THE MONITORING AND EVALUATION OF THE MIDDLESEX POLYTECHNIC DIP H.E. PROGRAMME

Monitoring and evaluation of a complex course is based on data acquired formally from normal administrative records; from research, sometimes in the form of students' projects; from staff and student questionnaires. Informally, regular tutor‐group meetings and a receptive attiude on the part of staff to student opinion are crucial. Once appropriate questions have been asked, it is then possible to ensure a flow of Information which can affect not only the day‐to‐day operation of the course but also its strategic planning.     

The demand side of STM publishing: understanding value creation in new market units

Five factors are shaping the STM publishing industry: the shift from a supply‐driven to a user‐driven industry; conversion of paper‐based products to an all electronic environment; commoditization of online publishing technology; consolidation; and saturation of the traditional buyer market. Opportunities exist for publishers who can leverage their traditional content assets into new products that help specifically defined user‐groups accelerate and enhance the value creation process in vertical industry sectors. Research conducted with one group of researchers within one group of functions in one given industry describes the results of such an approach.     

Early-Childhood Poverty and Adult Attainment, Behavior, and Health

This article assesses the consequences of poverty between a child's prenatal year and 5th birthday for several adult achievement, health, and behavior outcomes, measured as late as age 37. Using data from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics (1,589) and controlling for economic conditions in middle childhood and adolescence, as well as demographic conditions at the time of the birth, findings indicate statistically significant and, in some cases, quantitatively large detrimental effects of early poverty on a number of attainment-related outcomes (adult earnings and work hours). Early-childhood poverty was not associated with such behavioral measures as out-of-wedlock childbearing and arrests. Most of the adult earnings effects appear to operate through early poverty's association with adult work hours.     

Pictures and children’s story recall: Some questions of durability

It has been found that story-relevant pictures help children recall stories. But do those gains endure over time? Those of the second graders in this study did, over a 3-day period. Although they had more to forget, children aided by pictures did not forget more than those in a control group.     

非凡而又敏捷的家蝇

一只家蝇能把一件事做得出奇得好,那就是:飞行。最近,一组英国科学家宣布,普通的家蝇是地球上最天才的空气动力学家,它比任何的鸟、蝙蝠或蜜蜂都要高明许多。一只家蝇能在一秒钟之内做6个旋转动作;它能在空中旋停;向上直飞、向下直飞、向后直飞;它能翻筋斗;降落在天花板上;而且     

Do digital devices enhance teenagers’ recreational reading engagement? Issues for library policy from a recent study in two Australian states

ABSTRACT

Digital platforms have become central to twenty-first century education, culture, and government, and libraries devote an increasing proportion of budgets to acquisitions of e-resources. This research reports on a recent project that investigated Australian teenagers’ use of traditional print and digital platforms for long-form recreational reading. Specifically, it investigates whether digital devices are a preferred modality for Australian adolescents’ recreational reading and if access to digital devices with e-reading capabilities, such as tablets, smartphones, e-readers, and laptop or desktop computers, is associated with more reading engagement by avid and reluctant readers. The research, based on a diverse sample of urban and regional participants from two states, suggests that Australian adolescents’ preferences for e-books have been largely overestimated. Issues of relevance to public libraries are discussed.     

Mind over Matter: Using Technology to Improve Wellness

Wellness—the balance of mental, emotional, spiritual, and physical health for the overall health benefit of the individual—is a growing concern, particularly for professionals in the medical field. Although wellness is usually viewed in opposition to technology, more digital devices and mobile applications are emerging to support wellness for health consumers. This wellness technology seeks to improve the overall health of the user through increasing calm and decreasing stress. This column will explain what wellness technology is, concerns over its widespread application, examples of wellness devices on the market currently, and an overview of where it is being applied in libraries.