Next steps for the Resource Discovery Network (RDN) Virtual Training Suite?
| Pages | 55-57 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/03055720510588489 |
| Published date | 01 March 2005 |
| Date | 01 March 2005 |
| Author | Emma Place,Helen Stokoe |
| Subject Matter | Information & knowledge management |
Next steps for the Resource
Discovery Network (RDN) Virtual
Training Suite?
Emma Place
Institute for Learning and Research Technology, University of Bristol,
Bristol, UK, and
Helen Stokoe
The Resource Discovery Network, King’s College London, London, UK
Abstract
Purpose – The paper seeks to investigate the benefits of the Resource Discovery Network (RDN)
Virtual Training Suite.
Design/methodology/approach – This paper gives an overview of the service, its impact in the
community and its funding history and future.
Findings – The RDN Virtual Training Suite offers free, subject-based internet training online. It was
designed to provide a user-education service to supplement the services offered by the RDN. The
Virtual Training Suite comprises 61 “teach yourself” web tutorials, with titles ranging from “Internet
Chemist” to “Internet Philosopher”. Each offers the user a tour of the best of the web for the subject,
plus guidance on internet searching and web site evaluation. Evidence suggests that it is being widely
adopted in taught courses and library instruction.
Originality/value – The paper is useful for anyone planning to use the RDN Virtual Training Suite.
Keywords Internet, Information retrieval, Learning,Further education, Higher education
Paper type Research paper
The Resource Discovery Network
The Resource Discovery Network (RDN) (www.rdn.ac.uk/) is the UK’s “national
library” of internet resources for higher educations (HE) and further education (FE) and
research, offering access to thousands of high quality internet resources, carefully
organised into meaningful subject collections.
As the internet expands the RDN aims to help students, lecturers and researchers
hone in quickly on electronic resources that can support their work: resources from
authoritative sources, with high calibre content that relates to curriculum or research
areas. The internet resource catalogues of the RDN hubs combined currently hold
around 70,000 records.
A Virtual Training Suite to support the RDN
Just as a traditional academic library offers a programme of “user education” to
students and lecturers to maximise the benefit they receive from the library, the RDN
aimed to provide its own user-education programme, with an e-learning resource to
help people to get more from its services and the internet.
Many people know how to make good use of a university or college library, but have
not yet got to grips with effectively using the internet to support their learning or
research. The RDN Virtual Training Suite (www.vts.rdn.ac.uk/) aims to teach key
The Emerald Research Register for this journal is available at The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available at
www.emeraldinsight.com/researchregister www.emeraldinsight.com/0305-5728.htm
Next steps for
the RDN Virtual
Training Suite?
55
VINE: The journal of information and
knowledge management systems
Vol. 35 No. 1/2, 2005
pp. 55-57
qEmerald Group Publishing Limited
0305-5728
DOI 10.1108/03055720510588489
To continue reading
Request your trial