Information skills through electronic environments: considerations, pitfalls and benefits

Smart, M; Hunt, C

Abstract

The increasing availability of resources in electronic format has obvious benefits for distance learners in particular but, in order to maximise those benefits, library induction and ongoing support are essential. The use of virtual classroom sessions to provide library support to off-campus students is a relatively new concept: however, meeting students live online allows us to provide advice, guidance and training from induction through to completion of their studies. In this chapter, we describe our approach, discussing what has worked and what has been less successful as well as outlining some of our plans for the future.

• Publication Date: May 1, 2008
• Deposit Date: Nov 20, 2009
• Publicly Available Date: Nov 20, 2009
• Pages: 105-113
• Book Title: Libraries without walls 7
• ISBN: 9781856046237
• Keywords: distance learning;; Wimba Live Classroom;; Information Skills
• Related Public URLs: http://www.facetpublishing.co.uk
• Additional Information: Additional Information : conference paper; Corporate Creators : Libraries Without Walls. (7th : 2007 : Lesvos, Greece); References : Clayton, S. (2004) Your class meets where? Library instruction for business and education graduate students at off-campus centers. Reference Services Review. 32 (4), 388-393. Grasman, S.E. (2002) Teaching Engineering Economics via Distance Education. In Proceedings of the 2002 American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference & Exposition, 5935-5939. Kirlew, P. (2007) Enhancing synchronous online library instruction services in Blackboard using the Wimba Live Classroom system. Special Libraries Association. http://www.sla.org/pdfs/sla2007/kirlewonlinelibinstrsvcs.pdf Ronayne, B and Rogenmoser, D. (2002) Library research instruction for distance learners: an interactive, multimedia approach. In Brophy, P., Fisher, S. and Clarke, Z. Libraries without Walls 4: the delivery of library services to distant users: proceedings of an international conference held by the Centre for Research in Library and Information Management (CERLIM) Manchester Metropolitan University, Facet Publishing. Rovai, A. (2002) Building sense of community at a distance. International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning, 3 (1) 74-85.