Adapting to campus climate change: using Moodle to teach increasing class populations

This presentation addresses the process of moving from in-person library instruction only to a combined model of both in-person and virtual instruction which can be adapted at any academic library. Ecology and People is a general education course at a large, urban state university that includes an information literacy component. This course originally had fewer than 50 students which allowed for in-person library instruction with a single librarian. Over the course of three years the course size has more than doubled, making the original library instruction model problematic. Adjustments made each semester to the content and delivery of library instruction are described, particularly the incorporation of Moodle (a campus learning management system) into the instructional model, to more efficiently and effectively deliver library instruction. Some of the existing in-class exercises have been adapted to online modules created in Moodle, and all activities have an online assessment component. Since the virtual instruction is not course specific, the reuse of these modules in other courses is anticipated. Our model includes a method for storing the modules for easy access and for import into a campus learning management system. This model could be adapted to develop a suite of modules for use in any course providing general information literacy instruction, and would help to support the university’s growing number of hybrid and online classes. In addition, the online assessments coupled with each exercise are a potential means of assessment on both the course and program level.