Computer-Assisted Instruction: Is It an Option for Bibliographic Instruction in Large Undergraduate Survey Classes?

Abstract

Developing effective library instruction for large undergraduate survey courses can be a difficult task. In 1993, librarians at UCLA’s Louise M. Darling Biomedical Library decided to develop a computer-assisted library instruction program for the roughly 800 to 900 undergraduate biology students per year who are enrolled in the department’s basic, required-for-the-major introductory course. A formal summative evaluation of the effectiveness of this CAI, as compared to the lecture method, also was developed. The evaluation utilized both a quantitative pre- and posttest design using objective questions and a qualitative follow-up survey featuring open-ended questions.