Program Evaluation in Libraries: Relating Operations and Clients

Evaluators of library programs have different perspectives on why to conduct an evaluation and also how to do so. The author suggests that a minimal approach to conducting a library program evaluation is to prove that the program exists. But this perspective has expanded to include different degrees of interest in the client and operations, culminating in a combined focus that leads evaluators to conduct outcome assessments. The chapter includes speculation on what motivates managers to undertake an evaluation, a review of some ways that library evaluations are conducted, and a discussion of several examples of program evaluations. Though there are not single directives for undertaking a library program evaluation, there are a variety of tools and advice to entice librarians to do more of them as a way to improve understanding the value of a library to its clientele and in society.     

The influence of educational research on education in Poland

There is no need nowadays to convince people that modern education cannot function properly without the help of scientific research, and especially of pedagogical research. It is true that there still appear many pedagogical works inflated by wind, as Comenius expressed it more than three hundred years ago, and these publications may even acquire a temporary popularity. But the general trend towards the development of pedagogy as a discipline based on research has been established for quite some time and is constantly gaining strength in the developed countries. Concurrently, pedagogical disciplines have had increasing influence on the development of education.The question of how these disciplines have developed in Poland and how they have influenced the educational system calls for a broader review, such as to allow one to draw conclusions on how to harmonise more effectively the domain of educational research with that of education. Such a review is the aim of the present paper. The following issues are considered: the functions of educational research, the kinds of educational investigations conducted in Poland, ways of disseminating their findings, and the organisation of research in Poland. The paper ends with a discussion of some of the more important conclusions reached.

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Zusammenfassung Heutzutage ist es nicht mehr nötig, viele Worte darüber zu verlieren, daß ein modernes Bildungswesen ohne Unterstützung durch wissenschaftliche, insbesondere pädagogische Forschung nicht richtig funktionieren kann. Zwar erscheinen immer noch viele pädagogische Arbeiten, die vom Wind aufgeblasen sind, wie sich Comenius vor über 300 Jahren ausdrückte, und diese können sogar zeitweilig grossen Anklang finden. Aber der allgemeine Trend, die Pädagogik als eine auf Forschung beruhende Disziplin anzusehen, besteht seit längerer Zeit und verstärkt sich in den Industrieländern ständig. Gleichzeitig üben pädagogische Disziplinen zunehmenden Einfluß auf die Entwicklung des Bildungswesens aus.Die Frage, wie sich diese Disziplinen in Polen entwickelt und wie sie das Bildungssystem beeinflußt haben, erfordert eine umfassendere Übersicht, die es ermöglicht, Schlußfolgerungen darüber zu ziehen, wie die pädagogische Forschung am besten mit dem Bildungswesen harmonisiert werden kann. Eine solche übersicht versucht der vorliegende Artikel zu geben. Er behandelt die folgenden Themen: die Funktionen der pädagogischen Forschung; die Art der in Polen angestellten Untersuchungen; die Verbreitungsmöglichkeiten ihrer Ergebnisse; und die Organisation der Forschung in Polen. Abschließend werden einige der wichtigeren Schlußfolgerungen besprochen.

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Résumé De nos jours il n'est plus nécessaire de convaincre les gens que l'éducation moderne ne peut fonctionner de façon satisfaisante sans l'aide de la recherche scientifique, et plus spécialement de la recherche pédagogique. Il est vrai que l'on voit encore paraître de nombreux ouvrages pédagogiques gonflés de vent comme le disait déjà Comenius il y a plus de trois siècles, et ces publications peuvent éventuellement connaître une popularité passagère. Mais le courant général selon lequel la pédagogie est une discipline en developpement basée sur la recherche est désormais irréversible et il prend sans cesse plus d'importance dans les pays développés. Concurrement, les disciplines pédagogiques exercent une influence croissante sur le développement de l'éducation.Comment ces disciplines se sont-elles développées en Pologne et comment y ontelles influencé le système de l'éducation, sont deux questions qui demandent une étude approfondie si l'on veut en tirer des conclusions permettant d'harmoniser plus efficacement le domaine de la recherche en éducation et celui de l'éducation. C'est là l'objet de cet article. L'auteur considère les fonctions de la recherche en éducation, les différentes sortes d'enquêtes éducationnelles menées en Pologne, les moyens de diffusion des résultats et l'organisation de la recherche dans ce pays. Il termine par une discussion des conclusions les plus importantes auxquelles les Polonais sont parvenus.

