Weaving Information Literacy Instruction into the Fabric of Your e-Learning Program

Abstract

e-Learning leaders can promote student success and increase retention by enriching the educational experience of their students and their instructors with a robust library presence in their programs in four ways. First, the e-learning leader should encourage teamwork amongst the librarians, the instructional designers, and the subject-matter teaching faculty. Second, the e-learning leader should support the design and development of self-instructional, online library tutorials. Third, the e-learning leader should encourage the enhancement of instruction in information literacy through virtual reference (VR) via sophisticated collaborations that provide 24/7 service or more limited, but less expensive stand-alone, in-house chat services. Fourth, e-learning leaders should support the acquisition of a remotely accessible collection of electronic books and journal databases for students and instructors. For those K-12 students and corporate trainees who do not have authentication privileges to proprietary materials, the e-learning leader should provide guidance via VR services to open access e-books and journal articles that are freely available on the Internet or that are available through state-supported portals funded by state tax dollars. The presence of library instruction and library resources enhances e-learning environments by empowering the learner with the lifelong learning skills and with the knowledge needed to identify an information need, as well as find, evaluate, and use information.