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By Sarah Huibregtse, Val Skelton

Abstract

Val Skelton and Sarah Huibregtse, co-producers of the FreePint Topic Series "Best Practices in Information Skills Development", highlight some of the latest articles from the series and considers the place that competency-based training, video, and open courses have in today's training programmes.

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Keep Track of New Technology for Training

The FreePint Topic Series "Best Practices in Information Skills Development" has already addressed the lack of work-based skills in young people in developed countries around the world.

Governments and business are aware that a failure to improve digital literacy in all its forms can have a detrimental effect on the economic and social well-being of nations.

The problem for businesses is that as ICT and digital products and services evolve so quickly, it's hard for internal development and training programmes to keep pace. 

Don't Forget the Free and the Open

When it comes to offering training modules and content to our colleagues, we should be aware of a growing trend of using blends of paid-for and "open", free content. 

MOOCs (Massive Open Online courses) have already had an impact on higher education and have encouraged millions of people to sign up for (if not always complete!) online learning.

The trend is now moving on to corporates. In her article "'Being Digital' with the OU - Flexible Pathways to Learning", Katharine Reedy describes how the Open University has developed - and made freely available - training content for time-poor learners who want to improve their digital skills.

Information professionals should make it a priority to seek out and review free information skills content and recommend appropriate content to colleagues. 

Consider Competency-Based Learning at Work

It is your ability and experience as an information professional that enables you to identify exactly the right skills intervention for your various audiences - whether they be entry level, senior executives or your own information team.

In her article "Using Competency-Based Strategies to Develop your Team of Information Professionals", Sonja Irlbeck explains how rolling out job-embedded, competency-focused training can improve the efficacy of your development programmes.

Focusing on the business and personal benefits of applying newly acquired skills learned in the workplace can help learners develop a clearer sense of purpose.

Create Training That's Genuinely Engaging

Making your own training videos would be the perfect way to use freely available or off-the-shelf training content while customising it to become workplace relevant.

Phil Bradley describes how to make professional looking training videos while using freely available software. You don't even have to appear on the video. You could use animation software to create impactful and memorable videos that introduces other training content and explains why and how it is relevant to your own workplace. 

Information skills training can be interesting - for the learner and for you!

This Blog Item is part of the FreePint Topic Series "Best Practices in Information Skills Development" which runs from April-June 2015; registrants receive regular updates as well as a free PDF report with selected premium articles at series end.

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