Information Literacy Online Tutorials: An Introduction to Rationale and
Technological Tools in Tutorial Creation
1. Introduction
Library instruction has been an important part of academic librarianship. With
proliferation of information resources and complexity of search skills, students
and faculty are dazzled by the difficulty in identifying the right resources in their
research. Library instruction has become a required component in undergraduate
curricula in many academic and research institutes. As early as in 2000 the
Association of College & Research Libraries (ACRL) published its Information
Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education. According to the ACRL
(2000), “Information Literacy is the set of skills needed to find, retrieve, analyze,
and use information.” It is “a key component of, and contributor to, lifelong
learning.” Several accreditation agencies consider information literacy as a key
factor for students such as the Middle States Commission on Higher Education
(MSCHE), the Western Association of Schools and College (WASC), and the
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS).
Like any faculty members, we librarians go to classrooms regularly and teach
students how to identify information sources and do research. Traditional library
instruction has been incorporated into curricula. Librarians have been recognized
as teaching faculty. Then suddenly one day we woke up and found ourselves
facing the challenge of online courses. Just in the last two years colleges and
universities have increased their online courses by 15% to 20%. According to the
2007 Sloan Survey of Online Learning (Stover, 2007): “The enrollment in online
learning has increased at a rate of 21.5 percent over the past five years. The
survey also found that almost one in five higher education students currently takes
at least one class online.”
This is a new challenge. Traditional in-classroom library instruction does not fit in
with the model of online long distance learning. The latter is precisely the kind of
instruction that many colleges and universities have increased over the past
several years. The only way to face the challenge is to create online library
instruction tutorials and incorporate the library component into online courses.
Librarians understand that developing online tutorials is the first step towards
integrating library instruction into university’s online courses. The question is
how? This article will examine the types of technologies academic libraries that
have been used in creating their online tutorials. A discussion will follow on the
adequacy of current practice in tutorial creation. We will introduce the readers to
some of the useful tools for developing state-of-the-art and successful online
tutorials. Learning technological-know-how is a must in modern academic
librarianship.
2. Literature Review
“Web-based library instruction requires more than duplicating print instructional
materials on the web. Good online information tutorials should effectively
incorporate multiple instructional media into the web presence to convey the
instruction in multi-stimulating ways (Zhang, 2006)." A review of the literature on
information literacy online tutorials shows a genuine consensus among academic
librarians that the first generation of library online tutorials written solely in HTML is
outdated. Such tutorials are described as "long, linear, and full of as many skills as
possible (Pressley, 2008)." Lamb and Johnson (2008) voiced their dissatisfaction
with "static web pages" vs. “web presence” in online tutorials. There was a call at the
2007 ALA Midwinter meeting for librarians to "move on from stale, barely
interactive tutorials of the 1990s (Brown et al., 2007)."
Many authors agree that academic libraries face a new generation of student clientele,
the Generation M (M stands for Media). “Today's students have grown up in an
information environment very different from the one that many of us remember. They
have been raised on the fast-paced edutainment of Sesame Street and have spent their
adolescence watching 3-minute music videos on MTV. Their media environment
specializes in short messages and multimedia, with news dispatched in sound bites
and snippets of stories (Pressley 2008).” A survey conducted in 2002 (Jones, 2002)
shows that "students entering our institutions to be Internet natives eager to
collaborate and interact virtually (Brown et al., 2007)." When creating library online
information literacy tutorials, the challenge is to meet the learning needs of the
Generation M students.
One way to do this is to create a familiar learning environment for the digital savvy
students. A study by Armstrong and Georgas (2006) was conducted to measure the
effectiveness of interactive online tutorials among undergraduate students. The
outcome showed that "Students responded positively to the interactivity and gamelike nature of the tutorial. The high degree of interactivity and the game-like quality
of the tutorial are key factors in its success (Armstrong & Georgas, 2006)." In
addition to contents, interactivity, multimedia, and game-like quality are identified as
essential components in an effective online tutorial. According to the ACRL
Instructional Technologies Committee (2008), "Web tutorials should include
interactive exercises such as simulations or quizzes." The same view is shared among
many other authors. For instance, as Anderson (2008) wrote: "These activities
encourage active learning and allow students to respond to what is taught, while self
assessing their own learning. Web tutorials should also provide a way to contact a
librarian for questions or to give feedback about the tutorial’s design or usefulness."
3. Status Quo
Many college and university libraries have developed or are considering developing
online tutorials. A literature search indicated that there are no statistics as to what
percentage of academic and research libraries have done so. There is a lack of studies
in this area. In order to get some basic information about the current practice of online
tutorial creation, the author used a random number generator (Haahr, 2008) to get a
