Teaching Internet skills
for different subjects:
The RDN Virtual Training Suite
Emma Place
Institute for Learning and Research Technology
University of Bristol
Institute for Learning and Research Technology
The Institute for Learning and Research Technology is a national centre of excellence in the 1
development and use of technology-based methods in teaching, learning and research
Are your students
eLiterate ?
Institute for Learning and Research Technology
The Institute for Learning and Research Technology is a national centre of excellence in the 2
development and use of technology-based methods in teaching, learning and research
Do they know ...
• of the key Internet resources for their subject?
• how to find academic information on the Internet?
• that critical evaluation of information is essential
when using the „Net for academic work?
• how the Internet can support their studies?
Institute for Learning and Research Technology
The Institute for Learning and Research Technology is a national centre of excellence in the 3
development and use of technology-based methods in teaching, learning and research
Do they know how to find/use:
• Online books, newspapers, journals, articles?
• Online data, databases, statistics?
• Electronic reference/news sources on the „Net?
• Organisational Web sites (governments, companies,
societies, universities etc)?
• Digital libraries/collections?
• Discussion lists, newsgroups, mail archives?
• Email addresses/people on the Internet?
Institute for Learning and Research Technology
The Institute for Learning and Research Technology is a national centre of excellence in the 4
development and use of technology-based methods in teaching, learning and research
“The information revolution
requires a matching
education revolution”
Institute for Learning and Research Technology
The Institute for Learning and Research Technology is a national centre of excellence in the 5
development and use of technology-based methods in teaching, learning and research
Key skills for the HE
community ...
• Information skills
• Library skills
• IT skills
Institute for Learning and Research Technology
The Institute for Learning and Research Technology is a national centre of excellence in the 6
development and use of technology-based methods in teaching, learning and research
But what about ...
• Internet information literacy?
• or “eLiteracy”?
Institute for Learning and Research Technology
The Institute for Learning and Research Technology is a national centre of excellence in the 7
development and use of technology-based methods in teaching, learning and research
eSkills for academics
• Letting the Internet help with:
– Essays and coursework
– Literature searching and research
– Teaching and training
Institute for Learning and Research Technology
The Institute for Learning and Research Technology is a national centre of excellence in the 8
development and use of technology-based methods in teaching, learning and research
Introducing
The RDN
Virtual training Suite
Institute for Learning and Research Technology
The Institute for Learning and Research Technology is a national centre of excellence in the 9
development and use of technology-based methods in teaching, learning and research
What is it?
• A free Web resource for the HE community
• Funded by the JISC of HEFCE
• Created by ILRT with input from 27
universities, museums, academic
publishers and research organisations
Institute for Learning and Research Technology
The Institute for Learning and Research Technology is a national centre of excellence in the 10
development and use of technology-based methods in teaching, learning and research
What‟s the RDN ?
• The Resource Discovery Network (RDN)
is a national Internet search service for
academics and researchers in HE or FE
• JISC wanted to enhance the value of its
services for the learning and teaching
communities
Institute for Learning and Research Technology
The Institute for Learning and Research Technology is a national centre of excellence in the 11
development and use of technology-based methods in teaching, learning and research
Yes, but what is it?
• A set of 40 “teach yourself” tutorials
• delivered over the Web
• for free
• teaching “eSkills for academics”
• or “Internet information skills”
• or “eLiteracy”
Institute for Learning and Research Technology
The Institute for Learning and Research Technology is a national centre of excellence in the 12
development and use of technology-based methods in teaching, learning and research
“Teach yourself tutorials” ?
• all materials available on the Web
• for self-directed learning
• and any time, any place training
• in a structured learning environment
• with self-test quizzes to enhance the
learning experience
Institute for Learning and Research Technology
The Institute for Learning and Research Technology is a national centre of excellence in the 13
development and use of technology-based methods in teaching, learning and research
Why Web tutorials?
• There‟s a need for training is this area
• They can offer training materials to
large numbers at relatively low cost
• We have evidence of their popularity
• An interactive & light-hearted learning
experience
Institute for Learning and Research Technology
The Institute for Learning and Research Technology is a national centre of excellence in the 14
development and use of technology-based methods in teaching, learning and research
Can we have a look?
• Oh, all right then ...
