Creating Tutorials for the Web: A Designers Challenge

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Creating Tutorials for the Web A Designers
Challenge

• Module 1 Online learning considered

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What is a Tutorial?

• Any period of tuition or training a printed
  account or explanation of a subject intended for
  private study. Oxford English Dictionary
• User Education
• Research Instruction
• Library Instruction
• Library Orientation
• Bibliographic Instruction

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Why a Tutorial?

• Inform users about library services, resources
  and materials
• Encourage library users to become more
  self-sufficient patrons
• Reinforce teaching that happens at the
  reference desk and other one-on-one situations
• Easier to reach a wider audience at once

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Tutorial Formats

• Person to person
• One-to-one
• Group
• Lectures
• Demonstrations
• Interactive/hands on
• Peer tutoring

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Tutorial Formats contd.

• Workbooks
• Handouts
• Pathfinders
• Guides
• Self-paced audio
• ONLINE TUTORIALS!

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Growth of Online Tutorials - Reasons

• Patron demand
• Increasing number of electronic resources
• Increase in variety and formats of all resources
• Increase in number of instruction sessions
• Better technology proficiency among librarians
  reducing reliance on institutions Webmaster or
  design team

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Growth of Online Tutorials - Reasons

• Augment and customize help screens in databases
• Dont require a person to give answers
• Anytime, anywhere access
• Dramatic increase in patrons with Internet access
• Cost effective for distance education and
  multiple locations

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Growth of Online Tutorials - Reasons

• More customizable than a one-size-fits-all
  approach of database help screens
• Multiple, simultaneous users
• Not mandatory like some instruction/ training
  sessions - only if you need it
• Act as a reinforcement or follow up to in person
  training
• Self-guided, self-paced

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Traditional Versus Online - Advantages

• Personal approach
• Immediate response and feedback
• Possible to deviate from sample/set examples
• Able to tailor content on-the-fly to match
  abilities of the audience
• Can make follow-up appointments

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Traditional versus Online - Considerations

• Facilitator and audience must be physically
  present (whether in the same classroom or via
  video conferencing)
• Facilities may not always allow for patrons to
  experience a hands on approach to the material
  (lack of a computer classroom)
• Sessions usually have set start and end times
• Volume of material may be overwhelming or too
  brief in depth of coverage

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Online versus Traditional - Advantages

• Access to the material anytime, anywhere
• Does not require an instructor nor special
  physical facilities
• Lessons are self-paced
• A hands on experience is provided
• Lesson can be repeated until concept is mastered
• Assessment can be built into the lesson

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Online versus Traditional - Considerations

• There isnt a person to ask for help or
  directions
• Can be a challenge to self-motivate
• Some high-end presentations and graphics can
  overburden older hardware and software
• Requires that patrons have some basic computer
  skills

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Getting to Online

• Decide what is suitable for an online tutorial
• Should print guides be maintained in conjunction
  with an online counterpart?
• Will instruction sessions be replaced or
  augmented with an online tutorial?
• Who will create the tutorial?
• What level of expertise and equipment will be
  required to create and maintain the online
  tutorials?

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Components of the Online Tutorial

• Clearly stated goals and objectives
• Curriculum Pedagogy - content
• Assessment
• Evaluation

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Components - Goals and Objectives

• Tutorial topic is defined precisely
• Stated purpose of the tutorial is clearly
  outlined
• Outcomes of the tutorial are listed- by the end
  of this lesson you will be able to.

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Components - Content Curriculum Pedagogy

• This is the learning opportunity to ensure a high
  degree of relevance to the stated goals and
  objectives
• Easy to follow and should be presented in a
  logical and sequential order
• Avoid jargon if necessary provide a glossary
• Provide necessary details and instructions on how
  to complete the assignment
• Offer links to additional help or contacts

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Components - Assessment

• Assessment is necessary to determine if the
  student has mastered the lesson(s) of the
  tutorial as set out in the outcomes
• Adequate to assess just one of the outcomes not
  necessary to cover each one
• Assessments can be in the form of
• - surveys
• - sample exercises
• - multiple choice tests
• - questions and answer formats
• - true/false statements

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Components - Evaluation

• Evaluation examines if the goals of the tutorial
  have been met
• Assessment must be complete before evaluation can
  take place
• Evaluations can be in the form
• - anecdotal evidence
• - correlations between goals and assessment
  results
• - user surveys
• - user feedback through forms/interviews/focus
  groups etc