random selection of one hundred colleges and universities from the Peterson’s FourYear Colleges 2008. The colleges and universities in the sample are in the United
States and Canada and their sizes vary with the number of undergraduate students
ranging from 30 to 35,110. In the sample, the author examined a total of 372 online
information literacy tutorials from the library web sites of the academic institutions.
The findings indicate that about 33% of the surveyed libraries have developed their
own online tutorials. About 11% have links to online tutorials created by other
libraries or database vendors. About 49% of the surveyed libraries have library
instruction presence on the web. To describe their teaching programs or online
tutorials, about 17% of the libraries in the sample used the term "information literacy"
rather than "library instruction". The detailed breakdown of the tutorials based on
content type and technologies are as follows.
a. Tutorials based on Content type
Based on contents, online tutorials created by librarians can be divided into several
types. The following table is a breakdown of the 372 tutorials in the survey by content
type, with examples taken from tutorials on the library web sites.
Table 1. Tutorials Based on Content Type
Type
Database
Search Skills
General
Introductory
Subject
Research
Library related
Concepts or
procedures
Library related
Applications
Number of
Tutorials
149
119
53
34
17
Percentage
Examples
40% Academic Search Premier
ABI/Inform Complete
32% Library Research Skills
Find Books at EKU Libraries
14% Nursing Research
Find Biology Resources
9% Plagiarism
Copyright Laws
Publish or Perish
5% EndNotes
RefWorks
Microsoft Word
Logging in from Off Campus
Total
372
100%
1. Tutorials on a specific database (40%). Most library tutorials found on the web
fall into this category. Databases from different vendors may be very different in
search features and data presentation. The tutorial on a specific database teaches
people how to retrieve and manipulate data in that database. They are more
popular and useful than general and subject tutorials. This kind of tutorials may
even be useful at reference desk when a reference librarian is busy. The librarian
may steer the users to a well-designed and concise tutorial to learn database
searching while he or she is busy serving other patrons.
2. General and introductory tutorials (32%). These give a general overview of
library resources and teach basic search skills, for instance, by using Boolean
operators in constructing a search statement or evaluating Internet resources.
General or introductory tutorials are neither very popular nor effective as other
types of tutorials, but they are necessary. Such tutorials are not tied to any subject
or class assignments. Students do not feel compelled to take them unless they are
required to do so.
3. Tutorials of subject research (14%). These teach students of a specific class or
major to research resources in his or her subject area such as marketing, chemistry,
or psychology. These kinds of tutorials are more popular and practical because
students use them when driven by the need for completion of class assignments.
They are also useful for faculty pursuing research interests in a subject area.
4. Tutorials on library related concepts, procedures or policies (9%). The best
example is a tutorial that explains the basics of complex copyright laws and fair
use. Other examples may include plagiarism, term papers, and citing references.
Reference desk frequently asked questions are potential contents for a good online
tutorial of this type.
5. Tutorials on an application or software (5%). Such tutorials often include Endnote,
Refworks, and computer programs. Sometimes they may or may not be related to
library functions. For instance, it is often the responsibility of the institution’s
Office of Information Technology to teach how to use a computer application
such as Microsoft Office Suite. Nevertheless some libraries have tutorials of this
nature on their web sites.
b. Tutorials Based on Technological Approaches
To create their online tutorials, academic librarians have used a variety of
technological approaches. The following is a breakdown of the 372 tutorials based on
technologies with which they are created. As libraries can develop the same tutorials
with several technologies, one tutorial may take on multiple formats. For instance, a
library may create the same tutorials in PDF, HTML, and Microsoft PowerPoint and
display them on the web for users to choose. Therefore the total number of the tutorial
in the table is large from the total number of tutorials in the survey. Six links were
found broken in the survey. All of them pointed to tutorials on remote web sites.
Table 2. Tutorials Based on Technologies
Technologies
Tutorial Software/Flash
HTML
PDF
MS PowerPoint
HTML with CGI Scripts
WMV Video
WebCT
TILT
MP3
Podcast
Unknown (broken links)
Total
Number of
Tutorials
132
97
68
33
29
10
7
7
6
1
6
396
Percentage
33%
25%
17%
8.3%
7.3%
2.5%
1.8%
1.8%
1.5%
0.3%
1.5%
100%
4. Technological Tools for Web-based Tutorials
a. HTML
HTML stands for Hypertext Markup Language. It is a simple and basic language
commonly used in creating web pages from1990s. About 25% of the total tutorials
surveyed are HTML-only tutorials. HTML-only tutorials can be created by amateurs
using Microsoft Front Page or Dreamweaver. However, HTML is not capable of
animation and interactivity, features that are helpful in engaging students in elearning. HTML-only tutorials are often reproductions of printed teaching materials.
These tutorials may be well-designed and some may have layouts that are stunningly
beautiful, but due to their lack of actions, such tutorials can be boring and tedious,
especially they are not best suited to the needs of the new digital savvy Generation M.
According to Armstrong and Georgas (2006), game-like nature and interactivity in a
tutorial are the key factors in the success of an online tutorial. Therefore HTML by
itself is not ideal in creating tutorials. An HTML tutorial can be greatly enhanced by
CGI scripts.
The following are some information literacy tutorials created in HTML:

