Off-Campus Library Services Conference

The web is a critical part of distance learning and so is the design of the pages and the site that you create to host the information. Students must be able to find the necessary information and navigate easily if they are to be satisfied with the distance learning process. Are you sure your web site and web pages are designed and organized to let students find what they need effectively and efficiently? This is especially important for distance learning and off-campus students who may not have the opportunity to come into the library and get help. Usability testing is a cheap and easy process that will help ensure that your site aids students in the learning process rather than hindering them.

This workshop will define web site usability testing and present the principles and importance of usability testing. Common usability techniques will be presented and reinforced with hands-on demonstrations that illustrate the purpose and usefulness of the techniques.

The art of initiating a web site usability study will be discussed. Participants will understand the “behind the scenes” events necessary to move a usability study from an idea into reality. The cost effectiveness and ease of performing usability studies will be emphasized.

Real-life examples of usability studies from the literature and from the presenter’s own experiences will be used to enhance the presentation and allow participants to gain additional insight into the importance and value of usability studies. Special emphasis will be placed on techniques and methods that can be used with students who are not able to attend “on site” usability studies.

Assumptions:

Basic familiarity with using a computer and navigating the Internet Basic familiarity with web page design theory

Objectives:

Gain an overall understanding of web site usability
Develop a knowledge of the most popular usability techniques
Examine several techniques with a hands-on application
Explore how these techniques can be applied to off campus learners
Acquire an understanding of the importance of and need for planning a usability study
Receive a comprehensive bibliography of resources on web site usability

Instructional outcomes:

Participants will leave this session with the knowledge, skills, and resources to be able to plan and implement a usability study at their organization.

Firewalls, Ad-blockers, Web Accelerators, etc.: Helping Remote Users of Electronic Resources Overcome Barriers to Access

by David Bickford

Limited to 25 participants

The past ten years have seen remote access to electronic resources emerge as the preferred method of use for many, if not most, library patrons. Remote access is especially important in the realm of distance learning, since students enrolled in such programs may have little, if any, access to traditional campus library facilities. Unfortunately, the misuse of the Internet has also led to a culture in which many personal computer users feel they must install accessory programs that complicate the normal processes associated with the retrieval of Web-based information. Various programs that users install, often with the best of intentions, can interfere with the authentication processes that many libraries and their vendors use.

An exploration of firewalls, ad-blockers, pop-up blockers, Web accelerators, and similar software will examine the complications caused by popular programs in each category when users attempt remote access to library-provided information resources. Additional exploration will focus on similar complications experienced by users behind workplace firewalls. Discussion of each type of software will include minimally invasive remedies to recommend to users and suggestions for managing the technical support burden. Particular attention will focus on the interaction of firewalls and related software with popular remote access solutions such as EZproxy. Finally, analysis of this situation will include consideration of human factors, including discussion of possible messages to convey to skeptical patrons and network administrators. Role-playing activities will provide an opportunity for participants to practice resolution of remote access problems.

Assumptions:

Participants should be familiar with basic terminology relating to computers and the Internet. The focus of this session will not be related to building and maintaining firewalls, so knowledge of computer networking is not necessary. Instead, this workshop will focus primarily on the human factors of resolving issues with firewalls and other causes of blocked access to resources.

Objectives:

Identify major remote access authentication methods
Identify major consumer firewalls and problematic software
Describe approaches to modifying firewalls and problematic software
Explore strategies for managing technical support burdens
Practice resolution of difficult troubleshooting scenarios

Instructional Outcomes:

Participants will identify major remote access authentication methods
Participants will learn to recognize potentially troublesome software
Participants will learn approaches to modifying firewalls and problematic software
Participants will explore strategies for managing technical support burdens
Participants will engage in role-playing activities in order to practice resolution of difficult troubleshooting scenarios

Copyright in the Online Course Environment

by Hazel Davis

Limited to 30 participants

Librarians are often regarded, either formally or informally, as the experts on Copyright at their institutions. This role can assume added importance in the distance learning environment, where so much copyrighted material is made available in online courses.

Hazel is a faculty librarian at a non-traditional community college, which has 25,000 online students. Part of her responsibilities have included the establishment and supervision of a distance learning copyright permissions department at the college, whereby a systematic and structured copyright procurement process is in place. Course developers submit information about the third party materials they would like to make available to students in their online courses (including such items as book excerpts, journal articles, images and film clips) and these items are then researched and evaluated by the copyright librarian to see whether permission is required to include them in online courses. Considerations include whether the items are in the public domain, covered by the Fair Use statutes, or are library subscriptions which can be linked within the course via PURL script technology, etc. Once the evaluation has been made, permission is secured by library copyright staff, where necessary, via the established permissions process, and the items are mounted in the course.

The college has a centralized Course Development department, and the faculty librarian works closely with the college Director of eLearning and the instructional designer, meeting with course developers in the early stages. She makes them aware of the many resources available through the college online library for use in their courses, and also assists with researching possible resources that might be appropriate, based on their needs for course content to meet course competencies.

Hazel has also presented a workshop on copyright best practices for faculty members at all 10 institutions in her community college district who are teaching in the online or hybrid environment.

The workshop will include a PowerPoint presentation with coverage of the following elements:

an overview of copyright law as it pertains to the online environment
a description of the systematic copyright process at the presenter’s institution
types of third party materials that can be used in online courses
avenues for use of third party materials, including the Public Domain, Fair Use, the TEACH Act, library subscription databases (including persistent links), Free Web links, and requesting permission from the copyright holder
the permissions process

Hands-on activity will include an exploration and discussion of scenarios in online courses, and whether or not the uses are permissible. Handouts will include a copy of the PowerPoint presentation, copies of the forms used at the presenter’s institution, and resources for further study and reading.

Assumptions:

No prior knowledge of copyright in the online environment is required. However, the most recent developments and best practices will be discussed, for those participants with some prior knowledge. Basic computing skills are required.

Objectives:

Discuss the background to copyright law in the United States
Describe the copyright issues affecting the online course environment
Apply copyright principles to online courses, including the Public Domain, Fair Use, and the TEACH Act
Describe a model process for copyright compliance for distance learning faculty, administered through the library at Rio Salado College
Discuss and provide online library and free web resources to recommend for instructional use in online courses
Describe and discuss the copyright permissions process

Instructional outcomes:

Participants will be able to apply the concepts taught in the workshop to assisting online faculty with copyright compliance at their own institutions.