Institute for Learning and Research Technology (ILRT) The RDN Virtual Training Suite - a free online educational resource from JISC, helping people use the internet to support their learning Emma Place Institute for Learning and Research Technology (ILRT) University of Bristol Can I ask you to cast your minds back to the very first library you became familiar with? Can you picture it? (pause) Well no doubt it looked something like this ...

The RDN Virtual Training Suite Can it help public libraries ? Watch and decide ….

Today … The concept of e-Literacy The RDN Virtual Training Suite 3) How can it be used by public libraries?

The concept of eLiteracy “The information revolution requires an education revolution”

We need to help users respond to the changing Information landscape and become effective: eLearners eResearchers

This requires training in … IT skills But also Information literacy

If Information Literacy … “enables people to recognise when they need information and to locate, evaluate and use relevant information” (American Library Association, 1989)

Then eLiteracy is … “the ability to locate, evaluate and use relevant information on the Internet effectively to support your needs”

Where did you learn your information skills?

Pause for laughter. OK, well you’re probably not that old, my guess is it looked more like this ...

Do you remember when you learned about reference books, such as the encyclopedias here? Move on ..

And you developed skills in using the library to support your study ...

But of course, nowadays many libraries are increasingly looking like this … More and more space is being used to house computers, as more and more information is housed on the Internet as opposed to library shelves. The important point is this: While many of us have a lifetimes’ experiences of using traditional sources of information such as a library, all of us only have a few years experience of using the Internet as a source of information, because the information explosion on the Internet is a recent phenomena. There is a skills gap - students and lecturers need to develop their Internet information skills … and that it was the RDN Virtual Training Suite aims to do

to support education and research There’s a skills gap How to use the Internet to support education and research Staff (may not have learned these skills at school/college) Students (may not know how to use the Internet to support their education (only their recreation!)

2) The RDN Virtual Training Suite A tool for learning and teaching eLiteracy for education and research

So what exactly is the RDN Virtual Training Suite? A national educational resource on the Web FREE for everyone to use

Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC) The service is funded by … Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC) Which “promotes the innovative use of IT and information systems for UK higher and further education” Essentially cataloguing the web.

It’s part of a national Internet service The Resource Discovery Network (RDN) An Internet search service for students, lecturers and researchers in HE or FE (includes SOSIG, OMNI, EEVL etc.) The Virtual Training Suite is just one of the services offered by the RDN

What does it comprise of? More than 50 free “teach yourself” tutorials on the Web Like “Beginners Guides” to the Internet for different subjects taught in HE and FE

11 Web-tutorials for FE Internet for Art, Design and Media Internet for Business Studies Internet for Construction Internet for Engineering (to include Motor Engineering) Internet for Hairdressing and Beauty Internet for Health and Social Care Internet for Hospitality and Catering Internet for Information and Communication Technology Internet for Leisure, Sport and Recreation Internet for Performing Arts Internet for Travel and Tourism

45 for HE …

Who built it? Built “by the community for the community”: Authors and editors = lecturers, librarians and learning resource centre staff from more than 50 UK colleges and universities.

Tutorial features Simple step-by-step instruction Quizzes and exercises Links basket Glossary of Internet terms Print options / free posters Teaching resources

Tutorial learning objectives TOUR - key Internet resources for the subject DISCOVER - Internet search skills REVIEW - skills for evaluating Internet resources REFLECT - practical ways using the Internet for education and work

3) The RDN Virtual Training Suite A quick tour … www.vts.rdn.ac.uk

Implications for library staff? How might it be used in public libraries?

How is VTS being used? Librarians: As an open-learning Web resource For Internet training For staff development Learners for “teach yourself” training Lecturers in taught courses

Formal Evaluation “The RDN Virtual Training Suite proved to be one of the most popular parts of the RDN, being perceived as a high quality and effective learning and teaching resource” High levels of use found via Web stats (c 1 million hits per month)

"Excellent! I know that this has been produced for HE/FE users but it is of value to other users." Director, Sheffield Information Organisation (SINTO)

"Thank you. I have found this course invaluable to me as I am a mature student doing an open university course on health and social care." Undergraduate student, Open University

"I run a multimedia learning centre (the physical kind) and am always looking for ways to encourage people to develop themselves. This site is bound to motivate many that haven't found the relevance of the Internet for themselves...yet" Learning Consultant, Centrica

"Thank you for sorting out the confusing world of the internet" Student, University of Durham

An eService for public libraries? Useful for … public library Web sites? supporting learners in public libraries? Internet training in public libraries? Public library staff development?