Columbia students give Literati “thumbs up”

Credo Reference's ongoing effort to improve information literacy (and "research effectiveness") just got a new boost. After conducting a case study with Columbia University's undergrads, the company is reporting back some encouraging feedback about the value of its Literati platform. The results of the study have been made public and their message is clear: using Literati in the classroom made a notable difference in the students' research experience. According to Credo, 87 percent of the students who participated said that Literati improved the quality of their work and 90 percent said they would likely use it again for future assignments.

 

From No Shelf Required

Credo Reference's ongoing effort to improve information literacy (and "research effectiveness") just got a new boost. After conducting a case study with Columbia University's undergrads, the company is reporting back some encouraging feedback about the value of its Literati platform. The results of the study have been made public and their message is clear: using Literati in the classroom made a notable difference in the students' research experience. According to Credo, 87 percent of the students who participated said that Literati improved the quality of their work and 90 percent said they would likely use it again for future assignments.

Soon after launching Literati – an extension of the original Credo Reference platform, marketed as "a library's connection to information literacy" – Credo partnered with Columbia University (and the "embedded" librarians of its Undergraduate Writing Program) to monitor students' experience using the product. The goal was to utilize Literati as the core instructional tool and give students full access to its Technology (including Credo's well-known Topic Pages and the Mind Map), Content (derived from hundreds of reference ebooks and subject encyclopedias from a growing list of publishers), and various customized Services, including multi-media instruction and tutorials.

"Partnering with Columbia University on this case study helped us better understand the specific research and information literacy needs among students...and tailor their Literati service accordingly," said Credo's CEO, Mike Sweet, in a statement. "The knowledge that we have gained will be highly valuable as we continue to evolve Literati's blend of technology, content and services."

The Credo story

What has made Credo Reference a success story in publishing and library circles in recent years extends beyond the company's ability to amass quality research content and apply new technologies to the platform. Since its launch in 1999 (then called X-Refer), Credo has been consistently raising the bar for what an ebook platform could be.

What started out as a publisher-neutral "database," back when most reference publishers were still deciding how to migrate their subject encyclopedias online, has now morphed into a "solution" that engages researchers with customized videos and tutorials. The content remains its main component, but it continues to be "enhanced," not overshadowed, by technology. The best part: the "embedded" services are powered by humans (actual on-site librarians and educators).

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