Assessment Of Web Based Information Literacy Program For Industrial Engineers

Industrial engineering students require three distinct “types” of information. The first type is the subject knowledge traditionally taught through lectures and textbooks. The second type is in the use of software tools. The third type is locating and critically analyzing engineering literature. Most engineering curricula minimize formal classroom time to teach skills in types two and three. An example of the type two information requirement is the ability to manipulate spreadsheets, which is a necessary skill in Engineering Economy. An example of the type three information requirement is information literacy skills, which are a critical component of a graduate education. WSU requires an Engineering Research Writing class of all graduate industrial engineering students with a library component taught by the engineering librarian. Web-based lectures “captured” using Tegrity software are used at Wichita State University to teach spreadsheet and literature retrieval skills on a limited scale. Before expanding our offering of Web lectures it was necessary to test the effectiveness of this mode of instruction. The Engineering Economy and Engineering Research Writing classes were each separated into two sections in fall 2002. One section of each course received instruction in a traditional lecture setting. The other section was taught using the web lectures. Pre and post-tests were given before and after the instructional sessions to assess the instruction. This paper presents the method of the study, the specific results, and the implications for Web instruction in these areas.