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Point of Need:

Point of Need:. Ask A Librarian in the Blackboard Environment. The Problem. Ever-increasing use of Blackboard on our campus Undergraduates unaware of or unable to find research assistance and resources Library needs a service “toehold” in Blackboard. Digital Reference Services.

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Point of Need:

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  1. Point of Need: Ask A Librarian in the Blackboard Environment

  2. The Problem • Ever-increasing use of Blackboard on our campus • Undergraduates unaware of or unable to find research assistance and resources • Library needs a service “toehold” in Blackboard

  3. Digital Reference Services • Service is already extant, staffed, reliable • Easy enough to provide a quick solution within Blackboard • But more interesting solutions possible in the near future

  4. The Plan: • Start with easy solutions and work our way up • Pick a defined user group to begin the project • Look for partnerships to help in the future

  5. UIC Blackboard Environment • Default appearance and functionality defined by campus computing (ACCC) • Instructors can then edit, reformat, and add on as needed • Initial step was to create a Library test site, summer of 2003

  6. UIC Library Blackboard Test Site Link to Ask A Librarian Service

  7. Phase 1: Simple External “target” Spawns a new window with our existing service point

  8. Existing Library Email Form

  9. Inelegant Solution • Requires “micro level” (i.e., class-by-class) work by the instructor to add it • Confusingly takes users out of the Blackboard environment • No way to know who is using it

  10. New Partnerships: OCLC • At this point, we became involved in a “research project” with OCLC • Wanted to explore the feasibility of integrating their digital reference software, Questionpoint, directly into CMS • Around 12 institutions would act as testers, beginning fall 2003

  11. New Partnerships: LINKS • Also needed a discrete user group for our next phase • LINKS program for incoming freshman • Medium-sized group of classes, with built-in library instruction component

  12. Phase 2 Details • OCLC and UIC created digital reference forms that matched the Blackboard interface • UIC customized forms for each LINKS Blackboard site • New forms would capture data on use of new interface

  13. Phase 2: Blackboard “Mimic” Spawns a new window that shares Blackboard appearance

  14. Mimicked Interface …but not actually “in” Blackboard Email and Chat tabs…

  15. Behind the Scenes Javascripting handles movement of the question to our queue, and let’s us identify the course it came from

  16. More Elegant Solution • Seamless interface - user sees no difference in systems • We get more information and use statistics about the patron • We get our “toehold” in Blackboard

  17. Micro Vs. Macro • But this is still a “micro level” solution • Need to be able to offer seamless integration without having to create forms for every class • Integrated access is the next step

  18. The Future • Integrated access for UIC will come first via the default inclusion of a set of generic, “mimicked” digital reference forms at the campus level • And later, we hope, through OCLC (and other vendors) making “building block” additions that are completely integrated with Blackboard

  19. Contact Information • Scott Collard, scollard@uic.edu • Helen Georgas, georgas@uic.edu • Ask A Librarian: • http://www.uic.edu/depts/lib/digital/

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