Library services to distance learners: is it time to recast the model? Off-Campus Library Services 2008 Lynn Copeland Simon Fraser University Library

Library services to distance learners:is it time to recast the model?

Off-Campus Library Services 2008

Lynn Copeland

Simon Fraser University Library

Questions Who are our users? Who are our partners? What is our institution? Are the guidelines suitable? Do they limit thinking? Are the guidelines consistent with practice? What might be some benchmarks? The Library and DE departments Other library and university DE models: what is actually

happening and is it good?

Off-campus library services conference XIII Lynn Copeland April 23, 2008

Types of Distance Ed delivery

User-defined content (eg professional development)

Extension of on-campus courses, deliverySeparate operation ‘with name branding’Delivery attached to branch posts ‘Distributed learning’ Overwhelmingly online


"Guess what, we had our first meaningful dialogue today."

content

Len Norris, Sept. 21, 1968

"... all in favor of moving the campus to the Rocky Mountain Trench say aye ..."

content

Len Norris, Feb. 26, 1957

"It's got nothing to do with your childhood."

content

Graham Harrop, Nov. 1, 2003

SFU Library 2002

Do we know who our users are?

The above cartoon by Peter Steiner has been reproduced from page 61 of July 5, 1993 issue of The New Yorker, (Vol.69 (LXIX) no. 20)only for academic discussion, evaluation, research and complies with the copyright law of the United States as defined and stipulated under Title 17 U. S. Code.

http://www.levity.com/seabrook/eustace.html

Who are are users? (Blakelock) Actual records (1 respondent): 85% women;

most between 20–40 years old, with kids Impressionistically (29): characterized students

as nontraditional, older, returning students who were sometimes in remote locations and were often more motivated than traditional students

Impressionistically (7): described their students as traditional and living on campus, mirroring their f2f sections


Do we know who our users are?

Primary Research Group report on Distance Higher Ed

60% female 51% over 30; 15% over 50 57% with 75 miles of institution (76% expanding progs) 72% trad and DE ‘virtually interchangeable’ Virtually all used some online LMS but wanted more to

handle greater enrolments; 62% have course/instructor web sites


Who are our users?

• As DE increasingly becomes online, how should we design courses to meet user capabilities, needs, comfort level and expectations?


Who are our users?

68% female 21% under 24; 75% age 25-54 74% Caucasian/White 58% full-time 19% first year; 21% second year; 30%

graduate/professional 78% primarily online; 22% primarily on campus 70% employed full-time 61% online degree; 21% degree on campus 25% no previous online course exp. 33% bachelor’s degree; 61% postgrad degree


Who are our users?

• How can we really serve the needs of online students if we do not know who they are?

• How can we be truly effective as online educators without complete student demographic knowledge?

• As DE increasingly becomes online, how should we design courses to meet user capabilities, needs, comfort level and expectations?


Who are our users?

• Online learners also report relatively high satisfaction across all categories, with small performance gaps. This indicates that institutions are meeting online student expectations in most areas of the educational experience.


Who are our users?Millennials are telling us, "Get us what we want, only what

we want, in the format we want it, and do it now!" Physical and virtual libraries must …be inseparable. Rethink and modify organizational structures and

policies designed mostly for delivering physical documents to existing users in traditional ways, and rethink these in light of digital library environments

Existing library organizational structures and policies are part of bureaucracies that resist change and therefore improvement.

In the online environment are all students Millennials?


Who are our users?

64% female 75% employed 25% had children 47% 20-24 years old 83% did not find library research difficult BUT need for better communicaiton about library

resources strongly indicated in comments Help: email (90), phone (63), web (57), in-person(39) Leddy library help requested 13.9% of responses

[highest among academic support by far – excluding instructors]


title

title

Librarians and online learning


Library elearning importance (1)

• “... the average essay grade is … a whole 2 grade points improved over last year. I suspect this is in no small part due to you and your excellent orientation.”

• 330,000 students at CARL institutions receive instruction


Library elearning importance (2)

• College students’ self-efficacy in electronic information searching was significantly higher after library instruction.

• Frequent use of library electronic databases correlated with self-efficacy, and posttraining self-efficacy correlated with grade points.


Librarians’ involvement in online learning

Has not been sought / low

• Traditional librarian role not course-specific• Librarians as a whole haven’t made their case• Administrators and educators haven’t bought in


Campus Learning and LibrariesCARL Univ . online learning/library collaboration factors 2005

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

WebCT/Blackberry etc.

Teaching Online

Library as resource

Interactive Online tutorial

Online tutorials

Online guides

Services to online s tudents

Services to fac include

Inst

itutio

nLi

brar

y

Yes

No


Service Delivery

• Instruction (eg Plagiarism tutorial, subject guides) can be embedded into DE courses and help pages

• Virtual reference services

• RSS feeds, meebo, newsletters, blogs, etc.

• Elluminate etc.


OCLC Best Practices

Technical and Cultural Requirements• Embed library resources in course management

systems • Integrate commercial information services• Customize personal preferences• Provide virtual reference at point of need• Embed information seeking training modules


CARL e-learning Recommendations• continually demonstrate libraries’ added value in e-learning to

benefit instructors and learners directly.

• be proactive in the selection of learning management systems and e-learning tools.

• seek representation on LMS selection, management, and governance committees on campus.

• seek representation on pan-Canadian policy and standards bodies concerned with e-learning, including interoperability standards, information management practices, and information resources such as e‐journals, ereserves, ILL delivery (including to the desktop).

• [Demonstrate and] advocate for the importance of information literacy to student success.


Precept

1375 A general command or injunction; a rule for action or conduct, esp. a rule for moral conduct, a maxim; spec. a divine command.

1552 A rule or instruction on the practical aspects of a subject; any of the guidelines relating to the performance of a technical operation.

1684 A written order, usually from a sheriff to a returning officer, to make arrangements for an election.

1877 An order issued by one local authority to another specifying the rate of tax to be charged on its behalf


ACRL "Guidelines" assume the following precepts:

• Access to library resources and services essential; entitlement to equivalent services and resources for distance learners.

• Instilling of lifelong learning skills through library instruction in academic libraries is a primary outcome of higher education for DE and campus.

• Special funding needed; service must be more personalized.• Institution must pay separately from Library budget.• Institution recognizes the need for linkages among support services• Institution responsible for attaining standards.• Institution responsible for ensuring library involvement.• Library responsible for resources and services. Librarian-

administrator responsible for ensuring and demonstrating success.


Do the guidelines reflect current/emerging best practice?

“We fail! But screw your courage to the sticking-post and we’ll not fail.”

Lady MacBeth

“Damn the torpedos, go ahead”Admiral Farragut


Do the guidelines reflect current/emerging best practice?Primary Research Group report Virtual reference: ubiquitous and equally used Information literacy lacking Relations w. DE instructors Orientation Physical facilities Assessment Collection development Physical delivery Courseware Database licence restrictions Staffing


Conclusions“Never retract, never explain, never apologize –

get the thing done and let them howl”Nellie McClung

“If it’s a good idea go ahead and do it. It’s much easier to apologize than to get permission.”

Grace HopperUS Admiral, 3d programmer on 1st US computer


Thanks: [email protected]

"Pop, you say you want to have a father-son talk with me ... what d'you want to know?"

Len Norris, Feb 21, 1958

Documents

Library services to distance learners: is it time to recast the model? Off-Campus Library Services 2008 Lynn Copeland Simon Fraser University Library