# Presentation: 898808

## Tutorials: Philosophies and Features

- Karrie Peterson, NCSU
- karrie_peterson@ncsu.edu

**Notes:**
Introduce self -- No expert 
Now working in a place that puts a high premium on tutorials because:
      large undergraduate population that gets generalized library instruction
      returning students who frequently work during the day and take evening classes 
      very active distance learning program.

## Presentation content

- _Will cover:_
- Pedagogical principles
- Examples of features
- Compare to wizards
- Possible collaborations?

- _Won’t cover_:
- “How to” instructions
- Software or technology
- Comprehensive survey of govt docs tutorials
- Online vs real time teaching

## Narrow definition of “Tutorial”

- Outcome involves learning a new skill or concepts
- Guided step by step explanation
- Modular approach
- Interactive
- Dynamic (animations to “show” not just tell)

**Notes:**
Not because there’s a right or wrong answer to what a tutorial is, but to separate from online resource guides or pathfinders

## Focus on the User

- “To be educated is not to be informed, but to find illumination in informed living.”
- Eduard Lindeman, from The Meaning of Adult Education (1926)

**Notes:**
When a person comes into the library because they think we might help them oppose a coal-fired energy plant that will damage the lungs of their children, we don’t want to come back at them with “let me help you formulate your research strategy.”  Both in person and thru our tutorial we have to relate warmly and personally people’s real needs.  Also with students – don’t assume they are bored with their assignments and require games and balloons in order to learn.  Use our hard knocks experience to help them invest their assignments with real-life meaning.

## Pedagogical Principles

- What are the characteristics of a good online tutorial?

**Notes:**
The literature is confusing.  They don’t use the same vocabulary and a lot of the articles are either obtuse or kind of pompous or both!

## Pedagogical Principles

- Culturally inclusive
- Objectives and outcomes outlined
- Provide context (why)
- Problem-based (or assignment-based) and teach concepts as well as skills
- Stimulate recall of prior learning

- Accommodate different learning styles via multimedia
- Allow for non-linear learning (modular)
- Simple and self-evident navigation
- Elicit performance (allow practice)

**Notes:**
What pictures? What’s on soundtrack? What examples?

## More pedagogical principles...

- Provide feedback - allow the user to test his understanding
- Enhance retention
- Provide a way to contact a librarian or other real-time helper
- Function well for target audience

- Be routinely updated by the provider
- Have mechanisms built in for the provider to evaluate  effectiveness of the tutorial over time

## A well-mannered tutorial

- Is welcoming and approachable
- Doesn’t waste people’s time
- Doesn’t bore or intimidate people
- Impresses users by the speed with which their problem is solved, not the complexity of the tutorial
- Doesn’t give outdated information

**Notes:**
--Avoid animations that don’t matter, verbose narrative, poor instructional design
--Don’t make a “page turner” or if you do, let the person print it out!  Also, it can be difficult to sound like a real person on anything official in an institutional setting, but strive for it anyway.  You know when you’ve clicked with someone, you’ve been warm and friendly, you’ve made their day better.  A tutorial should leave the same pleasant feeling if it’s going to be our offering—otherwise, forget it and spend all your time advocating for more staff!
--Avoid language that sounds impressive or trendy or sophisticated when plain language will do and don’t overcomplicate visual material.  Don’t allow the elements of a multimedia presentation to compete for a user’s attention.
--Update, update, update!  We wouldn’t give people reference books with missing pages, but far too many web pages have bad links because the authors don’t build in time to do maintenance and upkeep.

## Some advantages of online tutorials . . .

- Remote & 24/7 access
- Accommodate different learning styles via multimedia
- Repeatable
- Individually paced
- Sometimes more interactive
- Accommodate different levels of prior knowledge

**Notes:**
You hear so much about the bad effects of replacing real people with something canned.  Try focusing on the positive aspects, if you’re going to do it anyway!

## Virtual or Real Time...

- All teaching involves some tradeoffs

## Those pesky tradeoffs...

| We want to anticipate questions and need for more info...
But avoid overly long tutorials with complicated screens and tricky navigation |
| --- |
| 
We want a contemporary and interesting presentation...
Without creating technological problems for users |

**Notes:**
Teaching is an art and a science because there is no single right or wrong way – you have to achieve balance

## ...more tradeoffs

| We want tutorials for solving problems not just showing use of a resource out of context...
But we can’t design umpteen tutorials for lots of different situations |
| --- |
| 
We want to target specific audiences...
How many versions can we realistically maintain? |
|  |

## What type of teaching device do you want?

- Drill and Practice
- Simulation
- Step-by-step tutorial
- Skill-based or conceptual or both

**Notes:**
Once you know your outcomes, you’ll see where you are leaning
D&P – the sudoc number training test, but not enough examples
Simulation is when you use real life examples from students.  Equiv in tutorial is pop-up box
Tutorial has examples too, but they’re canned

## Who is the audience?

- Older or younger people?
- Students with specific assignment or members of public with research needs?
- Local users in familiar context or wide open to the public?
- What levels of prior knowledge?
- What time frame—leisurely self-education or quick study with quick results?

