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------------------------------ Message follows ------------------------------

Date: Fri, 08 Jan 93  10:07:07 GMT
From: Jill.Foster@newcastle.ac.uk

 I sent this out on various lists earlier this week.  (How COULD I have
 forgotten this list!).  I'd be interested to hear of any national
 training initiatives and of training materials.

 Jill Foster

 Network Training: Status Report - Dec '92
 =========================================


 As the range of information on the network expands - so does the
 potential user population.  It is essential that these users receive
 training in using the networked facilities - in particular in making
 effective use of the tools available for searching for and retrieving
 information.

 The following notes are a distillation of thoughts and experiences as
 a result of:

 o    UK NISP/ITTI Network Training Materials Project (at Newcastle
      upon Tyne, UK) (started June 1st '92).

 o    Discussion on: itti-networks@mailbase.ac.uk

 o    and at JANET User Support Workshop Sep '92.

      [Note that there is a glossary of most of the abbreviations used
      at the end of this report.]

 o    UK NISP activities with training special subject groups.

 o    RARE/IETF WG Sessions on Training Materials

           PISA and Washington Nov '92
           wg-isus and us-wg

      A report of the Washington session is included as Appendix A.

 o    The "Internet/BITNET Network Trainers" List:

      NETTRAIN@ubvm.cc.buffalo.edu

 o    Aarnet Training workshops by Newcastle (NSW, Australia) network
      training team and subsequent presentations and discussions at the
      Aarnet Networkshop Dec '92.

 I am Project Manager of the NISP/ITTI Project, Chair of RARE
 Information Services and User Support WG and co-chair of the RARE/IETF
 Training Materials WG.


 What's Happening?
 -----------------

 The NISP/ITTI Project and RARE/IETF Training Materials WG aim to
 collect together existing network training materials, identify the
 gaps in materials available and produce materials where appropriate.
 The aim is to provide generic materials that may (if required) be
 tailored to specific sites and/or subject groups.  The training is to
 enable them to make effective use of networked information services.

 A TopNode style template for the collection of this material will be
 issued.  This type of information is already being collected in the UK
 (by the NISP/ITTI Project) and the Australians have agreed to do the
 same.  In addition common problems associated with network training
 are being discussed.


 NISP Subject group training:

      One of the aims of the UK NISP Project is to help groups of
      academics build electronic communities.  Work is in progress with
      several groups.  The original idea was that, as part of this, a
      subject specialist would be trained to train his/her colleagues.
      In practice we have been running the workshops/seminars with some
      help from the subject specialist.  National (UK) training
      workshops and seminars have been already been held for librarians
      and humanities staff.  Various seminars have been held for
      physiotherapists and a variety of other groups; more workshops
      and seminars are planned.  There has also been some work done
      with local faculty liaison librarians.


 Australia:

      Several university libraries and Newcastle University Library
      (NSW) in particular are making very effective use of librarians
      to train both other librarians from various institutions and
      small groups from particular departments within an institution.

      University of Newcastle Library (NSW, Australia) had local
      funding to develop a network training programme.  Enid Roberts
      (Sydney) acted as Consultant and Jim Cleary and his team trained
      faculty members and ran "train the trainer" workshops.  They have
      covered most university libraries in NSW and Brisbane.  They seem
      to have been quite successful in this.

      Newcastle (NSW, Australia) found it best to second faculty
      librarians part-time.  This meant staff kept in touch with
      printed material too.  Also short term contract staff tended to
      leave taking their newly developed skills with them.


 Both the NISP subject group training and the Australian training
 involves presentations, live demonstrations and a significant amount
 of hands-on experience in workshops with course sheets.

 At the IETF in Washington the participants in the training session
 were mainly from Computing Services.  Apart from the "Mining the
 Internet" Sessions and the Merit NSFnet training sessions, there
 seemed to be (relatively) very little in the way of user hands-on
 training being done.

