Overview on agent application to support collaborative learning interaction

Collaborative learning involves students working together to aid their learning and is considered an effective method to implement learning goal. However, it involves complicated processes such as have inconvenient assistance to manage the increasing demand for information and support extension of interaction and how to activate collaboration interaction and communication between different types of interactions. A collaborative learning model based on agent can improve learaing effectiveness and give good impact to learning process. This paper discusses the definition, classification and roles of agent to support collaborative learning interaction in E-learning. It overviews the rapidly use of agents to support collaborative learning and describes the types of interaction and communication tools to enhance interaction between all participants. We identify three types of major agents used in collaborative learning interaction; interface agent, information and internet agent, and collaborative agent.     

Arabic literature: Uniterm indexing system for storage and retrieval

As centers of research and study in colleges and universities, Chinese academic libraries are heavily used and play a significant role in higher education. However, the level of administration can affect service to patrons and have an impact on their development. In this paper, the characteristics of administration in Chinese academic libraries are examined from both a historical perspective and current practice. The problems arising from the centralization of authority and administrative structure are also examined. Some possible suggestions are made of ways to improve library services in areas such as the quality of leadership, the creation of new positions, the increased responsibility of assistant directors, the re-organization of work distribution, the establishment of reference services, the development of faculty and staff participation in committee work, the importance of a library liaison program and the importance of designing a strategic plan for the library.     

Use of on-line databases by faculty members and research scholars of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) and Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI), New Delhi (India): A survey

The study is focused on finding out the level of use of on-line databases by faculty members and research scholars of the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) and Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI), Delhi (India). Both are Central Universities and are funded by the University Grants Commission (UGC). A well-structured questionnaire was administered to faculty members and research scholars of the JNU and JMI to collect data regarding the use of on-line database. The survey reveals that all of the faculty members and research scholars are aware of the availability of on-line databases and largely use them for reference purposes in their research work and studies. The degree of usefulness and utilization of on-line databases is high among the universities' faculty members and research scholars. The survey further reveals that the respondents from both universities are aware of the search options for accessing on-line databases. It is also found that a large number of respondents of JNU and JMI are using field searching and Boolean operators to access information from on-line databases.     

Music and the Music Business

Sidney Shemel and M. William Krasilovsky's This Business of Music (New York: Billboard Publications, 1977— $16.95)

Marianne Lindvall's ABBA: The Ultimate Pop Group (New York: A&W Publishers, 1977—$6.95, paper)

Caroline Coon's 1988: The New Wave Punk Rock Explosion (New York: Hawthorn Books, 1978—$4.95, paper)

Mark C. Gridley's Jazz Styles (Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice-Hall, 1978—price not given, paper)

Raoul Abdul's Blacks in Classical Music (New York: Dodd, Mead, 1977—$8.95)

David Horn's The Literature of American Music in Books and Folk Music Collections: A Fully Annotated Bibliography (Metuchen, N.J.: Scarecrow Press, 1977—$20.00)

Arthur Jacobs' British Music Yearbook: 1977-78 (New York and London: Bowker, 1977— $27.50)

The Book of Music (London: Macdonald Educational Ltd., 1977—E8.50 or about $17.00)     

The Need For Networks Among Public,Academic, and School Libraries in Metropolitan Sierra Leone

Metropolitan Sierra Leone is made up of Freetown, the capital city and its environs. Within its bounds are dispersed a variety of libraries, each with the mission of providing adequate, relevant and up‐to‐date materials tailored to the needs of their numerous clientele. However, because of stringent budget cuts and a lack of human and material resources, these institutions are unable to carry out their missions. One way to improve this situation is through collaboration in the provision of materials and services. This article explores the need for the establishment for networks among public, academic and school libraries in metropolitan Sierra Leone. The article begins by defining metropolis followed by a brief recounting of some features of a metropolis, the library scene in metropolitan Sierra Leone and a consideration of plausible areas for networks among these libraries. The article concludes with a discussion of some issues that have to be faced if the proposed network is to materialise.     

Public Library Services in the Knowledge Economy: The Sierra Leone Experience

Sierra Leone's knowledge economy stresses the importance of information for national development, and libraries have a crucial role to play in this development. Libraries are catalysts for human progress because they help in the development and transmission of knowledge and culture; they foster civic awareness in support of economic productivity and innovation in society. Although many economic programs have been implemented by the Sierra Leone government, a vast amount of information is unused, either because national decision-makers do not realize its importance or because people who might want it do not know how to access it. The public library has to play an increasingly significant role if rapid economic recovery is to be made. This article examines Sierra Leone's economy in postwar reconstruction, the importance of information and knowledge in a knowledge economy, and the problems affecting library services and how the public library can overcome these problems and make meaningful contributions to the knowledge economy.     

Anatomy education environment measurement inventory: A valid tool to measure the anatomy learning environment

Students' perceptions of the education environment influence their learning. Ever since the major medical curriculum reform, anatomy education has undergone several changes in terms of its curriculum, teaching modalities, learning resources, and assessment methods. By measuring students' perceptions concerning anatomy education environment, valuable information can be obtained to facilitate improvements in teaching and learning. Hence, it is important to use a valid inventory that specifically measures attributes of the anatomy education environment. In this study, a new 11‐factor, 132‐items Anatomy Education Environment Measurement Inventory (AEEMI) was developed using Delphi technique and was validated in a Malaysian public medical school. The inventory was found to have satisfactory content evidence (scale‐level content validity index [total] = 0.646); good response process evidence (scale‐level face validity index [total] = 0.867); and acceptable to high internal consistency, with the Raykov composite reliability estimates of the six factors are in the range of 0.604–0.876. The best fit model of the AEEMI is achieved with six domains and 25 items (X² = 415.67, P < 0.001, ChiSq/df = 1.63, RMSEA = 0.045, GFI = 0.905, CFI = 0.937, NFI = 0.854, TLI = 0.926). Hence, AEEMI was proven to have good psychometric properties, and thus could be used to measure the anatomy education environment in Malaysia. A concerted collaboration should be initiated toward developing a valid universal tool that, using the methods outlined in this study, measures the anatomy education environment across different institutions and countries. Anat Sci Educ 10: 423–432. © 2017 American Association of Anatomists.