Instructional Design Plan

Amber Lansing
ILS 575- Instructional Design
Kim
Spring 2009
Part 1- Intent Statement

Instructional Topic

This intent statement focuses on the instructional topic of teaching students how to

use the OPAC (Online Public Access Catalog) at the Avon Free Public Library to look up and

locate books in the children’s room using a basic keyword search. This instructional design

will introduce the searching of books plus how to find the book in the children’s section of

the library.

Intended Setting

The setting for the initial instructional design will take place in the Avon Free Public

Library children’s computer lab. The students will then be able to use their new knowledge

to search and locate books in the children’s room.

Target Audience

This instructional design plan focuses on instructing students in the middle school

level, 7th-8th grade. These students are approximately 11-13 years old. After the initial

instruction, the target audience will prove the instructional design was successful by

performing the new skills within the children’s room.

Supporting Details

The Avon Free Public Library is the main library in Avon and serves the needs of a

variety of schools in the town. The staff at the library collaborates with the school media

specialists to assure that the students have access to the necessary materials at either the
school or public library level. Unfortunately, when the students arrive at the library it

many of them are unsure of how to locate books or how to search to see if they are even

available. Many parents have even commented that they are unable to assist their children

because they themselves do not know how to use the OPAC. Based on this evaluation, this

type of instructional design would help benefit these students with many new skills.

After a thorough investigation on the Internet and various AV resource listings, I

have found there is no such instructional design available. Through a Google search, I was

able to find various examples on the Internet of instructional designs for how to use an

OPAC, but I did not find any that were specific to the system that is in use at the Avon Free

Public Library.
Part 2- Analysis of Needs and Goals

The town of Avon Connecticut has 3 public elementary schools, an intermediate school,

1 middle school, 1 high school and also serves many private schools. Other than the school

libraries, the Avon Free Public Library is the main source of information for the Avon schools.

Through collaboration with the school media specialists, it has been brought to the attention of

the youth librarians that many projects assigned by teachers at the schools mentioned are

required to have the students visit the library for information. As the students visit the library for

the required information, they have difficulty searching and finding the needed materials. These

students have complained they are unsure of how to use the OPAC (online public access catalog)

and/or how to locate the items within the library. The staff determined that this is due to the lack

of instruction on how to use the OPAC and the student’s inability to transcribe the catalog

information to the library floor and find the needed materials.

The current method of instruction that the librarians provide is a quick one on one while

students are sitting at the OPAC, or the librarians look the item up for the student and find the

item for them. The youth librarians feel that if these students were given an introduction to the

OPAC it would give them the necessary skills to be able to find the required resources and they

will in turn continue to use these skills in future library visits. Students would also find the

library to be their number one source for information and turn to the resources provided rather

than looking straight to the Internet. The following assessment will help aide the librarians to

determine if in fact this type of instruction could be beneficial.

Needs Assessment

Problem Identification:
Students from the schools of Avon are turning to the library for information to fulfill

requirements for school projects but are unable to search and locate those needed materials in the

library.

Problem Analysis:

The following includes conclusions the librarians have determined based on the evaluation of the

need:

 Students are not learning how to use the OPAC in the school system, or

 Students follow a different catalog system in the schools, therefore making it difficult to

use the one provided in the library.

 The Avon Free Public Library is the only non-school library servicing these students in

their hometown.

 The schools are requiring they visit the library for information.

 Students are not familiar with the locations of materials in the library.

 The Avon Free Public Library cannot fulfill their mission of “free and convenient access

to information, literature, culture and the arts through a variety of media and

technologies” if the students cannot conveniently access the needed materials.

The current method of solving this problem is to have the librarians find the materials needed

for the students. This can cause further constraints such as,

 Reference wait time increases for other patrons.

 If a librarian is pulling materials for “reserve” for the students, where will they store

them, for how long, and what will the circulation policy be?
  If the reference librarian is busy, the students get frustrated and turn to other options

such as the Internet.

 Without proper knowledge in determining if a website is valid, the students could be

retrieving inaccurate information.

Problem Solutions:

The following lists possible solutions to the problem.

 Create or purchase more signage for locations of the library to assist the students in

locating needed materials.

 Have a staff person pull the needed materials and put in a designated place so that

students can find them.

 Create a pamphlet or brochure on how to use the OPAC.

 Create an instructional program that will teach the students how to use the OPAC with a

basic keyword search and how to locate the book in the library. Any staff member could

execute this program.

 The librarians can continue to find the materials for the students.

Articulated and Prioritized Goals:

Based on this assessment, it has been determined that the best possible solution for this

problem will be to create and implement an instructional program that will teach the students

how to use the OPAC to do a basic keyword search. The librarian will then instruct the students

how to find the item located within the search in the library. The goal of this program is: The

students of Avon Connecticut will have the ability to do a basic keyword search in the
library OPAC and locate the item in the library, allowing them to fulfill necessary

requirements for school assignments.

Part 3-Task Analysis

Subject-Matter Expert (SME)

The Subject-Matter Expert for this instructional design will consist of a team of my fellow co-

workers and me. The librarians of the Avon Free Public Library use the OPAC daily and also

have expert knowledge in the location of all items within the library. In the event that I do not

have the knowledge needed to perform the detailed instructional design, I will use the reference

librarian, Alice Pentz, to help clarify any information.

