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Today's libraries use online instruction to teach a multitude of topics to a range of audiences. For example, academic libraries teach undergraduates how to evaluate the credibility of a Web site, medical libraries teach future doctors how to search for evidence-based resources and public libraries teach patrons how to use the catalog, download e-books and provide gateways to resources for lifelong learning. Libraries are finding innovative ways to engage users through the creation of videos, animations, comics and interactive tutorials. This article explores only a small sample of the many free tools available for creating interesting learning objects and entire information literacy modules.
All of the tools discussed here are Web-based, eliminating the need to download any software. Working in the cloud saves disk space, allows you to access your project from anywhere and opens the door for easy collaboration. Web-based software also eliminates compatibility issues, so there is no need to consider whether the operating system you use is Windows, Mac or Linux. However, because there is no software to download, there is always the peril that the tool used to create learning material will not be available in the future. In researching this article, several interesting tools were identified that were once promising, but no longer exist. In addition, much of the Web-based software available uses a "freemium" model, which means that a basic version is free to use, but librarians and other instructors need to upgrade to a paid version for additional features. Unfortunately, some companies using the freemium pricing structure end up downgrading the free version of the software. Despite these limitations, the Web-based software programs discussed below are worth considering when developing information literacy instruction. For each of these products, links are provided to examples of actual use by libraries.
Infogr.am (http://infogr.am/)
Infographics, visual representations used to communicate data, have become a very popular way to share information. Infogr.am is a freemium service that enables users to create interactive infographics. Users register with e-mail, Facebook, Google+ or Twitter. The free version gives access to 30 chart types. Data can be imported using XLS, XLSX and CSV files. All infographics created with the free version are public and contain a watermark on the bottom linking back to Infogr.am. Infographics-created resources using...