=Paper=
{{Paper
|id=None
|storemode=property
|title=A Survey Based Analysis on Training Opportunities
|pdfUrl=https://ceur-ws.org/Vol-1016/paper09.pdf
|volume=Vol-1016
|dblpUrl=https://dblp.org/rec/conf/digcurv/Kupriene13
}}
==A Survey Based Analysis on Training Opportunities==
https://ceur-ws.org/Vol-1016/paper09.pdf
A Survey Based Analysis on Training Opportunities
Dr. Jūratė Kuprienė
Vilnius University Library
Vilnius, Lithuania
jurate.kupriene@mb.vu.lt
Abstract - This paper represents the results of a survey based Germany (9), Italy (8), Netherlands (5), USA (5) and Spain (5).
analysis on training opportunities conducted under the DigCurV, There were however a significant number of other European
a project funded by the European Commission’s Leonardo da countries represented, namely Czech Republic, Lithuania,
Vinci programe. The analysis of training opportunities was Estonia, Switzerland, Ireland, Austria, Belgium, Sweden,
conducted at the start of the project with the aim to identify, France and Turkey. There were no serious difficulties in getting
document and analyze the training courses, curriculum, a sufficient number of surveys completed by competence
resources that are available for vocational training in digital centers from Europe, but it was much more difficult to reach
curation at national and international levels. competence centers in the rest of the world. Only very few
responses from the latter were received.
Keywords - Training opportunities, digital curation, vocational
training, DigCurV The survey included basic questions about the organisation
but focused on issues related to training content,
II. INTRODUCTION methodologies, delivery options, and assessment, certification
Digital Curator Vocational Education Europe Project – and best practices for training and continuous professional
DigCurV, funded by the European Commission’s Leonardo da development. The structure of the questionnaire:
Vinci programe, was started in the beginning of 2011 with the
aim to establish a curriculum framework for vocational training • Information about institution;
in digital curation. In order to support and extend the • Information about trainings provided by the
vocational training for digital curators in the library, archives, institution:
museums and cultural activities sector for the first phase of the
project it was important to learn what are the existing training o Type of training;
initiatives and possibilities. A survey based analysis was o Target audience and their knowledge;
conducted and the existing training courses, curriculum,
resources, good practice instances that were available for o Key topics covered;
vocational training in digital curation at national and o Training format;
international levels were identified, analysed, classified and
profiled. The results of the survey were used to establish the o Trainers;
main DigCurV product – a curriculum framework. This paper
o Learning objectives and benefits of
represents the main results of the survey based analysis.
attending;
III. METHODOLOGY o Assessment;
In April 2011 a survey on training opportunities in digital
o Certification;
curation and long-term preservation project was distributed.
The aim of a survey was to establish how many such o Evaluation;
opportunities were available for digital curators working in
libraries, archives, museums and the cultural heritage sector • Information about the future plans to organize
during the preceding two years. A letter inviting participation such trainings.
in the survey was disseminated via email lists to various IV. THE RESULTS OF THE ANALYSIS
national and international institutions with interest and/or
involvement in digital curation and preservation training A. Population of institutions providing training opportunities
activity as identified from the registry established in the Digital To recognize the opportunities for training in this field in
Preservation Europe project, funded by the European general and to gather information on the current status of
Commission within the Sixth Framework Programme, and training worldwide institutions were asked if they had
other contacts. The deadline for returning completed organized courses for digital curators during the last two years.
questionnaires was the end of June 2011. In total sixty This time period was chosen to gather more recent information.
completed responses from sixteen countries were received. The Respondents could choose only one appropriate answer. Only
highest numbers of respondents were located in the UK (11),
40% (24) of respondents replied that they had organized percent of all training was also appropriate for developers
training for digital curators. Most of the respondents (59%) employed by commercial vendors or institutional IT
who had organized training had run between 2 and 7 training experts within the museums, libraries, archives,
courses during two years. 7 respondents had only one and 4 government and business sectors, who are responsible for
respondents reported more than ten (France, UK, Germany and digital curation. Finally 33% of events were targeted at
Belgium). students from various sectors.
• Required experience. Institutions were asked if their
Institutions indicated many diverse reasons for not
training required any experience or prior knowledge from
organizing training events, with more than half mentioning lack
their target audience(s). Most of the 48 training events
of funds (10) or lack of need (9) as the main issues. Six
required only basic understanding of digital curation issues
respondents did not consider this issue as currently important,
(57%) or no pre-knowledge at all (36%) (Fig. 2). One
stating they did not have enough time, concern or that it was
respondent commented that they generally expect that
not within institutional priority or mission. Four institutions
there are curation activities happening at the organisation
noted that, as recently established organisations, they either
where the person works. The rest were more specific; two
hadn’t yet had the time or were not yet ready to start organizing
courses (4%) were aimed at experienced data curators and
training.
one (2%) required technical knowledge.