Task Inventory

1. Open catalog on the OPAC

2. Locate section for title search
3. Type in title of a children’s book in the title search location
4. Sort to find only children’s items in the Avon Library
5. Determine if correct item has been selected
6. Translate the terminology to find the location of the book
7. Find the book in the children’s library

Task Selection

1. Open Catalog on the OPAC

2. Create a title search and type in desired title
3. Translate terminology to understand more information about an item
4. Find the book in the Children’s Library by reading the call number

Task Description and Decomponents

1. Open Catalog on the OPAC

1.1 Student sits and locates the icon that opens the library’s electronic card catalog
Entry Skill Needed
 1.1.1 Knowledge of keyboard, mouse and computer terminology such as “icon”
needed
1.2 Student clicks on icon to open catalog
1.3 Student clicks on second icon that states, “Our Library Catalog”
1.4 Student checks to verify they are in the correct location. If yes- Continue to step 2.
If no, repeat step 1.

2. Locate section for title search

2.1 Review each section for search queries, locate one title “title”.
2.2 Be sure the limiter at the bottom is set for, “Avon Free Public Library”.
Entry Skill Needed
2.2.1 Title of book needed prior
2.3 Type in desired book title.
2.4 Click search

3. Translate terminology to understand more information about an item

3.1 Browse through items listed and find one that matches the title of the initial search.
3.2 When match to initial title is found, click on “more info”.
3.3 Locate section that states, “Item locations and Call numbers”.
3.4 All children’s items have a call number with a J in the beginning, does
the item have a J located immediately in front of the call number?
If yes then student moves on to step 3.4.1
If no, then student moves on to step 3.5
3.4.1 Does this item’s description match the desired item?
If yes then student moves on to step 4
If no, then student moves on to step 3.5
3.5 Press the back button on the internet browser to return to search results.
3.6 Continue to look through the remaining items repeating step 3.4

4. Find the book in the children’s library by reading the call number
4.1 Is “More Information’ screen displayed? If yes, continue to step 4.2. If no, continue
to step 4.1.1
4.2 Locate the Call Number of the item on the screen located in the “Item
locations and call number” section
4.3 By following the provided chart and the signage in the library, locate the
desired item in the library.
4.4 If the item is the correct item desired, then the process is complete. If the
item is not the correct item desired, return to step 2.

Task Sequence

1. Open Catalog on the OPAC

2. Create a title search and type in desired title
3. Translate terminology to understand more information about an item
4. Find the book in the Children’s Library by reading the call number
Flowchart
Please see below.

Classification of Learning Outcomes

The goal for this instructional design is to teach the students of Avon Connecticut the

ability to do a basic keyword search in the library OPAC and locate the item in the library,

allowing them to fulfill necessary requirements for school assignments.

This goal reaches for a learning outcome that falls into the cognitive domain. The

outcome will give them intellectual skill that will be transformed into visual/verbal information.

The students will use minor aspects of their motor skill domain, but only with the physical use of

the computer and the movement of finding the item within the library.
Part 4- Analysis of Learners
Middle school students in OPAC instruction

I. General Group Characteristics

The general group that will be involved in this instructional design includes students of

Avon Connecticut that fall into the middle school level. In Avon, this student, boy or girl, is in

either seventh or eighth grade and ranges in the age of 12-14. Based on the available

demographics of Avon Middle School, the majorities of these students are white/non-hispanic

and come from an educated family.

These same students have families that also tend to have a larger than normal income,

averaging at $90,934, compared to the national income of $41,994. (See Appendix B) This leads

to the assumption that many of the students have the necessary means of a computer and Internet

access in the home.

Most importantly, these students are library users. They commonly come to the library

for school work and/or for enjoyment. After observation of and discussion with these students, it

is easy to see that they have daily use of computers and common knowledge about how

computers work. These are students that also have cell phones, their own personal laptops, and

many other varieties of technology. Although they have this knowledge about computers and

technology, they have not all been able to convert that over to the OPAC so that they can search

and locate items in the library.

II. Abilities

A. Entry skills

This instructional design is being developed to help support students that do not have the

necessary skills to be able to use the available OPAC (Open Public Access Catalog) in the library
on their own. Therefore, only students that need to learn this skill and are also interested in

learning it will take advantage of the program. It will be required that these students have the

basic knowledge of a keyboard and a mouse. It will also be helpful if these students are familiar

with key terminology such as icon, Internet searching, call number and keyword. Lastly, each

student should be fluent in the English language.

B. Prior knowledge of topic area

It is very important to determine what the prior knowledge of the topic area is for each

student so that the instruction can be suited to fit their needs. These students have either seen the

OPAC at the library or at school, have heard of it, or they know that it at least exists. To be able

to conclude the extent of the students knowledge about the OPAC and using it, each student will

be asked the following questions when they sign up for the program.

1. Do you know how to use the Internet?

2. Do you know what an OPAC is?

3. Have you used the OPAC before?

4. Do you use the OPAC at school?

C. Educational and ability levels

Based on observation of the average seventh and eighth grade student, these students

have exceptional ability with computers and technology. They are very capable of accurately

searching and locating an item within the library after being shown exactly how to do so.

D. General learning preferences

 According to discussions with some of the mentioned students, they prefer working

hands on in a group setting rather than working by themselves. They also rather participatory

activities to keep them on task and motivated to learn. Technology is a common hobby amongst

this age group therefore any kind of instruction that is computer based is a plus and will help

keep them interested.

II. Attitudes and Learning Styles

A. Attitudes toward content

The average seventh and eight grade student may not have a real interest in learning how

to use the available OPAC. Fortunately, the target audience for this instructional design involves

students that are library users. Because these students are library users, gaining the ability to use

the available technology within the library is of interest to them giving them a positive attitude

toward the content of the instruction.

B. Attitudes toward potential delivery system

Both teachers and students of Avon Middle School confirmed that the delivery system of

hands on computer activities with participatory activities is a good selection for potential

delivery system.

C. Motivation for instruction (ARCS)

The students will be able to use their new skills in helping with school work therefore

benefiting their academic career. They also feel that with the ability to use the OPAC in the

library, they can access information and resources that is available without needing the assistance
of a librarian at all times, helping them to feel more independent. Lastly, they will be able to

assist others such as parents and siblings helping them feel important, smart and resourceful.

