Access Type

Open Access Dissertation

Date of Award

January 2016

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Ph.D.

Department

Instructional Technology

First Advisor

Ke Zhang

Abstract

Academic librarians at the university level are increasingly called upon to create information literacy objects which are available to students online. These librarians, however, frequently have little or no training in any type of instruction, either face to face or online. Because of the unique attributes of online learning, librarians should be aware of instructional design models and learner preferences in order to maximize online student learning. Academic librarians’ utilization of the activities which promote efficacious online learning can be increased through awareness of an instructional design model best suited to this purpose. Research was needed to develop a guide and its components as a vehicle which best delivers that awareness to librarians. This study examined the process of creating an IL Object Design Guide, using design based research, in collaboration with academic librarians. Use of the Guide should aid their creation of information literacy objects for online learners and identify best practices for doing so within the framework of Bonk and Zhang’s R2D2 (Read, Reflect, Display, Do) Model and utilizing Merrill’s First Principles of Instruction. A series of four phases of data collection began with consultations with a principal collaborating librarian, continued with meetings with individual academic librarians and concluded with a final meeting with the principal collaborating librarian. Each phase of the study included data analysis of information gathered from the IL object analysis, semi-structured interviews and progressive iterations of the IL Object Design Guide. Qualitative data analysis was conducted using the In Vivo coding method. The significance of the study was the creation of the Guide which can now be used by academic librarians when creating IL Objects. The Guide is enriched with Merrill’s First Principles of Instruction and Bonk and Zhang’s R2D2. The inclusion of these elements in the Guide was found to be very helpful by the participants. This study can serve as a baseline for future development of training methods which prepare academic librarians to create IL objects that incorporate good instructional design principles and practices ultimately increasing their efficacy in education.

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