School of Nursing and Research Services Librarian University of Washington Health Sciences Library
I was unprepared for the sudden switch to exclusively remote learning during COVID, which necessitated a complete overhaul of my library instructional methods if I were to help students succeed. This shift was especially challenging at a university that prioritizes in-person learning with few experienced online instructors. Many instructors across institutions are now adopting a hybrid model for their classes after returning to campus, making online library instruction even more essential. Prior to COVID I gave classes an in-person all-in-one training session of library resources and literature searching once a quarter. I initially replicated that approach online but had low student engagement and students were struggling with their research projects. I started requesting feedback from instructors after each session to understand what classes needed and what students were asking. I then incrementally changed my teaching methods for each subsequent class based on that qualitative information. My instruction continuously evolved until I received uniformly positive feedback after two quarters of adjustments. I now do multiple shorter class visits each quarter while matching my topics to students' stages of research. I also record my live class sessions and pre-record presentations for asynchronous learners, which helps reduce my duplication of work by creating a training video library for students to use. Students are now more engaged during my online instruction and better prepared when they meet with me one-on-one for individualized help. I plan to carry these changes forward post-COVID and to continue adapting to student needs in this new hybrid environment.