D. Attitudes toward training organization

A majority of this population feels the library is “boring”, “a waste of time”, that the

“librarians are mean and don’t like us”, or it is not useful because they have the Internet at home.

This is the section of this group that will most likely not attend the program due to a negative

attitude towards the library. The portion of this population that will attend the program includes

the regular library user that finds the library to be helpful, full of information and a great place to

spend time. They attend many of the programs and will find this program informational and

helpful.

Performance Contexts

This program will teach students how to search for a book by title search within the

OPAC and locate it within the library. As a result of it, they will not have information regarding

searches based on keyword, author or any other type of search factor. They will also only be

learning this performance based on the specific type of OPAC located within the Avon Free

Public Library. Any other OPAC in another library, regardless of how similar, will not be

discussed within this instructional design. This may lead to the students having difficult with the

OPAC at school or at other institutions but having the basic knowledge will increase their

chances of being able to troubleshoot and navigate their way through them. Because of this, a

performance context analysis has been completed based on the following factors;
1. Managerial/ supervisory support

 The students will be able to search and locate an item by title but, as always, librarians

will be present within the library to provide extra support in the event that it is needed.

 The presentation created for the instructional design will be accessible from the library

website in the event that a student would like to review the instruction.

2. Physical aspects of the site

 The performance aspect of the instruction will involve the students doing hands on work

by physically searching for an item. The students will each have access to their own

computer for the duration of the instruction.

 The library and the school media center at the Avon Middle School both follow the

Dewey Decimal System, allowing the students to relate the skill they achieve during the

program to the needed skills at school.

3. Social and learning aspects of the site

 As always, there are certain rules and guidelines that students need to follow while being

in the library. These guidelines include;

o Using the Internet for appropriate use only

o Keeping your voice to a reasonable level

o Being respectful to those around you

4. On-site visits

As mentioned above, the OPAC used at the Avon Free Public Library is not a universal

type of catalog. Therefore students will be encouraged to test out other types of OPAC’s such as

those at their school and other local institutions.

Learning Contexts

The learning environment for this particular instructional design is suited perfectly

because the instruction will take place directly where the skill will be implemented upon

completion. The following factors are considered when developing this conclusion.

1. Compatibility of the site with instructional requirements

 For this instructional design each student will need a computer to adequately fulfill the

requirements. The Avon Free Public Library, the place of instruction, has a computer lab

that can accommodate up to 10 patrons for training.

 To completely satisfy the initial goal, each student will need to locate an item within the

library. Since the instruction will take place directly at the library, this will be easy to

provide the necessary environment.

2. Adaptability of the site to simulate workplace

 In the case of this instructional design, the students’ “workplace” would be considered

either the library itself or their school media center. Transferring these skills to their

workplace will be difficult at first, but by providing the initial skills, the students will

easily be able to convert these skills to those needed at school.

3. Adaptability for delivery approaches

 This delivery approach could be used for other libraries around the world using the same

catalog. In the event that the same catalog is not used, it would be simple enough to

adapt it for a different catalog. Unfortunately, the instruction could not be completed if a

collection of materials was not present for the students to locate different items.

4. Learning site constraints affecting design and delivery

Constraints that could conflict with the design and delivery of this instruction include:
1. The outage of the server that holds the online catalog restricting access to the OPAC

2. A considerable amount of patrons within the library, causing the locating of materials

to increase in difficulty
Part 5- Instructional Goal

 Students of Avon Middle School will have the ability to do a basic title search in the

library OPAC and locate the item in the library, allowing them to fulfill necessary

requirements for school assignments.

Terminal Objective 1

 Using the library’s OPAC, the students of Avon Middle School will electronically search

for titles of items in the library until they accurately find their desired title. The

completion of finding desired item will judge achievement of this goal.

Subordinate Objectives

EO 1.1- Using the library’s OPAC and available library items, students of Avon

Middle School will search for desired items until they find one that is physically

located at the Avon Free Public Library.

EO 1.2- Given a list of search results within the OPAC, the middle school

students will classify which items are owned by the Avon Free Public Library

within a one hour period.

EO 1.3- Given a list of search results, the middle school students will identify if

their desired item is included within the list and provides an exact match within

just a few minutes.

Terminal Objective 2

 Using the newly learned skills of searching by title, students of Avon Middle School will

translate the call number to locate the item within the library. The completion of locating

the item will judge achievement of this goal.

Subordinate Objectives

EO 2.1- Given the catalog record of student’s search result, the middle school

students will identify the Dewey decimal classification and find the item within

the library in 5 minutes or less.

Part 6- Performance Measurement

Introduction
This instructional design focuses on teaching middle school students how to do a title

search with the library’s OPAC and locating the book from that search within the library’s

collection. This design will include 3 parts. The first part, the pre-assessment, will assist in

evaluating the student’s entry level skills to be sure they have the necessary knowledge to

participate in this instructional design. The second part consists of a criterion-referenced test that

will help measure how well the student did in completing the given objectives. Part 3, an

assessment evaluation, will help in determining the quality of the design and what can be

improved for in the future.

Part I- Pre-Assessment

The pre-assessment will be a criterion-referenced questionnaire that consists of a brief

checklist. This pre-assessment will need to take place prior to the actual implementation of the

design to be sure each participant will be successful, therefore this will take place during the

registration process. The necessary entry-level skills are mentioned earlier within the

instructional design. Each participant must have these skills before they can register for this

instructional program.

