To rubric or not to rubric? The effects of self-assessment on self-regulation,performance and self-efficacy

The objective of this study was to compare the effects of situations in which self-assessment was conducted using rubrics and situations in which no specific self-assessment tool was used. Two hundred and eighteen third-year pre-service teachers were assigned to either non-rubric or rubric self-assessment for designing a conceptual map. They then assessed their own maps. The dependent variables were self-regulation measured through a questionnaire and an open question on learning strategies use, performance based on an expert-assigned score, accuracy comparing self-scores with the expert’s scores and task stress using one self-reported item. The results showed that the rubric group reported higher learning strategies use, performance and accuracy. However, the rubric group also reported more problems coping with stress and higher performance/avoidance self-regulation that was detrimental to learning.     

Towards a multidimensional model for evaluating electronic government: Proposing a more comprehensive and integrative perspective

The use of information and communication technologies has been a key strategy for government reform. It offers diverse benefits, ranging from efficiency and effectiveness to transparency and greater democratic participation. Governments in many parts of the world have invested vast resources into electronic government projects with the expectation of achieving these and other outcomes. However, the results in many cases are limited and there is no comprehensive way to evaluate these initiatives at the aggregate level. A method for measuring and evaluating electronic government that identifies its advances and problems is needed. Previous efforts to do so are limited in terms of scope and dimensions being considered. Based on a review of current literature and the analysis of international best practices, this paper proposes a multidimensional model for measuring and evaluating electronic government. It also includes examples, a proposal of how to operationalize it, and several recommendations for practical use.     

A Study of Student Consultants’ Comfort Levels With Research-Related Tasks

Student consulting is a form of problem-based learning through which students work on strategic issues for organizations. To explore how students perceive their research-related tasks, 15 student consultants were asked to evaluate their comfort levels with seven tasks—adapted from the Association of College and Research Libraries' Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education—in three contexts: class assignments, consulting projects, and future workplaces. The comfort levels revealed by the students have implications for a variety of instructional settings and offer many directions for future studies.     

From the Editor: The Literature Review

No abstract available for this article.     

From the Editor: A Blueprint for Communicating Your Research

Results of a survey of serial use by psychology faculty at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign are compared with an Americal Psychological Association report published in 1963 and with data extracted from "SSCI Journal Citation Reports," 1978. The article profiles the relationship between the three and evaluates their usefulness in collection development.