Opportunities and Challenges for Students in anrnOnline Seminar-Style Course in LIS Education:rnA Qualitative Case Study

摘要

Online enrollments in U.S. higher education programs continue to grow, a trend thatrnis also seen in LIS education where in some cases entire MLIS programs are being offeredrnonline. Synchronous online seminar-style courses present interesting challengesrnfor both radical inclusion and innovation. This qualitative case study explored the effectivenessrnof a synchronous, online seminar conducted via Google Hangout in an onlinernprogram. The findings revealed similarities and differences between a face-to-face seminarrnand a synchronous online seminar. Factors such as meaningful interactions, grouprncollaborations, and technology literacy—hallmarks of a social constructivist learningrnenvironment, play critical roles in optimizing the experience. These findings emphasizernthe need for a stronger pedagogical framework to guide online LIS education.