1. 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 ...

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

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

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

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

6. This requires training in …
IT skills
But also Information literacy

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

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

9. Where did you learn your
information skills?

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

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

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

13. 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

14. 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!)

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

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

17. 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.

18. 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

19. 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

20. 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

21. 45 for HE …

22. 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.

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

24. 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

25. 3) The RDN Virtual Training Suite
A quick tour …

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

27. 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

28. 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)

29. "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)

30. "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

31. "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

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

33. 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?