The EPIC LIANZA Training Initiative: transforming online skills training

Craig Cherrie & Fiona Rigby
"Paula Ryan's upstairs."

[this wasn't so full of new ideas, more a report back, so I haven't taken many notes - my own random thoughts-to-self are in square brackets.]

Have moved from card catalogue to "It's a jungle out there" (Vye Peronne). Real challenge for librarian at desk. Soothing white space of google - (best friend or false friend?)

Customers often don't go with best, they go with quickest. [My thoughts: Cf Ian Brooks: we shouldn't give them bad experience of telling them off, or trying to force them into searching complicated resources: should offer them the options: "You can do this and get quick but poor results, or do that and get good results but take time." If they have a good experience now they'll come back for other, more complicated services later.]

Continuing professional development issue. [This definitely accords with Ian Brooks: can't give users options if staff don't know what they are!]

EPIC LIANZA training initiative - to train the trainers. [Provide training to all college tutors?] Focus on online skills, not just databases: core strategies that you can use across a range of online resources. [cf Learning 2.0] Set up online forum using Ning.

Launch of trainers sometime in the next few weeks.

Questions
online resources only accessible to trainers? Yes because copyrighted and for trainers' use. But can be adapted for library use. If a district doesn't have a trainer, best to go through training - resources quite a thick wodge.

if get training, can we get materials to on-train? Yes there's a part of package designed to be handed out. They feel written material isn't a substitute for training.

what characterises your training? (as opposed to 'geek approach')? Instead of presentation and powerpoints, give a context of information request - series of guided questions - thinking about next step, point of failure, etc. [Adaptible for teaching how to go about assignments?]

thoughts on online vs face-to-face for teaching? Everyone learns differently - some prefer elearning, some prefer face-to-face. Use both to support each other - elearning can't be only vehicle.

"Unless encouraged [etc], people won't go to the best sources, they'll go to what they know."