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Building capacity…

sharing INASP’s approach to information literacy training

Emma Farrow LILAC 2015, 8 - 10 April 2015

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Mission: putting research knowledge at the heart of development

Aim: work with partners in Africa, Asia and Latin America to improve

– access– production and – use of research information & knowledge

so that countries are equipped to solve their development challenges

03/12/2013

Principles: capacity development, sharing of learning, sustainability

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IL training as part of strategic plan

• New 5 year programme of work: Strengthening Research and Knowledge Systems

• 10 new or revised workshops including: - Information Literacy Strategy

- Information Literacy into Curriculum

- Pedagogical Skills

• Working with and through library consortia- strategic planning, leading to 3 year plans

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IL workshops delivery IL into Curriculum

Nicaragua (Feb 2014)

Ghana (May 2014)

Uganda (July 2014)

Kenya (Nov 2014)

IL Strategy

Zimbabwe (May 2014)

Honduras (Nov 2014)

Next

El Salvador

Bolivia

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Improving quality of our trainingthrough:

1. Better participatory materials

2. Building capacity of facilitators

3. Improved participant selection

4. Pre- and post-workshop assessments

5. Integrated post-workshop tasks … and six month follow up

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1. Participatory materials• Standard materials developed by consultant• Local adaptation encouraged• Learning included:

- longer lead in time for pilots and review- balancing standard materials and local context

Adaptation of content to the local context enables clear understanding of the topic. [Facilitator report]

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2. Build capacity of facilitators

We do this through a ‘cascading workshop approach’

Pilot: experienced lead / consortium nominated assistant

Workshop 1: observe & report

Workshop 2: assist.facilitator, home country

Workshop 3: potential lead facilitator

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Cascading workshop in actionIntroducing…Faith Akiteng College Librarian, Makerere UniversityUganda

- experienced IL trainer

Ghana workshop: Observer

Uganda workshop: Assistant Facilitator

Kenya workshop: Lead Facilitator

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3. Improved participant selection

• Clear criteria for participation• Pre-workshop assessment

– including institutional readiness / support

• Final decision with consortium

The selection process was some how “diluted” in the sense that some participants without prior IL training experience attended even after INASP and facilitators gave their views on their eligibility. [Facilitator report]

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4. Pre/post-workshop assessment

• Informs facilitators e.g. training experience / expectations

• Informs INASP (and our funders) - improved understanding of core concepts?

• Challenge: asking the right questions!The assessment process was excellent…helped in aligning the workshop activities to the kind of participants expected. [Facilitator report]

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5. Post-workshop tasks… • Integrated post-workshop tasks - stated expectation from start

- to be completed within 6 months of workshop

> action plan / collective agreement

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Post-workshop tasks example• Develop an information literacy curriculum outline, or

review an existing one  (you may wish to develop either the mind-map or curriculum template) 

• Develop a detailed lesson plan for your IL training (e.g. using format introduced in Planning training using a lesson plan)

 

• Develop an advocacy action plan, with steps to raise awareness of your IL programme (e.g. using template introduced in Communication & Advocacy)

• Another appropriate, equivalent task which meets the needs of the consortium and member institutions

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5. Post-workshop tasks… • Integrated post-workshop tasks - stated expectation from start

- to be completed within 6 months of workshop > action plan / collective agreement

…and 6 month follow up - facilitators: how their training put into practice

- consortium: impact of their workshop

- participants: feedback on their work

- INASP/funders: impact of our support

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Improving quality of our trainingthrough:

1. Better participatory materials

2. Building capacity of facilitators

3. Improved participant selection

4. Pre- and post-workshop assessments

5. Integrated post-workshop tasks …and six month follow up

… how successful?

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Looking ahead• “6 month” follow up• IL online forum: ‘Chat Literacy'

• Toolkit approach for new materials• Network of trainers

- consortia-nominated trainers equipped with learner-centred knowledge, skills, attitudes

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Next Steps: Faith

Ghana workshop: Observer

Uganda workshop: Assistant Facilitator

Kenya workshop: Lead Facilitator

NEXT STEP : Participant in Network of Trainers programme

Having recently attended a pedagogical skills workshop …on how best to deliver IL training, I am a converted

believer that a learner-centred approach is best for

delivering any training.

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.

For further information on our work on Access to Research, subscribe to our blog at http://blog.inasp.info, follow us on twitter @INASPinfo and facebook inasp.info , or visit our website www.inasp.info

For workshop materials, in English and Spanish, visit:http://www.inasp.info/en/training-resources/courses/

Thank you for listening

Emma Farrowefarrow@inasp.info