The Librarian, the Machine, or a Little of Both: A Comparative Study of Three Information Literacy Pedagogies at Oakland University

Abstract

Each year, Oakland library faculty provide information literacy instruction for Rhetoric 160, a first-year writing course, through a combination of WebCT-based online tutorials and in-class teaching. For this study, twelve sections of RHT 160 during the winter 2005 term were selected to compare three instructional methods: online instruction only, live instruction, and the current “hybrid” combination of live instruction and online tutorials. The sections were assigned to one of the instructional methods and, to assess student learning, all students (n=224) completed identical pre- and post-tests. Results of the study, including differences in student performance in relation to pedagogy, are discussed.