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Peer teaching and information retrieval: the role of the NICE Evidence search student champion scheme in enhancing students’ confidence
Author(s) -
Sbaffi Laura,
Hallsworth Elaine,
Weist Anne
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
health information and libraries journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.779
H-Index - 38
eISSN - 1471-1842
pISSN - 1471-1834
DOI - 10.1111/hir.12208
Subject(s) - nice , champion , information seeking , medical education , session (web analytics) , psychology , medicine , world wide web , computer science , information retrieval , political science , law , programming language
Background This research reports on the NICE Evidence search ( ES ) student champion scheme ( SCS ) first five years of activity (2011–2016) in terms of its impact on health care undergraduate students’ information search skills and search confidence. Objectives A review of students’ evaluation of the scheme was carried out to chart the changes in attitude towards NICE Evidence search as an online health care information source and to monitor students’ approach to information seeking. Methods This study is based on the results of questionnaires distributed to students before and after attending a training session on NICE Evidence search delivered by their own peers. The exercise was implemented in health related universities in England over a period of five consecutive academic years. Results (i) Students’ search confidence improved considerably after the training; (ii) ES was perceived as being an increasingly useful resource of evidence based information for their studies; (iii) the training helped students develop discerning search skills and use evidence based information sources more consistently and critically. Conclusions The NICE SCS improves confidence in approaching information tasks amongst health care undergraduate students. Future developments could involve offering the training at the onset of a course of study and adopting online delivery formats to expand its geographical reach.