Institute for Learning and Research Technology
The Institute for Learning and Research Technology is a national centre of excellence in the 15
development and use of technology-based methods in teaching, learning and research
- The tutorials Internet Electrical Engineer
Internet Civil Engineer
July 2000 Internet for Materials Engineering
Internet Medic Internet Mathematician
Internet Lawyer Internet for Agriculture, Food and Forestry
Internet Politician Internet Vet
Internet Psychologist Internet for Nature
Internet Social Worker Internet Bio-researcher
Internet Sociologist Internet Educator
Internet Economist Internet Environmentalist
Internet Manager Internet Anthropologist
Internet for History Internet Geographer
Internet for English Internet for Government
Internet Aviator Internet for Social Research Methods
May 2001 Internet for Social Policy
Internet for European Literature/Language Internet Social Statistician
Internet Theologian Internet for Women’s Studies
Internet Philosopher Internet Chemist
Internet for Offshore Engineer Internet Physicist
Internet for Health and Safety Engineering Internet Earth Scientist
Institute for Learning and Research Technology
Internet Mechanical Engineer
The Institute for Learning and Research Technology is a national centre of excellence in the 16
development and use of technology-based methods in teaching, learning and research
- In each tutorial ...
• TOUR - key Internet resources for the subject
• DISCOVER - techniques for Internet searching
• REVIEW - skills for evaluating Internet resources
• REFLECT - on practical ways for students,
lecturers and researchers to use the Internet in
their working lives
Institute for Learning and Research Technology
The Institute for Learning and Research Technology is a national centre of excellence in the 17
development and use of technology-based methods in teaching, learning and research
- Special features
• Links basket
• Quizzes and exercises
• Glossary of Internet terms
• Print and download options
• free pdf posters to print out
Institute for Learning and Research Technology
The Institute for Learning and Research Technology is a national centre of excellence in the 18
development and use of technology-based methods in teaching, learning and research
A Web resource to support ...
• Lecturers seeking to incorporate information
skills training into their curriculum
• Librarians who need tools to support their
user-education programmes
• Learners wanting a self-paced resource to
help them improve their Internet skills
Institute for Learning and Research Technology
The Institute for Learning and Research Technology is a national centre of excellence in the 19
development and use of technology-based methods in teaching, learning and research
How do I use this in my
teaching?
• Add it to your students‟ reading list
• Run a teaching session around it
• Set an assessment based on the skills it
teaches
• Use our “Resource for Teachers”
Institute for Learning and Research Technology
The Institute for Learning and Research Technology is a national centre of excellence in the 20
development and use of technology-based methods in teaching, learning and research
The future?
• 29 more tutorials go live in May
• With new “Resource for Teachers”
• Tutorials maintained by the RDN hubs
• More tutorials needed?
• Improvements needed?
Institute for Learning and Research Technology
The Institute for Learning and Research Technology is a national centre of excellence in the 21
development and use of technology-based methods in teaching, learning and research
Evaluation
• Evaluation report available in May
• 43,000 visitor sessions on the site in the
first 5 months
• Over 2,000 signed up to get notification
of the new tutorials
• Lots of qualitative feedback ...
Institute for Learning and Research Technology
The Institute for Learning and Research Technology is a national centre of excellence in the 22
development and use of technology-based methods in teaching, learning and research
It makes serious scholarly points
very well and works at just the right
level. I intend to embed this into
my humanities information skills
teaching.
Jo Webb, De Montfort University
Institute for Learning and Research Technology
The Institute for Learning and Research Technology is a national centre of excellence in the 23
development and use of technology-based methods in teaching, learning and research
“I had students log into it for 1-2 hrs
during a practical and it made for
maximum hands-on time. Very
good for 'mixed ability' groups and
diverse subject interests”.
E. Parcell, University of Swansea
Institute for Learning and Research Technology
The Institute for Learning and Research Technology is a national centre of excellence in the 24
development and use of technology-based methods in teaching, learning and research
I thought the tutorial was fab, I only
wish I had found it earlier, as it
would make my life of the net so
much easier.
A.McCartney, Undergraduate student,
Glasgow Caledonian University
Institute for Learning and Research Technology
The Institute for Learning and Research Technology is a national centre of excellence in the 25
development and use of technology-based methods in teaching, learning and research