Are We Being Effective A Humorous Look at Teaching.

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Are We Being Effective? A Humorous Look at
Teaching.

• Eve Hollis
• Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre
• Oxford, England.

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Effective

• Having the power to change something
• Producing a desired or intended result
• To cause something
• Powerful
• Serviceable
• (Chambers English Dictionary)

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Some Early Thoughts

• Exactly what are you trying to change?
• What is your desired result?
• Can you cause your students to learn?
• Do you have the power?

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Identify the Need

• Have you been asked to show users how to do
  something?
• Do you have a new service or system users need to
  understand?
• Do you despair of some readers?

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What Is the Most Effective Method?

• Methods
• Snarl and tell them to look it up
• Tell them to RTFM
• Patiently sit with them and go through the
  problem
• Conduct a workshop
• Call in outside help

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What Are The Effects?

• Points 1 and 2 will not make you the most popular
  librarian.
• Point 3 will get you brownie points but will make
  you behind in the rest of your work.
• Point 4 requires lots of preparation.
• Point 5 needs lotsa money.

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How can you effect a change?

• Pick your least promising reader you know the
  one who always asks more questions than anyone
  else.
• Trust me there is method in my madness.

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The Most Effective Training

• Spend as long as it takes to get this reader
  fluent in all library related computer
  procedures.
• Get him/her interested, excited and enthusiastic
  about Medline and Cinahl and NeLH etc.

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Let the Word Get Round

• Send your newly qualified expert user off to pass
  the word.
• Wait for the rush to your door!

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Ineffectual?

• Your best publicity is word of mouth!
• If you can teach such a reader you can teach
  everyone!

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Cant Learn Wont Learn?

• Your audience needs to know what you are teaching
  them captive audience!
• This doesnt mean they want to learn.

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Grab Their Attention!

• Do something unexpected
• Take the library to them

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Beat the Boredom

• Sitting in a darkened room listening to a voice
  talking about something they are not interested
  in is highly soporific.
• Get them to stand up, stretch or change seats.

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Be a Drama Queen

• Use your voice
• Make them WANT to listen and watch

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Dress to Kill

• Dress so you look good but be comfortable and
  practical.
• Avoid moving to much.

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Hands Up

• Ask the audience questions, make them interact
  with you.
• Invite questions always a good way to see if
  they are paying attention.

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Make It Fun

• Anything can have humour
• Offer incentives to learning
• Find the fun!

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Or if you are a Roman Scholar

• He has the deed half done if he has made a
  beginning.
• Horace
• (Dead Roman poet)

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Larger Groups

• Keep it short
• Point out highlights
• Whet their appetites
• Offer further teaching for interested users
• Demonstrate the value of what you teach

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Effective

• Having the power to change something
• Producing a desired or intended result
• To cause something
• Powerful
• Serviceable
• (Chambers English Dictionary)

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An Effective Result
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The Desired Result

• Readers must return and use the library unaided!
• Readers must send friends and colleagues to be
  trained
• You will become the most powerful person in your
  organisation

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Thank You