Adapting to Asynchronous: Creating a LibWizard Tutorial for ESL Courses

Izzy Westcott
Graduate Assistant, Undergraduate Library, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Background
LibWizard Best Practices
When the COVID-19 pandemic limited the Undergraduate
Library’s ability to provide in-person information literacy • Set clear expectations on the first slide such as
instruction, a team of librarians and graduate assistants created learning outcomes, grading information, and
an online tutorial for students in English as a Second Language length of time to complete.
(ESL) courses. Many students in ESL courses are living in different • Use accessible documents, alt-text for all images,
time zones through the pandemic, and asynchronous instruction captioned videos, and test with multiple screen
was chosen as a result. readers.
• Use distinct and meaningful titles for each slide.
What is LibWizard? • Include detailed tutorial and web navigation
To create the tutorial, the team used LibWizard, a Springshare instructions and explain LibWizard features.
product for creating forms, surveys, quizzes and tutorials. This • Vary slide content formats including webpages,
project explored the tutorial feature, creating a self-paced images, PDFs, LibGuides, and videos.
learning module in place of synchronous instruction. • Confirm websites are accessible to students
outside of the United States.
Tutorial Purpose
The goal of the tutorial is to familiarize students with library
resources while also introducing information literacy concepts
such as distinguishing between source types and creating search
strategies. The tutorial contains 33 slides, 12 questions, and takes The Refine Results slide from the Searching Library Databases Tutorial.
approximately 30 minutes to an hour for students to complete. An embedded screenshot is annotated to identify database features. Assessment
• Tutorials can be graded
Challenges Solutions Pedagogical Strategies for participation or
based on quiz answers
using certificates or by
• Click through Slides
running reports.
iFrame Limitations Screenshots • Students can work at their own pace and
• View submission data,
return to content as needed.
• Some databases and websites • Rather than displaying a live including how students
• Quiz Questions
responded to each
prevent iFrame use, the HTML database in the slide content using • Multiple choice questions reinforce concepts
question.
element LibWizard uses to display an iFrame, we took screenshots of and assess student learning.
• Utilize open-ended
content within the tutorial. the database search and requested • Immediate feedback is given for correct and
questions as formative
users open a new tab to replicate incorrect answers.
assessment.
• Embedded Content
the search.
• Tutorials utilize embedded LibGuides, PDFs,
screenshots, videos and infographics, with The Reflection Slide from
instructional text and directions on the side. the Searching Library
Engagement Interactive Databases Tutorial, with
assessment questions as
well as the opportunity for
• We were concerned with how to • Tutorials allow for interactive additional feedback.
maintain student engagement learning through quiz questions,
without in-person or synchronous worksheet downloads, and
interaction. feedback, alongside multimedia
forms of representation. Conclusions
Though not all pedagogical strategies implemented in person can
be recreated in tutorials, the format does allow for meaningful
engagement, participation, and assessment. LibWizard and other
online tutorial formats can be a useful tool for administering
Time Intensive Documentation and Copies asynchronous, high-volume instruction, or in addition to
synchronous instruction. Though the initial investment is
• Familiarizing ourselves with the of Tutorials significant, tutorials can be reused and reworked to provide
format and creating a tutorial • We created detailed internal interactive instruction semester after semester.
from scratch was a lengthy documentation to assist with any
process. future projects, and copies of the
tutorial can be made and adjusted. A multiple-choice question about finding scholarly articles, Acknowledgments
with feedback explaining why the chosen answer is
correct. Special thanks to Alex Deeke, Kirsten Feist, and Nicole Sherman.