UC Berkeley Library-Finding Information on the Internet: A Tutorial
http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/TeachingLib/Guides/Internet/FindInfo.html

Cornell University-Library Guide to Library Research at Cornell: Seven Steps to
Effective Library Research
http://www.library.cornell.edu/olinuris/ref/research/tutorial.html

University System of Georgia-Online Library Learning Center
http://www.usg.edu/galileo/skills/
b. HTML with CGI Scripts
CGI stands for Common Gateway Interface. A CGI script is a small program written
in a language such as Perl, Tcl, C or C++, and it functions as the glue between
HTML pages and other programs on the Web server (Course Technology, 2008).
Some CGI scripts perform the function of transferring data between HTML pages and
a web application. Some are used to enhance and make HTML coded pages
interactive, dynamic, and lively. About 7.3% surveyed libraries used a combination of
HTML and CGI scripts for tutorials. Below are some of the examples of online
tutorials written in HTML with CGI scripts.

Rider Information Literacy Search Skills Tutorial http://abaris.rider.edu/tutorial1

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Library Research Tutorial
http://www.lib.unc.edu/instruct/tutorial/

American University Library's Information Literacy Tutorial
http://www.library.american.edu/tutorial/index.html

Healey Library Information Literacy Tutorial
http://www.lib.umb.edu/newtutorial/

Minneapolis Community & Technical College Library Tutorial
http://www.minneapolis.edu/Library/tutorials/infolit/
Many web sites provide free CGI scripts written by anonymous programmers for
downloading. They are accompanied by live demos and simple instructions for
amateurs. The scripts are generally organized into categories by function. One can
find CGI scripts that perform almost any functions on the web. For instance, some
web sites contain scripts of interactive quizzes that one can incorporate into the online
tutorials for end session exams. Other scripts include search engines, pop-up windows,
flying banners, twinkling stars, etc. One does not have to know how to write CGI
scripts in order to deploy them in the tutorials. Most CGI scripts do not need server
access or installation. All one needs is some patience and a little courage to try new
things. The following is a list of resources for librarians to get free CGI scripts on the
Internet. It involves cut and paste CGI codes into header and body parts of HTML
pages. In most cases instructions for using them are simple and clear.

CGIScripts.directory.com: http://www.cgiscript-directory.com/

CGI Resource Index: http://cgi.resourceindex.com/

Free CGI Scripts: http://www.free-cgi.com/freecgi/hosting/index.php

FTLS.org-Free CGI Archives: http://www.ftls.org/en/examples/cgi/

HotScripts.com: http://www.hotscripts.com/

Krystyna’s CGI Scripts for Educators:
http://www.tesol.net/scripts/scriptsdetails.html

Matt’s Script Archive: http://www.scriptarchive.com/

Scriptsearch.com: http://www.scriptsearch.com
c. E-learning or Tutorial Software
While CGI scripts improves HTML tutorials by adding limited animation and
interactivity, very few provide the capabilities of audio and multimedia like elearning or tutorial software do. In the last several years many e-learning tutorial
software packages have became available. Most are commercial and a few are free
with open source licenses. All of them work in a very similar fashion. They can
capture mouse movements on the screen and attach sound when editing. Some also
include interactive quiz functions. The end products are Flash files with audio, video,
and interactivity. HTML and CGI script are not capable to produce these effects.
In order to view a tutorial in Flash format, one needs a Flash plug-in for the browser.
The Flash plug-in can be downloaded for free at Adobe Flash Player Download
Center at http://www.adobe.com/products/flashplayer/. Most Internet users have
already got Flash on their computers. Tutorials in Flash sometimes are referred to as
videos because they look and feel like videos. When viewed on the Internet, they load
effortlessly into a browser like regular web pages.
Flash tutorials are really well suited for live demonstrations, especially for creating
tutorials of database search skills. It is not easy to use Flash technology to develop
subject search tutorials, which generally require comprehensive coverage of resources
in a subject area. When used to teach database search skills, Flash tutorials are best if
the teaching will be divided into short episodes, each one lasting no more than five
minutes. The tutorial software packages are designed for technological amateurs.
Some tutorial packages are capable of true interactivity. Librarians can create tutorials
single-handedly on their own. As the survey shows, Flash is the most popular format
(33%) used by librarians for tutorial creation.
The following is a list of e-learning or tutorial software. Once one learns how to use
the software, it does not take very much time to create a tutorial. With price ranging
from $150 to $600, the software is not too expensive. The following is a list of
tutorial software that librarians may use:
Commercial Software

