Online Tutorials as Instruction for Distance Students

SUMMARY Many academic libraries offer an array of library services to their off-campus and distance students, but library instruction for these populations is still a challenge. Librarians and teaching faculty struggle with how to effectively reach students that are truly distant, offering them the same library instruction and information literacy training that is possible in the classroom. The online tutorial has gained popularity in recent years and this article will address Web-based interactive tutorials as a means of providing library instruction to distance learners. Examples of tutorials aimed at distance students are examined, along with studies assessing the effectiveness of online tutorials.