The Dark Side of Instruction: Teacher Anger as Classroom Norm Violations

Based on norm violation theory, we examined students' reactions to teachers' normative and nonnormative expressions of anger. College students ( N = 301 ) judged the appropriateness and intensity of teachers' anger in the classroom for four modes of expression: Distributive Aggression, Passive Aggression, Integrative Assertion, and Nonassertive Denial. Students rated both types of aggressive expressions as highly intense and inappropriate (or nonnormative), but assertive displays as appropriate and less intense. Additionally, aggressive expressions were negatively related to students' affect, whereas assertive expressions were positively related to affect. Findings extend norm violation theory by identifying how teacher anger should be expressed and when during the semester anger is more likely to be perceived as inappropriate. Moreover, this study illustrates how normative violations of anger are associated with negative evaluations of the teacher and course.     

Emotion Matters in Serial Arguments: The Effects of Anger and Compassion on Perceived Resolvability and Relationship Confidence in Dating Relationships

This study is designed to examine the effects of emotion on serial argument processes and outcomes. Specifically, it investigates the effects of anger and compassion on perceived resolvability and relationship confidence in dating relationships. Three main findings are reported. First, anger is negatively related to perceived resolvability, but compassion is positively related to it. Second, anger has a negative correlation with relationship confidence, but compassion has a positive correlation with it. Third, perceived resolvability mediates the effects of anger and compassion on relationship confidence.     

Teacher Influence in the Classroom: A Preliminary Investigation of Perceived Instructor Power,Credibility, and Student Satisfaction An earlier version of this paper was presented on a program of the Communication Education interest group at the annual convention of the Central States Communication Association,Milwaukee, WI,April 2002.

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between perceived teacher power, teacher credibility, and student satisfaction. Respondents were 67 undergraduate students (30 males and 37 females) enrolled in Communication classes at a southwestern university. Students’ perceptions of their teachers’ expert, referent and reward power use were found to be positively related to their perceptions of their teachers’ competence, caring, and trustworthiness. Teacher power use contributed to the prediction of a significant amount of variance in teacher credibility. Additionally, student satisfaction was positively and significantly related to both teacher referent power and expert power. Surprisingly, students’ perceptions of coercive power were not significantly and negatively related to student satisfaction. Implications, limitations and suggestions for future research are discussed.     

The Dark(ish) Side of Digitization: Information Equity and the Digital Divide

The digitization of collections is often lauded not only for its preservation benefits but also for its social ones, as it can facilitate increased access to information. However, it is crucial to consider such developments within the context of differential access to and use of digital information and resources, an issue broadly known as the “digital divide.” More specifically, it is important to consider the possibility that such technological developments might exacerbate existing inequities. This article reviews the development of the concept of the digital divide, and considers its implications for library and information studies, institutions, and beyond.     

The Impact of Information Literacy-Related Instruction in the Science Classroom: Clickers Versus Nonclickers

The goal of information literacy instruction is to enable students to develop skills that they can use for life to facilitate their empowerment through information. Instruction librarians, particularly those teaching Millenials whose need for “hands on” instruction has been widely emphasized, are constantly searching for methodologies that will provide appropriate levels of interactive instruction. Many methods for enhancing the relevance of library instruction have been discussed in the literature. This study, designed and developed by a collaborative team of librarians and science faculty, describes the effects of providing course-integrated, interactive (with clickers) information literacy instruction to undergraduates at a small private nonprofit university in the Southeast.     

The Dark Side of Collection Management: Deselecting Serials from a Research Library's Storage Facility Using WorldCat Collection Analysis

To address the situation of its nearly full storage facility, the Purdue University Libraries developed guidelines for the deselection of very low–use serial titles and conducted a pilot project to identify material for withdrawal. The library school intern hired to conduct the pilot used WorldCat Collection Analysis to create subject lists of titles to be considered for withdrawal. These lists also contained value-added information about how many benchmark institutions owned and duplicated the local holdings of each title. Working with subject specialists, the intern developed criteria to guide a major serials deselection project. After the success of the internship in six subject areas, the libraries funded a longer-term position to complete the deselection project.     

The Relationship between Student Perceptions of Instructor Power and Classroom Justice This manuscript was presented as part of the Top Paper Panel to the Instructional Practices Interest Group of the Eastern Communication Association at its annual meeting in Pittsburgh, 2005.

The study investigated the relationships between student perceptions of instructor power and classroom justice. Partial correlations controlling for student grade expectations indicated that student perceptions of their instructors’ use of coercive, legitimate, referent, and expert power were related to perceptions of fairness in the classroom. Student perceptions of instructor use of reward power were not related to perceptions of any type of classroom justice.