Coping With the Technology Gap in the Classroom

Library instruction in academic libraries has increasingly become a challenge as libraries have access to more and more electronic resources. Now, new technology may be commonplace in a short period of time. CD-ROM indexes are now as common as their print counterparts. In the recent past, gopher servers were the newest electronic technologies for exploring the Internet. Now, everyone is fascinated by the graphic and visual capabilities of using Mosaic and Netscape to explore the World Wide Web.

Although the technologies change rapidly, academic library instruction facilities have often not kept up with the latest tools for electronic access, thus making library instruction more difficult. For example, at the Curtis Laws Wilson Library at the University of Missouri-Rolla librarians conduct library instruction in a classroom with one terminal, an overhead projector, an LCD panel and chairs for approximately thirty students -- not the latest equipment to be sure. The equipment and seating were installed when library instruction was lecture-style and librarians were primarily demonstrating the online catalog. Now, instruction is also offered in the use of the networked CD indexes, resources available on the Internet and World Wide Web, and full text periodicals on CD-ROM.

The challenge of how to effectively teach about electronic databases and indexes with limited facilities is one which librarians continue to face. The ideal situation would be access to an electronic classroom with a terminal for each student to practice searches. Measures are being taken to provide for one in the future. In the meantime, library instructors must creatively try to find ways for students to utilize electronic resources through active learning.

For example after a general introduction to print and CD-ROM indexes in one instructional class session, the class is divided into four groups. Two groups are given exercises for the Social Sciences Index, Reader's Guide to Periodical Literature, and the New York Times Index and two groups are given exercises to work with Proquest GPO. Proquest GPO (General Periodicals on Disc) provides indexing and abstracts of articles from over 1600 popular and academic journals and select newspapers. The system also includes the full-text of articles from over 400 of the indexed journals. Copies of full-text articles, including photographs, graphs, and illustrations, can be printed at a library workstation on a laser printer.

CD-ROM indexes provide numerous access points for searching and many options for combining terms, something librarians cover in these instructional sessions. In these sessions, librarians show students how to search the index by subject, keyword, author, title, personal name, journal title, date, type of article, and geographic location. Allowing students to practice searching is an important element of active learning, and students in these sessions are able to use two workstations located on the main floor of the library to practice. After working through the exercises, the groups are switched. A demonstration of the online catalog follows emphasizing searches for journal titles found in the print indexes.

A version of this instruction is also provided for subject- specific classes, for example students are able to compare the Science Citation Index and the Engineering Index with the CD-ROM versions on the library's networked CD tower. Subject-specific classes are introduced to the Internet. Librarians use examples of searching the First Search databases and also show how to access the library's World Wide Web home page. The library has placed URLs on the home page for subjects that are being taught at the university. The CLW Library's URL is http://www.umr.edu/~library. Students are encouraged to use any of the many campus sites which provide access to the Internet, networked CD tower, and WWW to practice what has been learned in class.

Being flexible is the key to bridging the gap between the technology available to students and the limitations of library classrooms. Using whatever resources and equipment are available is the best way to bring the latest technology to students who need to learn despite the limitations of classroom configurations.