Sample a Scenario-Based Self-Paced Course!
Experience samples of MLA's Self-Paced courses.
Learn something.
Whet your appetite for more!
Here’s how.
1. Scroll down to find courses of interest.
2. Read comments from learners who have taken the course.
3. Read Navigating a Scenario and Getting the Most Out of It. Scenario-based courses are new to most learners. Get tips on how to optimally engage them.
4. Click a course image to take a brief part of a course scenario.
5. Click a bolded course title to open a course page with a full description of a course and a list of additional course materials. Scenarios are the heart of self-paced courses. Courses also include self-assessments, downloadable job aids, annotated resources, and other materials designed to help you meet the learning outcomes of the course.
6. Register for a course on the course page.
Self-Paced Courses
Active Learning Strategies for Effective and Engaging Instruction
If you are a novice or veteran instructor in search of engaging and effective alternatives to lectures, Active Learning Strategies for Effective and Engaging Instruction will take your instruction to the next level!
“Course was engaging and covered topics relevant to my job.”
“Fun, real-world scenarios.”
“I really like the self-paced scenario--it really helps cement the concepts for me.”
Building Your Brand: Becoming a Successful Health Information Professional
Build your brand and become the best health information professional you can be!
"Well put together. Flows Nicely."
"It's a great course!"
Collection Development: Subscribing to and Renewing Electronic Resources
Learn how to acquire and make renewal decisions about your library’s most valuable resources.
"I really enjoyed this class, the way it was presented and the content."
"I really appreciate this course. I find most courses are geared towards public services, so it is always great to find something in my area of collection development and technical services."
"I loved how practical, thoughtful, and fun the course was. I wish I had had access to a course like this when I'd first started in collections!"
Critical Conversations: Building Workplace Communication Skills
Learn communication skills that will empower you to address sensitive and difficult matters in your workplace.
“I enjoyed this course experience and can think of no ways to enhance it.”
“I really like how the content of this course was presented. Working through the scenarios helped with concept and content retention.”
“This course was beneficial in my current work and position and I look forward to identifying others of this caliber.”
Game On! Using Games to Engage and Teach
Bored with your routine one-shot and other teaching sessions? Want to level-up your teaching and have fun, too?
"Excellent scenario! Engaging and interactive."
Getting Better at Everything You Do: Reflective Practice for Health Sciences Librarians
Reflective Practice really can help you get better at everything you do! Learn how.
[Released December 2021]
Introduction to Data Management
Gain a solid foundation in the growing area of research data management!
“This was the perfect format to learn this subject. The application, and not just a lecture webinar, was very helpful.”
"I gained valuable knowledge from this course."
“The supplementary materials are exceptionally helpful. I've saved them and will be using them in the future. Thank you!”
Introduction to Research for Health Sciences Librarians
If you want to do library research, this course in library research basics will start you off right!
[Released December 2021]
Leading Decision-Making Meetings
Do you want to lead meetings in which decisions are made, actions are taken, and the results are evident? Do you want to be known as an effective, respectful meeting convenor?
“The course was convenient and easy to use.”
“I really liked this class. I learned a lot in a short amount of time and I have some additional resources to read.”
“This was fun, and made me think.”
Managing Conflict in Decision-Making Meetings
Do you want to be able to plan and run inclusive, productive meetings? Do you want to learn skills that enable you to address conflict and avoid groupthink and premature closure?
“I actually enjoyed this module. I felt that it showcased the variety of people that you might encounter in a meeting and how to approach each [situation] (and what might happen if you didn't choose wisely).”
“I like that I can take my time, do these courses whenever I want, and that I'm not pressured into a specific time slot.”
“I really enjoy the self-pace dialogue format. I'd love to be able to implement something similar for my online library instruction.”
“The scenario in this course was relevant and a good choice for explaining how to navigate difficult conversations. I liked that it was self-paced and had explanations for decisions along the way.”
Market It So They Will Come: Strategic Communication for Librarians
Increase your library’s visibility and elevate your profile as a marketing and communications wiz!
“This type of learning works for me.”
“[The scenario] flowed very nicely and had great hands-on exercises and skills reinforcement throughout.”
“These self paced courses allow me to do a lot more professional development than if I had to travel to take them in person. The self-paced aspect is also super helpful, as I can work on days when my schedule is easier, or even at home in the evenings and on weekends.”
Meeting Information Needs: Assessing Information Needs
This is the first of three essential courses for new librarians in the core skill of finding and delivering answers to biomedical and health-related questions.
“I am often interrupted throughout the day by reference questions so the ability to stop and resume was great!”
“I found this course engaging. The responses to the choices were relevant and excellent. The samples of emails were very effective.”
Meeting Information Needs: Fulfilling Information Needs
This is the third of three essential courses for new librarians in the core skill of finding and delivering answers to biomedical and health-related questions.
"I love the real-world situations and the ability to interact directly with the course. It helps me to think through the process and understand it more."
"Thanks for a wonderful course!"
Survey Design: Sampling, Implementation, and Analysis
Advance beyond the basics of writing survey questions.
“I like the convenience of the self-paced courses.”
“I liked the format very much, as it was more interactive than a webinar and allowed me to test my skills.”
Survey Design: Reporting and Displaying Survey Results
You've analyzed your survey results. Now learn how to communicate them effectively to your audiences!
[Released March 2021]
Teaching Adult Learners
If you teach adults, learn how to teach them as adults.
[Released December 2021]
The Art of Expert Searching: Searching Beyond PubMed
Ready to raise your searching skills to the next level? Terry Jankowski will show you how!
"I thought it was great. I very much like walking through the examples and to see the thought process. It's what I found to be the most key aspect."
"Very relevant to my job"
"I'm currently in my MLIS program and I like that MLA courses provide examples that often my general instruction does not."
"Great course."
"This was very well designed. Focused and effective strategies and the thought process to develop them."
"I can't improve it!"
The Basics of Scholarly Communication
Learn the basics of scholarly communications!
“This is my first self paced course and I liked it a lot. Incredibly relevant and well done. Thank you!”
“I really like the format--it allows me to quiz myself on materials as I go, so I really feel like I'm getting more out of training than straight didactic sessions.”
“Relevant. Allowed me to review the content I needed at the level I needed and wanted. Very nice adult learning!”
The MLA Guide to Instructional Design Basics
Whether you are new to Instructional Design or need a refresher, this course is for you!
"This would have been an incredible learning experience while I was getting my degree, it really should be a module in one of the MLIS courses."
"It was one of the best designed courses I've taken in a long time."
“I liked all the different options, and the comments that came with the options. They helped me see the process in a different way and feel good about making improvements in my instruction planning. And for the things I had [already] learned about, I found the explanations in this course were better and made more sense.”