Do's and Don'ts of Simultaneous Instruction to On-Campus and Distance Students via Videoconferencing

Abstract

Achieving the transition from Bibliographic Instruction (BI) to Information Literacy (IL) is particularly hard for institutions because it requires librarians to actively collaborate with a variety of administrative programs and this is all the more challenging when serving distance students. At Nova Southeastern University, the Speech-Language Pathology (SLP) department employs several delivery methods to impart graduate education. This case study describes transition from one-shot library BI to a three-day format for the SLP program, with instruction that builds sequentially and developmentally, incorporating a variety of assessment techniques (e.g., in-class exercises, puzzles, quizzes, take-home assignments). The paper discusses the innovative delivery of the course format: the issues and challenges of teaching local and distance students simultaneously via compressed video. Solutions are offered based on the presenters' experience of what worked and what did not, the quality of teaching and learning comparing videoconferencing to face-to-face instruction. The co-presenter, a faculty member teaching the course, provides a unique perspective to the presentation, thus exemplifying a librarian-faculty collaboration.