ABSTRACT
The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated a long-term trend in libraries toward the generation of online teaming objects. These materials in the library space are unique compared to those generated in other fields, as libraries frequently make them available for access on their website, or through library-owned social media channels, in formats meant to be available to all. This article looks at major types of library online learning objects and surfaces the most impactful areas of work for librarians and other education professionals interested in improving accessibility and accessibility compliance. The article and discussion are meant to provide an overview of critical WCAG 2.1 standards in relation to learning object types to make the practical implementation of accessibility less overwhelming. To supplement these recommendations, the authors have provided exhaustive lists of WCAG 2.1 criteria applicable to each learning object in the Appendixes.
ABSTRACT
This is a complete evidence-based practice paper. The current COVID-19 global pandemic has required educators to pioneer online instruction even as they deliver it. This shift has particularly impacted first-year programs, in which training engineering students to find reliable information is fundamental to their professional development and ABET and CEAB accreditation criteria. Typically, information seeking is taught in person so that instructors and librarians can directly observe and guide student behavior, a practice still evolving but well-established by research. However, the effects of online information-seeking training and the sudden transition on students' learning are very poorly understood. Even less is known about the use of asynchronous instructional methods. This paper significantly enhances existing knowledge by directly examining the efficacy of in-person and asynchronous online instructional modalities. For 60 students in a mandatory engineering-communication course, we deployed an enhanced online baseline-assessment exercise to understand students' existing information-seeking behavior. Librarians then deployed an asynchronous online lesson to teach engineering research practices, critical evaluation, and information literacy. We evaluated the extent to which the online lesson impacted student information-seeking behavior and compared it to existing data from the prior year's classroom version. Our results demonstrate that the asynchronous learning module significantly enhanced the students' critical evaluation of sources and student outcomes were comparable with results in the previous synchronous course. These results have dramatic implications for how we understand students' baseline information-seeking behaviors, pedagogical design to bring about meaningful changes in students' use of sources, and how course design can incorporate effective asynchronous online delivery in diverse models. © American Society for Engineering Education, 2021