The SLIS graduate program currently offers many web-based courses.
These graduate courses are taught entirely online including web-based readings and resources, threaded discussions, plus online presentations, audio/video, and activities. Choices allow graduate students with varied backgrounds and interests to select activities that meet their professional needs.
Our courses are designed to address the interests and needs of a wide range of professionals in both education and librarianship including school library media specialists, as well as public, special, and academic librarians. Classroom teachers (pre-service and in-service) and technology coordinators will also find courses of interest.
Take individual courses for professional development or certification. Or, enroll in our Masters in Library Science program which is accredited by the American Library Association.
Click a course for a description:
S401: Computer-based Information Tools
S504: Cataloging
S571: Materials for Youth
S574: Info Inquiry for Teachers
S621: Audio Video Sources
S671: Media Specialist
S532: Info Architecture
S603: Electronic Materials
S603: Grant Methods
S603: High Tech Learning
S603: Tech-Rich Learning
S603: Flash
S603: Teaching/Learning at a Distance
S604: Consumer Health Informatics
S629: Tech & Special Needs
This skills-based course introduces basic applications that will be used throughout the student's course work and beyond. Students' experiences in this course should be seen as a basis for further skill development and learning throughout their careers. The course covers computing platforms, access tools, and management tools. Demonstration of skills will be by a mastery test or an assignment in each unit of the course. L401 does not count toward graduate degree requirements.
Instructor: Knapp
Web-based Version Offered: Ongoing
Historical development and principles essential to the understanding of the conceptual foundations of providing bibliographic access and control of materials and information. Discussion and examples in the application of AACR2r will be presented to illustrate and reflect current practice. Emphasis is on monographic publications.
Instructor: Barbara Albee
Web-based Version Offered: Spring Semester
Evaluation and use of books, magazines, recordings, films, radio and television broadcasts, and other sources of information and recreation.
Instructor:Marilyn Irwin; Moeller
Web-based Version Offered: Fall (Irwin) and Spring (Moeller)
Whether you're exploring ideas for your next vacation, pondering choices for political office, or examining history or science topics, information inquiry plays an important role in lifelong learning, personal growth, and many aspects of the K12 curriculum.
This three-credit hour graduate course is an introduction to the inquiry process and the methods, techniques, and concepts useful in teaching students and other educators the skills associated with information literacy, media literacy, creative thinking, and critical thinking.
Instructor: Annette Lamb, Ph.D.
Web-based Version Offered: Fall and Spring (Lamb)
Explore ideas and resources to help you grow as a multimedia user, developer, technology coordinator, educator, collection developer, or librarian.
This three credit hour course focuses on decision making in the digital audio and video information environment. This includes collection development, management, and organization with emphasis on the evaluation, selection, and use of a wide range of low to high tech audio and visual media. Issues such as access, organization, promotion, multimedia copyright, and censorship will be discussed. Multimedia literacy as well as integration of multimedia resources into the K12 and higher education curriculum and public library environment will be explored. Tools and techniques for sharing and disseminating audio and visual elements will be examined. Finally, remote and emerging technologies will be highlighted.
Instructor: Larry Johnson, Ph.D.; Annette Lamb, Ph.D.; Sara Wolf, Ph.D.
Web-based Version Offered: Spring (Johnson); Summer (Wolf)
A school is a learning community. Each teacher and child comes with a unique set of experiences that contribute to the community of learning. The school library media center offers a wide variety of resources and opportunities. However, the enthusiastic leadership of a teacher librarian is essential to bring the potential of information and learning resources alive for both teachers and students.
This three credit hour course focuses on the role of the school library media specialist as an educational leader and center administrator. Emphasis is placed on the evolving role of the teacher librarian as a critical player in the learning community including manager, collaborator, collection and curriculum developer, facilities designer, fiscal agent, planner, advocate, promoter, and evaluator. In addition to building professional knowledge and skills in traditional areas, this course explores accountability, administration, and advocacy aspects of the media specialist's critical leadership role in the learning community.
Instructor: Larry Johnson, Ph.D.; Annette Lamb, Ph.D.
Web-based Version Offered: Fall (Johnson)
During the past decade, the Internet has become an integral part of schools, libraries, and most other organizations. As we design systems for accessing and applying the vast resources available, skills in information architecture have become critical for librarians, educators and anyone interested in meeting the information needs of people in today's digital world.
This three-credit hour graduate focuses on planning, designing, developing, managing, and evaluating web resources. Learners evaluate the content and technical aspects of existing informational, instructional, and promotional websites designed for libraries, schools, museums, and other organizations. They also create web sites using raw HTML, as well as web development tools. Issues such as web accessibility, website management, and copyright will also be discussed. Finally, students design a plan for managing, sustaining, and/or expanding their website.
Instructor: Annette Lamb, Ph.D.; Larry Johnson, Ph.D.;
Web-based Version Offered: Spring (Johnson)
From educational software to informational websites, a wide range of electronic materials are available for children and young adults. These materials can help parents entertain and motivate. They can also assist teachers in meeting the individual learning needs of children.
