Research Guides: HCL Learning Objects Lab: Widget

LOL Guidelines

About Learning Objects Lab

Copyright

Obtaining Permissions

Pedagogy: Design Phases

Production and Support

Publication Options

Repurposing and Reuse

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Page Index

Add links to each individual textbox that appears on this page (and only this page), in alphabetical order by name. This way, folks won't have to scroll down every time to get to the item they want.

Browse by Type: Widget

A widget is a small, portable, and customizable tool that can be inserted into Web pages.

EMBEDDED CHAT WIDGET

Add a chat widget to a course iSite or your LibGuide to enable students to chat with you in real time over the web. To build your own, see HELPFUL TIPS, below.
Example:

Type: Widget

Learning Goals: Especially recommended to help students ask research questions or interact with a librarian, among other things.

Estimated Production Time: 1-2 hours

Recommended Software: Meebo, AIM

Publication Options: Can be integrated into HCL LibGuides, FAS course iSites, and most other web pages by simply adding a bit of HTML code.

Experts, Consultants, & Collaborators: Kerry Masteller, Liza Vick, Ramona Islam (For suggestions or questions from other colleagues, check for Comments at the bottom of this box, or add your own.)

HELPFUL TIPS:

Instructional Design Tips
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To begin, consult Pedagogy: Design Phases.

This learning object is most germane when:
- The learners whom you're trying to reach are comfortable with instant messaging.
- The learners whom you're trying to reach are likely short of time to visit you for a research consultation.
- The learners whom you're trying to reach are likely to require assistance at unpredictable times or throughout the semester/year.
Pedagogical Style Guide:
- Add a welcoming photograph of yourself next to the widget.
- Situate the chat widget where targeted learners and researchers are most likely to encounter it.
- If possible, indicate the days and times when you're likely to be monitoring the chat interface, then stick to the schedule. Also, indicate alternative contact information.
- Maintain a professional tone (no need to use text messaging slang yourself, unless you're comfortable with it), remember to conduct a reference interview (even if in condensed form), and make an effort to gather identifying information from the inquirer for follow-up purposes.
Resources:
- Internet Slang Dictionary.
Technical Development Tips
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Because this is a flash-based service, it may not work on iPhones. It is recommended that you also consider adding a GoogleTalk option in your LibGuides profile for the convenience of mobile users.

LIBGUIDES WIDGET

LibGuides widgets enable you to embed your LibGuides content anywhere on the web, including course iSites. You can pick between two menu options for your widgets: "Featured Guides | About" and "Guides | New | Popular | About". The first option is better if you are creating a widget with specific content for a specific discipline, while the second option is more appropriate for general widgets you create to advertise your LibGuides system. Widget background color is fully customizable. To build your own, see HELPFUL TIPS, below.
Example:

See more examples on LibGuides Demo Page.

Type: Widget

Learning Goals: Especially recommended to help students use/search and identify recommended information resources, among other things.

Estimated Production Time: 15-30 min.

Recommended Software: No special software required (use LibGuides). See instructions on how to create a widget in LibGuides.

Publication Options: For course iSites, make sure to obtain faculty permission before adding this widget. Clarify where the widget will appear and its size.

Experts, Consultants, & Collaborators: TBA (For suggestions or questions from other colleagues, check for Comments at the bottom of this box, or add your own.)

HELPFUL TIPS:

Instructional Design Tips
more...less...
To begin, consult Pedagogy: Design Phases.

This learning object is most germane when:
- Raising students' awareness of recommended resources is important.
- There is an opportunity to promote library research guides on "borrowed" web space (i.e., course websites and other academic web pages).
- You'd like to promote new or popular research guides, or specific guides you've identified based on any other type of criteria.
Pedagogical Style Guide:
- Choose the appropriate type of widget: either "Featured Guides | About" or "Guides | New | Popular | About".
- Adding a library catalog search box is optional.
- Choose an attention-grabbing background color.
Resources:
- LibGuides Widgets.
Technical Development Tips

LIBRARIAN PROFILE WIDGET

Create a librarian profile topic box in iSites and share it into a course iSite to let students know who their library research contact or liaison is and how to get in touch. Including your photograph adds a personal touch and is highly recommended. To build your own, see HELPFUL TIPS, below.

