Virginia Library Association | October 22, 2015

Why Good LibGuide Design Matters & How You Can Get It

Right

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AgendaAbout Me

Background

Pedagogical DesignBest Practices

Technical DesignBest Practices

Resources

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About MeLibrarian at Northern Virginia Community College

My LibGuide Philosophy

Pedagogical Tool

Work in Progress

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BackgroundUsed by 60,000+ librarians

Good Design Elicits

Positive Emotions

Critical Thinking

Creativity

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Pedagogical Design Best PracticesWriting for the Web, Working Memory, Chunking, Jargon,

Limiting Suggested Resources, & Visual Aids

Write for the Web

Be concise

F-shaped reading pattern

Start with most important information

Examples

Yavapai College Northern Virginia Community College

Eliminate “Nice to Know”

Each person has a finite amount of working memory, or what they can be actively thinking about while performing other tasks such as reading or learning.

Strategies to Aid Working Memory

Simplify content and directionsUse clear and specific language

Incorporate chunking

Example

Regent University

Chunking

Chunking is a learning theory that involves the breakdown of a concept into smaller units to facilitate learning.

Strategies to Aid Chunking

Small content

boxes

Resize columns

Color for emphasis

Example

Hollins University

Example

Northern Virginia Community College

Reduce or Eliminate Jargon

Limit Number of Suggested ResourcesWhich list is more appealing?

Use Visual Aids

•General Topic: Technology

•Facets of Topic: automobiles, cell phones, wireless technology, text messaging, social networking, GPS systems

•Aspects of Topic: legal (state and/or federal); social; psychological

•Time Span: 1990s; current

•Place: United States; urban; rural

•Focused Research Question: Should cell phone use be banned with driving?

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Technical Design Best PracticesGuide Structure, Scrolling, Fonts, Colors, Active Tab,

Images, ALT Text, & Balanced Columns

Guide Structure – Main Page

Tidewater Community College

Example

Virginia Western Community College

Example

Northern Virginia Community College

Guide Structure – Other Pages Can arrange pages by:

Resource type (books, articles, etc.)

Information need (background information, specific

parts of assignment, etc.)

Minimize Scrolling

Tabbed Boxes Can Reduce Scrolling

Northern Virginia Community College

Be Cautious With Fonts & Colors

Active Tab Color

Use Images to Add White Space

Add ALT Text

Balance Columns

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ResourcesImages, MS Word SmartArt, Screenshots, Books, & Websites

Creative Commons Images

MS Word - SmartArt

Add the File if Using SmartArt

Creating Screenshots

Snagit by Techsmith (license):● Can take one screenshot of

scrolling webpage● Video option● Add text, highlight, blur, etc.● Transparent background● Can edit at a later time

Snipping Tool (Windows OS):● Can only capture what is

visible (i.e., no scrolling)● Can only write using mouse

(i.e., no type)● Highlighter (but very rough)● Cannot edit later

Tips for Creating Screenshots Do not use shadow feature when circling text

NO: YES: Show only what’s necessary Make highlighter look clean

NO:

YES:

Give Credit for Images

Other Resources LibGuides Community

http://libguides.com/community.php

Using LibGuides to Enhance Library Serviceshttp://www.amazon.com/Using-LibGuides-Enhance-Library-Services/dp/1555708803/

A new version is in the works!

Design for How People Learnhttp://www.amazon.com/Design-People-Learn-Voices-Matter/dp/0321768434/

e-Learning and the Science of Instruction: Proven Guidelines for Consumers and Designers of Multimedia Learninghttp://www.amazon.com/-Learning-Science-Instruction-Guidelines-Multimedia/dp/0470874309/

The Non-Designer’s Design Bookhttp://www.amazon.com/Non-Designers-Design-Book-3rd/dp/0321534042/