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Learning with the Students: Chemical Engineering Students Help Design and Shape Delivery of Instructional Information for Their Discipline

Abstract

During the last year and a half, the West Virginia University Libraries purchased LibGuides, a web-based subject guide template, to make important research and study information available in one convenient place for our students and faculty. The engineering librarian decided to focus on chemical engineering for the first focused engineering guide. The development of the guide became an opportunity to invite senior chemical engineering students to participate in suggesting content for the guide and to use and critique any online/video tutorials that would complement it. Since Chem Eng (ChE) 455/456 Chemical Process Design 1 and 2, are taken by senior chemical engineering students at this institution, one of the professors allowed us to meet with the members of the senior class. Students were aware that the research information in the guide and tutorials would be of more use to students in successive classes since this would be the design phase of the process. The students’ horizons are expanding because the LibGuide and tutorials introduced them to information and resources that they may not have had knowledge been of, making the students more aware of the options available for research in their field. The librarian is gaining knowledge at the same time, learning to use Adobe Captivate, exploring video options, operating a Flip camera and editing video. The entire experience has made the librarian more sympathetic to users, especially those less comfortable with technology. A description of the process follows. Student input is critical to the usability of the guide and tutorials.

Introduction

The WVU Libraries’ information literacy efforts are becoming more visible on the campus. The Libraries’ dean and the Provost’s Office have demonstrated the importance of information literacy through its inclusion in the current strategic plan and with financial support for faculty summer stipends to work with librarians to create course-related instruction modules. ABET’s emphasis on literacy adds another reason to refocus efforts on providing instructional options to our engineering students. We needed to develop different methods to get instruction to our engineering students since we know that they spend very little time in the library building, and we have minimal contact with them for one shot instruction sessions. The goal is to the best way to provide information to students in short, to-the-point explanations that could be delivered on demand. We have experience with the traditional methods of delivery but very little with online and video options. So this became an opportunity for us to learn at the same time.

Literature review

There are reviews about LibGuide with some mention is other articles about its use. There are a good number of articles that describe using online or video tutorials generally, with some fascinating articles about various video tutorials for students in engineering and the sciences. Jack Maness from the University of Colorado, Boulder published an article in the Summer 2006 Issues in Science & Technology Libraries (ISTL) that evaluated streaming video used to deliver

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Strife, M. (2010, June), Learning With The Students: Chemical Engineering Students Help Design And Shape Delivery Of Instructional Information For Their Discipline. Paper presented at 2010 Annual Conference & Exposition, Louisville, Kentucky. 10.18260/1-2--16804