Title: Developing, Marketing, and Managing a Course Specific Blog Paul Betty Distance Learning Librarian 30
1Developing, Marketing, and Managing a Course
Specific BlogPaul BettyDistance Learning
Librarian(303) 964-57721-800-388-2366
x5772pbetty_at_regis.edu
2About Regis University
-16,000 students-Regis College, School for
Professional Studies (SPS), Rueckert-Hartman
School for Health Professions-Eight campus
locations along Front Range and in Las Vegas,
Nevada -Undergraduate, masters, and doctoral
level programs-Classroom based and online
programs-Accelerated learning 8 or 5 week
sessions
3About Distance Learning Department
-Two full time librarians-Provide library
instruction for all campuses except main (Lowell)
and Colorado Springs-Provide library
instruction for all subject areas -Provide
library instruction online, in-person, and over
the phone-Develop tools and resources for
distance learners
4About ED205 Adult Learning Course
ED205, Adult Learning, is a 3-credit course that
examines and applies various theories of adult
learning,focusing on different delivery models
and learning strategies. Issues facing adult
learners in highereducation and techniques for
addressing those issues will be investigated.(1)
- (1)Regis University. (2006). ED205-Adult
Learning. Retrieved May 25, 2007 from
http//www.regisonline.org/pdf/ED205.pdf
5About ED205 Adult Learning Course
WHO SHOULD ENROLL?(2) -Anyone with less than
30 hours of transfer credit. -Anyone new to
accelerated learning. -Anyone apprehensive
about returning to college. -Anyone who has
been out of college for more than 5
years. -Anyone who has been attending Regis SPS
classes and wants to learn how to be a successful
student.
- (2)Regis University. (2006). ED205-Adult
Learning. Retrieved May 25, 2007 from
http//www.regisonline.org/pdf/ED205.pdf
6About Adult Learners (3)
-Non-traditional student represents 73 of all
undergraduate students-diverse student
group-emphasis on foundational needs,
relationships, and relevance-85 of the
new-traditional students are selecting program
b/c of need to enter, advance, or change
career.-lack of library research focusing on
adult learners compared to traditional
undergraduates
- (3) Belcastro, A. and V. Purslow. (2006). An
Integrative Framework Meeting the Needs of the
New-Traditional Student. Paper presented at the
Faculty Work and the New Academy meeting of the
Association of American Colleges and
Universities, Chicago, IL. (ERIC Document
Reproduction Service No. ED495297)
7About ED205 Students
Survey sent to all students who completed ED205
between Spring 2003 and Spring 2006 (1080
students with a 16 response rate) by the
Academic Resources Department of SPS.-Age Range
of Respondents 57 Under 40 (23 were between
30 35)-no reference in survey or survey
results regarding library
8About ED205 Students
-areas identified for course improvement by
students 1.writing 2.experience w/ online
format 3.research skills and assistance 4.citati
on styles and grammar-student suggestions 1.
Take ED 205 first 2. Learn time management 3.
Maintain continual contact with advisor 4. Take
only one course at a time
9About Blogs(4)
Blog abbreviation for Web logOnline journal
on the World Wide Web. Blogs started in the USA
in 1997 and became ubiquitous in the early
2000sA compiler of a blog is called a
blogger and the act of creating or contributing
to a blog is called blogging A blog is
usually organized in reverse chronological order,
and a typical blog entry consists of a title, the
opening text of an article, a link to the full
text of the article, and the date the entry was
posted.
- (4) blog. (2005). In The Hutchinson Unabridged
Encyclopedia including Atlas. Retrieved May 29,
2007, from http//www.xreferplus.com/entry/6409074
10Why a Blog? (5)
Library 2.0At its most basic level, the
Library 2.0 model gives library users a
participatory role in the services libraries
offer and the way they are used. To increase both
your library's appeal and value to users,
consider implementing customizable and
participatory services.
- (5) Casey, M. and Savastinuk, L. (2006) Library
2.0 service for the next-generation library.
Retrieved May 31, 2007 from http//www.libraryjour
nal.com/index.asp?layouttalkbackCommentsFulltalk
_back_header_id6365200articleidCA636520064249
11Why a Blog?(6)
Library 2.0The heart of Library 2.0 is
user-centered change. It is a model for library
service that encourages constant and purposeful
change, inviting user participation in the
creation of both the physical and the virtual
services they want, supported by consistently
evaluating services. It also attempts to reach
new users and better serve current ones through
improved customer-driven offerings...
- (6) Casey, M. and Savastinuk, L. (2006) Library
2.0 service for the next-generation library.
