Eahil Dublin 2009 Workshop

Information literacy competencies in health sciences curricula in Ireland: policy practice and education

Presenter & author: Kate Kelly, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Dublin, Ireland

Background: Health care professionals and students are increasingly asked to practice evidence-based health care by basing decisions on published research evidence and practice guidelines.  Irish health policy documents related to the training and education of professionals and policy documents relating the health services delivery cite the necessity of health care professionals having skills and access to information systems in order to practice evidence-based health care.  To practice evidence-based health care with confidence students and professionals must be skilled and knowledgeable information users and retrievers. This research aimed to explore the relationship between stated desirable skills of practitioners and the education and training they receive in third level health sciences schools in Ireland with an emphasis on information retrieval skills. 

Aims of study:  To research current practice and attitudes of health sciences educators at third level institutions in Ireland in relation to: teaching information literacy skills to health sciences students of all disciplines; assessing information literacy skills; perceived importance of information literacy skills to the practice of future health care professionals; to identify core information retrieval competencies for health care professionals in Ireland and to make policy recommendations to those responsible for the education and training of health care professionals in Ireland. 

Research methods: Faculty at health sciences schools in Ireland with teaching responsibilities in research methods, informatics or evidence-based practice completed an online questionnaire which asked questions around key concepts, teaching experience, teaching and assessment of information literacy skills and which also asked participants to rate the importance of database, internet, and catalogue search skills; reference and citation management skills; and to identify essential resources that students should be proficient in using.

Key findings and implications: Information literacy skills are regarded as important and should be taught within the curriculum and assessed. Information retrieval is largely taught by librarians but assessed by faculty; all other skills are taught by faculty.  Faculty who teach information retrieval are largely self-taught.  Skills are sometimes not taught and are not always assessed. There is lack of understanding about the importance of some skills.

The NHS NE England Information literacy: enabling learning for healthcare delivery

Presenters: Susie Andretta, Anne Weist

Authors: Susie Andretta, London Metropolitan University, England, UK. Anne Weist, National Library for Health, England

This paper presents the facilitation of online collaboration and interaction through the provision of a training programme on information literacy delivered between January and July 2008 to support twelve health librarians involved in the project Information literacy: enabling learning for healthcare delivery. The project is funded by NHS North East. (Hereafter referred to as the project).

The training was sponsored by the National Library for Health (NLH) and illustrates a clear example of effective collaboration between the team of the NHS NE Information Literacy (IL) project, the Staff Development Manager from NLH and an information literacy expert from the School of Information Management at London Metropolitan University. A detailed account of the pedagogical rationale underpinning the training programme is given in this paper together with an evaluation of its impact on facilitating the transition from face-to-face to e-learning provision of information literacy. 

Examples of the e-learning resources produced as a result of this training are presented here together with the participants’ feedback on their experience of authoring electronic information literacy components to target the information literacy needs of a diverse user population.  The paper concludes with some reflection on the future targets for the NHS NE IL project set by its participants during the plenary session of the third and final training event. An overall evaluation of the piloting of the initial information literacy components will take place in February 2009 and the outcome of this event and subsequent developments will be presented in June.

The librarian as a collaborator in teaching and learning

Presenters: Marshall Dozier & Fiona Brown

Authors: Marshall Dozier & Fiona Brown, University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom

This paper is a case study presenting the practical experiences of the authors in the context of participation in a variety of curriculum support roles in the College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine at the University of Edinburgh.  We have seen a development of the role of librarian from providing database sessions for honours students to working with teaching staff in areas such as online learning, professional skills and curriculum development.  Liaison librarians are now involved in course organisation and assessment. This collaboration has increased our understanding of how the College develop curricula for medicine and veterinary medicine; led to the development of stronger ties with Teaching Organisations and raised the profile of information services in the College.  These benefits assist us in our provision of more ‘traditional’ library services to the College.

The aim of this paper is to give workshop participants ideas of connections which they can build on to increase collaborative working in their own institutions and to stimulate discussion providing a forum for exchange in which participants can share their experiences of collaborative working.