The types of institutions participating in a survey were quite
heterogeneous (Fig. 1). A large majority of the respondents
were from libraries (17), universities (12), archives (8) and the
business sector (7), as well as various competence centres (4),
associations (3) and the following types of organisation:
research institute (1), consortium (1), museum (1), data centre
(1), state agency (1), nonprofit institution (1), advisory body
(1), government (1) and project (1). The diversity of the
institutions demonstrates that the topic is important not only to
cultural organisations but also to academic, business and public
sector organisations.
Figure 2. Prior experience or knowledge required by delegates
• Key topics covered. The survey results show that a
variety of topics were covered in training courses (Fig.
3).
Figure 1. The population of institutions providing training opportunities
B. Trainings provided by the institutions
The next set of questions related to individual training
events and key information about:
• Accessibility of training. This question was asked in
order to find out how accessible training courses were to Figure 3. Key topics covered in training events
various types of audience. Most of the training events were
open to all (29%) and to the professional community • General knowledge (77%) about key needs and
(45%) at national and international levels. Twenty-seven challenges in this area, as well as digital curation
percent of training was only open to the host institution. standards (66%) and strategic planning (60%) were
• Target audience. Most courses were aimed at several particularly popular topics, showing these topics are
target audiences. The groups with the most opportunities to especially valuable and provide useful knowledge to
improve their knowledge in the digital curation field were take back to individual institutions. Other topics were
practitioners (88%) and researchers (58%) from archives, also well-covered: technical issues were taught in
libraries, museums or academic institutions. Forty-eight twenty-three courses (49%), legal aspects in twenty
courses (43%), digital curation and preservation tools
in seventeen (36%), digital repository audit and between them; data management planning; and
certification in sixteen (34%), and trusted repositories learning essentials on data repository systems, web
in fifteen (32%). Twenty-three percent of courses also archiving and file formats. Some organizers
proposed other topics, including file formats, risk highlighted partnership with designated communities,
assessment, terminology of digital curation, digital broad knowledge of current networks, trends and
curation life cycle model and web archiving. projects and learning best practice for digital curation
• Training format. The survey results showed that most activities as important objectives.
digital curation courses were delivered in traditional • Training materials. Almost half (48%) of respondents
format: large group workshops, a mixture of lectures noted that they provided pre-course supporting
and practical exercises (69%) and small group hands- material. More than half (76%) provided training
on training, focused on practical activities (19%). Only material after the course. Before the course, most
three events (6%) were delivered in blended format, organizers provided PowerPoint presentations,
with one respondent explaining that it was a small introductions to particular topics (OAIS, TDR, METS,
group hands-on training together with online self- DCC lifecycle model) and other course materials
paced courses. One respondent also mentioned that prepared by teaching experts. Respondents also
they deliver a regular academic course, taught mentioned biographies of trainers, lists of
synchronously via an online system. Two others noted recommended readings, location information,
that they deliver a small group seminar, mixture of schedules and lists of topics. Some organizers also
lectures and practical exercises and large group delivered surveys to find out outcomes and
workshop. expectations of delegates. The bulk of materials
• Trainers. Most trainers were practitioners – in-house provided after the courses were arranged as
(74%) or external (57%) subject specialists. Several PowerPoint presentations as well as other supporting
courses were delivered by in-house (32%) or external material (literature, leaflets etc.). Supporting material
(26%) training professionals and two respondents also was available on training or organizing institution
mentioned online course developers (4%) and one an websites, the Moodle course management system or
academic faculty (2%) (Fig. 4). internal wikis. Only fourteen respondents specified for
whom training material was available, with 71% of
them noting that it was accessible only for attendees of
the course and 29% that it was accessible for all.
• Benefits of attending. The majority highlighted
various competences and capacities which attendees
will gain during the course: ability to make choices
between short, medium and long-term digital
preservation; becoming able to define strategy and
planning in the field; understanding of the preservation
planning process and its benefits to overall digital
preservation strategies; acquiring competence on the
main tools and standards; capacity to dynamically
interpret rules and legislation; knowledge of the role
and use of metadata and representation information
Figure 4. The trainers for the training events needed for preservation; and knowledge of web
• Learning objectives. Respondents were asked to list archiving and implementation of existing software etc.
up to 5 objectives of the training course. For this A significant number of respondents also mentioned
question we received information about 38 training networking and the ability to exchange knowledge as
events out of a possible 48. The majority of objectives an important benefit. Some respondents mentioned the
highlighted understanding of the main areas of digital opportunity to encounter experienced national and
curation: increasing awareness of the critical international experts as a good benefit of attending.
challenges and trends in the emerging data curation Two respondents indicated the benefit of credits. One
field; latest developments in managing digital respondent noted the importance of training for
information; and requirements for data curation in dissemination of digital culture. The remaining
different organisational, technological, legal, cultural, answers included empowering delegates, for fun, to
and business environments. A significant number of realise specific products, and encouraging thinking
respondents also mentioned policy and technical proactively instead of fixing things afterwards.
