Abstract
The research evaluated participant satisfaction with the content and format of the "Web 2.0 101: Introduction to Second Generation Web Tools" course and measured the impact of the course on participants' self-evaluated knowledge of Web 2.0 tools. The "Web 2.0 101" online course was based loosely on the Learning 2.0 model. Content was provided through a course blog and covered a wide range of Web 2.0 tools. All Medical Library Association members were invited to participate. Participants were asked to complete a post-course survey. Respondents who completed the entire course or who completed part of the course self-evaluated their knowledge of nine social software tools and concepts prior to and after the course using a Likert scale. Additional qualitative information about course strengths and weaknesses was also gathered. Respondents' self-ratings showed a significant change in perceived knowledge for each tool, using a matched pair Wilcoxon signed rank analysis (P<0.0001 for each tool/concept). Overall satisfaction with the course appeared high. Hands-on exercises were the most frequently identified strength of the course; the length and time-consuming nature of the course were considered weaknesses by some. Learning 2.0-style courses, though demanding time and self-motivation from participants, can increase knowledge of Web 2.0 tools.
Highlights
The Medical Library Association’s (MLA’s) Task Force on Social Networking Software was created by President Mark E
The task force quickly organized and as a first step sought to gauge the extent that social networking tools were being incorporated into medical librarians’ daily work with an open survey issued to all members in July–August 2007
Six hundred seventy-one MLA members registered for the course, and 359 completed it by the deadline, for a 53.5% completion rate
Summary
The Medical Library Association’s (MLA’s) Task Force on Social Networking Software was created by President Mark E. The task force was charged with investigating issues relating to MLA’s implementation of blogs, wikis, really simple syndication (RSS) feeds, and other social networking tools in order to accomplish President Funk’s top presidential priority, upgrading the association’s use of technology [1, 2]. The task force quickly organized and as a first step sought to gauge the extent that social networking tools were being incorporated into medical librarians’ daily work with an open survey issued to all members in July–August 2007. Technology for its own sake is not inherently useful, especially in professional lives that are already busy and full’’ [3]. This response was not a surprise to the task force. There are early adopters who immediately seek to integrate new tools into their daily work, while others move at a slower pace and need to see the value before committing time and
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