1+ Hours < a day - HCL Learning Objects Lab - Research Guides at Harvard Library

LOL Guidelines

About Learning Objects Lab

Copyright

Obtaining Permissions

Pedagogy: Design Phases

Production and Support

Publication Options

Repurposing and Reuse

Suggest a Learning Object

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 Time: 1+ Hours < a day

Learning objects on this page should generally take one or more hours, but less than a day to build.

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.

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

SCREENCAST TUTORIAL

A screencast video created for research instruction, outreach, or orientation. To build your own, see HELPFUL TIPS, below.
Example:

Type: Video, Screencast

Learning Goals: Especially recommended to help students follow a model demonstrating how to do something on a screen, identify or differrentiate between information resources, or strategize approaches to research, among other things. Caveat: Use judiciously; this approach requires that students will be motivated to watch a linear, moving presentation.

Estimated Production Time: 7-11+ hours

Recommended Software: for screen recording - Camtasia or Screenflow; for editing - same, Windows Movie Maker, iMovie, Sony Vegas, or Final Cut

Publication Options: click to view

Experts, Consultants, & Collaborators: Michael Hemment, Paul Worster, 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 complexity of the subject matter merits a step-by-step moving image demonstration.
- Necessary details can be conveyed concisely.
- The entertainment value of your content will balance nicely with its educational value.
- Content will be delivered using a problem solving scenario.
- Information presented cannot be clearly or meaningfully conveyed with simple still images and text.
Pedagogical Style Guide:
- Include introduction, body, closing, contact info, & credits.
- Be aware and observant of copyright law and fair use guidelines.
- Keep it short, but maintain a realistic, slower pace.
- Maintain continual motion, especially at the beginning.
- Add your voice to narrate it. Use collective pronouns, like "we."
- Manipulate the mouse gracefully and purposefully; consider highlighting clicks.
- Use sound with caution. Low-key music can be effective.
- Be consistent with images, fonts, & color.
- When in doubt about legibility, record on "zoom."
- Consider accessibility. Add captions.
Resources:
- Aldrich, 2005. Learning by doing: a comprehensive guide to simulations, computer games, and pedagogy in e-learning and other educational experiences.
- Richardson, 2009. Blogs, wikis, podcasts, and other powerful web tools for classrooms (see chapter 8, on screencasting).
Technical Development Tips
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Click the "Technical Development Tips" link to the left to see the PDF of development tips.

SLIDE SHOW OF HARVARD COLLECTIONS

A slide show that rotates digital surrogate images from Harvard's collections, such as those in VIA or museums. These slide shows can be embedded in research guides. To build your own, see HELPFUL TIPS, below.
Example:

Type: Slide Show

Learning Goals: Especially recommended to help students value featured collections and serendipitously identify featured images, documents, or objects of scholarly interest.

Estimated Production Time: 2 hours

Recommended Software: No special software required; however, it may be helpful to edit images first in Adobe PhotoShop or Adobe Fireworks.

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

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:
- Featured content is eye-catching or intrinsically engaging.
- You'd like to highlight something special in the Harvard collections.
Pedagogical Style Guide:
- Your slide show may be more appealing if you edit the images first, sizing them to equal dimensions (this avoids a "jump cut" transition between slides).
- Consider the time delay between slides. Depending on your objectives, it may be better to go with a slower-moving slide show than one that moves too quickly.
- Use only a handful of images. 3-6 is about right.
Resources:
- Smith, 2009. Adobe Photoshop CS4 digital classroom ("like having a personal instructor" for PhotoShop)
- Adobe Press, 2009. Adobe Fireworks CS4
Technical Development Tips
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Open these instructions in PDF format for the Java Script code and technical development tips you'll need to create your own slide show.

SLIDE SHOW THAT ROTATES UPON RELOAD

A slide show that rotates images when the web page is refreshed. These slide shows can be embedded in research guides. To build your own, see HELPFUL TIPS, below.

Example:

HELPFUL TIPS:

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

This learning object is most germane when:
- Featured content is eye-catching or intrinsically engaging.
- You'd like to highlight something special in the Harvard collections.
Pedagogical Style Guide:
- Your slide show may be more appealing if you edit the images first, sizing them to equal dimensions (this avoids a "jump cut" transition between slides).
- Use only a handful of images. 2-4 is about right (the above example uses 4).
Resources:
- Smith, 2009. Adobe Photoshop CS4 digital classroom ("like having a personal instructor" for PhotoShop)
- Adobe Press, 2009. Adobe Fireworks CS4
Technical Development Tips
more...less...
Open these instructions in PDF format for the Java Script code and technical development tips you'll need to create your own slide show.