Calling Australia!

Members of the Information Resources team recently hosted an online course for librarians based in Australia.   Led by Anthea Sutton, the FOLIO programme has been delivering web-based CPD courses to library and information professionals for over a decade.

Recently, FOLIOz (see what we did there?) has been partnering with ALIA, the Australian Library and Information Association to offer bespoke training catering for the needs identified by its members.

For the latest course, on Evidence-Based Library and Information Practice (EBLIP for short), Anthea was joined by a small team including Andrew Booth, Helen Buckley Woods and Mark Clowes to design and deliver the course content (which included video lectures, readings and assessed course work); as well as facilitating the group discussion boards and hosting two live webinars (a particular challenge given the time difference between ourselves in the UK and our participants "down under").   We were also delighted to welcome Professor Alison Brettle (from Salford University) to deliver a guest lecture on the future of EBLIP.

The course attracted participants from a range of sectors, including education and public libraries as well as from health - all keen to apply an evidence-based approach to solving problems and achieving best practice in the settings of their different services.

As one delegate commented: "This course is right on point as far as the skills I need to develop so our unit can reach its goals."


If you are interested in discussing how FOLIO could help with the training needs of your library/information team, please get in touch with us at folio@sheffield.ac.uk

More of IR in action at Internet Librarian International

Following on from Andy & Claire's post about "Video Saved The Library Star", Anna and I are also hot-footing it to Internet Librarian International next week to present about

Using blogs, Twitter & wikis to deliver e-learning.

The session covers a pilot we ran in one of our FOLIOz e-learning courses to deliver the materials via a Web 2.0 technology of the participants choosing, allowing us to deliver real "anytime, anyplace" type learning.  We'll be reporting on how it went, what the learners thought, and what we plan to do next!

IRISS Collaborate Pilot Prezi

For those of you who didn't pop down to the library yesterday, here's a Prezi we had running on the big screen all about our recent IRISS for staff course completely delivered online, live and direct using Blackboard Collaborate!

Posted by Anthea

ScHARR Bite Size for Research - Wednesday 16th November - 2.30pm - Eric Wilkes Room - Google Maps for Distance Learning Activities

Posted by Andy

As always, there will be cakes - all staff and students are very welcome.

A Postcard from EAHIL

Photo by Helen

Posted by Andy

Our roving information specialist Helen Buckley Woods reports from EAHIL 2011

Hello from the EAHIL conference in Istanbul. The theme of this year’s conference is “Active Learning and Research Partners in Health” With delegates from 38 countries there is a positive feeling of sharing best practice and a real sense of partnership across Europe and beyond. I must be feeling that conference optimism – long may it prevail! The conference is in full flow and amongst others I have attended sessions on using the Kirkpatrick model to evaluate e-learning in Prague presented by Helena Bouzkova and Adela Jarolimkova and “e-learning in pills” Funda Topez described the creation of online short films as a cost-effective and time effective alternative for training health care professionals in the business of accessing the research literature. I have also had the pleasure of delivering a pre-conference workshop on active learning and the relationship between the research evidence and teaching practice in information literacy. Tomorrow is the last day with sessions including those on e-readers and e-text and knowledge management.

Future Learningscapes Conference

Photo by golan

Posted by Anthea

I was at the University of Greenwich yesterday at the "Future Learningscapes: a 21st Century Challenge" conference, presenting a poster on "Employing Web 2.0 Tools to Deliver E-learning Across Hemispheres" on behalf of myself and my colleagues Andy Tattersall & Andrew Booth.

The poster is based on a case study of the FOLIOz e-learning courses ScHARR IR deliver to librarians in Australia and New Zealand in association with ALIA (Australian Library and Information Association).

JISC - Libraries of the Future

Posted by Andy

Systematic review proves that online-learning rules!

Image courtesty of nswlearnscope

A study published by the U.S. Department of Education has shown that e-learning is more effective than face-to-face classroom learning. The systematic review of 99 quantitative studies comparing e-learning with face-to-face teaching found that e-learners averaged in the 59th percentile at the end of their course, compared to the 50th percentile for classroom learners. The difference between the two groups was statistically significant. Luddites repent, technophiles rejoice!

Posted by Claire, based upon information received from Andy

FOLIOz 2009

Photo by Adamina
Posted by Anthea

ScHARR IR Group, in collaboration with ALIA (the Austrailian Library and Information Association), are pleased to announce a new programme of FOLIOz (e-learning for health library and information professionals in Australia and New Zealand) courses in 2009.

The courses are on: promoting & marketing library and information services, supervisory skills for library technicians and/or newly qualified professionals, managing for service quality, and maximising the impact of your service.

For further details, please visit the ALIA website.

FOLIO Course on Promotion and Marketing

Photo by Trav28

Posted by Anthea

ScHARR Information Resources are pleased to announce that the National Library for Health has comissioned a re-run of the FOLIO e-learning course on "Promoting and Marketing Library and Information Services". 50 places are available for information professionals who serve staff working in the UK NHS. If you would like to register or find out more about the course, please see the FOLIO Wiki at: http://cpdfolio.pbwiki.com/.

Health Libraries Group Conference 2008

Photo by tizef

Posted by Anthea

ScHARR Information Resources was well represented at the recent HLG conference held in Cardiff on 21-22 July.

Andrew Booth presented on "Reshaping support services for the X and Y generations" and chaired one of the parallel sessions.

Claire Beecroft had a poster session on "Developing the skills of library para-professionals using a blended learning approach: Precept-Lite!".

Anthea Sutton had two poster sessions, produced in collaboration with Diana Papaioannou & Anna Wilkinson respectively:

"Systematic review searching: an evaluation of methods"

and

"The FOLIOz Experience: tailoring FOLIO e-learning courses to an Australian audience"

For more details on the conference, including links to presentations and posters, please see the HLG Conference website.

FOLIO Down Under!

Photo by 'Stephen'
Posted by Anthea

G'day! The FOLIO Team are pleased to announce a new programme of FOLIOz courses for 2008, in partnership with ALIA, the Australian Library and Information Association. FOLIOz courses are delivered by e-learning and are available to any library and information professionals working in Australia. Topics for 2008 are Knowledge Management, Evaluating Information Skills Training Courses, and Project Management. For further information, please see our FOLIOz Wiki at: http://folioz.pbwiki.com/.