Eleanor Lochrie, Knowledge Manager, NHS Education for Scotland
Introduction
The Knowledge Services team at NHS Education for Scotland is responsible for The Knowledge Network, the digital library for the health and social care workforce in Scotland. As well as providing training on finding and using resources on The Knowledge Network, the outreach team within Knowledge Services has a wide training offer, across finding, sharing and using knowledge.
Although feedback for training provided by the outreach team had been largely positive, attracting numbers has been variable, especially for introductory sessions to The Knowledge Network. It was often suggested by those attending that there was a lot packed into the sessions. However, with so much competition for staff’s time we had always assumed they would prefer to attend a one-off session rather than make time for a series. Various formats had been tried over the years including one-to-one and specialised sessions for specific staff groups such as GPs and nurses. Despite this, take up remained low.
Our aim was to take advantage of the interest generated by the redesigned Knowledge Network site launched in April 2024, while learning from what had worked well in the past.
Past successes
We had delivered a highly successful Getting Published event in 2023. The variety of sessions delivered over a week around a clearly focused issue generated lots of interest and excitement. Plus there was a clear and straightforward message in the ‘Getting Published’ title.
We had also delivered some successful lunchtime health literacy sessions and had received positive feedback about the interactive elements of the training.
When the redesigned digital library launched, our 30-minute tours attracted more participants than the longer sessions we had offered in the past.
Aims
The outreach team wanted to showcase the Knowledge Services offer and badge it up in a way that made it easy for people to attend. We were also aware of the need to get the messaging right, and make it clear what was in it for the user.
What we did
We pulled together existing training material and organised this around the principle of ‘Finding Information’. This was separated into six easy topic areas, covered in short weekly 30-minute lunch time sessions, with additional time for questions. Promoted as Finding Information lunch and learn, participants could register for as many of the sessions that were of interest. We had a range of participants with us for the full six weeks, while others dipped in and out of the sessions as fitted their interest and schedule.
We wanted to engage our audience and included some interactive elements such as polls on Microsoft Teams, opportunities to answer questions using a collaborative online tool called Padlet, and built-in time for hands-on searching and exploring resources available from The Knowledge Network. Feedback indicated that the interactive elements were an important factor in the success of these sessions.
The promotion was also key to the success. We advertised across newsletters, Teams channels, social media and corporate emails. One surprise was the success of promoting through Teams channels and email. We had previously thought that social media was an important source for engagement but as our X account moved towards dormancy and this became less effective, we found email and Teams to be much more successful. In the case of Teams, it has been particularly effective when tapping into an engaged group.
We used MS tools like Forms and Power Automate to effectively manage and streamline the booking process. Looking ahead we are planning on using the registration form to discover where participants hear about these sessions.
Impact
The outcome was that we had some of the best attendance we had ever experienced for a Knowledge Services event. We had great feedback for all six sessions and were aware it had generated some discussion in the organisation, with line managers recommending registration for the next series. We had similarly high numbers when the sessions ran again Jan-Feb 2025, and we now have plans to repeat these on a regular basis.
We also saw a steady increase in the use of The Knowledge Network after the first round of lunch and learn sessions.
Snapshot of feedback
‘Really helpful and practical. Great activities that encouraged engagement and involvement from attendees.’
‘Giving some time to try out searches was a good idea. Session length suitable. I’m planning to attend most of the sessions as I feel my digital research skills benefit being revised and updated.’
‘I found this training great as a refresher and to find out how to use and search databases on the new Knowledge Network site. I really enjoyed the presenters doing live searches as I was able to follow along and copy the process myself.’
‘Great session – short and snappy, just what is needed in busy schedules’
Reflection
Registration was much higher than we expected, and we closed bookings. However, the actual numbers attending were much lower. Starting at 50% and dropping to only 25% by the last session
When the series ran again in January-February we were confident the numbers attending would be manageable and kept the booking open. Our highest attendance for a single session was 98.
We also reflected upon our decision to record these sessions after the first series. There are always lots of requests to record training held through Teams, but we decided that the interactive content meant those watching the video were not getting the best out of the experience, and we would encourage them to sign up to later sessions instead. Feedback indicated that the decision not to record contributed to a relaxed learning environment.
Conclusion
The lunch and learn series have been a great success for the Knowledge Services team, allowing us to reach a wider audience and promote the training and resources available to the health and social care workforce in Scotland.
Future plans
The popularity of the sessions encouraged us to develop further one-off short lunch and learn sessions. It has also prompted us to review our Finding and using knowledge learning site with a view to building content around the topics covered in the sessions.
Health Libraries Group 