Content area
The purpose of this study was to develop a computer-based, tutorial program containing specific bibliographic skills. In order to complete the development process, this program was evaluated for efficiency by comparing it with a a library-based method of instruction. The comparison was made using a pretest/posttest measuring identified bibliographic skills and an evaluation by two reference librarians of the works-cited page from randomly selected term papers of participating students.
Skills taught in the second class period of the bibliographic section of English 102 (the second course in freshman English) were selected by a panel of experts to be included in the tutorial program. Skills taught included how to broaden or narrow a topic, use related terms, use the encyclopedia, use the computer-based card catalogue, use the computer-based periodical index, use the computer-based government documents index, and the use the Library of Congress subject headings. In addition, students were encouraged to draw from personal experiences and interests to select and develop a topic for writing a term paper using the bibliographic skills.
The computer-based tutorial program was developed by using the International Business Machines' (IBM) Linkway Version 2.01 (Linkway) authoring program. Linkway and IBM are registered trademarks of International Business Machines.
The findings of this study were: (1) the group receiving the tutorial program instruction achieved as well as the group that received the library-based instruction for the specific bibliographic skills covered; (2) the tutorial program is a resource a teacher can utilize as an outside of class assignment to teach specific skills; (3) the tutorial program instructed students may have had the advantage of added concentration over the library instructed students or the convenience of program accessibility.
The findings of the study led to the following conclusions: (1) classroom teachers can use computers efficiently as a resource to aid in the instruction of specific, basic research skills; (2) according to the skills test, those interacting with either the computer tutorial program or the classroom instruction and receiving similar information could achieve equally as well; (3) the impact of the tutorial program on worthiness and appropriateness of the works-cited page remains unclear. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)