**Notes:**
Lots of literature about the learning styles of different groups

## URLS

**LOBO**
- _[www.lib.ncsu.edu/lobo2/](http://www.lib.ncsu.edu/lobo2/)_
**Patent Guide**
- _[www.lib.ncsu.edu/ptdl/patents/searching.html](http://www.lib.ncsu.edu/ptdl/patents/searching.html)_
**Patent Tutorial**
**www.lib.ncsu.edu/ptdl/patents/searches2.html**

## URLS

- ERIC
- _[www.lib.ncsu.edu/distance/instruction/eric/](http://www.lib.ncsu.edu/distance/instruction/eric/)_
- Dog Quiz
- quiz.ivillage.com/pets/tests/dogs.htm
- GIS data wizard
- www.lib.ncsu.edu/stacks/gis/datawiz.html

## Modular structure facilitates navigation.

**Notes:**
This is LOBO – award winning basic library skills tutorial.
It has a captive audience and was developed with the participation of the teachers who would be assigning it to their students.
Why am I showing this?  It has some useful features.

## Questions prompt students to analyze, synthesize, and evaluate based on actual assignments.

- Questions prompt students to **analyze**, **synthesize**, and **evaluate** based on **actual** assignments.

## Answers to interactive questions are transferred to a printable worksheet.

## Interactive elements include Keyword and Citation Builders...

## Viewlets & Wizards!

**Notes:**
Animations

## Students get “live” help during LOBO.

**Notes:**
Chat or email reference

## Elements of LOBO

- Qarbon Viewlet Builder makes a shockwave flash file that is readable in most browsers
- Worksheet is built using cookies and is not retained when the browser closes.
- Chat is staffed until midnight 4 nights a week.
- Passive viewlet demo, guided search, or simulation are all available

## Slide 24

**Notes:**
This is really a couple tutorials – the drop down menu allows you to choose the question most similar to your own, and then your research guide is tailored to your need.  The viewlets (animations) are embedded in the guide.

## Caution!

**Tutorials tied to database interfaces are very time-intensive to maintain!**

## WIZARDS

- What is a Wizard and how could it be useful?

## Slide 27

**Notes:**
Dog quiz

## Why use a wizard?

- A guide would be too complex
- Array of choices to make
- Complex assortment of resources
- Tutorials require investment
- Not trying to build step-by-step skills
- No captive audience

**Notes:**
Really building a dynamic subject guide – customized to that person’s needs
Just getting the person to potential resources and expecting them to figure out how to use it

## One Possible use....

**GIS DATA**
- User has specific format, date and geography requirements
- Complex array of available data with various restrictions
- Users may need data features explained
- Frequent request

_**I need orthophoto data:**_
- 1990-2000 data
- Wake County, NC
- A certain projection type
- Available online immediately
- NCSU affiliate

## Upkeep Issues

- External links are persistent object identifiers

## Legislative History Wizard

**Resources have varied access points**
**Resources provide different types of information**
**Dates matter**
**What your institution owns or can access matters**

**Notes:**
If we weren’t trying to teach a skill.....and we just want to point people at the correct resources.
Fellow librarian told me she wasn’t worried once she had the resource in hand, but was flummoxed choosing among resources.

## A Legislative History Wizard

_**What the user might know:**_
- PL # or Bill # and Congress #
- Common or proper name
_**What the user might want:**_
- Background reports, roll call votes, hearing testimony, bill text, floor debate, signing statements, etc.

| Access | Provides | Start Date | End Date | Title |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | 1 | 1790 | present |  |
| 1, 2 | 1,2 | 1799 | 1873 |  |
| 2, 3 | 1,2 | 1819 | 1873 |  |
| 1, 4 | 2,3,4 | 1970 | present |  |

## Govt Information Tutorials and Wizards

**What are our opportunities for collaboration?**

## Some possibilities...

- Finding longitudinal census data for small geographies
- Training our docs assistants
- Training new librarians in a combined depts situation
- Or...?

**Notes:**
Anything you might have to teach over and over again is a good candidate!