     

CRP,but not TNF-α or IL-6, decreases after weight loss in patients with morbid obesity exposed to intensive weight reduction and balneological treatment

Objective

The aim of this study was to evaluate the concentrations of C-reactive protein (CRP), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and the degree of homeostasis model assessment-insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) in patients with morbid obesity exposed to a three-week low-calorie diet and balneotherapy.

Methods

The study included 33 patients (25 females and 8 males; mean age 46 years) with body mass index (BMI) values of >40 kg/m². Evaluations of CRP, IL-6, TNF-α, lipid profile, HOMA-IR, and fasting glucose were carried out before (baseline data) and three weeks after the treatment. The control group consisted of 20 healthy volunteers (15 females and 5 males) with a mean age of 39 years and BMI values of ≤24.9 kg/m².

Results

In the blood of patients with morbid obesity we found significantly elevated levels of CRP, TNF-α, triglycerides, HOMA-IR and fasting glucose, but a decreased level of high density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol, compared with the healthy individuals. The treatment resulted in about a 9.4% reduction in body weight from 122.5 to 111.0 kg and a significant decrease in the concentration of CRP, but no change in TNF-α or IL-6. HOMA-IR was significantly reduced.

Conclusion

The decrease in CRP level without changes in TNF-α or IL-6 concentrations after the low-calorie diet and balneological treatment, suggests that an essential amount of adipose tissue must be removed before proper adipocyte function is restored. The decrease in HOMA-IR indicates an improvement in insulin sensitivity, which is beneficial in obese patients.

     

Variability in the age of schooling contributes to the link between literacy and numeracy in Côte d'Ivoire

Literacy and numeracy are correlated throughout development, however, our understanding of this relation is limited. We explored the predictors of literacy and numeracy covariance (i.e., shared fluency between literacy and numeracy) in children (N = 1167, girls = 563) in rural Côte d'Ivoire, with specific focus on how developmental timing of instruction may relate to covariance. Many Ivorian children experience late enrollment and grade repetition, leading to variation in age-for-grade; participants were between grades 1 to 6, but their ages ranged from 5 to 15 (M = 9.19, SD = 2.07). Phonological awareness, numerical magnitude, ordinality, working memory, and inhibitory control were cognitive predictors of covariance. Age-for-grade was negatively related to covariance suggesting that covariance is related to timing of instruction.     

National academic award winners over time: their family situation,education and interpersonal relations

The article presents the results of a study focusing on the family situation, education and interpersonal relations of adults (26–35 years old) who in their adolescence (16–19 years old) displayed exceptional giftedness. One group of those surveyed were national academic award winners (90). The control group consisted of 90 people of no outstanding academic achievement. The research found many differences between these two groups, both in the family situation and in interpersonal relations. High achievers were raised in families of higher social and professional status, and almost 72.2% of them decided to continue their academic career after they had graduated from university. The national academic award winners showed higher scores in shyness and lower scores in sociability in interpersonal relations.     

Self-assessment of competences and their impact on the perceived chances for a successful university-to-work transition: the example of tourism degree students in Poland

Tertiary Education and Management - Competences are the most important career capital a university graduate can have. The objective of the paper is to determine which competences acquired at...     

Tackling knowledge ‘like a business’? Rethinking the modernisation of higher education in Poland

The year 1989 marked the official end of communist rule in Poland and the replacement of ‘Gosplan’ by new instruments for liberal-democratic governance. In terms of the economy this heralded a departure from Gosplan’s five-year planning cycles, performance targets and the ‘propaganda of success’. Paradoxically, however, 27 years later, the marketisation of higher education in Poland has been accompanied by a continuation of Gosplan thinking. This is manifested in a neoliberal vision of the modern, ‘corporate’ university as a largely utilitarian enterprise, but subject to a style of performance management strongly resonant of the Soviet era. This article analyses the thinking, ideas and ideologies that have shaped contemporary higher education in Poland. It is contended that the rise of the ‘corporate university’ signals the twilight of the Humboldtian tradition and raises questions about what the corporate ideal of ‘excellence’ may mean for the future of the university.