Communications in Information Literacy - Issue 2 - Article 8 Impact of Library Instruction Tutorial Format on Student Preference and Performance in First-Year Chemistry

Oct 15, 2026

This research study investigates how library instruction tutorial format—written versus video—shapes student preference and learning outcomes in first-year chemistry education. The authors examine the instructional materials used in an introductory chemistry course by observing 27 student participants receiving either video or written tutorials and then completing two information literacy–related chemistry tasks. Despite strong format preferences, neither tutorial type improved task completion speed or performance, leading to the conclusion that preference alone supports offering multiple instruction versions for the same assignment.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages22

Reading Time55 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Introduction and Context

Library instruction model in CHEM 101

Research Questions

Literature Review

Method and Results (as described in text)

Communications in Information Literacy | Volume 17 Issue 2 | Article 8 | | --- | --- | | 12-2023
Impact of Library Instruction Tutorial Format on Student Preference and Performance in First-Year Chemistry
Tara Stieglitz
MacEwan University, [stieglitzt@macewan.ca](stieglitzt@macewan.ca)
Lindsey Whitson
MacEwan University, [WhitsonL2@macewan.ca](WhitsonL2@macewan.ca)
Follow this and additional works at: [https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/comminfolit](https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/comminfolit)
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Let us know how access to this document benefits you. | | Recommended Citation Stieglitz, T., & Whitson, L. (2023) . Impact of Library Instruction Tutorial Format on Student Preference and Performance in First-Year Chemistry. Communications in Information Literacy, 17 (2), 466–486. [https://doi.org/10.15760/comminfolit.2023.17.2.8](https://doi.org/10.15760/comminfolit.2023.17.2.8) This open access Research Article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons AttributionNonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-SA 4 .0) . All documents in PDXScholar should meet accessibility standards. If we can make this document more accessible to you, contact our team. Impact of Library Instruction Tutorial Format on Student Preference and Performance in First-Year Chemistry Tara Stieglitz, MacEwan University Lindsey Whitson, MacEwan University Abstract This research study investigates the effects of library instruction tutorial format (written versus video) on student preference and performance in chemistry education. The authors assessed the format of tutorials used to provide library instruction in an introductory chemistry course by observing 27 student participants as they took in instructions in either a video or a written format and then completed two chemistry information tasks. While participants expressed strong preferences for particular formats, neither the video tutorials nor the written instructions significantly improved task completion speed or performance. Rather, the authors determined that student preference alone is enough to justify the continued production of multiple versions of instructions for the same assignment. Keywords: blended learning, information literacy tutorials, student engagement, science librarianship Stieglitz, T., & Whitson, L. (2023). Impact of library instruction tutorial format on student preference and performance in first-year chemistry. Communications in Information Literacy, 17(2), 466–486. Impact of Library Instruction Tutorial Format on Student Preference and Performance in First-Year Chemistry MacEwan University librarians and chemistry instructors collaboratively developed a blended model of information literacy (IL) instruction for students enrolled in the university’s introductory chemistry course, CHEM 101. An online asynchronous library tutorial is used in tandem with written instructions in the lab manual. Students are directed to watch the tutorial videos and read the lab manual prior to attending their lab. During the lab session, a librarian delivers a quick in-person library instruction session to review key concepts and assist students in completing a library lab assignment. After several years of using this instruction model, the researchers undertook a study to assess the relative effectiveness of the written versus the video instructions. This article, which presents the results of this research, centers on student format preferences for learning and the effectiveness of teaching material formats. The guiding research questions were: • RQ1: How does instruction format impact the way participants use and interact with directions? • RQ2: How does instruction format impact task completion? • RQ3: When learning CHEM 101 content, do students have a format preference between video and text-based tutorials? By providing students

FAQs

What tutorial formats were compared in the study?

The study compared written library instruction tutorials versus video library instruction tutorials.

How did student preference relate to learning outcomes?

Students expressed strong preferences for certain formats, but neither format significantly improved task completion speed or performance.

Why do the authors support producing multiple versions of instructions?

The authors argue that student preference alone justifies continued production of multiple instruction versions for the same assignment.

Oct 15, 2026

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