The e-teaching collaborative : a unique partnership assisting medical faculty to adopt innovative educational technologies and methodologies

Presenter: Laurie Scott

Authors:  Laurie  Scott (Bracken Health Sciences Library, Queen’s University, Kingston, Canada), Suzanne Maranda (Bracken Health Sciences Library, Queen’s University, Kingston, Canada), Sarah Wickett (Bracken Health Sciences Library, Queen’s University, Kingston, Canada), Sheila Pinchin (Office of Health Sciences Education, Queen’s University, Kingston, Canada), Amy Allcock (Medical Education Technology Unit, Queen’s University, Kingston, Canada), Elaine Van Melle (Office of Health Sciences Education, Queen’s University, Kingston, Canada), James Seymour (Bracken Health Sciences Library, Queen’s University, Kingston, Canada)

The e-teaching collaborative (etc) at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario, Canada, is an innovative, interdisciplinary team which provides medical faculty with one-stop access to support with electronic learning resources, technological tools, and educational methodology. Comprised of librarians and a digital services technician from the Bracken Health Sciences Library, educational developers from the Office of Health Sciences Education, and web and technology specialists from the Medical Education Technology Unit, this is a natural partnership that has grown out of the complementary nature of the services each unit provides.

This session will discuss how the group evolved, the collaborative processes and the unique technological solutions employed by the team, and the group dynamic. We will then review in detail a case of the team’s successes in working with one faculty member which resulted in innovation in educational methodologies and technologies. This case will be examined in the context of the Concerns-Based Adoption Model, which describes the stages through which individuals progress in adopting innovation.

Collaborative Teaching: the nurse and librarian bridging the theory/practice gap to deliver high quality care at the bedside

Presenter: Jill Murphy, Donna O'Doibhlinn

Authors: Jill Murphy, Department of Nursing and Midwifery & Donna O'Doibhlin, Library and Information Services, University of Limerick, Ireland.

Background: A key outcome of all nurse education programmes is teaching the concepts of evidence based practice to BSc undergraduate student nurses to help them to bridge the theory practice gap and deliver person centred high quality care. Instilling a culture of evidence based practice in nurses will enable them to influence policy and potentially transform healthcare for future generations (Killeen and Barnfather,2005). To instil such a culture it is important that appropriate instruction is delivered as early as possible in the career of the BSc Student Nurses . According to Leufer and Cleary-Holdforth, 2006 there are many research studies that recommend equipping students with the knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary to deliver evidence based care. However the results are unclear to what are the best teaching strategies to use to integrate evidence based practice into the curriculum.

Aim of the Teaching and Learning and Assessment Strategy: As Nurse Educators both the librarian and nurse educator  recognised the importance of introducing the knowledge, skills and attitudes required to bridge the theory practice gap and deliver quality care to the bed side. The aim of this collaboration is to describe how information and research skills are taught in the Department of Nursing and Midwifery at The University of  Limerick, Ireland by both the academic staff in the department and the Faculty Librarian.

Teaching and Learning Strategy: It was therefore decided that one of the first and core modules, The Art and Science of Nursing, normally delivered to approximately 120 first year student nurses in a didactic lecture format, would be delivered in small group sessions of approximately 25 students. Workshops facilitated by the librarian and nurse lecturer gave students the opportunity for hands on learning and practical experience of conducting literature searches using various databases. Students were introduced to skills that help them critically appraise the information retrieved from a variety of sources and in many formats.

Assessment Strategy: An assessment strategy was developed that allocated 70% to a 2,000 word written assignment and 30% of the mark was allocated to a literature search and justification for the research methods and skills applied to locate the relevant information.

Methodology/Outcomes: 118 students were asked to rate 8 items using a Likert Scale. For example:

• I feel confident that I can search for evidence that will enhance my assignment
• I used my new research skills to inform me in the delivery of high quality care
• I Increased my research knowledge through research of the literature
• I am able to assess the quality of a research study
• Collaborative teaching enhanced my learning
• Small group teaching assisted my learning

Recommendations: Collaboration: With the librarian proved invaluable in terms of enhancing student’s skills of strategically accessing and searching databases and other library sources. The last twenty years has seen emphasis from policy makers, educators and health service providers on improving interprofessional collaboration in health care One of the key factors identified as enhancing interprofessional collaboration includes awareness of others professional role according to Pollard,2008 .Therefore the provision of learning opportunities and environments which support BSc Nursing Students develop the knowledge ,skills and attitude is of major importance within education.