Mobile Devices for Information Literacy Instruction – Is it a Good Idea?

Debbie Herman & Susan SlagaCentral Connecticut State University

How We Got Started… from screencast to podcast

Project PHASE I – World Lit. 2

Spring 2008• Library instruction delivered as podcasts over the course of 8

weeks• 1-2 “episodes” per week• Students subscribed to Podcast feed through iTunes• Episode delivery via Podcast feed• Videos optimized for mobility (640 x 480 max. resolution)• Short written assignments given to reinforce/verify students’

understanding of material presented• Librarians met with students mid-semester to answer questions

and assess students’ satisfaction with the delivery medium

What do our students really think?ECAR (Educause Center for Applied Research) – 2009 Study Undergraduate Students and Information Technology

Summary Findings: •Laptops owned by 87.8% of student respondents .•Internet-capable handheld devices are owned by 51.2% of respondents, with 29% of these owners using the Internet from their devices daily.•73.1% of students report using the College/University Library website.•86.6% use Social Networking sites weekly or more often.•Decreased use of IM (72.5% - 2006, 71.5% 2007, 57.5% in 2008, 55.7% in 2009)

How CCSU Students RespondedN=280• 88.2% report owning a laptop (vs. 89.4% of all 4-yr students surveyed)• 62.1% of respondents own a desktop computer (vs. 43.3% of total)• 93.5% report using the library site at least once per semester (vs.

73.1% of total).• 82.5% use Social Networking sites weekly or more often (86.6%).• 20.8% use podcasts once per semester or more (vs. 28.3% of total) • 77% Think they are either “very skilled” or an “expert” at using the

Internet to effectively and efficiently search for information (vs. 58% of total)

• 78.2% expect their use of the internet from a handheld device to increase or greatly increase in the next 3 years (vs. 73.5% of total)

Quiz…

What percentage WOULD be likely to use library services if available on a handheld device?

• CCSU – 19.6%• ALL – 14.2%

REALITY CHECK!

Spring 2008 - English 204 Podcast Page

Spring 2009 – Adventures in Research

http://burrittlibrary.blip.tv/

Product Placement

Usage

10 episodes watched a total of 3,641 times, but…Only 8% of viewers on average watched the entire episode!

Fall 2009 – English 110 FYE & LibGuides

FYE LibGuide

Quantitative and Qualitative Feedback

Pre/post-test podcast questions1. What is the difference between popular and scholarly information

sources and give two examples of each?

2. List two databases found through the Burritt Library website where you could find articles or criticism about literature or poetry.

3. List three ways you can tell if a website is authoritative or not.

4. From the Burritt Library website, what would you use to find a book or video about Charlotte Bronte?

5. On which floor of the Burritt Library would you find reference sources?

Pre/post-test in-class questions1. What is the difference between popular and scholarly information

sources and give two examples of each?

2. List a database found through the Burritt Library website where you could find scholarly articles.

3. List a database found through the Burritt Library website where you could find newspaper articles.

4. From the Burritt Library website, what would you use to find a book or video about ??? ?

5. On which floor of the Burritt Library would you find reference sources?

Podcast Pre and Post-Test Scores (2008-2009)

? C P C W

1 1.5% 48.5% 50%

2 0 21.21% 78.79%

3 13.63% 31.82% 54.85%

4 16.7% 1.5% 81.8%

5 24.24% 0 75.76%

? C P C W1 28.82% 54.24% 16.94%

2 44.07% 37.29% 18.64%

3 27.12% 37.29% 35.59%

4 56% 5% 39%

5 72.9% 0 27.1%

Pre-test – 66 studentsc=correct, p c=partially correct, w=wrong

Post-test - 59 studentsc=correct, p c=partially correct, w=wrong

In-Class Pre and Post-Test Scores (Spring 2010)

? C P C W

1 5.6% 52.7% 41.7%

2 16.7% 52.7% 30.6%

3 19.4% 41.7% 38.9%

4 44.4% 5.6% 50%

5 47.2% 0 52.8%

? C P C W1 22.2% 55.6% 22.2%

2 52.8% 33.4% 13.8%

3 36.1% 22.2% 41.7%

4 52.8% 0 47.2%

5 63.9% 0 36.1%

Pre-test – 36 studentsc=correct, p c=partially correct, w=wrong Post -test – 36 students

c=correct, p c=partially correct, w=wrong

Podcast vs. In-Class Post-Test Scores

? C P C W

1 28.82% 54.24% 16.94%

2 44.07% 37.29% 18.64%

3 27.12% 37.29% 35.59%

4 56% 5% 39%

5 72.9% 0 27.1%

? C P C W1 22.2% 55.6% 22.2%

2 52.8% 33.4% 13.8%

3 36.1% 22.2% 41.7%

4 52.8% 0 47.2%

5 63.9% 0 36.1%

Podcast post-test– 59 studentsc=correct, p c=partially correct, w=wrong

In class post-test – 36 studentsc=correct, p c=partially correct, w=wrong

1. How many of you …– Loaded the podcasts onto your own ipod?– Accessed the podcasts through iTunes on your computer?– Accessed the podcasts through the link on the webpage?– Accessed the podcasts on the ipod at the library?

2. How did you like the podcasts/tutorials? What did you like about them?3. What did you dislike about them? Do you have any suggestions of how

they could have been done differently or better?4. What kinds of technical problems did you have if any?

Focus Group Questions

5. Which podcasts did you like best – video, databases tutorials, audio or a combination?

6. Would you have preferred that they be more interactive (i.e. trying some of your own searches)?

7. Would you prefer to get this kind of instruction online or in person? Why?8. After viewing and listening to these podcasts, how many of you feel more

comfortable using the library’s resources?9. After the podcasts do you feel more comfortable visiting the library and/or

asking for help using library resources?

Focus Group Questions continued

• Contact someone you already know who is open to using technology and/or trying something new.

• Many faculty are open to researching something new because they do it too.

• Faculty will hopefully be interested if it’s something that will engage and interest their students more.

Collaborating with Faculty

Is it a good idea?

• Since so few loaded onto iPod, would not optimize for mobile

• Given lack of familiarity with RSS, would not force students to subscribe to the podcast

• Make episodes considerably shorter• More live action• More “point of need” placement

Yes, but…

Debbie Herman (hermand@ccsu.edu) Susan Slaga (slagas@ccsu.edu) http://library.ccsu.edu