Faculty Resources for Online Classes

As a faculty member working with distance and online students, you have many ways to reach out to students with library resources. We can work with you to develop tools specific to your class, or we can share more general library instructional materials with you.

See details in the boxes below about the following options:

• Request Library Instruction using the Online Form
• Students can get in touch with a Librarian through our Ask-a-Librarian service and can make Skype research appointments with Librarians through our Reference by Appointment online form
• Librarians can share screencast instructional videos, printable handouts, and tutorials with you that can be posted to Blackboard, or even work with you to create an information literacy module tailored to your class

If you are working with a synchronous or blended class and would like to have a library instructional session done remotely, librarians can use video conferencing tools like WebEx, Blackboard Collaborate, or Mediasite to connect with your class at a specific time.

• To request an instruction session, go to the Online Form
• Let us know as early as possible so that we can request the appropriate technology
• If you are teaching an asynchronous class, consider some of the other options below, including learning objects you may place on your Blackboard site

Your students can make individual or small group research consultation appointments to talk with a librarian.

• Students may go to the Ask-a-Librarian page and fill out an online form to request a research appointment

Many instructors teaching on-campus bring their students to the library to help prepare them for assignments. With your online classes, you can also connect your students to library resources and provide information literacy training.

• Librarians can share instructional videos, tutorials, and quizzes that can be posted to Blackboard
• We can share a Blackboard module with you for inclusion in your course with general library tutorials, or we can work with you to create more specific materials
• Blackboard materials can include a quiz to add interactivity and test participation
• Librarians would be happy to collaborate with you to develop a video, handout, or other information literacy learning object for your class

Library staff can also create Library Guides (LibGuides), online guides that can provide specialized guidance for an assignment or course. Here are some examples of course-based guides:

• SearchSmart Tutorial: This tutorial will help you learn the skills you need to be a savvy and efficient researcher
• NURS 404: Resources for the Global Health Watch Project, Population Focused Project, and the White Paper Assignment
• Solving a Case Problem: Step by step guide to researching a case problem

Copyright concerns can be challenging to face as an online instructor.

• The Copyright for Distance Educators page was created by the University Libraries Copyright and Intellectual Property Office to help you make decisions about your classes.
• This page includes information about the TEACH Act, which specifies that distance educators can conduct online classes using the same tools and materials a face-to-face instructor would employ.  It also includes links to resources for students and free online materials.