Part 2- Assessment

The main assessment will consist of another criterion-referenced test, this time working

congruently with the objectives listed in the “Performance Objectives” section. This type of test

is referred to as the “Goal-Centered” criteria. The first objective for these students is to achieve
“using the library’s OPAC by electronically searching for titles of items in the library until they

accurately find a desired title.” During the first portion of the instruction, the instructor will go

over each step needed to complete objective 1 and then students will work with a worksheet that

consists of those tasks listed step-by-step. If each student finds the indicated item, it will show

that the instruction was successful. The students will then work on searching for the title of their

favorite book without using the step-by-step “cheat sheet”. If this task is completed effectively,

then this portion of the design is also a success. Lastly, students will receive a handout with the

layout of the library consisting of where the different items are located. Using this, each student

will find their favorite book they located in the OPAC. When each student has found his or her

item the design will be completed. Any students that cannot find their selected item will need to

have further instruction or re-do the current instruction.

Part 3- Assessment Evaluation

Due to this age group, it will be difficult to have them do a thorough evaluation of the

design. Keeping this in mind, to evaluate the assessment I will hand out a short survey to each

student with questions that offer a quick response. For those students that wish to, they will have

a portion at the end to add any comments. I will also take advantage of the socialization that is

generated within this age group by speaking with the students. This will allow me to get their

real opinions, any questions, to assure the program was a success and if they felt it was

beneficial. This information can be used in the future to better this type of program.
Part 7- Pre-Instructional Activities

Motivation

1. School Assignments: Many students come into the library looking for resources to help

complete school assignments. The students will be motivated to participate in this program

because it will assist them in finding those resources which in turn will increase their chances

of achieving higher grades in school. This instructional design will begin by asking students

to share experiences where they needed to use the library to find requirements for a school

assignment and did not know how to or where to look.

2. Benefits: After students have an opportunity to share their experiences, I will indulge on

the benefits of being able to use the OPAC. Some of these benefits include placing holds on

new movies, requesting items from other libraries and, of course, being able to find anything

in the library. The instructor will ask the students, “Do you know of any other benefits of

using the OPAC?” Time will be allowed for input and then students will write on their

provided handout what benefits of the OPAC they think they would use.

Objectives

A variety of books will be displayed throughout the program. The students will be told that by

the end of the program they will be able to look up any book in the library by searching for its

title in the OPAC.

Entry Skills

When the students registered for the program they filled out a questionnaire that helped them

determine if they had the needed entry skills to be included in the program. Quickly, the

entry skills will be reviewed to be sure there are no questions.

Assessment

Entry Skills

A necessary test will take place to be sure each student does have the necessary entry skills.

The students will be asked to do a general Google search, the default homepage for the

library’s Internet Browser, for the title of their favorite book. This will assure the instructor

that the students are aware of computer terminology, the use of a mouse, a keyboard and

desktop icons.

Pre-test

The pre-test will be done through an informal question and answer session prior to each part

of the lesson. As each lesson begins, the instructor will question each student as how to do a

necessary task. Those that know the answer will contribute by completing the task on their

computer.

Embedded Tests

Immediately following the first activity of the lesson, students will have an embedded test

that will cover the subordinate skills that have been developed. A worksheet will ask them to
 follow the steps to complete a title search in OPAC. At the end of the embedded test, each

student should be able to locate the given title in the library. This test will be able to

establish which students still need extra help or review.

Posttests

Immediately following the last activity, the students will be tested on their new skills. This

will be done by completing a title search for a title of their choice. A worksheet will be

provided to help in writing down and remembering the steps they take and being able to back

track if necessary. This posttest will also be the creation of their memory aid. This

worksheet will also assist the instructor in determining if the steps taken are accurate and

help in the completion of the objectives.

Follow-Through Activities

Memory Aids

Throughout the lesson students will create a checklist that will help them in remembering all

of the steps in doing a title search. This will be built in to their posttest.

Transfer Strategy

This knowledge will be transferred two different ways: 1.- applying the same technique to

the OPAC in other libraries such as the school library, and 2.- using the OPAC in other ways

than just a title search.

 Student Groupings

Students will work individually at a computer workstation for the majority of this lesson. At

times, students will work with the teacher or a partner for answering questions or review.

Selection of Media and Delivery Systems

The majority of this program will be done through computer based instruction and slide show

presentations. The instructor will be prepared for individual and small group activities if

needed.

Content presentation Student participation

Content Practice Items Feedback

Objective/ Task 1
 Open Catalog on the OPAC  Direct students to  Open OPAC on
where the link for the instructor’s computer and
OPAC stands for Online Public OPAC is located on the show students what they
Access Catalog. Students will be desktop and how to open should be seeing on their
encouraged to talk about what they it. screen.
know about the OPAC, if they have
used it before and if they know what
they can do with it.

Objective/ Task 2
 Locate section for title search
The OPAC includes multiple sections
to complete a search query. Students
will be focusing on a “title” search
only. It is important for students to
find the “title search” box.
 Students locate the title  Instructor also completes
search box in the a title search on
OPAC. instructor’s computer.
 Each student is given a  Indicate to student’s the
specific title and different types of search
searches for that title. options and why we are
focusing on a title
search. (re: Goal)

Objective/ Task 3
 Content presentation
 Translate terminology to understand
more information about an item
Information located with the call
number can be difficult to
understand. Students will work on
determining what the call number
means and how to use the information
to be sure they have the correct item.
Objective/ Task 4
 Find the book in the children’s library
by reading the call number
Locations in the library are
designated by special call numbers
that follow the Dewey Decimal
System. By using books on display as
examples, quickly review the
difference between non-fiction and
fiction.
Student participation
 Have students discuss  The instructor will assist in
their search results. moderating and motivating
Through discussion the discussion. Throughout
students can work in a the discussion, the
group to decide what the instructor will assist in
information means, how translating the terminology
it can be used and what and answering any
to do with it. questions.
 Students will review  Teacher will explain map
provided “map” of in detail with discussion
library to start becoming from students.
familiar with locations in
the library.
 Students will work with  Teacher will standby for
a partner and a map of questions and giving
the library to find their directions to locations.
desired item.
Part 8- Instructional Materials and Instructor’s Guide

Introduction

The following “Instructors Guide” was created to assist librarians in re-creating the instructional

design of “How to Use an OPAC”. It can also be used by school media specialists in adapting it

for use within a school library. It includes 5 sections that will help guide the instructor. The

first section includes a basic outline of the design and guidelines for the instructor.

