Information on the Go: Perspective of Academic Librarians on Use of Social Media in Reference Services

Librarians have different perceptions on the employment of social media in library services. This research focused on investigating the perceptions that academic librarians in Ghana hold about the employment of social media in providing reference and user services. A quantitative research approach employing a Likert-type questionnaire was used in soliciting the views of 99 librarians from six top public and private universities in Ghana on their perspective on the use of social media in providing reference and user services. The findings of the study indicate mixed perceptions on the application of social media in reference and user services. These are variously attributed to lack of skills on the part of librarians to use social media, low bandwidth and poor internet connectivity, and inadequate support/motivation from parent institutions among others. As a result, librarians found the traditional mode of service delivery more comfortable, though they knew the importance of social media in their services. The study recommended, among others, development of skills and sensitization workshops to whip up interest in librarians to use social media in reference and user services.     

The Influence of Experimental Design on the Detection of Performance Differences

We demonstrate the effect of sample and trial size on statistical outcomes for single-subject analyses (SSA) and group analyses (GA) for a frequently studied performance activity and common intervention. Fifty strides of walking data collected in two blocks of 25 trials for two shoe conditions were analyzed for samples of five, eight, 10, and 12 subjects and five, 10, 25, and 50 trials. SSA revealed a greater number of differences (p < .05) than GA for all sample and trial sizes. Increasing sample size resulted in consistent increases in the number of differences for GA; differences for SSA were independent of sample size. Increasing trial size from five to 50 resulted in increased differences for SSA; GA were independent of trial size. Detecting significant differences in group designs is more dependent on the number of subjects, while SSA are more dependent on the number of trials.     

Special Issue Introduction: Career and Life Planning Key Feature Within Comprehensive Guidance Programs

Career and life planning is viewed as a process that starts early in the elementary school through adult life and it should be at the heart of any guidance program. This journal discusses the value and process ideas at each of the school and grade levels. The authors also discuss how parents, employers, and teachers enhance the career planning process by expanding student options, encouragement, motivation, mentoring, and providing career life experiences. Career planning is viewed as a structured and expected series of events and activities a student would go through as a part of their school experience. It forwards the idea that to assure all youth have a plan for life transition and success takes state department of education policy and support, local district expectations, time, and resources, and students who see the value in participating. The counselor is viewed as the key agent in such a program and needs to demonstrate that early, continuous and high quality life planning improves not only academic achievement, but life and employment success.     

Thomas Kuhn's Influence on Astronomers

An e-mail survey of two samples of the world's astronomers was conducted in order to determine the familiarity of the astronomical community with the work of Thomas Kuhn. As anticipated, only a minority of a representative sample of the astronomical community had more than a vague familiarity with Kuhn and his work. An unanticipated result of this investigation was the extent and type of influence of Kuhn on the research and teaching lives of the minority of astronomers who were familiar with his work. The depth and thoughtfulness of the responses indicated that for some astronomers at least, Kuhn's thought resonated well with their picture of how science is done and provided some useful perspectives on their scientific careers. These responses may be of value in encouraging scientists to become more familiar with the history and philosophy of science.     

A NEGLECTED COMPONENT OF NURTURING GIFTEDNESS: AFFECTIVE DEVELOPMENT

Research on giftedness and programs for fostering its development often neglect the affective component: the social, emotional and personal components which release (or block) a person's abilities. One problem of gifted children is that their accelerated intellectual development may outstrip affective development. Nonetheless, available research findings paint a positive picture of the social‐emotional characteristics of such children. Among other things they tend to be highly motivated, have a positive self‐concept and be particularly sensitive to social and ethical issues. This suggests that designers of learning experiences should pay greater attention to the affective aspects of instruction. All subject areas offer opportunities for stressing the affective dimension, science as much as literature. This involves creating a classroom climate which offers an “invitational” environment. The highly developed social values of gifted children suggest that they can be encouraged to apply their talents to the solution of the myriad problems with which contemporary society is afflicted.     

Regulatory autonomy and performance: the reform of higher education re-visited

The main aim of this article is to contribute to the understanding of organizational autonomy and control in higher education reform and related expectations as regards the performance of universities. Our analyses draws on principal-agent models as a normative theory of policy reform, and institutionalist approaches in public policy and institutional design as an analytical theory of policy reform. We discuss how the dominant narrative of political reform moves away from traditional beliefs in university autonomy that are built on institutional trust and linked to professional autonomy. In the emerging narrative of political change, autonomy becomes re-defined as the ‘new organizational autonomy’ of universities as both strategic actors and as an addressee of governmental control. The concept of ‘regulatory autonomy’ captures the use of organizational autonomy of universities as a tool of a new regime of governmental control. Exemplified by the Dutch case, we analyze autonomy policies for strengthening managerial discretion and internal control of universities that are combined with regulatory policies for external control that steer organizational choices. Regulatory autonomy thus aims at aligning universities more closely with governmental goals and improve respective performance. Our literature review shows, however, that there is scarce, inconclusive and methodologically problematic evidence for a link between ‘organizational autonomy and performance’. We point at promising avenues for further research on autonomy and performance as two core concepts in the contemporary higher education debate.     

发展中国家高等教育的公平效应:入学机会、选择权与就读持续性

几乎所有国家的高等教育都面临着困境,发展中国家尤甚。随着发展中国家中学毕业人数的日益增加,国民经济水平的进一步提高,民众对高等教育的需求也大幅增长。因此,高等教育规模扩张对其公平性提出了更高的要求,具体表现为增加学生的入学机会、为学生提供更多的选择权,同时鼓励学生连续就读以完成学位,实现高等教育的真正公平。