Retrieved May 31, 2007 from http//www.libraryjour
nal.com/index.asp?layouttalkbackCommentsFulltalk
_back_header_id6365200articleidCA636520064249
12Blogs and Academics (7)
Three uses for blogs in academics-Group
blogs-Academics keeping blogs-Students using
blogsThe most common use of blogs combines
many of the above features, and that is the class
blog, where a community blog is used both by the
educator to deliver news, resources, engender
discussion and by students to collaborate and
discuss.
- (7) Weller, M., C. Pegler, and R. Mason. (2005)
Use of innovative technologies on an e-learning
course. The Internet and Higher Education, 8(1),
pp. 61-71.
13Getting started
-Began in January of 2007 response to faculty
request-Distance Learning Department had
previous experience using blogging
software-Authorization from administration
-Who will contribute (students, faculty,
librarians)?-What will the content be?
14Getting started
-How often will it be updated?-Public or
private (i.e. password required)?-Incorporation
into library website?-Design/layout-Assessment
/survey
15Getting started
Goals-improve the overall information
literacy of ED205 students-provide additional
instruction for library resources-market
library services-provide ED205 students with a
forum to build relationships and foster informal
learning-provide additional entry points to
online library resources
16Selecting Blog Software
Criteria for selection-Remote or on-site
hosting?-User permissions?-Sustainability of
blog software?-Documentation?-Cost?-Interface?
-Customization?Result Wordpress.com
171st 8 week session
Strategy -librarians provide all content for
posts students reply using comments-Single
post to address Q As reply to comments in new
post-creation of separate pages for essays,
biographical info, etc.
Response-Positive feedback from faculty and
administration at SPS-Hesitation among library
faculty can blogs be trusted?
181st 8 week session
Analysis -encourage increased interactivity
how does interactivy effect categorization
separate user accounts-privacy issues how to
collect user data-keeping Q A post visible
create a static page?-added library tutorials
on separate page-collected first survey results
192nd 8 week session
Strategy -user driven-continuous
dialogue-educate users about blogs blogging
tutorials added
Response-Positive feedback from
faculty-limited participation from students
202nd 8 week session
Analysis -some familiarity among students
with blogging limited participation in Web 2.0
minimal knowledge of RSS-more
multimedia/interactive content-link to other
blogs/library 2.0 sites -direct email
advertisement-revise survey questions
21Stats Analysis
Enrollment 1st 8 week session 32 2nd 8 week
session 24Usage 1,057 total views 7.55
views per day Best day ever 88 views Posts
24 Comments 11 (6 student generated) Tags
22
22Survey Analysis
Please indicate the library services you used
while enrolled in the ED205 course. 1st 8 week
session Library databases (83) Lumen
(72) Library handouts (56) Gold Rush Linker
(39) ED205 Research Blog (33) Loan Ranger
(28) Prospector (22) Reference assistance
via phone or e-mail (22) 24x7 chat reference
via library web site (0) None (6)
23Survey Analysis
Please indicate the library services you used
while enrolled in the ED205 course. 2nd 8 week
session Library databases (73) Lumen
(55) Gold Rush Linker (45) ED205 Research
Blog (45) Loan Ranger (36) Library handouts
(36) Prospector (9) Reference assistance via
phone or e-mail (0) 24x7 chat reference via
library website (0) None (0)
24Survey Analysis
How many times did you visit the ED205 Research
Blog?1st 8 week session Never (39) 1-9
times (61)2nd 8 week session Never
(36) Once (9) 2-3 (27) 4-5 (18) 6-10
(9) more than 10 (0)
25Survey Analysis
Overall, the content of the blog was1st 8 week
session Very useful (17) Somewhat useful
(28) Dont know (56)2nd 8 week
session Very useful (18) Somewhat useful
(45) Dont know (36)
26Survey Analysis
Given a choice, what type of content would you
like to see on the ED205 Research Blog?1st 8
week session Search strategies and tips
(83) Links to Regis library resources
(67) Posts from other students (28)2nd 8
week session Research related questions and
answers (64) Search strategies and tips
(64) Posts from other students (18)
27Conclusions/ Recommendations
-Arrange/describe content using familiar and
desired terms-Migrate blog to a university
server-Include faculty and staff outside of
library as authors.-Integration into CMS,
course content.-Mixed content not all library
all the time
28Conclusions/ Recommendations
Jacob Nielsen suggests (8)-90 of users are
lurkers (i.e., read or observe, but don't
contribute). -9 of users contribute from time
to time, but other priorities dominate their
time. -1 of users participate a lot and account
for most contributions it can seem as if they
don't have lives because they often post just
minutes after whatever even they're commenting on
occurs.
- (8) Nielsen, J. (2006). Participation Inequality
Encouraging More Users to Contribute. Retrieved
May 30, 2007 from http//www.useit.com/alertbox/pa
rticipation_inequality.html
29EndPaul BettyDistance Learning
Librarian(303) 964-57721-800-388-2366
x5772pbetty_at_regis.edu
- http//ed205regis.wordpress.com/