Web-Based Instruction

As library users and students are becoming increasingly "tech-savvy", it is important that librarians are at the ready with the skills they need to offer online instruction. Academic librarians in particular, who are responsible for developing the research skills of the students they serve, should benefit from being able to go beyond traditional classroom instruction which often falls short when training users to navigate complex databases and varied interfaces. Susan Smith is a proponent of using technology to take library educational services to the next level. Following her approach, the reader should be equipped to: evaluate, test, and refine programmes on an ongoing basis; determine what makes an effective Web-based instruction programme; serve a large number of students with 24/7 access to interactive, self-paced, and self-directed instruction; and select appropriate hardware, software, and levels of interactivity.