 Those trainers from Australia (at the Oz networkshop) that were doing
 hands on sessions usually took between 5 and 15 people (Newcastle
 (NSW) occasionally had up to 30 at once).

 I should point out that both the Australian and North American groups
 I talked may not be a typical sample of the population of trainers.
 There are undoubtedly numerous local training initiatives and subject
 specific training initiatives of which we are not aware, but about
 which we'd be very pleased to hear!


 The Role of the Librarian in Network Training
 ---------------------------------------------

 Before visiting the Australian group, we had started liaising with our
 faculty librarians.  Having seen how successful the Australian method
 has been, I am convinced that faculty/reference librarians should
 become involved in training their users to use the network and to
 search for information of relevance to them.  They should know the
 networked information in their subject just as well as the printed
 information - and just as they help users to find printed information
 they should help and train them to find on-line information.

 Library staff have experience in managing information resources and in
 reader education.  They also have good links with faculty staff.

 My feeling is that the ideal "coalition" for a training team is:

      o    Computing Service staff

      o    Faculty librarian(s)

      o    Subject specialist (for feedback and input and for local
           (departmental) support)

      o    Staff Development Officer

 This naturally brings up all sorts of problems about job descriptions,
 demarcation etc and some people (often computing service staff) become
 "territorial".  In recent presentations I've talked about today's
 users being able to roam the global network unrestricted by local or
 national barriers:

           "Le USER sans frontieres".

 What we need therefore is to join forces and co-operate to provide

           "Le USER SUPPORT sans frontieres".

 There are more users than enough to go around!  and by pooling our
 resources and making the most effective use of our various skills we
 can do much to improve effective usage of the network.


 Evaluation
 ----------

 Feedback is important.  Most trainers attending the trainer's
 discussion panel at the Australian Networkshop did have an evaluation
 sheet - but I haven't heard of any who go back say a month later to
 find out how they've got on and what they've used.  I believe it is
 very important to give the group something to aim at: then ideally get
 the group back 2-4 weeks later for a further training session - and a
 joint discussion on what they found useful, what other training needs
 they have - and to share what they have discovered.  If it isn't
 convenient to get them back, and they are all email users (or new
 email users) - perhaps we could use email to get them pooling their
 ideas and providing feedback on the training.

 Geoff Isaacs (Staff Development Officer at University of Queensland)
 urged us to include standard staff development and evaluation
 techniques.  He said that it was important to include open questions -
 as most feedback was received in answer to these.  He suggested that
 the users be asked to keep a diary of their network usage and
 discoveries for a month as one useful indicator of whether the
 training had been worth doing.  (And they may well discover useful
 sources for including in future training programmes.)


 Training Strategy
 -----------------

 Karen  Scott  of University of Wollongong (one of the first to provide
 training) gave a short (10 minute) presentation at the Training  Panel
 (Australian networkshop) which neatly summarised the major issues:

 As part of training strategy

 o     enlist help (library, computing service, department)

 o     plan and document aims and objectives

      o    include strategies to teach concepts and skills that will
           carry over to the future.

 o    List your resources

      o    Skills in the group and who is responsible for what

      o    Audio Visual aids have access to

      o    Suitable venue for training - near to users own facilities
           if possible.

      o    Support staff from User Community: recruit someone from each
           department to filter enquiries

 o    Evaluate  the  current  skills/needs/hardware/software of users.

 o    Plan  to  market  the applications as part of your training.
      How for example the use of gopher will help in that department

 o    Relate new concepts to what users already know

      For example:
      Pull something from the network and print it out.  Tell the
      trainees that this is like going to the library and getting a
      photocopy.  [Karen felt it was important to do something like
      this to give a concrete example of using the network in a way
      they could relate to their normal working experiences.]

 o    Provide handouts with login information for specific (relevant)
      information resources - email lists etc

 o    Teach responsibility in the use of resource (for example: look
      locally first) [Network etiquette etc]

 o    Always ask for evaluations following your training

 And I would add

 o    Follow up i.e.  don't just use evaluation sheets at the end of
      the session - but tell the group you'll get back to them in 2 to
      4 weeks to see what they've used, discovered/found useful.  And
      do it!

 o    Error/problem shooting: Teach your users to be independent - to
      start to be able to solve problems in using the network
      themselves.  Help them by de-mystifying the network for them.