This three-credit hour graduate focuses on the evaluation, selection, management, and use of electronic materials for children and young adults including web and computer-based materials. Learners will explore categories of resources and develop materials such as pathfinders and webquests to facilitate access and promote learning. Issues such as copyright, technology planning, and grant writing will also be explored.
Instructor: Annette Lamb, Ph.D.; Larry Johnson, Ph.D.;
Web-based Version Offered: Spring and Summer (Lamb)
In an era of shrinking budgets and expanding needs, grant writing is an essential skill for librarians and other non-profit leaders who want to continue to offer essential and innovative programs and services.
This 3 credit hour course will help you develop the skills necessary to identify potential and relevant grant funders, develop grant projects to address demonstrable areas of need, and write high quality grant proposals.
Instructor: Carol Tilley, M.L.S.
Web-based Version Offered:
From blogs to wikis, today's learners have access to a wide range of technology tools and learning spaces. This course explores these technologies and examines how librarians and educators can facilitate high tech learning.
High tech learning refers to the constantly evolving hardware, software, and networking tools and resources available to those wishing to acquire knowledge, skills, attitudes, or values through formal instruction or free inquiry. Because of the virtual nature of these digital tools and resources, high tech learning can occur anywhere, anytime. Libraries, educational institutions, museums, and community organizations all play a role in faciliating this type of learning.
This three-credit course explores high tech learning tools and spaces. Participants explore how technology tools can be used to produce texts, illustrations, photographs, sounds, videos, and animations for use in teaching and learning. Next, participants examine the role of librarians and educators in facilitating learning spaces through the use of technologies such as email, forums, blogs, virtual conferencing, collaborative web/wikis, social networks, course management systems, desktop spaces, and interactives. Along the way, participants examine evidence of the effectiveness of each technology as well as issues associated with their use.
Instructor: Annette Lamb, Ph.D.
Web-based Version Offered: Fall (Lamb)
The Internet is overflowing with resources that help educators connect books with technology-rich resources. Unfortunately, it's often difficult to locate worthwhile resources and build effective, efficient, and appealing curriculum materials.
This three-credit hour graduate examines how Internet resources, educational software, and technology tools can be used to engage learners through motivating and meaningful learning environments. Explore trends in teaching, learning, and technology including online reading resources, technology-rich literature circles, and book-based webquests. Learn to create interdisciplinary, thematic, web-based units that address common standards and benchmarks in reading/literacy, as well as other subject areas.
Instructor: Annette Lamb, Ph.D.
Web-based Version Offered:
Whether you'd like to build effective information tutorials or attention-getting animation sequences, the Macromedia Flash environment is for you. Gain experience with this cutting-edge multimedia technology tool.
This 1.5 credit hour course is ideal for beginners with little or no prior experience using Flash software, a web animation authoring tool. The class provides experience developing web-based multimedia materials that contain sound, graphic, animation, and interactive components. Students will be involved in examining and evaluating existing Flash projects, gaining hands-on experience through a series of practical skills-building tasks, and planning and creating a meaningful, authentic final project such as an informational or instructional tutorial, a dynamic simulation, or an engaging multimedia activity. Regardless of whether you're interested in animation applications in library and information science, teaching and learning, or other fields, you'll find lots of practical ideas and develop marketable skills.
Instructor: Larry Johnson, Ph.D.
Web-based Version Offered: Summer, Fall (Johnson)
An increasing number of public and school librarians are becoming involved in developing, supporting, and/or offering programs at a distance. From virtual book clubs to non-credit online courses on topics such as cooking to genealogy, public librarians are finding that virtual library activities can attract new patrons. Online high school courses, virtual test prep, and virtual reading programs are just a few of the ways that the virtual school library program can become the bridge between home and school.
This 1.5-credit hour, online course focuses on teaching and learning at a distance. From online courses to virtual book clubs, school libraries, public libraries, and other organizations are connecting librarians, teachers and students with online resources, virtual communications, and remote programs. Learn to design and develop effective, efficient, and appealing online teaching and learning environments.
Instructor: Larry Johnson, Ph.D.
Web-based Version Offered: Fall (Johnson)
Topics include theoretical models for the delivery of consumer health information; Internet-based information delivery; access to patient information and privacy issues; quality of consumer health information; health literacy and health information literacy; design and development of sumer health information resources; consumer access to clinical information and current research.
Instructor: Katherine Shilling, Ph.D.
Web-based Version Offered: Spring (Shilling)
National and state initiatives related to people with disabilities increasingly stress maximization of their independence, whether in school, employment, or daily living environments.
This three-credit hour graduate focuses on access to information as a critical element to sustained independence. Topics include specific materials, services, and assistive technologies available to meet the needs of various types of disabilities.
Instructor: Marilyn Irwin, Ph.D.
Web-based Version Offered: