Elements of active learning in the online tutorials of ARL members

Abstract

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to determine the extent of the use of active learning in the online tutorials of members of the Association of Research Libraries (ARL) and to compare these results with those found in a similar study done in 1999 by Nancy Dewald, and also to determine what major types of active learning these sites offer.Design/methodology/approachThe focus of the study in this paper was on “stand‐alone” library skills tutorials, as opposed to those tutorials that need to be used in conjunction with an in‐person course in order to be effective. After defining what counts as a “tutorial” and “active learning”, ARL sites were reviewed to determine whether they employ elements of active learning.FindingsThis study found that the percentage of ARL tutorials that employ active learning is significantly greater than the percentage of such tutorials in Dewald's study. Also, some categories of the methods of active learning employed in these tutorials are determined and examples for each category are provided.Research limitations/implicationsBecause web page content is fluid and open to frequent changes, the findings of this study may not be accurate by the time of publication.Originality/valueThis paper updates and expands on (by focusing on ARL members) the findings of Dewald's original study of online tutorials. Also, the categories of active learning discussed and the examples of these provided can offer some aid to libraries that wish to add to or expand the use of active learning in their online tutorials.

A Student-Centered Learning Model

“…Problem-based learning, Active Learning (AL) and Student-Centered Learning (SCL) are all used in the literature to indicate the shift of emphasis from the teacher to the student as the heart of the learning process. According to the Greenwood Dictionary of Education, active learning is "the process of keeping students mentally, and often physically, active in their learning through activities that involve them in gathering information, thinking, and problem solving" [5,6] . Being challenged with the required transition from teacher-centered, lecture-based teaching to studentcentered, technology-based learning, today's educational reforms call for successful technologysupported teacher education programs.…”

Factores de éxito en tutoriales en línea de competencias informacionales. Revisión sistemática

“…Por otro lado, la interactividad, también señala-da recurrentemente como característica deseable (Hrycaj, 2005), va a depender en gran medida del contenido que se quiera abordar, de su finalidad y de la audiencia a la que se dirige, puesto que es un recurso pedagógico muy útil para reforzar los conocimientos adquiridos, pero que no todos los usuarios valoran. Según Chen y Roys (2010), la mayoría de la gente consulta tutoriales para resolver dudas concretas de forma rápida y no para profundizar en un tema, por lo que la interactividad podría resultarles una distracción innecesaria.…”

Tutoriales Web: Indicadores y Ejemplos de Buenas Prácticas

“…Las publicaciones que analizan un conjunto de ellos, o bien acostumbran a llegar a conclusiones muy generales (Dewald, 1999), o sólo evalúan un aspecto particular como puede ser el de la interactividad (Tancheva, 2003), o el aprendizaje activo (Hrycaj, 2005). Un estudio reciente ha examinado una muestra representativa de 274 tutoriales de las bibliotecas médicas americanas (Anderson et al, 2008) pero nuevamente los describe desde una perspectiva muy amplia por cuanto se limita a ofrecer indicaciones generales para mejorar aspectos concretos pero sin llegar a profundizar o sistematizar la evaluación.…”