An introduction to independent learning skills for incoming medical students

A partnership was initiated between educators of the College of Medicine and the McGoogan Library at the University of Nebraska Medical Center to establish a new educational component for incoming medical students. The objective was to encourage the development of the students' independent information seeking skills. A three-day seminar was introduced in which the process of seeking information was emphasized rather than the final product. Cooperative development of the seminar resulted in a fresh approach to educating medical students at the College of Medicine and the emergence of an ongoing instructional link between the library faculty and educators in the College of Medicine.     

Question formulation skills training using a novel rubric with first-year medical students

Objective:The authors used an assessment rubric to measure medical students'' improvement in question formulation skills following a brief evidence-based practice (EBP) training session conducted by a health sciences librarian.Method:In a quasi-experimental designed study, students were assessed using a rubric on their pre-instructional skills in formulating answerable EBP questions, based on a clinical scenario. Following their training, they were assessed using the same scenario and rubric. Student pre- and post-test scores were compared using a paired t-test.Results:Students demonstrated statistically significant improvement in their question formulation skills on their post-instructional assessments. The average score for students on the pre-test was 45.5 (SD 11.1) and the average score on the post-test was 65.6 (SD 5.4) with an average increase of 20.1 points on the 70-point scale, p<0.001.Conclusion:The brief instructional session aided by the rubric improved students'' performance in question formulation skills.     

Research workflow skills for education doctoral students and postdocs: A qualitative study

This paper is a qualitative study of how doctoral students and post-doctoral researchers construct their research workflows. The purpose of this study is to examine how doctoral students are constructing their scholarly workflows and to recommend best practices for supporting such early-career scholars. This study will also provide preliminary answers to these questions to help with programming, training, and identifying how academic libraries can support doctoral students and postdoc research work.     

Good Intentions: Providing Students with Skills to Avoid Accidental Plagiarism

This article explores one librarian's experience with creating and implementing a plagiarism seminar as part of the library liaison program to the School of Public Health and Health Professions at the University at Buffalo. The changes and evolution of the seminar over several iterations are described. This article also examines student perceptions, misperceptions, and reactions to the plagiarism workshop.     

Argumentativeness: Japanese and American tendencies to approach and avoid conflict

The Japanese allegedly are disinclined to argue. This study supports that allegation. Japanese university students were compared to American students using the Infante/ Rancer Argumentativeness Scale. The scale measures tendencies to approach arguments and to avoid them. Additionally it indicates the general argumentativeness trait of respondents. The Japanese were significantly less inclined to approach argument situations and had a significantly weaker argumentativeness trait than the Americans. No significant difference appeared for avoiding arguments.     

Integrating medical communication skills with library skills curricula among first year medical students at the University of the West Indies,St. Augustine

A two-year study designed to integrate the medical communication skills and library skills curricula at the University of the West Indies, St. Augustine is reported. Given that an integrated approach to curriculum development offers benefits to learners and staff. The objective of this study was to explore the feasibility of implementing this approach among Year 1 pre-clinical students in 1997 and 1998. Student performance on an essay question that integrated the application of students' knowledge of written communication and library skills in a final examination performance was assessed. Pre- and post-test results of students' library skills were compared within each year. anova analysis indicated that there was a significant increase in mean scores from pre-test to post-test which suggests that students performed better on a test of their knowledge and application of library skills after instruction, but the unavailability of a control group made this finding inconclusive. The findings are discussed in relation to practical and intellectual issues in curriculum integration. It is concluded that this type of curriculum integration is feasible, creates linkages in the curriculum and does not increase demand on student time.     