Pre-Instruction Activities

The second section includes pre-instructional activities. This includes activities that can take

place before the initial instruction such as a pre-assessment. This pre-assessment will ensure that

all participants in the program have the necessary entry-level skills to take place in the

instruction and will need to be completed during registration for the program. It also includes a

worksheet that includes questions to get students engaged in a discussion about the OPAC.

Instructional Content

This section of the guide provides the main content of the instructional design. Students will

follow a PowerPoint presentation with the instructor while using a provided The presentation

will instruct the students in following the necessary steps to take to accomplish the design’s

objectives. After the presentation, the students will have the ability to complete a search on their

own and achieve the goal of the program. This will be done with the worksheet provided.

Post-Instruction Activities
The post-instruction activity includes an assessment consisting of a checklist that reviews the

student’s ability to search for an item in the library. This checklist covers each step necessary to

accomplish the given goal. It also includes a student questionnaire that asks them to review the

instructional design.
How to Use the OPAC?

Instructor’s Guide
Introduction

Purpose:

This instructional design is prepared to help engage students in the use of the library’s OPAC,

(Online Public Access Catalog).

Intended Instructor: The intended instructor for this design is a public children’s librarian. This

could easily be adapted for the use in a school library with a school media specialist.

Intended Audience: This instruction is geared towards a target audience of students in middle

school, specifically grades 7 & 8. It could easily be tailored to work with younger students and

adults as well. Each student should have access to a computer and the OPAC of the library.

Terminal Objective

Using the public library’s OPAC, the students of Avon Middle School will electronically search

for titles of items in the library until they accurately find their desired title. They will then

translate the call number information to be able to find the book within the library’s collection.

The completion of finding desired item will judge achievement of this goal.

Overview

This design breaks up the steps required for doing a title search within the library’s OPAC into a

step-by-step instruction. It is geared towards students that have little to no experience with the

OPAC. The design provides a power point presentation that can be used but it will be best if the

instructor can follow along with the students by doing the actual steps on a computer with the
OPAC open and a projector. The students will each have access to their own computer to also

do these steps.

Pre-Instruction Activities

For this program it is necessary to know what the entry-level skills are of the participants’. To

accomplish this the instructor should have the students fill out the provided pre-assessment when

they register for the program. This will ensure they have the necessary skills to participate.

There is a sheet of questions included in the student’s guide to get the students thinking about the

OPAC for later discussion. This is also located on slide #2. This discussion will help in

determining how much they already know about the OPAC. Do this at the very beginning of the

lesson, immediately before the actual instruction begins. This is not a necessary activity but will

benefit both instructor and participant if done.

Instructional Content

Preparation

Photocopy each page included within the Instructional Content section of this guide and prepare

the PowerPoint presentation as handouts for each student.

Cut out the squares for activity, “Book in a Hat” and place squares in hat for later use.

Introduction

A PowerPoint presentation is provided to supplement this instruction but it will work best if the

instructor has access to the catalog as well as a projector to visually show the step-by-step

procedure of searching the catalog. The instruction should begin with a review of what the
OPAC is. Examples to use include; an OPAC is an online public access catalog, a place to look

up everything that is in the library. This replaces the old, well known card catalog. Before

diving into the OPAC, discuss with the participants what it is used for and the benefits of being

able to use it. At this point, the squares on the worksheet titled, “Activity 2- Book in a Hat” can

be distributed by letting each student pick one square from a hat. This includes the title of the

book they will work on throughout the instruction. Also, show the students their notes sheet they

can use while doing the steps. This is also titled Activity 1. Then begin with the steps of how to

do a title search within the catalog.

There are 4 complete steps in searching for a title through the catalog.

Step 1- Locate and open the OPAC

Instruct the students as to how to find the OPAC on the desktops of the computers you are using.

It is also beneficial to show the students that there are multiple ways to access the card catalog.

This is necessary because while at home they may not have an icon on their desktop that will link

them to the catalog. When each student has done so, instruct him or her to click on the link

titled, “Our Library Catalog”. Ask the students if their screen looks like your screen through the

projector. If so you can move on. If not, review and assist students as needed.

Step 2- Locate section for title search

There are many ways to do a search through the OPAC. This can be confusing so it’s good to go

over what the options are and why you will be using the title search. Inform the students why

each search query has a different benefit but that for the instruction today you are focusing only
on the title. When each student has located the box for a title search they can type in the title of

their book from Activity 1.

Step 3- Analyze the information

At this point each student is going to receive a lot of information within the catalog record for his

or her title. Explain to them what each section of the record means. Tell them it is most

important to be sure they have the correct item because things come in multiple formats and

multiple titles. For this search we also want to be sure that the item is in the children’s room,

meaning the call number will always begin with a J. They will use the provided call number

sheet and the information provided within the record to determine if their item is indeed a match

for their title.

Slides 7-10 cover what the different parts are of the record and what to look for to determine if

they have a correct match. Some questions the students can ask themselves to be sure they have

a match include; does the call number begin with a J, does the format match the one I’m looking

for, and does the title and author match? If they have found a match they can move on to the

next step. If not, instruct them they must hit the back button on their Internet Browser and search

through the items again.

