Web Mashups

Freshman Instruction

meet

Lessons Learned and Plans for the Future

Lisa Campbell and Brett Spencer The University of Alabama2010 MSU Emerging Technologies Summit

Fall 2009…

For spring 2010, we decided to use

LibGuides as a research guide and teaching tool.

Background

Tip Sheets

Worksheets

Web Pages (2001)

Web Pages (2003)

Anchors.

Lots of scrolling.

Web Pages (2006)

Course-specific pages.

No direct links to resources.

Still lots of scrolling.

LibGuides (2009)

Results:

0

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

6000

7000

8000

9000

General EN 102 guide

Results:

“The information was extremely helpful. The questions I asked were immediately answered.”

“This website was a great help. The databases and searches went straight toinformation that I needed.”

Student Feedback

“I have just looked at the portals for English 102 and 103.  I have one word: FABULOUS ! ! !”

“This is FANTASTIC! Thank you so much for all your hard work.”

Faculty Feedback

A New Approach

DefinitionsWhat exactly is a mashup?

(Smith, 2008).

Before (Pashkova-Balkenhol, 2010).

After (Pashkova-Balkenhol, 2010).

Before

After

Changes for Fall 2010

We tried to select technologies

based on utility and function.

(Student feedback from a Google form)

Not everything made the cut…

Function Tools Select Examples

Access • APIs, embedded scripts• Vendor/database widgets• Google (Books, Scholar, etc.)

http://libguides.ufv.ca/SearchBoxWidgets

Discovery • RSS Feeds/Alerts• Social Bookmarks• Other current awareness tools

Yahoo Pipes, feed aggregators, some Wolphram Alpha widgets

Assessment • Online survey tools• Data collection tools

Google Analytics, Google Docs SurveyMonkey, Zoomerang

Instruction • Tutorials• Streaming media• Embedded learning objects

Camtasia, Captivate, Prezi, Jing, PowerPoint, SlideShare, Tegrity, YouTube, Vimeo

Assistance • Synchronous communication• FAQs and self service

Chat widgets, vended virtual reference applications

Engagement • Social Networks• Sharing/interaction tools

Tags, user-submitted links, comments, wikis, Facebook buttonshttp://www.addtoany.com/

Conclusions

Questions?Lisa Campbelllcampbell@ua.edu

Brett Spencerdbspence@ua.edu

Works Cited

1. Smith, Jared. “Accessibility of Next Generation Web Applications.” EASI Webcast for WebAIM.org. June 19, 2008.

2. Pashkova-Balkenhol, Tatiana. “Research guides design: librarian or user-driven?.” A Reference Renaissance 2010: Inventing the Future. Denver, CO. August 9-10, 2010.

3. Absher, Linda, Lim, Adriene, and Kerry Wu. “Library Mashups for the Virtual Campus: Using Web 2.0 Tools to Create a New Current Awareness Service.” ACRL Thirteenth National Conference. Baltimore, MD. March 29-April 1, 2007.

Further Reading/Inspiration

Websites• http://www.programmableweb.com/• http://mashable.com/• http://www.widgetbox.com/• http://www.alatechsource.org/

Readings• Clark, Ruth C. Developing Technical Training: A Structured Approach for Developing Classroom and

Computer-Based Instructional Materials. San Francisco: Pfeiffer/Wiley, 2008.

• http://lists.ala.org/wws/arc/ili-l (some good threads related to LibGuides, tutorials, and online instructional materials)

• Kraemer, E.W, S.V Lombardo, and F.J Lepkowski. "The Librarian, the Machine, or a Little of Both: a Comparative Study of Three Information Literacy Pedagogies at Oakland University." College and Research Libraries. 68.4 (2007): 330-342.

• Mairn, Chad. "Enhancing Learning While Creating a Library Presence in Course Management Systems." Journal of Web Librarianship. 4.1 (2010): 55-61.

• Habib, M. 2006. Toward Academic Library 2.0: Development and Application of a Library 2.0 Methodology. Unpublished Masters Dissertation. School of Information and Library Science of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Available at: http://etd.ils.unc.edu/dspace/bitstream/1901/356/1/michaelhabib.pdf