Comparison of Asynchronous Online Versus In-Person Library Instruction Methods for Teaching Literature Searching to Graduate Students

The liaison librarian for graduate medicine at Queen's University adapted an in-person library session on literature searching in bibliographic databases to a form of asynchronous online instruction during this period. Students returning to campus in 2022 presented an opportunity for the librarian to compare the effectiveness of the traditional in-person library session with this new form of online instruction.

The primary objective of this study was to compare the effectiveness of traditional in-person library instruction with asynchronous online library instruction for teaching literature searching skills to students enrolled in a translational medicine graduate course. The secondary objective is to determine the students’ perceived effectiveness of the different instruction methods and their attitudes towards different teaching formats for learning literature searching skills.