Step 4- Using a map of the library; locate the item in the Children’s Room

Each student will use the provided map of the children’s room to locate their item. This means

they must take the call number of their desired item and match it with the call number on the call

number sheet. They then can determine what color section of the map their item is located in
and search for that item within the library. When each student has found their item you can

move on to the next part of the instruction.

Activity 2-

This activity has the students searching for their favorite book title within the OPAC and locating

it in the library. A worksheet is provided to let them make notes and they can always refer to

their cheat sheet. When each student has found his or her own book you know the instruction

was a success.

Assessment-

Using the assessment sheet provided a score can be given to each participant to evaluate their

searching skills and the instruction itself. Any student that is not able to locate their book in the

catalog should have further review. During this point each student also has the ability to assess

the instruction itself. The instructor’s guide ends with a student questionnaire that asks the

students their opinions on the instruction. By using the student evaluations and scores you can

adjust the instruction to better suit the needs of the learners.

PowerPoint Presentation available at the following link:

http://www.slideshare.net/guest75798c/how-to-use-the-opac
How to Use the OPAC
Pre-Instructional Activities
 Registration Form & Pre- Assessment- “Using the OPAC”

To register for the upcoming “Using the OPAC” program at the Avon Free Public
Library please fill out the following registration form.

Name: _______________________________________ Grade: _____________

How would you like to be reminded you’re registered? (Please check and fill in one)

___ Phone: (______) _________- ____________

___ Email:__________________________________@_____________________

Please check yes or no to the following: Yes No

Are you familiar with a keyboard and a mouse?

Are you familiar with the Internet?

In your opinion, what is your level of expertise with a computer? (Circle One)

Expert- “I’m a genius!” Intermediate- “I’m pretty good” Beginner- “What’s a computer?”

Are you comfortable with computer terminology?

Do you know what an “OPAC” is?

Have you ever used the library’s OPAC before?

Have you ever used the OPAC at your school?

 Before coming to the "How to use the OPAC" program, take a look at
these commonly asked questions and see if you know the answers or have
any other questions.

Do you have any other questions about OPACs you

would like answered?
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
____________________________________
How to use the OPAC

Instructional Content
 Activity 1- Book in a Hat!

Archer’s Quest Attack of the A Dog’s Life

Turtle
By: Linda Sue By: Ann Martin
Park By: Drew Carlson

Double Identity Drita, My The Ghosts Grave

Homegirl
By: Margaret By: Peg Kehret
Peterson Haddix By: Jenny
Lombard

Paint the Wind Rules The Year of the

Dog
By: Pam Munoz By: Cynthia Lord
Ryan By: Grace Lin
 Activity 1- Book in a Hat!

Shhh- Cheat Sheet

Here is a place you can write down the steps as we go over

them for use later on in our activities.

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9

Activity 2- Your Favorite Book!

 Name: ________________________ Date: ______________
Directions: Using the skills we just learned on “How to use the OPAC”, find
your favorite book by doing a title search.

Tasks to Complete Answer

1. Using the title of your favorite Title:

book, do a title search.

2. Did the library own your first

choice?

3. What is the call number of the Call Number:

book?

4. Where you able to locate the Yes or No

book in the library?

What do the Call Numbers Mean?

 Call Number What is it?
JF Juvenile Fiction
& (Hardcover)
Authors last name located in yellow on map
JF PB Juvenile Fiction
& (Paperback)
Authors last name located in red on map
J Juvenile
& a number such as 327.9 Non-Fiction
located in blue on map

J Graphic Juvenile Graphic Novel

& located in green on map
Authors last name or series name
JE Juvenile Picture Book
& located in orange on map
Author’s last name
JE Juvenile Easy Reader
& Located in purple on map
Authors last name + Reader
How to use the OPAC

Post-Instructional Activities
 Activity 2 Evaluation- Your Favorite Book!

Name: ________________________ Score: ______________

Directions: Using the skills we just learned on “How to use the OPAC”, find your favorite book
by doing a title search.

Tasks to Complete Yes No

1. Selection of title
1.1 Title chosen is an exact match, owned by the
library and is in the correct format.
2. Uses OPAC correctly
2.1 Locates OPAC correctly on desktop
2.2 Uses title search
2.3 Capable of typing in title of book with keyboard
2.4 Can determine if it is owned by the Avon Free
Public Library
6. Translates More Info/Call Number

6.1 Clicks on appropriate place to locate more

info/call number
6.2 Is able to locate the call number on screen
6.3 Can use call number to determine location in
library
4. Locates book in library
4.1 Uses information/call number to find book in
Children’s room with or without map
 Assessment of Instruction: Student Questionnaire

Directions: Please help us improve this instructional program for others by giving us
your input. Answer to the best of your ability and feel free to comment as necessary.
Your ideas and suggestions will help us make this program better in the future.
Please use the following scale to answer the questions:
Not at all Rarely Sort of Usually Yes
1 -------------------------- 2 ------------------------- 3 --------------------- 4 -------------------5

#1-5 Evaluation
You understood what was expected of you
You had enough time to complete each activity

The instructor moved at a good speed

The program was informative

The material was age appropriate

The handouts for the program worked well

You completed each activity successfully

You will use the OPAC more now

You feel more comfortable with the OPAC now

Using the traditional grading scale- how would you grade this program overall? (Circle one)
A B C D F
Additional Comments:
Part 9- Formative Evaluation

Introduction:

At the conclusion of any instruction every designer should take some time to reflect

and re-think his or her plan. To determine the effectiveness of this design and the need for

any improvements, I chose to do a formative evaluation. A formative evaluation allows an

instructor to determine where and how the design can be revised to enhance the success of

the learners. This evaluation is outlined below.

