Design and development of an online information literacy tutorial: evaluation and lessons learnt (so far)

Abstract

The paper reports the findings of a project to develop an online information literacy tutorial at the DCMT Library, Cranfield University. This case study is intended to highlight some of the issues raised in designing and developing a tutorial for a specific target audience and to describe the actual tutorial package. The paper describes the research and specification phases of the project and includes an in-depth discussion on the tutorial design and lessons learnt to date. Discussion on the tutorial design includes commentary on the navigation, themes associated with specific tutorials and the tools used to engage the user, including a generic search engine. A summary of the lessons learnt are:•Allow more time and place more emphasis on early planning activities;•Involve end users often and earlier;•Define the learning outcomes more clearly;•Ensure the project maintains good communication and mediation processes.