Legal Writing and Research Library Workshop Modules: Teaching Legal Bibliography Using Instructional Technology in Innovative Ways
Lauren Michelle Collins, Wayne State University Law School

After being awarded an Innovative Instructional Technology Grant by the Office of the Provost, Collins and others at Wayne State are currently developing online tutorials for various topics in legal research. The tutorials feature audio recordings with accompanying visual aides. The visual aids in some tutorials are simple slides. Other tutorials feature video demos. The tutorials are viewable within a web browser. Collins said she expects the tutorials to be unveiled in August.

Those involved in the production of the tutorials, including library students, had little experience in a project of this type (and size) and had to do a tremendous amount of on-the-job learning while. For example, the camera used to create video for the project arrived with no instructions. The team then had to spend several days learning to use the equipment.

Collins stressed the importance of developing the format at the same time you develop actual content. With format already in mind, content production is simplified greatly.

Certain unforeseen developments threw obstacles into the project. For one, changes to certain library resources forced some tutorials into obsolescence before they could even be used.