Workshops are probably the most common form of information skills teaching and this is unsurprising given the essentially practical nature of the subject. Information literacy combines the application of theory to the practical business of locating, analysing and using information. Information skills can be fairly dull to the average, pragmatic learner who wants to get the information for an entirely different reason than to become ‘information literate’. All this means that the sooner that you allow your learners to get some hands-on work the better – workshops provide this opportunity.

Typically, a workshop will consist of a short introductory talk, a demonstration and learners working on problems either set by the teacher or stemming from their immediate needs. This model is not a bad one, although it can encourage laziness in planning. The hands-on element is probably the area least prepared for. All the time in planning is spent on preparing the introductory slides, working out a good demonstration and then simply leaving the learners to get on with the hands-on section – searching for something that they are interested in or following a series of mechanistic steps outlined in a handout or quiz sheet. However, the hands-on element should be the part where the learners really start to process any learning through active practice of theory.

The obvious application of hands-on activity is with a computer. For example, if you have a group confident in using the web, delaying the handson activity will only frustrate them – give them something to do immediately and then bring them back for a demonstration or some theory. For example, you might ask them to find something on a topic at the beginning of the session. Look at what they have found and use it to audit where they are with their search skills, and also use it as a basis to talk about improving or changing the searches. This has the side effect of instilling confidence that the learners can find something or in gently showing the over-confident that they have something to learn. Starting a workshop in this way provides a basis that you can build on in a much more collaborative way than if you were simply telling the learners what to do.