Practices of Locating Health Information in an Electronic Environment: Reflections on Conducted Health Information Skills Training

ABSTRACT

Health information skills in an electronic environment are essential to health science librarians, who serve as educators both within and outside of their health training institutions. This reflective study was conducted to examine the application of online health information skills obtained from the training provided for librarians who are working in health settings. Health sciences librarians, as future information skills educators, therefore need to possess their own health information skill sets. Capacity building is vital in order to promote the development of health information skills for health sciences librarians who can then teach and advocate the concept of health information skills on the Internet within and outside of their places of work.     

Factors Influencing Information Literacy Competency of College Students

This paper analyzes multiple factors from current university students' high school experiences, including demographic, educational, and economic factors, and current standing and grade point average (GPA), to evaluate the students' information literacy skills associated with a 1000 level course on information literacy which is part of the university's general education requirement. The pre-test indicates that students lack sufficient skills needed to do college-level research. Results of regression analyses demonstrate that only current university GPA and standardized test scores have any influence on information literacy test scores.     

Impacts of Library Space on Learning Satisfaction – An Empirical Study of University Library Design in Guangzhou,China

The current generation of millennial university students is more accustomed to searching reference information online than visiting the physical library facility, compared to the previous generations of students. Studies have shown that the role of the physical library facilities as a mere collection point of reading and reference materials is being threatened by the availability of free and high-speed online search engines. University libraries have always been an integral part in higher education learning activities, and they are not exempted from this threat. Based on a structural equation modelling framework, we analysed empirically the importance of different library design features that help enhance students' learning satisfaction, and found that lighting environment, acoustic environment as well as location of the library building were the main determinants impacting on the use of the university library by students in a major university in China. We conclude the paper with our suggestions in modifying library design to accommodate students' learning needs, and more importantly in recon?uring the spatial and functional role of university libraries in this age of digital information from a mere provider of reference materials to a physical space of learning commons on campus.     

Architects,Renovators, Builders,and Fragmenters: A Model for First Year Students' Self-perceptions and Perceptions of Information Literacy

The transition from high school to college is fraught with academic, social, and emotional changes for first-year students. This year long qualitative study uses cognitive dissonance theory to examine first-year students' changing perceptions of their information literacy competencies throughout their freshman year. Through the examination of students' self-reflections and semi-structured interviews, the study produced cognitive dissonance in students, revealed four information literacy journeys, demonstrated the shifting of students' definitions of research, and shed light on the emotional labor involved in college-level research. Implications for information literacy instruction and future research are discussed.     

Mobile information behavior of Warner Pacific University students

The mobile information behavior of Warner Pacific University students was studied using survey questionnaires, in-depth interviews, and group-based exercises through the lens of several common information theories and models. As ownership of connected devices became nearly ubiquitous, students used the Internet more than the library. Students built digital networks to connect with friends or classmates. The Internet was the students' primary information source, since using Google was a daily lifestyle habit while the library was totally new and unfamiliar territory. Comparison of the students' information search processes (ISPs) with Kuhlthau's ISP diagram revealed that the students searching was idiosyncratic and unpredictable, and they only adopted systematic search protocols when these were imposed on them. Chatman's theory of information poverty was useful as it revealed that the students' perception of information deprivation cut across all socio-economic groups.     

Learning Instruction: How an Academic Librarian Transitioned to a Health Sciences Environment

This guest column details the experience of an early career academic librarian learning how to instruct and assist students in health sciences programs. It includes information on mentoring, peer coaching, formal and informal trainings, and proficiencies needed for reference and instruction services. The author shares sources of specific knowledge and skills that empowered her to transition to health sciences librarianship.     

