Transcript Coming to an understanding: staff training and development in a multi-skilled team environment

Coming to an understanding: staff
training and development in a multi-skilled team
environment
Richard Biddiscombe
Information Services
University of Birmingham UK
27/09/97
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Outline
 Convergence
at the University of
Birmingham
 Developing the team structure
 Skills and aptitude profiles
 Developing staff in a converged team
 Using the Web for mixed skills
development
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The University of Birmingham
Model
 Full
convergence in one process
 Five Divisions:
–
–
–
–
–
Planning & Administration
Information Computing and Systems
Collection Management
Public Services
Learning & Research Support
Learning & Research Support
 Supports
the Teaching, research and learning
needs of the staff and students of the
University,
 at their workplace, in the Schools or in other
locations,
 through a combination formal and informal,
individual- and group-based mechanisms, and
 through a combination of discipline-based and
functionally-based teams.
L&RS Remit
 Pro-active
liaison, advice and mission
 Information skills and software training
of academic staff and students
 First line technical support for Schools
 Multimedia and other courseware
production
 Academic publishing service
L&RS Structure
 Subject-based
teams: A&H, CASSEL,
M&LS, S&E
 Multi-skilled
– Liaison Librarians; Computer Officers,
Resources and Taining Advisors
 Television
team
 Accommodation team
 University Press
IS Staff training and
development needs
 All
levels of staff
 Creating an espirit de corps: skills
awareness
 Role of the Team Leader
 Empowering individuals within a team
 User support as the motivating factor
 Project management to unify team
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Training programmes
 Information Assistants: staff training for
support staff
 Divisional
seminars: special topics;
awaydays
 Team
Leaders: workshop leading to
development group
 Custom
built sessions: cooperation with
Staff Development Unit
 Conferences,
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workshops etc.
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Case Study:Arts & Humanities
Team
 Computer
Officers responsible for Arts IT
 Resources Advisor and Trainer runs CAL
projects
 Liaison Librarians train, advise and promote
services
 Fully integrated into the academic structure
 links with other subject teams
 cross divisional working groups
Case Study: development issues
in the A&H Team
 new
staff/established staff perceptions
 defined user group/core service provision
 IT demands/library liaison
 team demands/other responsibilities
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Case Study: staff development
through a Web project
 ArtsWeb:
focused infrastructure; partnership
with academic staff
 Gives common purpose to a mixed team
 Ideal tool for common understanding
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ArtsWeb
 Creates
a focus for a subject-based
information service
– Liaison Librarian edits pages reflecting
subject pages on the Web
– Academic staff provide input and comments
– Use of existing TLTP projects
– Encouragement to academic staff to provide
their own learning support packages
ArtsWeb
 Brings
together the skills of the whole
team
– The Resources Advisor & Trainer created
ArtsWeb; trains new users
– Computer Officers maintain the service;
provide IT information for Faculty
– Liaison Librarian provides resources
information; edits “What's New”
– Team Leader edits “What’s On”
ArtsWeb
 Underlines
the Teams role in teaching
and learning support
– Provides a current information service to the
Faculty
– Provides the basis for new learning support
opportunities
– Encourages the virtual presentation of the
Faculty
– Ensures continuing and innovative
interaction between IS and the Faculty
Web Addresses
 ArtsWeb
– http://www.bham.ac.uk/arts/
– http://www.bham.ac.uk/isg/
– http://www.bham.ac.uk/elg/
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