i-Skills for University Administration
Executive Summary
From December 2005 to July 2006, Netskills delivered a JISC funded programme aimed at promoting information skills ('i-Skills') to managers and administrators within HE and FE institutions. The programme built on previous JISC work in this area, in particular the two publications 'Improving Staff i-Skills" and "Investing in Staff i-Skills". During this time JISC also funded a related project at Leeds and Loughborough Universities which researched information use by specific administrative job roles and explored implications for staff development.
The Netskills programme involved research into the information use of managers and administrators, the delivery of a series of workshops and the creation of a self-evaluation. The evaluation formed a core part of the workshop and will be made available for use within institutions. Consultation during the programme involved key stakeholders within the JISC community and also the AUA (Association of University Administrators), the principal representative body for administrators within HE.
A literature review found that most research into information literacy was focussed on students. Although the importance of workplace information literacy is gaining ground and many of the issues are of concern to businesses, few organisations are addressing individual skills.
An online survey and follow-up interviews were conducted. The online survey received 290 responses, representing a range of job roles and levels within institutions. Over 75 HE institutions were represented and most respondents worked in either central administration or faculty administration, with 65% having a management role. The survey found that most administrators were required to use information in a diverse range of ways and that internally generated documentation (eg policies and procedures) was by far the most commonly used type of information. As a result the main sources of this information were institutional and faculty or department resources, which were usually accessed electronically. Co-workers and personal contacts were also key sources. Information overload, particularly in relation to email, was a key concern, as was poor quality information. Although respondents were generally confident in their use of information, the areas which they perceived there was most room for improvement were legal issues, search skills and awareness of sources.
Follow-up interviews indicated that administrators generally felt confident that they were using the appropriate resources for their jobs. Most searches were for good practice or for specific pieces of information (e.g. a report or statistic). Other people were again shown to be key resource, in particular colleagues or electronic mailing lists. Search strategies were shown to be limited to key favourite resources and if these initial sources failed the next step was either to turn to Google, or to delegate. Information overload was again highlighted as a key concern.
The self-evaluation tool was mapped to the stages of the i-Skills cycle and aimed to be individualised and encourage self-reflection. A set of resources was provided in order for people to address identified skills gaps. The self-evaluation was trialled extensively during the workshop programme.
The workshop programme initially aimed to provide 150 places. Due to high demand the places were quickly taken and further funding secured from JISC to provide a further 150 places. A total of 21 workshops were run, providing 332 places. The workshops were very well received, with 82% of attendees rating the workshop as very good or excellent. Discussions during the workshop highlighted organisational issues and provided the opportunity to share good practice and identify common themes, such as the need for effective strategies for sharing and managing information.
The report concludes that there was a high level of interest and enthusiasm for the topic and the toolkit in particular. The programme has shown the relevancy of i-Skills to the workplace and has demonstrated the potential of the i-Skills self-evaluation tool to encourage the development of individual skills – an essential factor in the success of strategic approaches to information and knowledge management.