aspects as important objectives: ensuring capacity in • Assessment, certification, credits. The majority of
developing internal policy for organisations involved in organizers (79%) didn’t offer any assessment, 9%
data curation; getting to know the standards applied; offered tests, and 6% exams (written exercises, oral
providing knowledge about some of the most up-to- questions or practical tasks). The results showed that
date digital preservation methods and differences 40% of all training provided attendees with certificates
as result of the course. Some courses (3) did not curators working with digital materials. A few respondents
provide any certification even when there was student were planning to provide internal training that addresses
assessment. Some respondents specified the type of specific in-house requirements. All the information received
certification and results received show that 42% of shows that training courses planned during the next two years
those certificates were vocational and 32% academic. are similar to those that are being organized now. They cover
The results show that 34% (16) of all training provided many of the same topics (general principles) and learning
credits. Three mentioned that they give two ECTS outcomes, are of a similar duration, and have the same target
credits for attendance at their course, two respondents audiences. However some more specialised themes are starting
noted that they give four ECTS credits for attendance, to emerge, according to the needs of particular institutions,
and some respondents commented that it depends on sectors or for a particular kind of data (scientific data, photo
university rules, work done and the time spent. archives).
• Evaluation. Respondents were asked if they evaluated
their own training events and if so, how. The results V. CONCLUSIONS FROM THE SURVEY
showed that most organizers (83%) use feedback The results of the training opportunities survey illustrate
questionnaires as their training evaluation method (Fig. various pertinent points.
5). One organizer noted that they use feedback
questionnaires at the end of the course and then follow- The differing levels of awareness of the field of digital
up questionnaires after several months. The other preservation are an important consideration for those engaged
organizers use follow-up questionnaires (4%) or no in curriculum design. Some institutions are just beginning to
evaluation at all (9%). One respondent reported that acknowledge their needs whilst others are already searching for
they obtain feedback by discussion with the students specific solutions. Even more fundamentally, the concept of
rather than by using a questionnaire. digital curation itself should be defined by training providers as
some respondents appear to see no clear difference between
digitization and digital preservation.
The variety of institutions should be taken into account:
• The results suggest that the future curriculum
framework should correspond not only to the
needs of the cultural sector but also of business or
public sector organisations.
• The differentiation of the topics required by each
of these sectors should be considered. While some
organisations are still taking their first steps in this
Figure 5. The evaluation methods of training events
field, others are facing very specific challenges
such as managing a particular kind of data.
C. Future plans of institutions providing training events
Due to the dynamic rate of development of the digital
The last part of the questionnaire focused on future plans. preservation field, the content of each topic should be regularly
The results showed that almost half (43%) of respondents were revised, to ensure the material presented reflects the emerging
planning to organize such training events during next two research and practice in the field.
years, 32% may organize and 25% were not planning to
organize. All respondents who were planning to organize Training initiatives should aim to synthesize digital
training events provided short descriptions on possible topics, preservation knowledge, skills and practices into a coherent
learning outcomes and/or format. Respondents named very information management cycle covering the entire lifecycle of
diverse topics, but several mentioned a general introduction to the digital object from ingest to access, use and re-use.
digital preservation (5). Others noted attributing metadata, The selection of appropriate training formats as well as
evaluating the format of digital resources, checking an OAIS- availability of training course materials before and/or after the
compliant ingest plan, data archiving of scientific data sets and course should also be kept in mind.
management of photo archives. With regards to learning
outcomes, these included raising awareness about digital It is necessary to employ both parts of the content of the
preservation and existing tools, learning about current course or the entire curriculum and teaching methods to build
developments in the field, understanding the risks associated certain competencies and capabilities that may vary depending
with storing existing information for future access, and on the digital curator profile of the intended audience,
understanding the implication of business need in accessing suggesting closer interaction between practice and theory. This
older information. can be developed through closer collaboration with
practitioners and by learning more about the digital
Responses received show that most training events will be preservation labour market demands: using this knowledge will
aimed at practitioners from the cultural heritage sector: enhance development of understanding of the core skills of
museum professionals, library personnel and other digital digital curation for the current labour market. These core skills
can be augmented by additional sector-specific skills. Again, developed for this part of the curriculum are probably more
however, this is an aspect of any curriculum which needs to be durable, requiring less regular iterative revision.
iteratively revised over time to ensure its currency.
REFERENCES
In addition, training courses naturally need to equip
attendees with the skills to meet digital curation challenges, but This paper cites the deliverable of the DigCurV project:
there is also a need to raise awareness of why successful digital [1] Karvelytė, N. Klingaite-Dasevičienė, J. Kuprienė, L. Molloy,
curation action is important to undertake in the first place. Such K. Snow, A. Gow, C. Usher, “Digital Curator Vocational
Education Europe. D2.1 Report on baseline survey and
flexibility in vocational training requires collaboration between evaluation framework. Section 1: Training opportunities
organizers of relevant courses and the ongoing exchange of survey”, 2011, p. 30, unpublished. Available at:
teaching ideas, methods and techniques. This aspect of training http://www.digcur-education.org/eng/Resources/D2.1.1-
– the awareness-raising or outreach level – is less affected by Survey-of-existing-training-opportunities
emerging trends in digital curation practice and so materials