The Training Games: A Method for Digitization Skills Refreshment and Certification

This year the University of North Texas Libraries Digital Projects Lab piloted a digitization training program called “The Training Games.” The refreshment program was designed to encourage understanding, accuracy, and skills development in student assistant employees. It sought to answer the research questions “Does a semester-long digitization training program increase the knowledge and digital imaging skills of student technicians?” and “Can such a program positively affect the confidence of student imaging technicians in his or her work?” The Training Games consisted of developing and administrating a number of task-based exercises, or challenges, similar to those traditionally given to student workers in the lab and providing prompt feedback on their work. Following the successful completion of all the exercises, the students received a certificate acknowledging their basic proficiency in digital imaging.