Competency K
design training programs based on appropriate learning principles and theories
I understand this competency to have a dual nature. Librarians and information professionals must be able to design programs that help train staff with the goal of providing better service to the community the organization serves. Likewise, they must also be well versed in designing and providing effective training programs to the users which are aimed at increasing the usefulness of library tools and services in order to satisfy their information needs. To achieve this librarians and information professionals need to be familiar with the appropriate learning principles and theories of both internal staff and external users which will guide us in the design of efficacious training programs. Following I explain my understanding of this competency and substantiate it with examples of class work or professional experience.
My first professional experience designing a training program was for a world renowned liquor manufacturer and distributor. At the time the company's different departments utilized different software to process orders, manage inventory, and track customer history. Each attempt to gather data on a given customer implied a monumental effort involving calls and a lot of waiting time which ultimately affected the service quality and made a lot of customers furious. As such the company decided to design a platform that consolidated the data from all departments and offered a central place where staff could draw real-time accurate data from. But before this framework could be implemented, the staff needed to be trained on how to use the new software. My task was to help the information department and head librarian design a training program that took into account the characteristics and learning styles of adults. Though this experience took place before I had an understanding about how adults learn, once I studied the theories and principles of learning in the MLIS program, I was able to analyze this experience on the basis of its validity and efficacy.
The head librarian opted to follow a new approach to designing the program which I now know to have been based on the adult education theory of Malcolm Knowles (Blondy, 2007), whose andragogy model postulates that adults learn more effectively when learning is relevant to their life, is self-directed, self-motivated, and independent, draws heavily from personal experiences, and is problem-centered versus content-oriented. As such we designed a training program that did not revolve around the classic lecture model. Instead, during our sessions we reviewed the flaws of the current systems in place, introduced the new software, emphasized the need and practical aspects of the training, explained the many advantages of it over the older framework, and encouraged interaction and sharing on the part of the staff. For this last stage we agreed that the best way would be to conduct hands-on sessions whereas the staff, drawing from their own experience, presented an issue or case to the class. Then the instructors would explain how to go about solving it in the new system and each person would try out the new process in his or her individual stations. Previous training programs that were based on the old lecture model had taken months to complete. This newly implemented training program lasted three weeks at the end of which each member of the staff was completely confident in their level of skill and knowledge of the system. I appreciated this experience because it showed me the ins and outs of designing a training program that was tailored to the needs of our users thereby making it more effective for the staff as well as the company and the customers we served.
In a different incarnation, training does not only pertain to a new procedure or technology. Sometimes training is necessary when dealing with change. In LIBR 204 (Information Organizations and Management) I wrote an essay in which I analyzed the factors that cause conflict in organizations and discussed the tools for resolving and avoiding it. I concluded that in order to prevent and deal with conflict, management must empower the staff by implementing clear lines of communication, educating and advancing people, introducing changes gradually, and establishing a solid support foundation for the staff. I believe the most egregious error that managers make when dealing with conflict is failing to educate people (Brown, 1985). If people are trained, their commitment level strengthens and they develop a better understanding of the company's objectives and needs for change. In this paper I used an example that was related to the professional experience discussed above (p. 6). Before the company introduced the change in software platform, it tested its viability with the help of a group of superusers, members of the staff who were thoroughly trained in the new program. As they utilized it in their day to day tasks, they were able to give feedback to the programmers on what features to improve, which aspects to downplay, critical needed components, and generally identified underlying issues that were smoothed out before the company-wide roll out took place. Then the superusers, a group I was part of, trained the rest of the staff making them feel comfortable with the change. The organization also made sure the superusers worked side by side with the rest of the staff by temporarily reallocating them to the offices that were undergoing the change in systems. At no time did the staff resist the change. This was made possible because throughout the process their input was solicited and incorporated into the program design, they were thoroughly trained and supported, they understood the need for the change and the improvements it would make to the company's operations, and they felt valued by the organization. This assignment and my previous professional experience solidified my belief in educating and training staff properly in order to open the lines of communication and empower them to deal effectively with conflict, be it within the organization itself or as it relates to customer service.
Librarians and information professionals must also be able to train their patrons effectively on the different aspects of information use. Examples include training on research techniques, navigating the library's catalog, locating materials on the shelves, operating the microfiche equipment, or searching a database. In line with Knowles observations that learning is continuous and a lifelong experience, libraries and information centers are in the unique position to support learning and the continuous acquisition of knowledge whether that takes place by reading an article or through active training sessions.
I like to think of user training as all the activities involved in equipping library users with the skills to enable them to be independent and sophisticated users of library resources. A tool I found useful in helping me develop an understanding of how to design effective training for library users is the TUNE (2005, Training of Library Users in a New Europe) model. The model consists of a methodological part, which gathers the basic points that any program of users' training can follow. It includes six different main topics (basic planning and organization, specific goal planning, marketing, sessions, and evaluation), and in each one it considers the most important issues to reflect on. TUNE is also designed around the way adults learn. I enjoyed learning about the execution part of the sessions which contain a great deal of tips on how to actually conduct successful training sessions. For example, TUNE posits that training material should be kept as simple as possible so as not to overwhelm the users. It also suggests that training should emphasize active participant involvement such as asking questions, topic discussion, real life examples, and hands on training. Most importantly I enjoy the idea of being respectful of each participant's learning abilities and level of comprehension. The objectives of a successful user training session should be to imbue participants with a feeling of success, the wish to study more, and the wish to come back to the library. By acting compassionately towards users and engaging them fully in the training sessions I believe librarians and information professionals have the greatest influence on whether we achieve those objectives or not.
As I review my class and professional experiences related to this competency, I recognize the importance of being well versed on the principles of learning in order to design and deliver effective training sessions. Analyzing the theory within the scope of the practice has given me a deeper understanding of user learning methodology and the ways of making it more effective to everyone involved. In addition, as I get ready to be a librarian or information professional, I understand the need to constantly plan for change and be ready to incorporate new processes and technologies in training sessions so that they are kept relevant and useful to the users. Finally, I am fully aware that achieving so includes providing effective training tools for staff and users that are tailored to their unique characteristics and are based on current best practices.
References
Blondy, L. C. (2007, Summer). Evaluation and application of andragogical assumptions to the adult online learning environment. Journal of Interactive Online Learning , 6 (2) , 116-130. Retrieved September 22, 2008 from: www.ncolr.org/jiol/issues/PDF/6.2.3.pdf
Brown, W. S. (1985). 13 Fatal errors managers make and how you can avoid them . New York: Berkeley Books.
Training of Library Users in a New Europe. (2005, June). The TUNE model for library users training. Retrieved September 22, 2008 from: www.tune.eu.com/PDF/The-user-training-model.pdf
Evidentiary
LIBR 204 - Information Organizations & Management - Conflict in Organizations