ViewletBuilder5 at http://www.qarbon.com/

Demo Builder 6 at http://www.demo-builder.com/index.html

Adobe Captivate 3 (Macromedia Captive) at
http://www.adobe.com/products/captivate/

Camtasia Studio 5 at http://www.techsmith.com/

SWiSH Max 2 at http://www.swishzone.com/
Open Source tutorial software

Wink at http://www.debugmode.com/wink/

A Total of 63 Free & Open Source E-learning Software are listed at the following
UNESCO site: http://www.unesco.org/cgibin/webworld/portal_freesoftware/cgi/page.cgi?d=1&g=Software/Courseware_To
ols/index.shtml
The following are some of the libraries that have used tutorial software to create
online library instruction:

Washington State University (ViewBuilder)
http://www.wsulibs.wsu.edu/electric/search/category_results.asp?loc=tutorials&c
at=Instructional+Viewlets

Babson College (Camtasia)
http://www3.babson.edu/library/tutorials/Proquest/proquest.html

University of Nebraska Medical Center (ViewBuilder)
http://webmedia.unmc.edu/library/medline/medlinebasic_viewlet_swf.html

Pennsylvania State University (ViewBuilder)
http://aect.ed.psu.edu/viewlets/prerequisite.htm

Trinity Western University Library (Wink)
http://www.acts.twu.ca/lbr/AcSePr.htm
d. Prepackaged tutorials
Prepackaged tutorials combine contents and computer programming
into one package. Generally they are created by the IT department of an academic
institution and later made available to others as an open source program. They have to
be downloaded and installed as a package. It takes some technical expertise to
customize them for local needs. It also requires some technical skills to install them in
a server. There are some nice prepackaged tutorials on the Internet. The most famous
and widely adapted one is TILT-Taxes Information Literacy Tutorial at
http://tilt.lib.utsystem.edu/. The other examples of prepackaged tutorials include
University of Glasgow Study Skills Tutorial at
http://www.lib.gla.ac.uk/Training/tilt/studyskills.shtml and Acadia University Library:
plagiarism at http://library.acadiau.ca/tutorials/plagiarism/.
e. PDF and Microsoft PowerPoint
Some academic libraries have used PDF (17%), and Microsoft PowerPoint (8.3%) as
their formats in creating online tutorials. In spite of their informative and well-written
contents, these tutorials are not very interactive and game-like. They represent printed
materials on the web. Even though PDF and PowerPoint are not the best suited tools
for creating online tutorials, they are easy to create. Word documents can be easily
converted into PDF format by a free converter called CutePDF Writer at
http://www.cutepdf.com/Products/CutePDF/writer.asp. For libraries with little
technical expertise, these tools are their best solutions. Nevertheless these tutorials
should be discarded and replaced by more interactive Flash tutorials.
f. WebCT, MP3, and WMV Videos as Tutorials
Librarians are very innovative in tutorial creation. One library in the sample used
WebCT (1.8%), the e-learning system, for library tutorials. One setback is the
requirement for users to use ID and password before viewing a WebCT tutorial. The
WebCT tutorials in the sample do not have audio feature and are not interactive. They
are text in nature and involve a lot of reading like PDF and HTML pages. MP3 (1.5%
in the survey) provides audio only and users can listen, but not watch. MP3 format is
not meant for visual demonstrations. WMV stands for Windows Media Video, a
format developed by Microsoft Windows for Internet streaming. WMV videos need a
program, a media player, to be viewed. Among many media player programs are
Windows Media Player, Realplayer, PowerDVD, and more. WMV format is not very
common in library tutorial creation (2.5% in the survey), but they are videos with
audio and animation. They are not interactive. Below are some of the library sites to
demonstrate the use of those technologies.
WebCT

University of British Columbia Library at
http://www.library.ubc.ca/home/instruct/
Mp3

Maag Library of Youngstown State University (OH)
http://www.maag.ysu.edu/help/Tutorials/Mp3_Librarytour/
WMV Videos

Pace University Library at http://www.pace.edu/page.cfm?doc_id=29301
5. Conclusion
One challenge for academic teaching librarians is how to find ways to incorporate
library instruction into increased online courses. Another challenge is how to adapt
the traditional teaching to meet the learning needs of digital savvy new
undergraduates. We have identified key factors in creating successful online tutorials,
but not all the academic libraries are up-to-date in the required technologies. Static
tutorials are outdated. Librarians should move on from the long, tedious and stale web
pages to more interesting, animated and interactive tutorials.
In the best-case scenario, a library can combine all the technologies covered in this
paper into one tutorial so that students can read, watch animation and have fun at the
same time. The best tutorial is always a combination of good contents, logically
connected links with clear verbal explanation, and animated, interactive
demonstrations. HTML, CGI scripts, and tutorial software should all play a part in
creating an effective tutorial. Effective tutorials should blend learning with fun.
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