Making Connections: Reaching Online Learners at the Ball State University Libraries

Abstract

Reaching online learners is an important part of the information literacy instruction landscape. A challenge in providing online information literacy instruction is often making a connection with students who might never visit campus. The barrier to reaching these students at Ball State University is the variety of formats the online courses may take. Courses are offered in an online environment (either synchronously or asynchronously), in person, or a hybrid model. This article will describe approaches to managing information literacy instruction for each of these formats, and will provide best practices and practical examples of learning objects. Technologies to be discussed include screen casting software, LibGuides, and tools within a course management system. We will describe an agile, flexible plan we have developed to meet the various needs of faculty and students and describe how we have promoted our services to faculty members.