Tailoring Instruction to the Audience

• While there are many things which every chemist should know, you may not have the opportunity to present all of them in a single class. Your instructional opportunity may be:
  • an in-depth course,
  • a short course,
  • a workshop,
  • a presentation integrated into another lecture or lab course,
  • or even materials for independent study (handouts, Web tutorials).
• Even in a full semester chemical information course, you will have to pick and choose what you will cover...and will have to choose carefully in any shorter format.
• Focus on those tools and concepts which your students will be able to apply right away.
  • Concentrate on readily available tools; be aware of what's available in the library AND in the lab; what access do they have to electronic resources?
  • Choose tools to fit the assignments/labs/research they are currently doing. Not only is this economical use of time, but users remember best what they can immediately apply to real problems.
  • Always start with the easiest way to solve a problem...then build to the tougher ones. Your students are busy people and will appreciate tips and shortcuts. Knowledge of chemical information should always make their lives EASIER!

"Puritanical" Instruction vs. "Renegade" Instruction

• "Puritanical" instruction -- "It's important for the students to know how to use Beilstein in print...even though we have CrossFire."
• "Renegade" instruction -- "They're never going to be librarians/information specialists...and don't want to be. Cover the bare minimum they need and turn them loose."
• In reality...it depends on the situation...see above.
  • Lower division undergraduates and many industrial users will want the nuts and bolts of the most readily available tools in their library/laboratory (score one for the renegades!).
  • But some tools require some background training for optimum use: many of the features of Chemical Abstracts online reflect the characteristics of Chemical Abstracts in print, for example. (score one for the puritans!) On the other hand, use of CrossFire requires little or no knowledge of Beilstein in print. (score one for the renegades!)
  • Remember, too, that graduate students, upper-division undergraduates, etc. may move on to other locations with different resources than they currently use and will value training in depth (score another one for the puritans!).
• In either case, be sure to instruct in how to choose the right tool for the job, and in the appropriate strategies and tactics of searching.