Improving Student Recall of Library Information From Slide/Tape Programs (Research Note)

For library instruction, slide/tape programs offer several advantages. They are flexible, lending themselves to easy updating of information and correction of errors. They are suitable for point-of-use applications or for showing to class-size audiences. It is possible to get close-up shots of pages, individual index entries, and catalog cards as well as on-site shots and pictures of graphics. In addition, slide/tape programs are relatively simple to make, at least in comparison to videotape. The film "crew" can be a single person, thus minimizing problems of scheduling the filming and of disrupting normal library operations. The narrator does not have to memorize the script or use specially prepared prompter cards. This simplicity makes creating a slide/tape program relatively inexpensive. However, as an instructional tool, the slide/tape program has the drawback of being an inherently static medium. The pictures do not move. There is no eye contact with the narrator. In a slide/tape setup, the presentation advances according to a predetermined pace, irrespective of the needs of particular audiences. In classroom showings, the lights are often turned off. As a result,