Using an Online Tutorial in Composition Classes

Anna Carlin, MLIS

Information Literacy Technology Librarian

Florida Gulf Coast University

Composition Courses

http://www.flickr.com/photos/kayaker1204/4307898742/

Why a tutorial?Academic Year Composition sessions/ Total

instruction sessionsPercent of total instruction

2005-06 22/74 29%

2006-07 35/117 30%

2007-08 48/139 35%

2008-09 32/106 30%

2009-10 22/103 21%

2010-11 (tutorial in use in both Comp I and II)

0/92 0%

2011-12 (tutorial in use in Comp II only)

22/67 (not all data collected yet) 32%

The tutorial

• Original Skunk Ape Tutorial created in 2000 and was in use at FGCU from 2000 - circa 2004

• A basic orientation to library research and information literacy

• Theme: The Skunk Ape, a mythical ape-like creature thought to live in the Everglades

In 2009, work began in earnest on a new recreation of the Skunk Ape tutorial

http://library.fgcu.edu/RSD/instruction/skunkape/skunkape.htm

Meanwhile…

How did it become part of the first-year experience?

• Spring 2010- 5 classes of Comp II used it as part of the course redesign grant

• Fall 2010- Comp I classes continued to use it • Spring 2011- Composition program leaders

make the tutorial required for Comp II classes

Working with Composition Instructors

Using the Learning Management System

Composition Instructor

Information Literacy

Technology Librarian

ANGEL Learning Object

Repository

Composition II CRN #1

Composition II CRN #2

Composition II CRN #3

Scores appear in each course for instructors to review

Scores also get fed back to the

repository

Email “Please add Skunk Ape”

Manage modules and pre/posttests

Publish Skunk Ape to multiple

courses

Participation

# of students submitted scores

# students enrolled in Comp II

Spring 2011 (no score collection) 1570Fall 2011 350 548Spring 2012 1100 1676

First Time in College Enrollment for Fall 2011: (approximately) 2325 students

Is it effective?

Pre/Post Test dataSpring 2011 Fall 2011 Spring 2012

(as of 4/2/12)

102 students 92 students 857 students

Average score Pre-Test: 55.58%

Average score Pre-Test: 53.84% (7 out of 13 questions correct)

Average score Pre-Test: 55.58%

Average score Post-Test: 75.57%

Average score Post-Test: 75.48% (10 questions out of 13 correct)

Average score Post-Test:74.60%

Survey feedback: What did you like?

• I enjoyed that there were videos and that it wasn't just straight reading.

• Extremely user-friendly and interactive. Not just plain text that students will not be drawn to continuously reading. It is, in my opinion, extremely effective and I feel that it increased my knowledge significantly, and I now feel confident enough to do any search and citation!

• Fun noises

Survey feedback: What didn’t you like?

• The videos made me feel like I was being talked down to.

• The modules are too long and I wish it got a little more to the point rather than all of the videos.

• I was already taught the information so it seemed redundant to me.

• I'm more of a face to face learning rather than a computer learner.

• When submitting the scores, the connection kept getting lost and I had to repeat the tutorial.

Using a tutorial for first-year instruction in Composition classes

Pros• Reach 1600+ students

without straining human resources

• Automated data collection

• Students can go back to the tutorial for refresher

Cons• Lose the “personal”

touch• Technical glitches and

incompatibility issues• Updates can be

complicated and irksome

Resources for further information

• McClure, R., Cooke, R., & Carlin, A. (2011). Information literacy and the skunk ape: Assessing the impact of online library learning modules on student writing in English composition courses. Journal of Information Literacy, 5(2), 26-45.

• Skunk Ape Tutorialhttp://library.fgcu.edu/rsd/instruction/skunkape/skunkape.htm

• Anna Carlin, acarlin@fgcu.edu, Florida Gulf Coast University

Flickr Photo Credits

• Kids Writing photo: Kayaker1204, http://www.flickr.com/photos/kayaker1204/4307898742/, http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/

• Commencement photo: Thatautguy, http://www.flickr.com/photos/mikesagmeister/487582517/, http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/

• Teacher photo: Don O'Brien, http://www.flickr.com/photos/dok1/3963439187/, http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.en

• Google Master Plan photo: Steve Jurvetson, http://www.flickr.com/photos/jurvetson/21470089/, http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.en