TILT - Texas Information Literacy Tutorial

University of Texas System Digital Library
http://tilt.lib.utsystem.edu/

Narrative || Tutorial Contents || Checklist



Narrative

Tilt is a highly interactive introduction to searching basics including finding books and articles, with an emphasis on web searching and resource evaluation.

Tutorial takers are offered a number of choices throughout the tutorial to select the topic (such as Censorship or Global Communities) so that they can learn based on a topic of their own interest. The tutorial includes a fair amount of explanatory text, followed by engaging and useful exercises in such formats of game shows, real-life-style job seeking, and an online periodical search.

Each of four modules (Selecting; Searching; Evaluating; Internet Misconceptions) offers an end-of-module quiz, the results of which can be printed or e-mailed. There is an opportunity to review before taking each quiz.

Throughout the tutorial, clicking highlighted words will bring up a pop-up box word definition. Help screens deal with basics of displaying and problems with lack of plug-ins.

Navigation within the tutorial is clear -the top and bottom headers display options for definitions, help, module concepts, and return to the beginning of the module or TILT. The look of TILT is clean, and the graphics and text are generally engaging.

TILT offers two options: Full-TILT which requires Shockwave and a sound card and TILT-Lite for the no-plug-in version. The content (i.e. text) of the two versions is identical - with TILT-Lite lacking all ongoing interactive games and reviews.


Tutorial Contents

Module 1
Module 2
Module 3
  • Selecting a Source
    Sources of Information
  • What do you need?
    The Library & the Web
    Starting with the Library
    Starting with the Web
    Groups on the Web
    The Library on the Web
  • Periodical Indexes
  • Popular or Scholarly?
    Popular Magazines
    Scholarly Journals
    Magazines or Journals?
  • Let's get ready to research!
  • Searching for Information
  • Brainstorm
    The Thought Process
  • Databases
    Which Database?
    Fields
    Subject Searching
    Keyword Searching
    Combining Ideas
    Searchers Wanted
  • Untangling the Web
    Which Search Engine?
    Search Strategies
    Future of Searching
  • Your Search is Over
  • Evaluating Sources
  • Locate It in Print
    Finding Books
    Finding Articles
    Searching for Bill Gates
    Locate It on the Web
    Dot What?
    You Make the Call
  • Evaluating Information
    Author
    Date
    Publisher
    Reviews
    Content
    SiteVision
  • Plagiarism
  • Module 4
  • An extra lesson on the Internet



  • Checklist

    Topics Covered
    Understanding information needed Yes
    Narrowing research topic Yes
    Database definition Yes
    Catalog Searching Yes
    Article Searching Yes
    Keyword searching Yes - allows for an actual search
    Boolean searching Yes - allows for an actual search
    Controlled vocabulary Yes - links to definitions of selected terms
    Primary vs. Secondary Resources Yes
    Scholarly vs. Popular Materials Yes
    Peer Review Yes
    Evaluating Sources Yes
    Locating Materials Yes
    Organization of Library Materials Yes
    LC Call Number System Yes - and Dewey too
    Citing Sources Yes - not it's strongest point
    Plagiarism Yes - not a strong point
    Reference Resources Yes
    How to get Reference Help Yes
    Web Searching
    Understanding the Internet/Web (what it does and doesn't do) Yes
    Search Engines vs. Subject Directories Yes
    Evaluating Internet Resources Yes
    Web search operators (+/-) No
    Web vs. other resources (content) Yes
    Look
    Wordy vs. Terse Fairly wordy - with much interactivity and engaging over all
    Use of Graphics Graphics are used judiciously - not overwhelming, but enough to keep interest and to explain.
    Interactivity
    Passive vs. Active User Full-TILT has a very active user, while TILT-Lite have a passive user.
    Ongoing Testing/Quiz Yes - Interactive feedback throughout (ex. game shows) throughout with quizzes at the end of each module.
    Navigation
    Clear vs. Confusing Generally quite clear.
    Technology
    Minimum Browser Requirements Yes
    Sound Card Yes - for Full-TILT
    Java No
    Shockwave Yes - for Full-TILT
    Assessment
    Pre-test No
    Post-test Yes
    Users Registered Yes
    Feedback
    Ongoing vs. At the end Both
    Printable Certificate Not a certificate - but quiz results are printable and an option is provided to email results to one's self or professor.
    Credits
    In-house vs. licensed code "In the Fall of 1997, the Digital Information Literacy Office (DILO) Library Advisory Committee at The University of Texas at Austin developed a list of student proficiencies. These proficiencies were the basis for the TILT proposal. Based upon the project summary the UT System Digital Library and Macromedia gave financial support, and hardware and software for the development of the tutorial. Two surveys, of UT students and UT System libraries, were conducted in the Spring.

    " A small group of librarians, artists, programmers and students created all the design and content for TILT."

    From http://tilt.lib.utsystem.edu/nf/intro/credits.htm



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