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Evaluating your training: a pragmatic approach the East of England experience


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Authors

Hockley, Pauline 
Lepley, Deborah 

Abstract

The East of England Health Information Skills Trainers (EEHIST) is a subgroup of the East of England Confederations of Library and Knowledge Service Alliance (ECLaKSA). EEHIST was formed to encourage collaborative working and share best practice, knowledge and expertise in the area of health information skills training. There are 31 NHS and joint NHS/HE Libraries in the region, providing a wide variety of services and delivering information skills training.

The training offered in the East of England cover searching techniques, practical searching of Healthcare Literature Databases, finding high quality healthcare information on the Internet, Cochrane Library, and Critical Appraisal skills. Training is delivered according to users’ needs and the practicalities of individual libraries.

EEHIST members have discussed whether the training they provide is effective, and have been asked to provide evidence of effectiveness and impact. Following an initial evaluation project, EEHIST have developed pre-assessment and post-assessment training questionnaires in an attempt to measure whether trainees retain learning, if they make use of resources and techniques taught after training, and whether they feel the training has had an impact on their work. The pre-assessment is given to all trainees to complete prior to undertaking training, and the post-assessment completed six weeks later. Both have been used across the East of England for over a year.

Results of the first year will be analysed with particular attention to whether trainees feel the training received has impacted on their work and ultimately patient care.

It is our contention that real learning of Information literacy skills happens on a long-term basis and is reinforced through practice. EEHIST hope to demonstrate that trainees in the East of England retain sufficient understanding/knowledge/learning/skills to build on for their future needs; and that the training has made a difference to trainees’ understanding and behaviour in the short term.

Description

LILAC http://www.lilacconference.com is organised by CILIP’s Information Literacy Group which is a sub-group of the Community Services Group. The LILAC committee is made up of a team of information professionals from all aspects of library and information work who are dedicated to improving information literacy.

Keywords

Information Literacy, Training Evaluation, Information Skills

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