Training the Trainers/Accreditation

Trainers who have successfully completed a Training the Trainers workshop will be accredited by Wikimedia UK. The purpose of the accreditation is to help those organising courses to match trainers to courses and Martin Poulter summarised it in this way:

• "Note that this is about training, not presenting. There is no plan for WMUK to assess, accredit or regulate presentations or lectures on any aspect of Wikimedia. Similarly, there is no intention to restrict training to an elite clique. On the contrary, I think a clear process for becoming a WMUK approved trainer would encourage more volunteers to volunteer at training events and get themselves accredited. When we are putting together a high-profile event with a partner organisation, we will prefer to use accredited trainers in preference to others. It'll operate as a white-list rather than a black-list." - Martin Poulter, 9 April 2012.

So far we have run two Training the Trainers courses and several volunteers have successfully completed the assessment.

Candy Piercy of Midas Training has produced for us a document describing our current accreditation process:

• File:Wikimedia Trainers Accreditation Process.pdf

Any comments on improving the process are welcome on the talk page.

There has been discussion about what our expectations should be of our accredited trainers. Some ideas are being drafted and comments from the community will be invited.

Current Accreditation Process

1. A person attends a Midas TfT for Wikimedia UK course. They would be admitted on the course after signing up to the relevant event page, and being assessed against the potential of delivering future Wikipedia training events
2. The Midas trainer that was present during the course discusses their training skills with them and recommends an accreditation level
   1. This happens mainly during the telephone feedback conversation with one of the Midas trainers (approximately one hour)
   2. During that conversation the Wikimedian identifies what topics s/he wishes to train on behalf of Wikimedia UK
   3. Also discussed are the competencies displayed by the person when they attended the TfT course and the individual’s opinions
3. The accreditation level recommendation is passed to the Lead Wikimedia Trainers in that topic to assess and agree. The trainers, if the individual is known to them, would comment on their Wikipedia editing technical skills. If the candidate is not known to the Lead Trainers it may be necessary to wait till he can show his skills during a Wikipedia training event.
4. If they agree with the Proposed Accreditation level in their topic, Midas will issue the required certificate

Accreditation details

There are currently three levels of training, and three separate areas in which you can be accredited. You would achieve only one of the levels, but at the same time potentially could achieve accreditation in all of the areas.

Level of accreditation

Level 1 – Lead Trainer

• Able to write and deliver training modules on a particular topic and train new Wikimedia trainers to run them
• Able and willing to monitor, support and coach Wikimedia Trainers to run their designated courses

Level 2 – Full Wikimedia Trainer

• Able to write and or deliver, Wikimedia training modules to a high standard

Level 3 – Supporting Wikimedia Trainer

• Able to assist a Lead Trainer or a Wikimedia Trainer to deliver a Wikimedia module but not to train alone
• Developing their skills with a view to becoming accredited as a Full Wikimedia Trainer

Areas of accreditation

This is based on what we have been doing so far and perhaps does not obviously include new areas that we are now working on (e.g. PR training, which requires focus on how the community works, rather than the editing process. This could be included in the ‘member development’ area below though.).

Wikimedia technical knowledge

• Established Wikimedians with a good level of knowledge of the technical aspects of the community’s activities
• The fundamental accreditation for most Wikimedia trainers will be ‘Technical’
• The ‘Technical’ training area covers the knowledge and ability to explain and train people in how to edit Wikipedia

Institutions

• Bringing in contributors with specific professional expertise, often via events in their own workplace. This is a broad category, covering librarians, scientists, JISC programme managers and others.
• Experienced Wikimedians with the necessary background knowledge of institutions and academic bodies
• ‘Institutions’ covers specialist experience of working in or with GLAMS, schools, commercial companies or other specific institutions
• Trainers will have specialist experience of specific strands of various ‘Institutions’
• This accreditation will normally be in addition to ‘Technical’ training
• Separate strands of ‘Institutions’ will probably evolve over time.

Wikimedia UK member development

• Bringing in the general public, where we can't assume a particular level of subject expertise or even IT skills, often in informal settings.
• Wikimedians who demonstrate: Strong interpersonal skills, Good knowledge of Wikimedia processes
• Members’ training is about building the ability to train Wikimedians in the soft skills and processes which will help new members thrive in the Wikimedia community
• Trainers will have a strong understanding of specific aspects of communication, motivation and leadership which affect Wikimedians
• This accreditation will at present be in addition to ‘Technical’ training
• Separate strands of ‘Members’ will probably evolve over time such as ‘Leadership’, ‘Conflict Resolution’ and ‘Setting up a new Wikimedia Groups’