 The emphasis should be on understanding and the relevance to their
 everyday work situation.  Hand out lists of interesting resources
 (e.g.  Yanoff's or December's) - some actually tailored to suit the
 audience if possible.  The training groups we talked to aim to pool
 these subject specific guides and add to them.  We would like to hear
 from people who have put together subject specific guides or training
 materials.


 Concluding Remarks
 ------------------

 o    Most people in Europe, US and Australia are working basically
      along the same lines - It is very reassuring to see that we are
      able to gain a lot by pooling resources and experiences here.

 o    If you do decide to try a network training programme, run a pilot
      and make sure you include some staff not experienced in the use
      of computers on the network

 o    Consider putting new network users in touch with a network
      "buddy": someone more experienced than they are in using the
      network - who would be willing to act as their network mentor.

 o    Join one of the Working Groups and share your network training
      experience and materials.

     Jill Foster
     5.1.93


 Glossary
 --------

 NISP:
      Networked Information Services Project.  Based at Newcastle and
      centrally funded by the UK Information Systems Committee.  Runs
      the national Mailbase (mailing list) Service and helps subject
      groups build their electronic communities.

 ITTI:
      Information Technology Training Initiative.  UK wide - centrally
      funded.

 NISP/ITTI
      Network Training Materials Project: a two year project (start
      date June '92) to produce a mix and match pack of existing and
      new generic network training materials.

 IETF:
      Internet Engineering Task Force.

 RARE ISUS WG:
      Association of European Research Networks (RARE) Information
      Services and User Support Working Group


 References
 ----------

 Yanoff: Special Internet Connections
 compiled by Scott Yanoff
 anonymous ftp  csd4.csd.uwm.edu  pub/inet.services.txt

 December:  Information  Sources:  the  Internet  and Computer-Mediated
 Communication
 John December
 anonymous ftp: Host: ftp.rpi.edu, file: pub/communications/internet-cmc


 Appendix A
 ==========

 Report of Washington Session on Network Training - Jill Foster

[The full IETF "Trip Report" is stored on the UK Mailbase Server.  To
 retrieve a copy, email to Mailbase@mailbase.ac.uk with the following
 command in the body of the message:

      send wg-isus ietf.11.92

 Alternatively use anonymous ftp to:  mailbase.ac.uk

 file:  pub/wg-isus/ietf.11.92                                  ]

 Training Materials BOF: Ellen Hoffman and Jill Foster
 =====================================================

 The  proposal  was  to form a joint IETF/RARE Working Group on network
 training materials and the problems associated with network training.

 The main objectives are:

 o    to  provide  a  comprehensive package of "mix and match" training
      materials for the broad academic community.

 o    to provide a catalogue of existing training materials.

 I briefly described the UK NISP/ITTI Training Materials Project (which
 has very similar aims) and circulated a print out of the catalogue of
 training materials collected so far.  The fields used were based on
 the TopNode Data Elements - but some more discussion is needed.  (Pete
 Percival and Craig Summerhill of TopNode were at the IETF.)

 The members of the BOF (Birds Of a Feather) introduced themselves and
 described their training activities.  Many gave presentations to their
 users on using the network and the networked services, but only a few
 provided hands on training.  Those that were noted that this was very
 popular and successful.  The group agreed to help to produce a
 catalogue of training materials on using the network (using the
 TopNode Data elements).  CNIDR volunteered to host that database.  The
 group plan to evaluate existing training materials and to identify
 materials to be produced.  Problems related to network training were
 also discussed.  The charter was agreed (with some changes for
 clarification) and it was proposed that a Training Materials WG be
 formed.