Specialist Reviews:

Subject-Matter Expert

The SME, or subject matter expert, for this particular design included the many staff

personal at the library that work with the catalog on a daily basis. It also included the head

of the children’s room that is very experienced with cataloging and the use of it. The

subject matters experts reviewed the design before its implementation and during the

design process assisting with any missing pieces.

The head children’s librarian felt this was a useful design and would help the

students in many ways. The activities that were created were thought to keep the students

engaged and motivated to learn, plus they suited the age group and allowed for it to

challenge them while not being too difficult. The pictures of the catalog within the

PowerPoint presentation were helpful but the SME agreed that if possible to use the catalog

itself the outcome would increase.

 The SME did think that the students would ask many questions in regards to the

other uses of the catalog and that the designer should be prepared for this. They also

thought that it would be beneficial for a better review of the Dewey decimal system. Lastly,

she pointed out that these students would be learning about how to find things in the

children’s room when primarily the young adult collection that included items for their age

group was located within the adult section. As the instructional designer I felt it easier to

teach them how to locate children’s books and they then could use that knowledge and

translate it into how to find items in the young adult section.

Age-Group Expert

The middle school librarian from the local school also reviewed the instructional

design and felt it was a great way to keep their attention. She confirmed that students in

this age group do like working in groups, they do like working at computers and they will

want the chance to talk to each other and get up and move around. All of these traits were

covered throughout the design.

She recommended giving them more time working with each other and possible

“team tasks” or other activities along that line. She said making it more like a game would

give them more interest in completing the tasks.

Learner-Oriented Evaluations

One-to-Trials
Materials- The materials presented included a rough draft of a PowerPoint presentation,

the rough draft of the handouts, and a look at the actual OPAC. The final drafts of all of

these materials are all included within this packet.

Participants- For this part of the evaluation I presented the rough drafts of the instructional

design to 4 members of the Teen Advisory Board at the library. This worked much like a

focus group. These students are in 9th & 10th grade but are still very close with some middle

school students so are still in tune with the traits and personalities of this age group.

Two of the 10th grade students worked with the instructional designer as experts to

go over the design and give input. In regards to this particular instructional design, these

two students, students A and B, are of differing abilities but both of them female. Student A

is an honor student and also works afterschool as a page so she knows the collection well

and how to use the catalog. I have worked closely with this student for many projects and

on many occasions so I am very familiar with her intellectual abilities. I am also aware of

what her grades are in school.

Student B is not familiar with the catalog or how the collection is classified. We also

work closely together and she has made me aware of her grades in school, which are

considered below average.

The other two students, called C and D, both reviewed a presentation using the

materials described above. They each spent approximately 30 minutes each with the

designer.
Pre-Instructional Materials- The pre-assessment was easy to understand and each

participant agreed that almost any 7th or 8th grader would have these entry skills. They

were asked if they thought this was a need of the students and if it would be successful in

gaining participants. At first they did determine that many 7 th and 8th grade students would

not participate on their own but it would be a good idea to work with the school in making

it an extra credit assignment. Once they were given more information about the use of it

they determined that this would need to be expressed well for this age group to think it

was beneficial.

Content Presentation and Learner Participation- Reviewing the design process, they felt

that the design would work well with some middle school students but others would

definitely not be interested. Student A felt it was too easy and obvious while student B felt

it would be accomplished well.

All of the students agreed that using the catalog for the instruction was the approach

to use. They also thought that it would be difficult for the students if they searched for a

book such as Harry Potter that is in many different formats or for a book that the library

does not own. One of them suggested that the instructor should have a list of books

available in case this happens for the students to use. Other suggestions made included a

discussion of how this is similar to using it to find books in the young adult section and also

adding to the pre-assessment if the student had working knowledge of a map considering

this is used to find the books without much instruction on how to use it. All the suggestions

are listed on the Instructional Revisions Analysis Chart.

Small-Group Trial

Materials- The materials used for the small-group trial consisted of the updated rough draft

worksheets, *a list of books for the students to use and the *actual OPAC catalog used on a

projector. *Taken from one-to-one trial suggestions.

Participants- The participants for the small group evaluation included 6 students in 7 th and

8th grade that work as volunteers at the library. This group of students is the intended

audience for the instructional design. This consisted of four 7 th grade and two 8th grade

students with male and female participants. They were chosen based on their abilities and

their knowledge of the needed entry-level skills.

These students included a wide range of abilities, some of them being very intuitive

and capable and others needing more assistance. I was able to determine this just by

observing them weekly with their volunteer position at the library.

The instructional designer completed observation for this portion of the design

process during the instruction.

Pre-Instructional Materials

The students were able to fill out the pre-assessment/registration form the week

prior to the instruction implementation during their regularly scheduled volunteer time.

Each of them concluded they had the entry level skills necessary to participate in the

design. By following the instructional design the students discussed what they know about

the OPAC. They all knew they could look stuff up but 4 out of 6 of them were not aware of

the other abilities such as placing holds and requesting books from other libraries. They all
agreed it would be very beneficial in finding stuff for homework. This also helped getting

the students engaged with one another since they did not all know each other and it

allowed time for anyone coming in late. This made sure they did not miss anything

important. During this time the instructor was able to determine the pace of the program.

The introduction took approximately 45 minutes, realizing that the introduction to the

OPAC may take longer than planned.

Content Presentation and Learner Participation

During the presentation, students worked at differing time frames and abilities. At

times it was difficult for students that were ahead of others because the catalog would

“time out”. This became a problem and will need to be adjusted for future presentations. A

new instruction will need to be given to students on what happens during a “server time

out” and what to do when it happens. This is crucial because this will happen when they

use the catalog.

