Enhancing cataloguing skills with CAI tools: using CoPAS to improve novice cataloguer’s bibliographic description for published conference proceedings

• Published in: Journal of librarianship and information science 2001-03, Vol.33 (1), p.15-31
• Main Authors: De Silva, Sharon Manel, Zainab, Awang Ngah
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Bibliographic description. Cataloging. Referencing; Cataloguing; Computer assisted instruction; Conference Proceeding Adviser System; CoPAS; Exact sciences and technology; Information and communication sciences; Information and document structure and analysis; Information processing and retrieval; Information science. Documentation; Library staff; Malaysia; MARA Institute of Technology; Sciences and techniques of general use; Technological university libraries; Training
• ISSN: 0961-0006; 1741-6477
• DOI: 10.1177/096100060103300103

Reports results of a study, conducted with 27 third-year undergraduate students at the Faculty of Information Studies, MARA Institute of Technology, Shah Alam, Malaysia, to evaluate the effectiveness of CoPAS (Conference Proceeding Adviser System), an expert system adviser designed to train novice cataloguers in creating bibliographic descriptions for nine types of published conference proceedings. Two groups of students were involved: a control group, which was asked to provide bibliographic descriptions for nine types of conference proceedings using AACR2R; and an experimental group, which was asked to undertake similar tasks using CoPAS. Results indicated that the experimental group performed significantly better than the control group. Results also indicated that text knowledge can be reinforced with the use of a computer assisted system, allowing students to perform significantly better in specific cataloguing tasks. Students with longer experience in computer use found it easier to master the use of the system as well as to comprehend the content and flow of information presented.