Advanced Google Instruction as a Tool for Promoting Evidence-Based Practice

By Jeff Mason, Regina Qu’Appelle Health RegionShauna-Lee Konrad, London Health Sciences Centre

RQHR’s Google Initiative: Advanced Google for Dummies

Motivation Low interest for traditional library classes Desire to try something new and different for the

summer as part of co-op student’s placement

Rationale Health care practitioners’ use of Google is inevitable Proper training is necessary to achieve evidence-

based results

Literature Review

Many advocate the use of Google as a tool for information literacy

Few actual experiences are published

Three case studies - Google as a tool for information literacy

Case Study: Virginia Commonwealth University

1.5 credit hours honours module for undergraduate students

Content Google as a tool for information literacy Overview of Google & search techniques

Conclusions Positive experience Promote library’s education & outreach services Foster on-going dialogue about information retrieval,

organization and evaluation

Case Study - The Google Game

Grade 9 English class Developed game to teach students to refine web searches Pre-teaching session followed by Google game

Game Assigned search question Winner correctly answers question with least results

Conclusions Student recognition of decreased search time Student opinion about searching improved Increased credibility for librarians

Case Study - Become a Google Power User

Various Grade 10 English classes To teach students to be better Internet Searchers by

using 15 power searches in Google

Method

Pretest > Instruction > Practice Assignments > Post test

Conclusions Significant improvements in students’ searching

habits Increased students’ confidence and interest in

searching Students’ increased knowledge of relevancy,

credibility, web terminology

RQHR Course Development

General Google Information How Google works Scope of Google Google for health information

Google Special Features Calculator, Translator, I’m Feeling Lucky, Related

Pages, Google Images, Google Scholar

Google Search Techniques

Overall Goal Teach Google features that will be useful for finding

information to promote evidence-based practice

Google Search Techniques

1. Convert the information need into an answerable clinical question

Identification of search terms Order of search terms

2. Efficiently search the relevant literature to find the best evidence with which to answer the question

Strengths & Limitations of Google Searching Techniques Refining Search Results

3. Appraise the evidence critically

Using Google to find credible information

RQHR Teaching Process

Weekly Drop-in Sessions in July & August

Computer Lab (8 seats)

Live demonstration

Explanations with health examples

Practice time

Handout

Marketing Process

Promotional Posters

Health Region Weekly Newsletter

Health Region Intranet Page

Library Intranet Page

Health Region-wide email

Initial Response

First class: Minimal attendance

Subsequent classes well attended

Introduced survey after 2nd class

Very positive to all sessions

Increased interest in library

Promotes discussion about credibility of web information

Departmental requests for class

Survey Design

Consulted with health region research office

Developed 10 question survey

Purpose of Survey– To learn why staff use Google– To evaluate success of course

Results - 1

Who attended?

– 188 usable responses

– 5 groups

• Health care providers• Health administrators• Allied health care providers• Educators/researchers (includes students)• Other

13%17%

41%

20%

8%

0

25

50

75

100

Health care providerHealth administratorAllied HC providerEducator/Research

Other

Frequency

• Only 1 physician attended surveyed classes

• Allied HCP – primarily pharmacists and dieticians

Results – 2

Results - 3 Current use of Google

– >50% ALWAYS use Google as their search engine.

Results - 4

Use of Google for work information

Results - 5

What Users Like About Google

– 28% - User friendly

– 24% - Fast– 17% - Scope

Results - 6 What Users Do Not Like About Google

Survey Result Observation

38 % - Too many results

Opposite of Scope

21 % - Do not know how to use Google effectively

Opposite of User -friendly

15% - Irrelevant results

Opposite of Scope

Results - 7

Where else do users find information?

1 – Google2 – Subscription databases

3 – Free databases4 – Other search engines 5 – Library staff

Results - 8

Why users attended session

– 42% - learn to search better/save time– 30% - just want to learn

Was the session useful?

– 57% - extremely useful– 8% - not useful

Results - 9

What users liked about the session

– 22% - tips and tricks– 9% each – practical/hands on

Do users want to learn more?

– 58% - yes!

Discussion - 1

Survey supports original ideas:

– Google is being used heavily• Is being used for health care decisions

– Staff do not use it effectively

– There is a need to provide this type of education

Conclusion - 1

Providing staff with a session they want/need:– Allows library to promote EBP by explaining

strengths and weaknesses of Google/Internet sources.

– Raises library profile, reaches non-traditional users

– Increases credibility of librarians

Conclusion - 2

Future Directions– Sessions that compare Google results to

proprietary database results.

– Sessions that use health care literature search examples in Google.

Thank You

Mary Chipanshi and Susan Powelson, RQHR Health Sciences Library

Ali Bell and Nicole Aitken, RQHR Research and Performance Support

Contact Information

For more information please contact:

– Jeff Mason, Client Services Librarian, RQHR – jeff.mason@rqhealth.ca

– Shauna-Lee Konrad, Reference Librarian, LHSC - shauna.konrad@lhsc.on.ca