Learning With The Students: Chemical Engineering Students Help Design And Shape Delivery Of Instructional Information For Their Discipline.

During the last year and a half, the West Virginia University Libraries purchased LibGuides, a web-based subject guide template, to make important research and study information available in one convenient place for our students and faculty. The engineering librarian decided to focus on chemical engineering for the first focused engineering guide. The development of the guide became an opportunity to invite senior chemical engineering students to participate in suggesting content for the guide and to use and critique any online/video tutorials that would complement it. Since Chem Eng (ChE) 455/456 Chemical Process Design 1 and 2, are taken by senior chemical engineering students at this institution, one of the professors allowed us to meet with the members of the senior class. Students were aware that the research information in the guide and tutorials would be of more use to students in successive classes since this would be the design phase of the process. The students’ horizons are expanding because the LibGuide and tutorials introduced them to information and resources that they may not have had knowledge been of, making the students more aware of the options available for research in their field. The librarian is gaining knowledge at the same time, learning to use Adobe Captivate, exploring video options, operating a Flip camera and editing video. The entire experience has made the librarian more sympathetic to users, especially those less comfortable with technology. A description of the process follows. Student input is critical to the usability of the guide and tutorials.