Librarians who teach one-shot library instruction classes (one-time, one- to three-hour classes to students who are assumed to be novice researchers) are often torn between two pedagogic approaches: a "critical mass" pedagogy emphasizing a minimum amount of databases that must be introduced with little time for student searching, and a…

This study investigates whether the type of instruction (a single face-to-face librarian-led instruction, instructor-led instruction, or an online IL course--the Online Research Lab) has an impact on student information literacy gains in a Freshman English Composition program. A performance-based assessment was carried out by analyzing…

Contradicts Frank F. Kuo's conclusion that a slide-tape program is superior to the lecture tour by showing that better immediate recall of bibliographic instruction is not necessarily a result of such a program. The disparity between the two studies indicates the need for further research. (Author/JD)

This study conducted at Texas A&M University compares two types of training approaches using ERIC SilverPlatter (ERIC SP). Education students received either: (1) a one hour training session on basic search commands and strategies, or (2) a four page instructional handout that described basic search commands, Boolean logic, and special…

This study on the role of instruction in encouraging the successful performance of the first-time online catalog user examined three relationships to evaluate the effects of an instructional program: the comparative effectiveness of four instructional methods in orienting users to the online catalog; the influence of an instruction program on user…

A computer-assisted bibliographic instruction program developed for remedial students to teach them critical thinking skills covered library vocabulary, formats, call numbers, tools, and question analysis. Evaluation showed that students receiving classroom presentation scored higher on a posttest than students using the computer-assisted…

A framework is presented for library instruction that integrates learning in the cognitive and affective domains. A study is reported that supports such a framework. Central to this instruction is the use of an overall strategy called FOCUS, FORMAT, FIND, and EVALUATE. The study compared the effects of two methods of academic library instruction…

This document is the final report to the U.S. Department of Education of a research and development grant awarded to establish a fully equipped electronic training room and test the effectiveness of hands-on instruction in learning the NOTIS OPAC (online public access catalog) and the Silver-Platter ERIC database on CD-ROM. The purpose of the…