Teaching Web 2.0 Beyond the Library: Adventures in Social Media, the Class

Abstract

Librarians at the Mayo Clinic developed customized Web 2.0 courses for library staff, health science faculty, and nurse educators. As demand for this type of training spread across the institution, a single, self-paced class was developed for all employees. The content covered the typical Web 2.0 and social media tools (e.g., blogs, really simple syndication [RSS], wikis, social networking tools) emphasizing the organization's social media guidelines. The team consulted with the public affairs department to develop the class and coordinate marketing and advertising. The eight-module, blog-based course was introduced to all employees in 2010. Employees completing each module and passing a brief assessment receive credit on their employee transcript. Libraries staff provided support to participants throughout the duration of the course through chat widgets, e-mail, and blog comments. The results show that even though a high number of learners accessed the course, the completion percentage was low since there was no requirement to complete the course. Deploying a single, self-paced course for a large institution is an enormous undertaking, requiring the support of high level administration, managers, and employees.

KEYWORDS:

• Learning 2.0
• library instruction
• social media
• social network tools
• Web 2.0

Acknowledgments

This article was based on a presentation given at the 2010 Annual Meeting of the Medical Library Association in Washington, D.C., on May 25, 2010. <http://www.mlanet.org/am/am2010/pdf/mla10_abstracts.pdf>.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Ann M. Farrell

Ann Farrell, MLS ([email protected]) is Librarian at Mayo Clinic Libraries, Mayo Clinic, 200 1st Street SW, Rochester, MN 55901.

Susan H. Mayer

Susan Mayer, MLIS ([email protected]) is Patient Education Specialist at Mayo Clinic Libraries, Mayo Clinic, 200 1st Street SW, Rochester, MN 55901.

Melissa L. Rethlefsen

Melissa Rethlefsen, MLS ([email protected]) is Education Technology Librarian at Mayo Clinic Libraries, Mayo Clinic, 200 1st Street SW, Rochester, MN 55901.