Transporting Good Library Instruction Practices into the Web Environment: An Analysis of Online Tutorials

Abstract: Dewald outlines the seven characteristics of traditional library instruction and urges the development of additional guidelines for online tutorials, as they differ from classroom instruction in: purpose, setting, audience, interaction, and outcomes.

The seven traditional characteristics of good library instruction are:

• is assignment-related,
• uses active learning,
• uses collaborative learning,
• uses a variety of media,
• clarifies the objectives of the instruction,
• teach concepts and not merely mechanics, and
• gives the option to follow-up with the librarian.

She then examines twenty web-based library tutorials (recommended by the ALA as exemplars) for their coherence with these principles.

She concludes that "traditional best practices in the library instruction can provide a beginning guide for Web designers, but other guidelines will need to be developed in the future as well."

Review

I loved Dewald's compilation of the best practice in library instruction. Given the date of the article (1999), though, many of the recommendations are not as current as they could be.

I wonder if there have been any follow-ups to this article's theme? Recently, Libguides.com has ascended to prominence among many academic and public libraries for online tutorials. It's many web 2.0 features likely call for the formulation of even more current best practices for these guides/tutorials.

Dewald, N. H. (1999). Transporting Good Library Instruction Practices into the Web Environment: An Analysis of Online Tutorials. Journal of Academic Librarianship, 25(1), 26. Retrieved October 4, 2008, from EBSCOHost-Academic Search Complete.