The biggest challenge facing librarians supporting the delivery of distance education in Australia is the geographic dispersion of students. Central Queensland University (CQU) has more than 6,000 students enrolled globally, and some live in very isolated places with limited access to telecommunications facilities. Until recently, many students have relied solely on librarians to select, locate and dispatch the necessary material. Projects at CQU have beem aimed at increasing the opportunities for distance education students to learn how to access, select, evaluate and manage their own resources. Although it is argued that a large number of students do not have access to a computer and modem, awareness of the opportunities available to those who possess the appropriate equipment is growing and within the next few years it is hoped that many more students will have electronic access from their home or workplace.

In recent years there has been an increase in the amount of information which is stored and accessed electronically. The number of electronic journals has increased, access to more and more journal literature is becoming available via online databases, there is a wealth of information on the World Wide Web, and the catalogues of many academic libraries can be accessed through the Internet. These resources are an ideal way of meeting the needs of students, especially those in remote areas who cannot access a library collection. The role of the librarian is to help users learn how to take advantage of these new modes of access to information. Therefore, access must be accompanied by effective teaching programs which include not only practical skills, but the critical thinking abilities needed for evaluating and utilizing information. Technology that simply delivers data is not education or educational; technology is merely a tool, a means to an end, and not an end in itself (Anderson 1994). At CQU, there are numerous methods for providing instruction to distance education students. They include printed guides, computer-assisted learning (CAL) programs, a subject bibliography prepared by library staff and an electronically mediated tutorial. Librarians are also exploring the use of the World Wide Web as a delivery mechanism.

Scientific Information Sources

In 1994, CQU library offered a course, Scientific Information Sources in the Master of Science in Communication program. This class was offered through distance learning and was designed to give postgraduate science students an understanding of electronic information sources. Modules covered in the course included an introduction to scientific communication and the body of knowledge in the sciences, the literature review, information management, copyright, telecommunications, database searching, the Internet, document delivery and the future of information dissemination.

Electronically mediated tutorials

As part of the Scientific Information Sources class, students attend a residential school where electronic databases are demonstrated, hands on experience is facilitated and the students are shown how to prepare, execute and evaluate a search strategy. Since 1995, students have had the option of attending the residential school on campus or undertaking a virtual residential school which is offered simultaneously. Students without access to a computer are loaned a laptop with all necessary software pre-loaded, and encouraged to participate from home. Desktop videoconferencing (CUSeeMe) combined with a teleconference is used to introduce the program and all participants. CUSeeMe facilitates the exchange of real-time images, allowing participants not only to see each other, but to share photographs, pictures of surroundings and other memorabilia. All students remark that the ability to see other participants is a distinct advantage: it makes them feel part of a group and fosters a willingness to communicate and interact. This medium is used for some of the discussion sessions, while chat is used for other sessions. A chat server running on the host computer allows all participants to communicate. A software program called Timbuktu is used to demonstrate online databases to the class.

In the past, student evaluation of the tutorials has indicated that socialization and peer interaction are important. Bates states that "learning moves beyond the recall of facts, principles or correct procedures and into the area of creativity, problem-solving, analysis, or evaluation (the very skills needed in the work-place in a knowledge-based economy), learners need inter-personal communication, the opportunity to question, challenge and discuss. Learning is as much a social as an individual activity." (Bates 1995) The residential school program fosters a group learning environment and students are enthusiastic about sharing their topics and search strategies. They are also happy to comment upon the topics and search strategies of others within the group and to approach problem-solving exercises in a collaborative and congenial manner.

Implications for the Future

While the virtual residential program is still experimental, and although the concept shows potential for the delivery of distance education, there is still a lot of work to be done in order to perfect the model. There is clearly a need to learn more about the dynamics, characteristics and limitations of an electronically-mediated classroom, just as it is vital to ensure that the most appropriate software and hardware is used. A mismatch of the use of interaction and technology can lead to the loss of the student's attention, information overload, or frustration, proving costly in time lost. One challenge, therefore, is to seriously consider which media will best enhance and empower the learner. The opportunity for students to interact with content, instructors and peers in ways that enhance the construction of meaning is essential to the success of distance education (Berge 1996).

The extensive planning and delivery involved with the project make it an expensive exercise for such small classes. Although at this stage there is no evidence as to the maximum number of students who could participate in a program of this type, it is thought that since the program centers upon student interaction and discussion, twenty participants should be the limit--the optimal number for a successful face-to-face tutorial. In the foreseeable future, the library staff intend using the model to deliver programs to other small groups of students.