Creating information resources and trainings for farmworker-serving community health workers

Background:Farmworker-serving community health workers have limited access to farmworker health research findings, training, and education resources. With funding from the National Library of Medicine, we are working to improve the health information literacy of both community health workers and farmworkers. We conducted focus group discussions with community health workers to explore their experiences providing health education and information to farmworkers, their information-seeking behaviors, and their technology and information needs. Data from the focus groups provided insights into the main areas in which community health workers would like to receive professional development.Case Presentation:Our team, which includes health sciences librarians, developed a resource list of educational materials for farmworker health, videos to increase community health workers'' skills finding health information online, and webinars to introduce these resources to community health workers. Videos, available in Spanish and English, included instruction on finding and evaluating online health information, accessing reputable online consumer health information sources, and advanced searching tips for Google and PubMed. Through three webinars, we introduced the resource list, videos, and design software for creating handouts and infographics to community health workers.Conclusions:Community health workers have a critical role in providing health education and information to farmworkers, and our efforts represent a first step in addressing community health workers'' limited access to professional development. Health sciences librarians are well positioned to partner with interdisciplinary teams working to reduce health disparities and provide resources and training to community health workers, farmworkers, and other underserved communities.     

Integration of arts and humanities in medicine to develop well-rounded physicians: the roles of health sciences librarians

Over the past ten years, there has been a growing interest in integrating arts and humanities in medicine to increase learners'' empathy and resilience; improve personal well-being, communication, and observational skills; enhance self-reflection; and promote professionalism. These desired skills and qualities are becoming increasingly important for the physicians of tomorrow. Parallel to curricular interventions of integrating arts and humanities to medical education, there has been an increasing research interest in investigating the impact of such interventions on medical students with respect to improving and sustaining students'' empathy as they progress in their medical education and develop their professional identity. Research has yielded interesting findings on the types and effect of the interventions in the medical curriculum. The Association of the American Medical Colleges (AAMC), recognizing the unique and unrealized role of arts and humanities in preparing and equipping physicians for twenty-first-century challenges, proposed seven recommendations for advancing arts and humanities integration into medical education to improve the education, practice, and well-being of physicians and physician learners across the spectrum of medical education. Institutional initiatives of arts and humanities integration in the medical curriculum in response to the AAMC''s recommendations afford health sciences librarians expansive opportunities and a new landscape of playing an important role in these initiatives. With their diverse educational background in arts, humanities, social sciences, and many other disciplines and fields, health sciences librarians are poised for meaningful contributions to their institutional goals in developing a humanistic, compassionate workforce of future physicians.     

Health Sciences Librarians' Research on Medical Students' Use of Information for Their Studies at The Medical School,University of Queensland,Australia

This study reports the findings of research undertaken by health sciences librarians at the University of Queensland Library into how medical students use information for their studies, particularly resources and services provided by the Library. The methods utilized were an online survey and focus groups. Results indicated that students favor print resources over electronic, value accessing resources on a one-stop basis, and prefer training to be delivered flexibly. The implication of these results for future resource selection, service provision, and instructional design and delivery is discussed.     

Health information seeking behaviour: the librarian's role in supporting digital and health literacy

This paper is based on Rachel Butler's dissertation carried out at the University of Sheffield as part of the MA Library and Information Services Management. The study examines people's online health information seeking skills, with the specific aim to identify how libraries and health services can work together in supporting digital and health literacy. A survey approach is used to explore online searching habits as well as librarian and health professionals’ views on health literacy. The key findings indicate that whilst the majority of respondents consider themselves to be health literate, there was an overall agreement that effective education and support could be achieved through the collaboration between libraries and health services, and specifically to signpost information and to provide targeted education. The limitations of the research for dissertation are recognised leading to recommendations that further study focuses on the impact of signposting and education on health literacy.F.J.     

Information-seeking behavior of nursing students and clinical nurses: implications for health sciences librarians.

OBJECTIVES: This research was conducted to provide new insights on clinical nurses' and nursing students' current use of health resources and libraries and deterrents to their retrieval of electronic clinical information, exploring implications from these findings for health sciences librarians. METHODS: Questionnaires, interviews, and observations were used to collect data from twenty-five nursing students and twenty-five clinical nurses. RESULTS: Nursing students and clinical nurses were most likely to rely on colleagues and books for medical information, while other resources they frequently cited included personal digital assistants, electronic journals and books, and drug representatives. Significantly more nursing students than clinical nurses used online databases, including CINAHL and PubMed, to locate health information, and nursing students were more likely than clinical nurses to report performing a database search at least one to five times a week. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS: Nursing students made more use of all available resources and were better trained than clinical nurses, but both groups lacked database-searching skills. Participants were eager for more patient care information, more database training, and better computer skills; therefore, health sciences librarians have the opportunity to meet the nurses' information needs and improve nurses' clinical information-seeking behavior.     

An exploratory study of the relationship between the use of the Learning Commons and students' perceived learning outcomes

This study proposes and empirically tests a model explicating the impact of the Learning Commons on university students' learning behaviors and skills development. Adapting the information literacy instruction model that is based on expectation disconfirmation theory, a series of hypotheses were developed, and data were collected through an online survey at a Hong Kong university. Responses from 388 students were subjected to a partial least squares structural equation modeling analysis. The results suggest that expectation disconfirmation theory can be applied in the domain of the Learning Commons, and that the degree to which students' expectations are confirmed affects their degree of perceived quality of and satisfaction with the Learning Commons. Perceived quality in turn influences satisfaction. Both perceived quality and satisfaction lead to psychological outcomes that produce behavioral changes and possible benefits, including time savings, effort reduction, better grades, advanced problem-solving skills, and improved learning outcomes.     

Don't they teach that in high school? Examining the high school to college information literacy gap

College librarians express concern over incoming students' information literacy skills and lack of skills preparing them for college-level research. However, it is unclear whether information literacy skills are not being taught at the high school level, whether they are not being retained or transferred as students move on to college, or whether there is a disconnect between the skills taught in high school and those expected of incoming college students. This study explores these questions through a set of parallel surveys sent to a national sample of high school and college librarians. Findings suggest that high school and college librarians agree on the importance of most skills though they vary in their emphasis on their importance, and that information literacy skills are being taught in high school but do not seem to transfer to college. The paper concludes with suggestions for increased communication and collaboration to bridge the high school to college transition.     

An Information Needs Assessment of School Nurses in a Metropolitan County

ABSTRACT

School nurses are an integral though often underserved population within the health care and education professions. To develop an effective outreach program for this group, an academic health sciences library conducted an information needs assessment of public school nurses in Tulsa County, Oklahoma. An online survey collected perceptions regarding information needs and behaviors, and a focus group session further explored the survey results. The assessment revealed that school nurses frequently require specific types of information to perform their responsibilities and face challenges accessing and integrating research into their daily practice. This article presents the implications and results of this assessment.     

Peer teaching and information retrieval: the role of the NICE Evidence search student champion scheme in enhancing students’ confidence

Background

This research reports on the NICE Evidence search (ES) student champion scheme (SCS) first five years of activity (2011–2016) in terms of its impact on health care undergraduate students’ information search skills and search confidence.

Objectives

A review of students’ evaluation of the scheme was carried out to chart the changes in attitude towards NICE Evidence search as an online health care information source and to monitor students’ approach to information seeking.

Methods

This study is based on the results of questionnaires distributed to students before and after attending a training session on NICE Evidence search delivered by their own peers. The exercise was implemented in health related universities in England over a period of five consecutive academic years.

Results

(i) Students’ search confidence improved considerably after the training; (ii) ES was perceived as being an increasingly useful resource of evidence based information for their studies; (iii) the training helped students develop discerning search skills and use evidence based information sources more consistently and critically.

Conclusions

The NICE SCS improves confidence in approaching information tasks amongst health care undergraduate students. Future developments could involve offering the training at the onset of a course of study and adopting online delivery formats to expand its geographical reach.     

Mortal or Moodle? A Comparison of In-person vs. Online Information Literacy Instruction

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of online and in-person instructional methods for teaching research skills, as well as to determine student preferences for each method. Undergraduate students received librarian-led research skills instruction either through an online course management system or in person at the library. Students were surveyed about their experience and format preference, and their grades on a subsequent literature review assignment were collected. The online group’s scores were significantly (p?=?0.002) higher, and a majority of eligible participants stated a preference for the online format. Many of the students in both groups reported increased skills and confidence in conducting speech-language-hearing science research following the library instruction. The results of this study support the possibility that online instruction may be more effective than in-person for improving performance on a literature review assignment and is preferred by on-campus students for learning information literacy skills.     

Visualizing diversity: the Oregon Health & Science University Educational Use Photo Diversity Repository

Background:Health science education needs images that represent both the diversity of patients served and the diversity of its students and clinicians. To begin to address this need, a nurse educator and librarian collaborated to launch the Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) Educational Use Photo Diversity Repository. This online resource provides educators of health professional students with access to photos of pathophysiological conditions in skin of various colors so their students can increase their awareness of issues related to health and diversity and prepare themselves for more effective clinical work with their future patients.Case Presentation:The OHSU Educational Use Photo Diversity Repository became a university-wide project, leveraging the thoughts of an image advisory board, clinicians, faculty members, administrators, and students. Key considerations were given to the workflows used to submit photos as well as the controlled vocabulary for submitting images. The repository was started with photos already in existence, with future plans to have images taken specifically for the repository.Conclusions:This repository is playing an important role as OHSU and the health sciences in general reflect on the role of systemic racism in health care and clinical education. Negotiating issues of consent, patient health information, and privacy around using different technologies to take photos is a complex and ongoing process. The repository provides opportunities for closely examining these processes and creating improvements that result in more equitable education.     

职业女性网络健康信息搜寻行为影响因素及社会支持的调节效应研究

[目的/意义] 研究职业女性网络健康信息搜寻行为，探明其影响因素，有助于健康信息平台为职业女性提供有针对性的信息服务，满足职业女性的健康信息需求。[方法/过程] 以压力应对理论和技术接受模型为理论基础，构建网络健康信息搜寻行为影响因素模型，考虑社会支持对压力作用的调节效应，以职业女性为研究对象，通过问卷调研和结构方程建模进行实证研究。[结果/结论] 研究结果显示，职业女性所面临的工作压力、家庭压力和生理压力会使女性产生焦虑情绪，从而促使她们进行网络健康信息的搜寻。同时，网络的有用性和易用性也决定了职业女性的网络健康信息搜寻行为。值得注意的是，我们发现社会支持不仅没有缓解各压力带来的影响，反而会加剧压力，尤其是生理压力的影响。     

The effects of inquiry-based information literacy instruction on memory and comprehension: A longitudinal study

How information literacy instruction affects students' learning has been a concern for many librarians and teachers. This study examines the effects of six-year integrated information literacy instruction on elementary students' memory and comprehension of subject content through inquiry learning and also focuses on the moderating factor of students' academic achievement levels. The subjects were 75 students participating in the study from the time when they entered elementary school. The school adopted information literacy instruction and integrated it into various subject areas using the framework of inquiry learning, for example, the Super3 and Big6 models. A total of 11 inquiry learning projects were implemented from Grade 1 through Grade 6. The results showed that inquiry-based integrated information literacy instruction helps students memorize facts and apply new concepts in the subject content. In general, the progress level in comprehension was higher than in memory learning for the six-year integrated information literacy instruction. Regardless of students' prior academic achievement levels, if they devoted their efforts to inquiry processes, their fact memorization and conceptual understanding of subject content improved. Low-achieving students displayed the most progression in both memory and comprehension learning, compared to their medium- and high-achieving peers. This study underscores the importance of information literacy instruction in students' learning.     

Information Literacy Instruction in an English Capstone Course: A Study of Student Confidence,Perception, and Practice

An English professor and an instruction librarian at the University of New Hampshire at Manchester felt that the college's new English Capstone course for majors provided a unique opportunity to assess the information literacy skill levels of graduating English majors. They therefore engaged in a three-year study to evaluate the IL competency of these students, to gauge their perceptions of library instruction provided during the Capstone course and throughout their academic careers, and to determine students' confidence and self-efficacy with respect to these skills. The researchers sought to determine the ways in which the IL program for English majors effectively met established IL goals and to identify areas for improvement.