Developing a Cataloging Course with an Interactive Authoring Tool

Library and Information Science (LIS) students, librarians or library staff may not fully understand cataloging and classification in a library setting. As a result, many of these individuals can not perform important cataloging duties when needed. To address this need, a piece of instruction was developed to introduce the basics of Cataloging and Classification. The instruction included an introduction and three modules covering data standardization, cataloging tools and classification structures. The goal of the instruction was to provide training to LIS graduate students, librarians and library staff to help them grasp basic cataloging knowledge and skills applicable in a library setting.

The instruction utilized a combination of direct and indirect instruction to deliver the content. The instruction was interactive in nature and used Mayer’s (2009) multimedia learning principles to help foster learning. In terms of evaluation, the instruction was assessed for its usability and learning effectiveness by 19 adults participants (n = 19). To evaluate the instruction’s usability, one in-person and two online semi-conducted interviews were conducted. To evaluate the instruction’s learning effectiveness, Google Forms were used to administer a demographic survey, a pretest, a posttest, and a post-instruction survey asking about the participants’ learning experiences with the instruction. The results of the evaluation revealed some discrepancies between the views of the course designer and those of the participants. Through the usability and learning effectiveness testing, participants identified possible future enhancements regarding the instruction’s content and delivery.

The instruction that was designed and evaluated improved participants' knowledge of cataloging and classification in library settings in some ways. For future work, the quality of the instruction can be enhanced by providing more detailed feedback to the quizzes and adding more content in specific areas. Some of the most important discoveries for improving the instruction’s interactive experience in the future included clarifying the instruction’s learning pathway, helping learners navigate through different modules, and making it easier for learners to track their progress. Such improvements would require a joint effort between the instructional designer and software developers.