The impact of online training

Anne Downes

www.openingthebook.com

Opening the Book online training

2005 - 2015

2012

2013 /2014

Advantages of online training

• Starting point is readers not staff

• Can be taken any time and anywhere

• Skills applied directly in the workplace

• Constant access to material – online record of work and assessment

• Active connections between learners, colleagues, mentors and assessors

Challenges of online training

• Lack of staff time to pursue it

• Engaging staff with differing responsibilities

• Supporting new ways of working

• Embedding skills in day-to-day practice

• Impact measures and evaluation

Frontline

• A course in seven modules in reader-centred skills

• Over 11,000 library staff have taken Frontline internationally to a shared standard

• 2,000 library staff have assessed the learning of their colleagues

• Each learner has actively discussed their work with others online

Example of large-scale impact evaluation

• Victoria State Libraries rolled out a 7-module online course on reader-centred work to all the libraries and 1000 staff across the State in a 3-year programme

• Evaluation one: Quality check on Learning Logs and Supervisor assessments of 300 graduates in all 7 modules across different library services

• Evaluation two: Analysis of self-reported experience of 229 graduates giving feedback 3 months after finishing the course

Active reader engagement

• 94% of the sample of 300 used all the opportunities the course offered to talk with patrons and they recorded quality feedback – more than 5 interviews each

• 91% of the self-reporting sample said that the course work they had done directly affected what their patrons chose to read

• 76% felt more confident to talk positively about books they disliked or wouldn’t choose to read themselves

Skills in promotion and marketing

• 87% of the 300 demonstrated understanding of how to target a group of readers, consider their needs and create a promotion to meet those needs

• 96% of the 229 reported that their library created more effective displays as a direct result of taking the course

Quality of learning

• 96% of 300 graduates experienced very good supervision

• 26% of 300 graduates experienced quite outstanding quality of supervision

Transformational change

• 48% of 229 graduates sampled said that the course completely changed their view of their job and their library

• 1002 graduates in the project to date - only 6 non-completers

• The programme created new skills, shared standards, sustainable projects and a powerful learning network

“Because of all the emergencies pressing on us every day, it can be hard to take the time to sit down and get started on the training.

But, whenever I do, I remember why I'm here and what my job is really about - it's like opening a big window and feeling a fresh breeze blowing in.”

Frontline graduate, Melbourne Libraries

What we learned

• Online mentors can challenge and support effectively

• Trust individual learners to engage with good online learning materials – all they need is time

• Keep tasks flexible to fit with local priorities but reader-centred

• Build in opportunities to spread learning to other staff

• The theory applies across the whole collection not just fiction – non-fiction, children, teen, LP, audio, ebooks

• Online training can support librarians to move out of the comfort zone into new areas like outreach and social media

New offer: two strands of training

• For all staff who work with readers and books in libraries• Five quick hit courses taken separately or in combination

• For librarians and middle managers with more strategic responsibility

• Supports and challenges the learner to introduce and embed new practice, set up new projects and evaluate the results

Skills to Go

Skills to Go

• Designed for library staff and volunteers

• 7 hours work with a clear focus in each course

• Download great graphics and checklists

• Task-centred links to colleagues

• One-to-one external online assessment

• No time limit to use the course

Online exercises

Applied in the library

“Skills to Go courses really fit in with our ethos and the work patterns we are adopting as staff time and capacity become more stretched.  In Cornwall our libraries are seen as community spaces but we also believe we must not lose sight of the importance of reading for pleasure and learning which lies at the very heart of what libraries are about.”Reader Development Manager, Cornwall Libraries

“It opened up new ideas and made everyone around me think more about the books we read. It makes you think differently about your job.” Learner, Scottish Border Council Libraries

“I enjoyed doing the display course very much. My selections were very popular with readers and had to be replaced a great deal.”Learner, Pennsylvania USA

“Great mix of theory and practical tasks .The photos worked really well. Loved being able to download the A4 posters. They were a great example.” Learner, Toowoomba Library, NZ

Recent feedback on Skills to Go

• Clearly linked theory and practice• Strategic as well as practical focus• Exercises to cascade to other staff• Impetus to try new projects and external partnerships• Experiment with outreach work• Plan and test key changes in current routines• Measure, evaluate and report results• Personal one-to-one detailed mentoring• Active online international discussions

Online exercises

Promotional materials

New projects and partnerships

Supporting new ways of working

“I found this course very useful. It forced me to look very closely at our library- at what we do and how we do it-and then bring a new perspective to our space and our procedures, really to every aspect of our work here.

I guess I was surprised at how far reaching the effects of some of the assignments took us. It definitely stretched me in many ways that I did not anticipate.”

interActive graduate, Calgary, Canada

Recent feedback on interActive

More detail and free trials on:

www.openingthebook.com/library-training

Contact me directly:

anne@openingthebook.com

Visit the website:

www.openingthebook.com