Reference in library and information science education

Library Trends, Fall, 2001 by Yvonne J. Chandler

The Impact of Distance Learning Technology on Reference Education

The widespread use of interactive videoconferencing and the Web have made feasible many new forms of collaborative distance learning activities. In the last decade, distance education has done much to improve the delivery of master's programs to under-served areas. Results of the Library and Information Science Students Attitudes, Demographics, and Aspiration Survey (LISSADA), research by Heim and Moen, told educators that the majority of students attend programs in their own states. These data confirmed the need for offering graduate programs at other locations and in diverse formats. Distance and electronic courses remove the geographic boundaries of information science education.

According to the ALISE Statistical Report (2000), 76 percent of the responding accredited schools offered one or more courses away from the home campus during the 1997-98 academic year. Forty-four schools reported 489 courses taught as distance education, with an average of 11 courses per school. Saye (2000) observed, in the ALISE Statistical Report, that 43 of the 50 responding schools had off-campus enrollment. Total full-time off-campus enrollment for all schools was 1680.5 students for the Fall 1999 semester, for a mean enrollment of 43.1 full-time students. Responding schools indicated a number of ways in which they offered distance education courses away from the home campuses, including at distant sites, via Internet delivery of Web-based courses, via closed-circuit two-way interactive audio/video conferencing or compressed video, or via television.

Most ALA-accredited programs offer the reference or information access course as both a face-to-face course and using distance-learning technology. In an analysis of the Spring and Fall 2000 course schedules for the accredited graduate programs, 25 schools only offered the reference and information access class on campus, while 22 offered the course either way. Seventeen schools offered both an on-campus and a distance section of the reference course during the same semester. Only one school offered the reference and information access course only through distance learning.

As distance-education technologies have developed, pedagogical approaches are being discussed by educators. Muirhead (2000) described four competencies necessary for success in these classes: computer skills, literacy/discussion skills, time-management skills, and interactive skills. Participating in distance-education courses does include a learning curve related to the student's ability to master a computer-mediated system. Many educators wonder whether the online format provides adequate opportunities for the dialogue and social interaction that are vital elements in the learning process. Web-based course-management software, such as Blackboard and WebCT, provide the mechanism for individual or group communication between students and faculty. Students interact with their course materials through reading their textbooks and required readings and working on collaborative exercises. Students can communicate with teachers and receive immediate feedback online. This communication can be immediate (via chat sessions or a phone call) or delayed (through a discussion forum or email). Seminars and workshops can also be conducted without the physical limitations of the classroom. With computerized technology, guest speakers can interact with students from different geographical locations, even different nations.