Blended learning and pure e-learning concepts for information retrieval: experiences and future directions

Today, teaching and learning are mostly supported by digital material and electronic communication ranging from the provision of slides or scripts in digital form to elaborate, interactive learning environments. This article describes the prospects and risks of blended learning and e-learning for information retrieval courses. It deals with adequate content presentation and representation, as well as with interaction concepts and didactic considerations concerning the cost-benefit ratio of animations, applets, and multimedia elements. We present lessons learnt from 6 years of teaching information retrieval in blended learning and pure e-learning scenarios, and derive graded concepts for basic and advanced topics based on a book-like content representation on the one side, and lecture-recordings on the other side. Each concept is complemented by a pragmatic and focussed use of auxiliary elements such as forums and self-tests. Examples for beneficial and misguided applets and animations are given, along with criteria for their differentiation. Finally, critical success factors for technology enhanced learning approaches in the information retrieval field are derived concerning the creation, utilisation, and maintenance of courses. In short, we will argue that taking into account the nature and stability of the presented content, as well as a thorough consideration of the affordable creation and maintenance effort, are crucial for the success of such concepts. In addition, the closer the concept is to pure e-learning, the more important a high digital presence of the lecturer becomes.