Computer-Assisted Learning Programs

CQU library staff have produced two computer-assisted learning (CAL) programs, one to provide instruction on how to use the library catalogue (Libtut) and one to teach students how to access and search electronic information databases (Rascal). Both programs have been publicized to CQU distance education students, and can either be downloaded from the Library's web page or students can request to have diskettes sent to them. The CAL programs have proved useful, as remote students can practice searches before connecting to the Library catalogue. A survey by Lynn and Bacsanyi asked library patrons which type of training for accessing information sources they liked best. One-to-one tutoring was given first preference, but a very close second was computer-assisted instruction which offered interactive, to some extent individualized, and self-paced learning. (Azzaro and Cleary 1994) This method of delivery is not only ideal for those distance education students who cannot visit an academic library personally, but for on-campus classes with large enrollments.

World Wide Web

To date the Web has mainly been used by academic libraries to mount electronic copies of printed guides, subject bibliographies and other teaching materials. These sources are useful in that they lead users to information appropriate to their needs. They do not, however, provide instruction or assist the user to acquire the skills necessary to locate the sources. Librarians are only now beginning to appreciate the potential of the web for instructional purposes.

The Library staff at CQU are developing a series of courses aimed at teaching selected professional groups how to access, evaluate and use resources on the Internet. In 1996, the Professional and Graduate Education (PAGE) Consortium sponsored the CQU Library's project to develop the first of these courses for chemists. Experience gained through producing and delivering this Web-based curriculum will give the teaching team the confidence and skills to create programs specific to needs of CQU remote students.

Conclusion

Projects conducted at the CQU Library have indicated that it is possible to offer information literacy programs to all off-campus students, from undergraduate through postgraduate. As communications technologies become more accessible, stable and cost-effective, the potential for the distributed delivery of education and training increases. Evaluation of the virtual residential project was positive, with participants stating that they found the experience stimulating and that they appreciated the opportunity to interact and learn through shared experiences. Students found that the CAL programs enabled them to learn independently and to be more prepared when searching online. The time spent while connected to online systems was used more efficiently because students had the searching skills and were more confident in their approach to the technology. The role of the Library has changed over the last five years and staff have used the technology to respond to the new demands. It is no longer merely a custodian of books and journals, but a gateway to global electronic resources, and more intimately involved in the teaching and learning process and its design than ever before (Collier 1995).

References

Anderson, Byron. "The Pedagogy of Information Technology : the Faster We Go the Behinder We Get." Thresholds in Education 20 (1994): 18-23.

Appleton, M. "Library Services for Remote Postgraduate Distance Education Students. A Report to DEET." Rockhampton, UCQ Library: 1993.

Appleton, M. and Orr, D. "Achieving Change at a Distance by Access to Information." Paper presented at the John Smith Colloquium, Rockhampton, Australia, 1996.

Bates, A.W. "The Future of Learning." Paper presented at the Minister's Forum on Adult Learning, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, November 30 - December 1, 1995. [http://courses.cstudies.ubc.ca/learning/paper.html]

Berge, Zane L. "Where Interaction Intersects Time." MC Journal: the Journal of Academic Media Librarianship 4, no. 1 (1996). [http://wings.buffalo.edu/publications/mcjrnl/v4n1/berge.html]

Bruce, Christine & Candy, Phil. "Higher Education Contributions to Information Literacy Education: Towards a Checklist for Evaluating Curriculum and Institutional Culture. Paper presented at the HERDSA (Higher Education Research and Development Society of Australasia) Annual Conference, Canberra, Australia, 1994.

Collier, M.W. and Adams, R.J. "The Use of Electronic Documents in an Academic Environment." Paper presented at the 61st IFLA General Conference, Istanbul, Turkey; August 1995.

Division of Library, Information and Media Services, Central Queensland University. "Virtual Residential School Project Report." Central Queensland University, Rockhampton, Australia, 1995.

Wilson, Vicky. Information Literacy and Remote External Students : Exploring the Possibilities offered by New Communication Technologies. Australian Academic and Research Libraries 25, no.4 (1994): 247-52.

Debbie Orr and Margaret Appleton
Central Queensland University
E-mail : d.orr@cqu.edu.au

Margaret Appleton is Associate Librarian User Services at Central Queensland University, Rockhampton, Australia. She has been involved with library services for distance education students at a tertiary level for over 19 years. In 1992, Appleton was leader of a research project to investigate the needs of remote distance education students and the application of new technology to deliver library services. In 1994, she received funding to develop a computer-aided learning program to teach remote students how to access remote databases.

Debbie Orr serves as Off-Campus Services Librarian at Central Queensland University, Rockhampton, Australia, where she has been directly involved in a number of projects dealing with improving library services to distance education students. In 1996, Orr became coordinator for a distance subject course taught by a team of librarians and for which a compulsory residential school component was offered virtually. She has been engaged in the writing of curriculum materials for courses offered via the Web and in a number of projects involving flexible delivery of teaching.