Example: iSites:

Type: Widget

Learning Goals: Especially recommended to help students ask for research assistance, interact with a librarian, and value librarian expertise.

Estimated Production Time: 15 min.

Recommended Software: for image editing - Photoshop or Fireworks; for embedding - No special software required (use iSites or LibGuides)

Publication Options: This topic box can, with faculty permission, easily be added to course iSites. LibGuides, by default, have a librarian profile box.

Experts, Consultants, & Collaborators: TBA (For suggestions or questions from other colleagues, check for Comments at the bottom of this box, or add your own.)

HELPFUL TIPS:

Instructional Design Tips
more...less...
To begin, consult Pedagogy: Design Phases.

This learning object is most germane when:
- You hope to raise students' awareness of personalized library research support.
- There is an opportunity to promote research support within library research guides or in "borrowed" space, (i.e., course websites and other academic web pages).
- You want to present a friendly face and a welcoming message to a group of students.
Pedagogical Style Guide:
- Choose a photo of yourself that projects professionalism and affability, or that suits your audience and encourages students to seek out your assistance and expertise.
- Add a welcoming message.
- Include all relevant contact information.
Resources:
- For an examination of the value of personalization, read about the Personal Librarian Program at Drexel University.
Technical Development Tips

LIBRARY MULTI SEARCH TOOL

The Library Mutli Search Tool (also known as the Widget Generator) is a utility designed by OIS to generate snippets of HTML you can use to enhance a web site with library system functionality. The Widget Generator uses a simple wizard-like interface to help you select resources, modify form labels, test the form and generate the HTML. Then you just copy the markup and paste into a web page. To build your own, see HELPFUL TIPS, below.
Example:

See also: Andover-Harvard Library Homepage

Type: Widget, Database

Learning Goals: Especially recommended to help students use/search a group of library e-resources most likely to contain information of relevance for their topics.

Estimated Production Time: 1-2 hours

Recommended Software: No special software required. To create one, see the E-Research Form Generator.

Publication Options: Can easily be added to course iSites (with faculty permission) and HCL LibGuides by simply copying/pasting the HTML created by the form generator.

Experts, Consultants, & Collaborators: TBA (For suggestions or questions from other colleagues, check for Comments at the bottom of this box, or add your own.)

HELPFUL TIPS:

Instructional Design Tips
more...less...
To begin, consult Pedagogy: Design Phases.

This learning object is most germane when:
- Your target audience has very little time and wishes to conduct one sweeping search of library e-resources that have been pre-selected for their anticipated relevancy.
- Orienting students to the mechanics and characteristics of particular, individual e-resources is not of primary concern.
- You wish to temporarily focus students' attention on the contents of a selected group of e-resources by constraining options.
Pedagogical Style Guide:
- Determine how may e-resources to include based on your goals.
- If you anticipate that students who encounter your tool will have research topics that map easily to one discipline, choose relevant subject-specialized e-resources from that discipline in combination with at least one interdisciplinary database.
- If you anticipate that students who encounter your tool will have research topics that don't map easily to one discipline, and you'd like to keep things simple, choose a small selection of interdisciplinary e-resources.
- If you anticipate that students who encounter your tool will have research topics that don't map easily to one discipline, and yet they'd like to be as thorough as possible, choose a selection of interdisciplinary e-resources in combination with subject-specialized databases representing a variety of disciplines.
- If anticipated research topics are likely to be obscure, include more e-resources to increase the likelihood of hits.
- If anticipated research topics are likely to be broad, include fewer e-resources to decrease information overload.
Resources:
- Labelle, 2007. Initiating the Learning Process: A Model for Federated Searching and Information Literacy .
Technical Development Tips