Questions that were raised by the students included what the other search boxes

were used for and what if they didn’t know they title of the book they were looking for? I

explained to them that for this instruction we were only going to learn about looking up

books that we do have a title for but that I could help answer those questions after the

program.

Each student found this instruction to be easy to follow and successfully found their

books in the library once they completed activity 2. The most difficult portions included

the following; Coming up with a title on their own, picking the correct format and
determining their place on the map. The handout on formats assisted them in determining

this and it just took a little practice for them to get used to it.

Assessment- The students that participated within the small group activity were asked to

complete the questionnaire for assessment. Based on the grading scale they average grade

for the instruction was an A and they all agreed they would use the OPAC more now. At the

completion of the instruction 3 students approached the instructor and asked if they could

learn how to place holds and request other books.

The decision making process on how this instruction adapted to the students needs

is displayed in the Instructional Revision Analysis Chart seen below.

 Instructional Revision Analysis Chart
Component Problem Evidence/Source Decision

Pre-Instruction Did not include map One-to-One- Noticed by Add entry level map skills to pre-
Items/Activities skills on the Student evaluation and assessment/registration form
checklist confirmed during small
group

Motivational Students will not feel One-to-One evaluation
motivated about conferred this problem
doing this program while small group agreed
they had little interest in
it
Will need to enhance the need for
this and possibly work with school to
make an extra credit program. Can
also increase motivation by
advertising the benefits of learning
the OPAC. Parents will sign students
up resulting in students finding the
positive outcome of the program.

Activity 2- Finding Difficulty finding One-to-One evaluation Create a handout of titles owned by
own title their own title and Small Group library for backup that may not be in
owned by library presentation observation multiple formats.

Small group presentation Make students aware of what

Server “timing out” happens when the OPAC times out
because of students and how to return to the screen they
working at different are looking for. This is a 3 step
time levels process and needs a slide and
handout of its own

May also include a list of “hard to

find” books or ones in multiple
formats to challenge students who
complete tasks easily

Children’s Room Students are finding SME suggested that it is Give students a map of the young
map books not in their touched upon giving adult section and challenge them to
age range them information about find a book in the department geared
books for their age range towards them.

Initial Search Students ask many Small group Provide them with a handout that
Screen questions about presentation- many details what each search query is
what other searches students asked these used for
are for questions
 Appendix A- Avon Middle School, Connecticut Demographics

1. Demographics and Characteristics

School Type Regular school

Grades offered 7th Grade – 8th Grade
Level Middle School
Teacher FTEs 42.8
 Surrounding Suburb, Large Territory outside a principal city and inside an urbanized
community area with population of 250,000 or more.

How many students enroll at Avon Middle School?

  # in School % of School % of State

Black Non-Hispanic 11 <1% 24%
Hispanic 18 <3% 22%
Asian / Pacific Islander 38 <6% 22%
American Indian / Alaskan Native 2 <N/A 16%
White Non-Hispanic 511 >88% 14%

2. 2000 CENSUS DATA

MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD INCOME ($ IN PREVIOUS YEAR)
AVON CT US

Median household income 90,934 53,935 41,994

1. – http://www.stateuniversity.com/elmsed/CT/Avon-Middle-School-Avon.html

2. - http://www.epodunk.com/cgi-bin/educLevel.php?locIndex=9095

Appendix B- Performance Measurement Worksheets

Registration Form & Pre- Assessment- “Using the OPAC”

To register for the upcoming “Using the OPAC” program at the Avon Free Public
Library please fill out the following registration form.

Name: _______________________________________ Grade: _____________

How would you like to be reminded you’re registered? (Please check and fill in one)

___ Phone: (______) _________- ____________

___ Email: __________________________________@ ________________________

Please check yes or no to the following: Yes No

Are you familiar with a keyboard and a mouse?

Are you familiar with the Internet?

In your opinion, what is your level of expertise with a computer? (Circle One)

Expert- “I’m a genius!” Intermediate- “I’m pretty good” Beginner- “What’s a computer?”

Are you comfortable with computer terminology?

Do you know what an “OPAC” is?

Have you ever used the library’s OPAC before?

Have you ever used the OPAC at your school?

Activity 2 Evaluation- Your Favorite Book!

Name: ________________________ Score: ______________

Directions: Using the skills we just learned on “How to use the OPAC”, find your favorite book
by doing a title search.

Tasks to Complete Yes No

4. Selection of title
4.1 Title chosen is an exact match, owned by the
library and is in the correct format.
5. Uses OPAC correctly
5.1 Locates OPAC correctly on desktop
5.2 Uses title search
5.3 Capable of typing in title of book with keyboard
5.4 Can determine if it is owned by the Avon Free
Public Library
9. Translates More Info/Call Number
9.1 Clicks on appropriate place to locate more
info/call number
9.2 Is able to locate the call number on screen
9.3 Can use call number to determine location in
library
4. Locates book in library
4.1 Uses information/call number to find book in
Children’s room with or without map
 Assessment of Instruction: Student Questionnaire

Directions: Please help us improve this instructional program for others by giving us
your input. Answer to the best of your ability and feel free to comment as necessary.
Your ideas and suggestions will help us make this program better in the future.

Please use the following scale to answer the questions:

Not at all Rarely Sort of Usually Yes
1 -------------------------- 2 ------------------------- 3 --------------------- 4 --------------------------5

#1-5 Evaluation
You understood what was expected of you
You had enough time to complete each activity

The instructor moved at a good speed

The program was informative

The material was age appropriate

The handouts for the program worked well

You completed each activity successfully

You will use the OPAC more now

You feel more comfortable with the OPAC now

Using the traditional grading scale- how would you grade this program overall? (Circle one)
A B C D F
Additional Comments: