Assessing the impact of a study skills programme on the academic development of nursing diploma students at Northumbria University, UK

Background: The Government's nursing recruitment campaign has widened access for those wishing to enter the profession, resulting in some students entering university with clinical experience but little experience of academic writing or using libraries. For these students, the library and study advice staff have an important role to play in helping them acquire appropriate information literacy and study skills. Objective: To evaluate the impact of workshops supplementing online instruction in study skills on students’ study and writing skills, and level of information literacy. Methods: A small group of pre‐registration nursing students identified as needing support with information literacy and study skills participated in focus groups to identify areas of concern, and were offered four remedial workshops. A follow‐up focus group explored whether the students’ needs had been addressed. Further evaluation of the workshops’ impact was completed by diagnostic testing within the University's information literacy programme, Skills Plus. Outcomes: The results showed that all students who attended at least one workshop improved their academic grade in their next assignment. Qualitative data indicated that the students’ confidence level and information literacy, including referencing skills, had improved. Conclusion: Evaluating the impact of this intervention has provided the evidence to demonstrate the value of this additional support.     

Theories of learning: models of good practice for evidence-based information skills teaching

This feature considers models of teaching and learning and how these can be used to support evidence based practice.     

吉林大学医学生信息素养现状调查及其对信息检索教学的启示

调查了吉林大学医学生信息素养现状,分析了上过与未上过信息检索课的医学生信息素养差异性及其存在的根本原因,找出了医学信息检索课教学中存在的问题并提出了相应建议.     

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.     

Integrating evidence-based practice and information literacy skills in teaching physical and occupational therapy students

Background: To ensure that physical and occupational therapy graduates develop evidence‐based practice (EBP) competencies, their academic training must promote EBP skills, such as posing a clinical question and retrieving relevant literature, and the information literacy skills needed to practice these EBP skills. Objective: This article describes the collaborative process and outcome of integrating EBP and information literacy early in a professional physical therapy and occupational therapy programme. Methods: The liaison librarian and a faculty member designed an instructional activity that included a lecture, workshop and assignment that integrated EBP skills and information literacy skills in the first year of the programme. The assignment was designed to assess students’ ability to conduct a search independently. Results: The lecture and workshop were successful in their objectives, as 101 of the 104 students received at least 8 out of 10 points on the search assignment. Conclusions: The teaching activities developed for the students in this course appear to have achieved the goal of teaching students the EBP research cycle so that they might begin to emulate it. The collaboration between the faculty member and the librarian was integral to the success of this endeavour. Future work will include the evaluation of students’ long‐term retention of information literacy objectives.     

Beyond student instruction: information skills for staff

Following the work of the Big Blue project, which examined information skills training provision for students in higher and further education, the Big Blue Connect project investigated the information seeking skills and needs of academic, managerial, administrative and technical staff within their work environments in further education and higher education institutions. Skills required by broad categories of staff were identified. Staff of all types use only a small number of the wide range of resources available to them, rely increasingly on the web and do not perceive themselves as having problems finding and handling information. A serious need for training and development is identified.     

Tailoring an information skills programme for Trainee Nursing Associates

This feature describes the tailored information skills programme which was delivered for the second cohort of Trainee Nursing Associates (TNAs) at Barnsley Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and presents the results of the evaluation which was undertaken. Literature searching and critical appraisal were offered to the first cohort. Feedback was collated, and sessions were refined and tailored to better meet the information needs of the second cohort of TNAs. A comparison of confidence ratings before and after the programme ascertained whether the information skills programme had a positive benefit in confidence levels of attendees. D.I.     

Improving digital skills for the use of online public information and services

There are recent indications regarding the use of online public services that force the government to focus on the more refined conceptualizations digital divide research has produced. This paper addresses one of the factors that appears to be important in several conceptualizations of how to approach the digital divide; the differential possession of so-called digital skills. The problem of being short of skills becomes urgent when governments suppose that citizens are able to complete about every task on the Internet. Operational definitions for operational, formal, information and strategic skills are used to measure the Internet skills of the Dutch population at large, by giving 109 subjects nine government related assignments to be accomplished on the Internet. Subjects were recruited following a two step approach; randomly select a sample from the book/list of fixed telephony subscribers, followed by drawing a selective quota sample for the strata of gender, age and educational level. The results indicate that on average 80% of the operational skill Internet tasks, 72% of formal Internet skills tasks, 62% of the information Internet skills tasks and 22% of strategic Internet skills tasks assigned have been successfully completed. The Dutch government's expectation that every citizen with an Internet connection is able to complete the assignments following tasks the government thinks every Internet user can perform, clearly is not justified. The article provides two types of policy recommendations to change this state of affairs. Recommendations for improving government websites and for improving the skill levels of Dutch citizens are suggested.     

Finding the skills for tomorrow: Information literacy and museum information professionals

This paper presents results from 21 semi-structured interviews with museum information professionals who were asked about their experiences working with information resources, tools, and technologies in museums. The interviews were analyzed to develop an understanding of the information literacy skills of museum information professionals. This paper presents the results of this analysis, and discusses the state of information literacy in museums, and the increasing need for museum information professionals to possess information literacy skills. The results illustrate how information literacy is defined by information professionals in museums, and how perceptions of information literacy and its importance to museums have changed over time.     

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.     

高校学报是研究生的优质教学资源

论述高校学报的教学资源属性及其在研究生教育中的地位、作用和开发应用前景。高校学报为研究生有效整合了校内外的专家资源,对研究生学术作品进行评价、筛选和深度加工。高校学报编辑在研究生科研论文写作素质培养方面不仅发挥了指导教师的作用,甚至还直接参与研究生学术论文的二次创作,对研究生及其导师在科研创新能力及其他综合素质方面同时还具有第三方的评价能力和作用。