Going the DistanceEmbedded librarianship at Regis UniversityPaul BettyDistance Learning Librarianpbetty@regis.edu3039645772

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A dynamic duo

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“If you… wanna’ know…the real deal”The library’s Distance Services Department (composed of Tom

Riedel and Paul Betty) is the primary instruction liaison to nearly10,000 students enrolled in accelerated online and ground-based undergraduate and graduate degree programs.

All asynchronous, all the time.

Asynchronous time savers

• Templates / scripts (HTML) • Handouts (PDF)• Tutorials (Captivate, Jing)• Define roles between library

and university departments

A targeted approach to instruction

ACTIONS• Identify courses that include a

research component• Solicit instructors via email• Clearly defined areas of service

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A targeted approach to instruction

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RESULTS• Strong relationships with some

affiliate faculty; continued collaboration

• Establish a “norm” among affiliate faculty

• Librarians become collaborators in course development and (re)design.

Hitting the target

Hitting the target means greater demand for services. The number of library instruction sessions provided by the department has increased 300% in the past ten years—both a measure of our success as well as an indicator of how close to the breaking point we are.

Keepin’ it real (time)…

Circa 2008: Distance Services

Librarians acquire their own Adobe

Connect meeting

rooms

Barriers for synchronous instruction

• Asynchronous interaction the de facto standard in online instruction

• Geographic dispersion of online student population

• Webcasts compete with on-the-ground instruction for scheduling

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MOTIVES for synchronous instruction

• Direct requests from faculty members

• University’s acquisition of software with flexible license

• Learning styles• ACRL Guidelines for Distance

Learning• Potential time saver?

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Everything old is new again

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Down the road…

• Utilizing webcast software for other services (orientations, office hours, ground based courses, etc.)

• Greater access and admin rights in the new CMS (D2L)

• Scalability and sustainability

Regis University 3333 Regis Blvd.

Denver, CO 80221303-964-5772

pbetty@regis.edu

Paul BettyDistance Learning Librarian

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