Multimedia Approaches to Learning the Foundations of Library and Information Science

Abstract

This paper presents a case study of two types of multimedia resources that were integrated as supplementary learning materials into the design and delivery of two different graduate courses on the historical foundations of library and information science (LIS): video and audio lectures from an online course on the history of information (integrated into a doctoral seminar), and a curated playlist of a weekly public radio broadcast on the history of ideas (integrated into a master’s course). It also considers some of the limitations of compiling LIS-related audiovisual materials from disparate online sources, with references to examples. By analyzing and critiquing these three applications of multimedia resources in LIS graduate courses, this paper attempts to answer the following research question: Beyond traditional pedagogical strategies such as lectures and text-based readings and assignments, how might students, practitioners, and the general public gain a sweeping understanding of our field? The paper aims to help LIS educators to diversify their pedagogical strategies and reach people outside their classrooms. By incorporating these kinds of multimedia resources into course designs, educators may help to empower students to actively and creatively apply what they learn in class to the analysis of historical events, biographies, and social movements, develop technical skills that will benefit their professional development, and produce deliverables that can be shared on public platforms to reach a wider audience beyond LIS classrooms.