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.     

Towards the successful integration of e-learning systems in higher education in Iraq: A student perspective

This study aims to analyse the factors that can explain the adoption and effective use of a new e-learning system in Iraq. To achieve this, it uses a selection of factors that are present in the technology acceptance model (TAM) and the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT) model, and it includes three additional factors. The study hypothesises new relationships between the selected factors. Questionnaires were distributed to 300 university students in Iraq. Partial least squares-structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) was used to analyse the data received. The findings suggest that perceived usefulness (PU), perceived ease of use (PEOU), subjective norms (SNs), information quality (IQ), system quality (SQ), technical support (TS) and self-efficacy (SE) have significant effects on behavioural intention (BI). In turn, BI and TS have significant direct effects on the actual use (AU) of e-learning systems. The factors age, gender and experience significantly moderated some of the relationships in the model. The research has several implications for policy makers, universities and the management of e-learning systems.     

THE ‘TELE’ BECOMES THE ‘TOOL’

For thirty years, the television set has been commanded by producers; the customers, both at home and elsewhere, have had to sit back and take what is offered. Now times are changing. More and more uses appear for the television set which are not dependent on the producers or broadcasters but only on the set owner himself or herself. The paper explores the present capabilities and future possibilities of television as an information provider: broadcast CEEFAX and ORACLE, British Telecom's PRESTEL service, and links of these systems with computers, allowing the home television set to give the viewer his own computer terminal.     

Computer-assisted learning in UK engineering degree programmes: lessons learned from an extensive case study programme

This paper gives a synopsis of an extensive programme of case studies on real uses of computer-assisted learning (CAL) materials within UK engineering degree programmes. The programme was conducted between 2000 and 2003 and followed a questionnaire-based survey looking at CAL use in the UK and in Australia. The synopsis reveals a number of key messages for academic tutors and authors including students' enthusiasm for notes, self-tests and features to aid visualisation. Publishers should also consider pricing and licensing arrangements suited to the individual user. Cet article donne une synthèse exhaustive des études de cas concernant l'utilisation concrète des logiciels d'enseignement assisté par ordinateur (EAO) dans les études d'ingénieur au Royaume Uni. Ces études, conduites entre 2000 et 2003, sont basées sur l'analyse de questionnaires concernant l'utilisation de l'EAO au Royaume Uni et en Australie. La synthèse révèle un certain nombre de points clés destinés au corps enseignant et aux auteurs, dont notamment l'intérêt des étudiants pour les cours papiers, les exercices d'autoévaluation et les éléments d'aide à la visualisation. Les aspects liés aux coû ts et aux droits d'auteurs devraient aussi ûtre pris en compte par les éditeurs, afin de faciliter l'accès aux logiciels par les utilisateurs individuels.