 Discussion  is  to  take  place  initially  on  the us-wg list.  Other
 "network training" lists are:

 o    the "Internet/BITNET Network Trainers" list

           NETTRAIN@ubvm.cc.buffalo.edu

      (which is quite "noisy" but nontheless useful)

      To join, mail to:  listserv@ubvm.cc.buffalo.edu

           the command (in the text of the message):

           subscribe  nettrain firstname lastname

           (substituting your own first and last name)


 o    the UK ITTI Network Training Materials Project email list

           itti-networks@mailbase.ac.uk

      To join, mail to:  mailbase@mailbase.ac.uk

           the command (in the text of the message):

           subscribe  itti-networks firstname lastname

           (substituting your own first and last name)



 The Merit/NSFnet Training Sessions included presentations followed by
 informal hands on workshops.  Their Internet Cruise (disk based
 presentation) was also well known.  It had been translated into
 Spanish:

        "El Cruso!"

 Also mentioned were:

 o    The Internet Hunt (a monthly set of questions, the answers to
      which can be found scattered across the Internet)

 o    Mining the Internet: UC Davis - a hands on workshop

 o    Navigating the Internet.  An Interactive Workshop.  (Made
      available over the network and which closed subscriptions at
      15,000!).

 Some  sites  put information on disk for training session attendees to
 take away.  This information ranged from:  Zen  and  the  Art  of  the
 Internet to the various directories of information and mailing lists.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

 OWN Notes: not for redistribution
 =================================

 Training Panel

 Charmian Mitchell Newcastle

 Two separate two hour tutorials.  One "technical".  One trainer talks,
 then  two  help "hands-on".  Mixed ability - sit novice next to expert
 user.  Manual and Q&A worksheets.  At back screen dumps and answers to
 help computer literate ones go through quicker.

 Kay Suters: Medical worksheets, trained 75 academics this year.

 Template  for  training materials on aarnet user support list.  All on
 email (even  book  shop).   Broadcast  information  on  new  resources
 (library staff) - De's machine.  Zip slide shows too.

 Cecil Goldstein, QUT (Aarnet user guide)

 *    aarnet course: telnet, ftp, news, email.

 *    email  course:  email  requires  most  interaction  at local end.
      Number of courses for different systems.

 Email as tool:

 organise mail

 correspondence - electronic medium.

 emphasised addressing concepts - and what happened when use it and how
 to get email addresses.

 Aarnet: focuses on four main aarnet services and 3 hours (need more)

 May  split  courses.  Emphasis on understanding.  Take away mysticism.
 So if make mistake not worried.  What use ftp for - scenarios.   Don't
 train  undergraduates.   Diverse audiences.  Will establish a training
 group - screen  potential  attendees  (background  etc).   Start  from
 basics.   Find  consolidation.   Seven lists of faculty specific.  But
 hand out sheets of interesting  sources.   Guided  on-line  experience
 post.

 Multi  campus.   1.   Restructure  course.  2.  Use network to deliver
 training - on-line tutorials.  Get screen to show what  would  get  if
 type  command.   3.  Departmental promotion of aarnet.  Fifteen minute
 presentation - "recorded" session (not live  demo)  with  examples  of
 information sources (ftp etc) for that particular department.

 Geoff Isaacs.  Student evaluation form (open questions needed).

 user-support-request@aarnet.edu.au

 ftp infolib.murdoch.edu.au

 o    Various  Australian  librarians were using the Lipow/Tennant book
      (ref) (with permission) for handouts during training sessions.

 Lipwow Tennant


 o    DATE  and  contact  person  should  be  listed  on  all  training
      materials.

 Some  sites  had  produced  operating system specific hand outs.  Some
 used XFerIt and Turbogopher on Macs.  Others had  Unix,  DOS  and  VMS
 specific worksheets.

 Handouts on: Information Resources to telnet/ to archie/ Finding email
 addresses (whois, X-500 etc)/ Mailing lists

 John December list (Ref)