General
A survey reported in 1978 of 74 North American libraries providing point-of-use library instruction (“any presentation that informs the patron about the use of a particular reference/research tool and is found at the location of that tool”) showed thatthe 2 most frequently reported nonprint formats for point-of-use instruction (multiple responses allowed) were slidetape (19 or 25.7% libraries) and audiotape (14 or 18.9% libraries), while the 3 most frequently reported print formats for point-of-use instruction were (multiple responses allowed) handouts (48 or 64.9% libraries), charts (23 or 31.1% libraries), and posters (19 or 25.7% libraries). (Source)
Academic
A 1965 survey of libraries in colleges with enrollments generally between 500 and 5,000 (sample size: 200; responding: 157; usable because of offering a program in library instruction: 126 or 63%) showed thatno audiovisual aids were used in 94 (60%) institutions, while AV was used in 38% of the institutions. (Source)
A 1967 survey by the Institute of Higher Education at Teachers College, Columbia University, of innovative programs in libraries in academic institutions with liberal arts programs (sample size: 1,193 libraries; responding: 781 or 65%) showed that30 (39%) of the libraries reported multimedia cards in their card catalogs; 193 (25%) have special catalogs for multimedia materials; and 170 (22%) reported using various media in programs of library instruction. (Source)
A 1966 survey at the University of Windsor (Canada) of freshman students who had taken a compulsory 7-week library orientation course where the lectures were presented via videotape (population: “around 900”; responding: 832) showed that, when asked whether they preferred the video to an instructor without the aid of television, 438 (52.6%) reported they preferred the video, 320 (38.5%) reported they preferred the instructor without the video, and 74 (8.9%) reported they had no preference. (Source)
A study reported in 1972 of 174 students at Brigham Young University concerning library instruction showed thatstudents provided with audiotaped, programmed instruction scored statistically significantly higher on their instruction post-test than did those students given a written, nonprogrammed instruction document (significance level at .01 or better). Both groups scored statistically significantly higher than the control group (significance level at .01 or better). (Source)
Ibid…. showed thatthe mean score betweeen pretest and post-test for the audiotaped, programmed instruction method rose from 32% correct answers to 84%, while the mean score for the written, nonprogrammed instruction method rose from 32% to 72%. Both of these increases were statistically significant, while the slight increase in the mean score for the control group was not statistically significant. (Source)
A questionnaire survey reported in 1975 of U.S. and Canadian libraries with student enrollments of 8,000 or more and known to have bibliographic instruction programs (sample size: 48 libraries; responding: 42; usable: 38 or 79.2%) showed that80% of the respondents indicated use of AV equipment in some part of their instructional program. (Source)
A study of the effectiveness of 3 different approaches to the teaching of library skills at the University of Nebraska, Omaha, Spring semester 1978, showed thatPLATO and a tutorial approach were almost equally effective and resulted in statistically significantly higher test scores on a library skills test than either the noninstructed control group or the group provided with a traditional library tour. However, the average scores for PLATO and tutorial instruction were only 51% and 52% correct respectively. (Source)
A study reported in 1979 at the University of Toledo comparing the effectiveness of presenting bibliographic instruction information by means of a slide-tape show versus a library tour to students in a freshman-level business report-writing course (slide-tape group, 76 students; tour group, 75 students) showed thatthere was no statistically significant difference in post-test scores between the groups. The tour group scores averaged 15.35, while the slide-tape scores averaged 13.75. (Source)
A study reported in 1980 at the University of California, Irvine, concerning the effectiveness of 2 videotapes (1 dealing with online bibliographic data base searching; 1 dealing with using the library to write a research paper), involving 24 undergraduates in the experimental group and 26 students in the control group, showed thatthe average pretest and post-test score of the experimental group, which viewed the 2 tapes, increased from 13.00 to 15.04 correct answers (out of a possible 20), while average scores for the control group increased from 12.19 to 12.96 correct answers. This was a statistically significant difference in increase in scores (significant at the .05 level). (Source)
A survey reported in 1981 of bibliographic instruction in business school libraries (sample size: 120; responding: 65; usable: 61 or 50.8%) showed thatthe following use was made of audiovisual material for orientation and instruction:
slide-tape 23.3% respondents
audiotour 8.3% respondents
transparencies 8.3% respondents
videotape 3.3% respondents
television 1.7% respondents
other 5.0% respondents (Source)
A survey reported in 1983 of students in freshman rhetoric classes concerning their choice library orientation formats [without necessarily having experienced the options] showed that 156 students at the University of Iowa chose the following as the “most interesting” format:
librarian-guided tour 95 (61%) students
audiotape tour 44 (28%) students
slide-tape or videotape tour 17 (11%) students
The same students chose the following as “most instructive” format:
librarian-guided tour 102 (65%) students
audiotape tour 39 (25%) students
slide-tape or videotape tour 15 (10%) students (Source)
Ibid…. showed that112 students at the University of Missouri chose the following as the “most interesting” format:
audiotape tour 79 (71%) students
slide-tape or videotape tour 33 (29%) students
The same students chose the following as the “most instructive” format:
audiotape tour 86 (77%) students
