Introduction. Simulation-based training courses are commonly used in medical and teacher education in order to practice handling difficult tasks and situations in a safe environment. This paper researches a training course held by the university library of Linköping. Using simulations with avatars the librarians acted out challenging and troublesome scenarios with library users. The library users were played by computer simulated avatars, in a virtual environment. The avatars were controlled by a simulation specialist. The aim of the paper is to research if and how this kind of simulation-based training course can strengthen librarians’ ability to handle difficult situations with library users, and if it can be a useful tool in the aim to improve the workplace environment. Method. To find out the thoughts and feelings of the participants of the training course, a questionnaire was distributed to all participants. To get a deeper understanding, five of the participants also took part in an interview. One of the simulation-specialists and the librarian who led the training course, were also interviewed, to find out more about the simulation-based training course. Lastly, both authors of this paper participated in a short simulation exercise as well, to gain a deeper understanding of how it works. Analysis. The research material from the questionnaires and interviews were analyzed using Albert Bandura’s theory of self-efficacy, Stevan E. Hobfoll’s resource theory, and John Dewey’s education theory. The three theories together made possible for us to research the simulation-based training course from several different perspectives. This enabled an investigation into the training course’s potential to strengthen the librarians’ ability to handle difficult situations, conserve resources and make them resilient, and what this unique form of training course can teach. Results. The questionnaires and interviews show that difficult or threatening situations with library users rarely occur at the university library where the participants work. The respondents emphasize however, the importance of recurrent training in the treatment of library users. A few respondents express that they feel safer after completing the training course, and that they feel better prepared to face difficult situations with library users. The results also show that the simulation-based training course is a good way to learn as it is based on the real experiences of the librarians, and they get to be physically active, using their bodies in acting during the scenarios. Conclusions. The findings of this research suggest that this kind of simulation-based training course in handling difficult situations with library users, has the potential to strengthen librarians’ resilience and ability to handle difficult situations. It concludes as well that the form of the training course, acting out scenarios with computer simulated avatars, is a good way to learn different strategies to cope with challenging situations. Any overarching conclusions cannot be drawn since this paper only research one training course and it is not within its scope to study the long-term effects. This is a two-year master’s thesis in Library and Information Science.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:UPSALLA1/oai:DiVA.org:uu-447140 |
| Date | January 2021 |
| Creators | Bäckström, Ingrid, Hermansson, Sofie |
| Publisher | Uppsala universitet, Institutionen för ABM |
| Source Sets | DiVA Archive at Upsalla University |
| Language | Swedish |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Student thesis, info:eu-repo/semantics/bachelorThesis, text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Rights | info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
| Relation | Uppsatser inom biblioteks- & informationsvetenskap, 1650-4267 ; 819 |
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