TILT - Texas Information Literacy TutorialUniversity of Texas System Digital Library
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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.
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| 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." |