Recipe for Research Success:
Using Tutorials to Teach
Information Literacy Skills
Teal Smith, User Communication & Instruction
Sara Davidson, Head, User Communication & Instruction
Susan Mikkelsen, Resource Access and Instruction

Project Background
The tutorials focused on the following
outcomes, modified from ACRL's
Information Literacy Competency
To evaluate library instruction Standards for Higher Education:
and to meet the academic needs
of students, the UC Merced •identify a manageable information need.
library instruction staff •develop an overall search strategy.
partnered with the Writing •identify valuable search tools.
Program in an assessment •utilize effective search strategies to find
project. relevant information.
•evaluate search results accurately.
Part of the assessment project •retrieve/access needed information.
involved the use of online •distinguish between scholarly and
tutorials to teach research popular materials.
skills. Some sections received in- •incorporate relevant information into
person instruction while other an assignment.
sessions received instruction via •ethically use information.
the tutorials.

Sept 2008: Start planning process.
Discuss theme, storyboard, and
Nov 2008: aesthetics. Divide responsibility
for tutorial writing and production.
Dec 2008: Complete storyboard writing.
Begin and complete production.
Feb 2008: Make tutorials available on
library website.
March 2008: WRI 10 classes view tutorials.

Process
Began production using Adobe Captivate.
Decided on theme: Used style sheet to keep tutorials
Planning a Dinner cohesive. Recorded voice and closed
Party captioning.
In the end, had 8 tutorials
totaling over 45 minutes.
Published tutorials
and uploaded to
Library website.
Prepared outline. Divided
Tutorials viewed by
responsibility for specific
WRI 10 students
tutorials. Wrote storyboard.

Tutorials Resources
WRI 10 Tutorials: http://ucmercedlibrary.info/tutorial/writing-10-
modules.html
Online Tutorials Wiki: http://www.libsuccess.org/index.php?
title=Online_Tutorials
Animated Tutorial Sharing Project (ANTS): http://ants.wetpaint.com/?
t=anon
Library Information Literacy Online Tutorials PPT: www.njla.org/njacrl/
InfoLitOnlineTutorials.ppt
Greg Notess' Screencasting Planning Worksheet: http://www.notess.com/
screencasting/screencastworksheet.pdf
Screencasting & Online Tutorials Resource Page: http://lib20.pbwiki.com/
resources-screencasting
A Quick Guide to Screencasting for Libraries: http://oedb.org/blogs/
ilibrarian/2008/a-quick-guide-to-screencasting-for-libraries/