research, it also models different strategies that Southern Illinois University instructors may wish to include in their own Web-based course materials. These strategies include interface choices, use of interactive quizzes, and the incorporation of feedback into their material.
Pathfinder
The Pathfinder module is a resource selection tool similar to traditional library pathfinders that are "designed to help users begin to locate published information in specific fields" (Gardner 1977, 469). Printed library pathfinders list key encyclopedias, dictionaries, and other reference sources, useful indexing and abstracting tools, and bibliographies for a specific topic. Similarly, the Pathfinder module provides access to core resources in a subject area in both print and electronic formats. Users select a subject and then they can either choose to see a list of all the resources for the subject or they can limit the results to a specific type of resource such as encyclopedias or Web sites (see Figure 3). Pathfinder lists call numbers for print resources and provides links to online products. Web-based resources are displayed in a separate browser window, allowing the user to easily get back to the search screen. As in the Questions data file, the use of input forms allows subject specialists to easily add new resources as they become available.5
The uniqueness of Pathfinder rests on the user's ability to easily locate electronic and traditional resources from one search interface. While users could possibly find the information on their own, searching through the library's Web site and multiple interfaces can be inefficient and frustrating. Pathfinder's functionality addresses the need to select pertinent resources. In essence, this filtering process provides some of the same guidance that may be provided by a reference librarian because it directs the user to relevant resources. This aids students who may not realize that they need this assistance and might not think of asking a librarian for help.
Collaboration
The success of the Explorer project is a result of tapping expertise from many library departments. Technology enabled library staff with little or no expertise in Web page development to contribute content and see immediately the results of their contributions.
Planning for Explorer began in April 1998. The project was completed by the end of July 1998. A core team of four librarians from Public and Collection Development Services and Instructional Support Services (ISS)6 led the effort under a charge from the dean of Library Affairs. These librarians were reassigned half-time to the project, e.g., two faculty full time equivalents for three months. Collaboration with programmers, instructional designers, subject specialists, and members of the ISS staff was essential in developing the final product. Instructional designers and graphic artists helped plan the presentation and layout of information. Programmers developed the PERL scripts responsible for generating most of Explorer's pages. The equivalent of one FTE graduate assistant with expertise in graphic design and Web development and one FTE programmer were required throughout the project. Subject specialists throughout the library created the content of the Questions, Pathfinder, and Lessons sections. To obtain a student point of view, the content of the Virtual Tour was developed by student employees in consultation with personnel in each featured area.
Evaluation
Preliminary usability testing has been done. Thirty freshmen from Southern Illinois University were surveyed after using Explorer for the first time. More than 73 percent of the respondents thought that the information in each section was useful. More than 96 percent and just more than 83 percent of the students stated that the Lessons section and the Virtual Tour, respectively, had clear instructions. Seventy-five percent of the students found the Questions module instructions clear, and 66 percent found that the instructions in Pathfinder were clear.
Ease of navigation was also assessed. Ninety percent of the respondents found it easy or quite easy to navigate the Lessons module, and 75 percent found it easy or quite easy to navigate both the Questions section and the Virtual Tour. Sixty-six percent of respondents stated that the Pathfinder section was easy to navigate, but almost 20 percent found navigation of Pathfinder quite difficult or difficult.
It is encouraging to note that 90 percent of the respondents stated that they were going to use the product in the future (Durosova 1999). However, more usability testing is required.
Conclusion
Explorer pulls together people, ideas, and resources. It offers an example of the use of technology through crossdepartmental partnerships to develop and maintain library electronic resources. From the user perspective, this process translates into easier access to electronic information via a convenient Web interface.
Notes
1. The narrated version was created using the SoundForge audio editing system by Sonic Foundry on a Windows NT machine that produced WAV files. These files were exported as RealMedia streaming sound files that were then loaded onto the audio server. This later file format allows the user to receive the audio tracks within seconds of the request. A PERL program was written to synchronize the audio and image files for display through a series of dynamically generated HTML files.
2. A PERL script retrieves the appropriate information from a data file, attaches HTML coding for display, and sends it to the browser.
3. A PERL script tags the question-and-answer information and writes it to the data file for later retrieval.
4. A PERL script retrieves a randomly generated set of multiple choice and true/false questions from a data file. After the user answers the questions, it then grades the answers and provides immediate online feedback to the user. Informative responses to incorrect answers were created and loaded into a data file for later retrieval. If a user's quiz answer is incorrect, the user is pointed to pertinent sections for review; in the scavenger hunt, participants are shown search strategies that produced correct answers.
5. After the user has selected a subject and one or more types of resources (dictionaries, journals, etc.), a PERL script uses that information to retrieve appropriate information from a data file. PERL scripts also take data from the input forms and load them into the data files.
6. Instructional Support Services, a department in Morris Library, includes faculty and staff responsible for assisting Southern Illinois University Carbondale faculty with instructional design and equipment needs, and provides distant learning services and development services for networked and computer-based instruction.
References
Dewald, N. H. 1999. Web-based library instruction: What is good pedagogy? Information Technology and Libraries 18:26-31.
Durosova, B. 1999. A study of effectiveness of Morris Library Explorer. Unpublished manuscript.
Eadie, T. 1992. Beyond immodesty: Questioning the benefits of BI. Research Strategies 10:105-10.
Gardner, J. J. 1977. Pathfinders, library. In Encyclopedia of library and information science, vol. 21, 468-73. New York: Marcel Dekker. Tiefel, V. M. 1995. Library user education: Examining its past, projecting
its future. Library Trends 44:318-38.
Varner, C. H., V. M. Schwartz, and J. George. 1996. Library instruction and technology in a general education "gateway" course: The student's view at Illinois State University. Journal of Academic Librarianship 22: 355-59.
Williams, V., and K. Peters. 1997. Faculty incentives for the preparation of Web-based instruction. In Web-based instruction, edited by B. H. Khan, 107-10. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Educational Technology Publications.
Mary K. Taylor Diane Hudson Susan Logue
+Kevin Rundblad
About the Authors
Mary K. Taylor is an assistant librarian in the Science and Instructional Support Services divisions at Morris Library, Southern Illinois University Carbondale. Readers can contact her at(618) 453-1448 orm taylor@Iib. siu. edu. Diane Hudson is the head librarian at Kaskaskia College Library. She can be reached at (618) 545-3131 or by e-mail at [email protected].
Susan Logue is the Director for Instructional Support Services at Morris Library, Southern Illinois University Carbondale. She can be reached at (618) 453-1028 or slogue@ lib. siu. edu.
Kevin Rundblad is the assistant instructional development librarian at Morris Library, Southern Illinois University Carbondale. He can be reached at (618) 453-5494 or [email protected]
Copyright Sage Publications, Inc. 1999