How high-school students find and evaluate scientific information: A basis for information literacy skills development

This study examined the relationship between curricula in secondary-level science classrooms, which support development of information literacy skills, and actual student skills. A vast body of research reflects deep concern with the level of information literacy skill development among secondary and post-secondary students. But even when educational curricula mandate skill development, many students are unable to demonstrate sophisticated information searching and critical evaluation skills. The findings of this study, which we based on analyzing information seeking tasks and conducting interviews with students in three biology classes in a large urban high school, demonstrated a similar lack of skills. Pressure on teachers to “teach to examinations”—that is, to focus on substantive content rather than on information literacy skills and information literacy skills deficits among teachers themselves—is a possible explanation for these results. The study is of particular interest to teachers of the curriculum applicable in the study context, but the broader implications of repeated indications of gaps in students' information literacy skills are a significant indicator that schools must assume a larger responsibility for information literacy instruction. Leaving skill development to the post-secondary environment will not ensure that citizens are sufficiently skilled to participate fully in 21st century life, in workplaces or in their personal life contexts.     

Using collaborative teaching and inquiry project-based learning to help primary school students develop information literacy and information skills

Information literacy and information technology (IT) skills have become increasingly important in today's knowledge society. Many studies have shown that students from primary school to postgraduate lack crucial information literacy and IT skills, hence there is a need for an effective pedagogical approach that will develop these skills. This study investigated the effect of combining a collaborative teaching approach with inquiry project-based learning (PjBL) on the development of primary students' information literacy and IT skills. Students in a Hong Kong primary school completed two inquiry-based group projects. A collaborative teaching approach involving three teachers in different subject areas (general studies, Chinese, and IT) and the school librarian was adopted in guiding students through the two projects. Results indicate that this program had a positive impact of on the development of different dimensions of the students' information literacy and IT skills.     

Approaches to providing information literacy training in higher education: Challenges for librarians

This paper maps the domain of information literacy and provides a guide as to what areas the phrase includes. Delivering training in aspects of information literacy has been central to the role of user services in academic libraries for many years. However there are other aspects of information literacy that do not form part of this tradition. Having described the remit of the phrase different approaches to incorporating information literacy training in the curriculum are described and placed on a continuum ranging from discrete ‘stand alone’ training solutions to the integration information literacy into the subject based learning of the student. Challenges that face educators and librarians in particular are discussed.     

Gateway to Good Negotiation: From Computer Mediated Communication to Playing Hardball

This lively presentation about good negotiation covered three main themes: basic information about negotiation, preparation for negotiation, and factors that affect one's ability to negotiate. Ideas presented included the importance of good communication and reminders that we already engage in negotiation in some way in our lives and that practice can improve our negotiation skills. References to negotiation literature were given. Also, the advantages and disadvantages of a number of factors that affect libraries' ability to negotiate were discussed.     

如何营造图书馆拴心留人的优良环境

针对图书馆人才流失问题进行了分析，就图书馆如何营造拴心留人的环境提出了事业留人、感情留人、待遇留人的建议和看法。     

善管与善治:资本市场诚信档案信用价值探索的伦理视角

诚信档案是资本市场良性运行的保障,国家先后颁布多项法律法规强化资本市场信用制度体系建设,然而近年来,资本市场失信行为有增无减,信用伦理危机日渐加重.通过相关政策性文件的梳理,分析资本市场诚信档案信息来源与范围及其利用方式,可以看出,现阶段资本市场诚信档案信用价值未得到应有的重视,诚信信息利用意识较弱.基于"善"的伦理视角,从诚信档案管理与数据治理两个层面,树立诚信档案善治观,激发多元治理模式,完善诚信档案数据共治策略,以化解资本市场信用伦理危机.     

Students' perceptions of their information literacy skills: the confidence gap between male and female international graduate students

In the 2015 Summer Session I, the information literacy team combined two instruments, the Information Literacy Assessment (ILA) and the Students' Perceptions of Their Information Literacy Skills Questionnaire (SPIL-Q), into one survey and distributed it to the college's international graduate students through a Google Form. It was distributed to 932 international graduate students, and 172 valid respondents completed the survey. The purpose of this research was to compare the confidence gap in information literacy skills between men and women, particularly in international graduate students. Data collected illustrated that female international business students (n = 70) tended to be slightly more confident than their male counterparts (n = 102) regarding their perceived information literacy skills as evidenced by their SPIL-Q average score across all six IL topics, 3.78, vs. male student's average score of 3.58.