New Technologies, New Directions Project

Using Capzles to enhance the Harvard Guide

New Technologies, New DirectionsProjectUsing Capzles to enhance the Harvard Guide

Mark Armstrong-Roper & Pam Abalo

For our New Technologies, New Directions Project we decided to look at a different way of presenting the Librarys online Harvard Guide using Capzles.1Current Harvard Guide

The current VU Harvard guide uses LibGuides software but it is basically a transfer of the old print Harvard guide to an online format. Students have commented that is very list orientated.2Why use Capzles?Wanted to trial Capzles as an instruction toolAbility to add a range of filesVisually appealing interfaceStep-by-step or dive-in usageIts free!

We decided to use Capzles as we liked its Digital Storytelling capability and the way it combined different file types. We wanted to trial how a more visual representation of the Harvard Guide would work as an instruction tool both within a class and for independent learning.3Harvard Guide on Capzles

This is the Capzles version of the VU Harvard Guide that we created. The different stacks combine pdfs and video files and allow the user to see all the citation formats and easily browse them.4Issues with using CapzlesFreezing Limited to adding old file formatsNo help availableNo option for a friendly URL to share

The downside of using Capzles was that as a freely available platform, theres no help, no guaranteed continuity of service, it uses old file formats, such as .doc not .docx, and its editing capabilities are limited. However, its not bad for a free software program.5Where to from here ...Can add more resources as developed eg videosReplacement or alternative?Embedding optionsFeedback

A good thing is that as videos are created by SIS team members they can be added to the VU Harvard Capzles guide. We also need to look at where we can embed this Guide and more importantly, to go forward from here, we need feedback on whether this type of visual Harvard Guide is a replacement or an alternative to the current guide. 6