Online Tutorials
Contents |
Success Stories
Links to Great Online Tutorials
- University of Calgary
- Atlantic Community College
- Central Michigan University
- ANTS: ANitmated Tutorial Sharing project by COPPUL
- University of Oklahoma
Tips for Developing Online Tutorials
1. Resources: Consider what type of software best meets the needs of your library and your tutorial. 2. Budget: Determine your budget for software and staffing for the project. Often an online tutorial project can be funded with grant money from a parent institution. 3. Technical Support: Secure some form of ongoing technical support for your tutorials. Tech support can come from your library systems department or a campus Information Technology department. 4. Planning: Many people find "storyboarding" and graphic outlines to be useful tools for planning tutorials. 5. Content: Carefully consider your audience when designing tutorials. Tailor tutorials to meet the needs of your audience. Tutorials can be course-related or stand alone. The objectives of the tutorial should be clearly stated for users. The most effective online tutorials allow for interaction and "active learning." Graphics add to the learning experience, but studies have found that adding sound to a tutorial doesn't work. Be sure and provide contact information for librarians who can help tutorial users with the tasks covered in the tutorial. Many tutorials contain email links. 6. Keep tutorials current. Update as information and resources change and evolve.
Software We Like
- CamStudio (GPL)
- Macromedia Captivate
- TechSmith Camtasia
- Qarbon Viewlet Builder
- Wink (Freeware)
Blogs/Websites to Watch
- Distant Librarian
- Jon Udell's Weblog
- CORIL A small but growing Canadian repository of online learning objects sponsored by the Ontario Council of University Libraries
- PRIMO A database of links to "peer-reviewed instructional materials created by librarians to teach people about discovering, accessing and evaluating information in networked environments". Produced by the Instruction Section of the ALA/ACRL.
Specific Blog Posts/Articles to Check Out
- Screencasting to Help Your Mom by Digital Inspiration
- Camtasia vs. Captivate by Information Wants to be Free
- Macromedia Captivate vs. Qarbon ViewletBuilder by Distant Librarian
- Creating Interactive Learning Tutorials for Software by Robin Good
- Movies of Software by Jon Udell
- Our Reference Wiki and Online Tutorials by Stephen Francoeur
