Choose Your Own Research Adventure: An Asynchronous Tutorial to Address “Research as Inquiry”

• Published in: Communications in information literacy Vol. 18; no. 1; pp. 56 - 71
• Main Authors: Brinkman, Stacey, Hilton, Samantha
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Tulsa Communications in Information Literacy 01.01.2024
• Subjects: Academic libraries; Active Learning; asynchronous tutorial; choose your own adventure; College students; Comparative Analysis; Comparative Education; Concept Mapping; Consultation Programs; Core curriculum; Curriculum Development; Database Management Systems; Educational Practices; Educational Technology; Freshman Composition; Games; Graduate Students; Higher education; Humanities; Information literacy; Inquiry; Institutional Research; Instructional design; Learning; Librarians; Library Instruction; Library Personnel; Online Systems; Online tutorials; Quarter System; research as inquiry; Research Projects; Teaching; User training; Workshops; Writing instruction
• ISSN: 1933-5954; 1933-5954
• DOI: 10.15760/comminfolit.2024.18.1.4

The Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education posits that the practice of asking questions in order to deepen inquiry and understanding is a key element of information literacy. While the “Research as Inquiry” frame is teachable in library instruction, it can be difficult to scale. Popular instructional design software tends to present information in linear formats that can limit how students understand the iterative nature of research. This article presents an attempt at an asynchronous tutorial that overcomes this limitation of medium and that presents “Research as Inquiry” through an iterative and question-based online game. We discuss the development, implementation, and assessment of the tutorial, as well as issues of sustainability and scale.