Information-seeking Behaviour by Academics: A Preliminary Study

Information-seeking behaviour by university academics at Moi University, Kenya, is analysed. A survey, in the form of a pilot study, was conducted and data collected through questionnaires and interviews among 27 academics randomly sampled from four faculties: Health Sciences, Information Sciences, Environmental Studies and Education. The results obtained established that a great number of academics depend on libraries and colleagues for information and that although the academics heavily depend on textbooks for information, they display great interest in, and use, current and research-oriented information sources. It was also established that the nature of discipline and level of programme influence the information-seeking behaviour of academics and that lack of awareness of information services, and non-use of current awareness services and sources available at the university contribute to limited access and use of the information resources. In addition, academics indicated that they need information mainly for career development to circumvent the “publish or perish syndrome”, but also for their professional and occupational needs. It is concluded that despite insufficient relevant information resources at the university library due to budget cuts, academics still depend on the library for their information needs. Work colleagues are also an important source of intra-university information. It is suggested that the library would benefit the academics if equal attention were paid to current awareness services as well as publicity and promotion of information products and services. Similarly, methods should be devised by the university to strengthen the academics' overall accessibility to information. In this way, the circulation of information between academic colleagues can be maintained.     

Discourse and Practice in the Art Curriculum and the Production of the Pupil as a Subject

The development of enquiry into language this century has implications for pedagogy. This development concerns the transition from viewing language as a transparent medium, identifying an external objective reality, to a view in which language constitutes reality as we understand it. The paper begins by outlining some contemporary theoretical developments concerning the ‘productive’ or material nature of discourse. The paper shows how particular curriculum practices in art can be viewed as discursive sites which perpetuate particular discourses in which the pupil as art practitioner is produced. By focusing upon drawing practices the paper shows that the notion of ‘ability’ does not refer to some absolute skill possessed by pupils, but to particular ideological interpretations through which ability is conferred. However, such interpretations do provide us with stable forms which allow us to act as if they were absolute. Such interpretational states reveal the circular structure of interpretational practices such as evaluation and assessment. The paper shows how the reflexive nature of hermeneutic analysis can be helpful in providing a suitable space for reflection when such interpretational states break down during the practice of teaching art. By analysing a series of pupil's drawings the paper discusses how our interpretational discourses identify the pupil's ability and constitute the pupil as a subject in the ait curriculum. The paper forms part of a larger body of work in which the author is exploring how different practices in the art curriculum constitute discursive fields within which pupils as subjects are produced.     

Tackling illiteracy in Year 7 of the comprehensive school

Reading standards are regarded by many as the true yardstick by which to measure school effectiveness, and the relative standards achieved by different generations are often debated by adults. Some young people do not perceive reading to be of anything like such importance, however, using digital communication habitually and easily. Each year a growing number of young people enter secondary education without having achieved functional reading. Illiteracy in Year 7 poses a real problem for the secondary SEN teacher. Financial and timetable constraints make it impossible to arrange individual multi‐sensory teaching. A programme of didactic teaching using selections from several different approaches to reading was delivered to a group of ten semi‐literate and illiterate young people throughout the 2010–2011 academic year.     

Silver to Gold: The Alchemy,Potential, and Maturing of ACES and CES

Exponential changes in Western and international society and in American and international education afford promise, opportunity, and challenges for tomorrow's counselor. Roles of counselors, counselor supervisors, and counselor educators must reflect and shape the needs and growth of populations in specific countries and throughout the world to afford timely and appropriate responses and intelligent and sensitive proactivity. Leadership in services, teaching, research, credentialing, policy, and law all seem to be areas of potential contribution and growth for the counselors, counselor educators, and counseling supervisors of tomorrow.