Communicating in a foreign language: Its effects on perceived motivation,knowledge, and communication ability

Attributional bias research suggests that those who find it difficult to communicate in a foreign language will explain their inability in ways that pose the least threat to a positive self image. The applicability of this reasoning to foreign language communication was tested in a two (writing in English or in a foreign language) by two (subject familiarity) factorial experiment. As expected, writing a message in a foreign language led to perceptions of reduced motivation. Participants who communicated in a foreign language about familiar others reported lower levels of perceived foreign language skill than those who communicated in a foreign language about an unfamiliar person. Participants who described unfamiliar persons in a foreign language reported greater familiarity with these persons than participants describing unfamiliar persons in English. Results support the claim that attributional biases may affect some foreign language communication tasks.     

Still Desperately Seeking Citations: Undergraduate Research in the Age of Web-Scale Discovery

ABSTRACT

Web-scale discovery services promise fast, easy searching from a single Google-like box, pleasing users and making library resources more discoverable. Some librarians embrace the concept of giving users what they have come to expect from Google, while others are concerned that this will “dumb down” searching and undermine information literacy. In this article we explore the potential impact of Web-scale discovery tools on information literacy, focusing particularly on undergraduate research skills. We review the existing literature and present findings and experiences from two mid-sized academic libraries that have adopted EBSCO Discovery Service as their library home page portal.     

Funding,Time, and Mentoring: A Study of Research and Publication Support Practices of ARL Member Libraries

ABSTRACT

This study is an exploration of how Association of Research Libraries (ARL) member institutions encourage and support their librarians engaged in research and publication. Using an online survey sent to members of the ARL library directors’ listserv, the authors gathered information about the role of research and publication in the respondents’ evaluation systems, the approaches used to support this activity, the respondents’ own records of research and publication, and their opinions about which approaches have the most impact. The results indicate that funding, time, and mentoring are the most frequently used approaches to promote research and publication productivity.     

Conflict Resolution and Reconciliation through Recognition: Assessing an Integrated Peace Media Strategy in Kenya

This research analyzes a peace-media initiative in Kenya designed to promote conflict resolution and reconciliation in the months following the 2007 post-election violence. This multifaceted intervention featured a 19-episode television talk show that aired in Kenya for six months; a series of open-air screenings of the show; and workshops held in eight areas heavily affected by the violence. Using criteria for evaluating “media for peace,” I evaluate the effectiveness of the program strategy and provide recommendations for practitioners and researchers. Based on interview data, and analysis of internal documents and the talk show, I assess the program's effectiveness and offer suggestions, which can be used by both practitioners and academics interested in peace media. In addition, the findings suggest that recognition of the other was an important part of the conflict resolution process as workshop members recognized their “enemies” and Kenyans from disparate parts of the country as similar to themselves in their experience of the violence. This research contributes to our understanding of the implementation of media-for-peace initiatives using a systemic evaluation process that academics and practitioners can use when designing, implementing, and researching these types of programs.     

Web-Based Citation Management Compared to EndNote: Options for Medical Sciences

ABSTRACT

The authors of this article analyzed the differences in output when searching MEDLINE direct and MEDLINE via citation management software, EndNote X1®, EndNote Web®, and RefWorks^©. Several searches were performed on Ovid MEDLINE and PubMed directly. These searches were compared against the same searches conducted in Ovid MEDLINE and PubMed using the search features in EndNote X1, EndNote Web, and RefWorks. Findings indicated that for in-depth research users, should search the databases directly rather than through the citation management software interface. The search results indicated it would be appropriate to search databases via citation management software for citation verification tasks and for cursory keyword searching.     

The Efficacy of Multimedia Modules for Teaching Basic Literacy-Related Concepts

Researchers have found that teacher preparation programs are not universally preparing teacher candidates in concepts associated with the alphabetic principle. Yet, the majority of students with reading disabilities or who struggle with beginning reading have difficulty with phonology and concepts associated with the alphabetic principle. The purpose of this study was to examine the efficacy of a series of multimedia modules on participants' (N = 76) knowledge and skills related to early reading instruction. The multimedia modules covered basic literacy concepts primarily related to phonology and phonics. Results from the experimental, control-group design indicated that the modules were successful in teaching foundational literacy constructs to participants. Thus, multimedia modules may be a promising avenue for providing instruction for teacher candidates. Additional research, however, is needed to ensure mastery of knowledge and to evaluate how principles of effective instruction can guide multimedia module use by teacher educators.     

INCREASING TEACHER TREATMENT INTEGRITY THROUGH PERFORMANCE FEEDBACK PROVIDED BY SCHOOL PERSONNEL

When implementing behavioral interventions in educational settings, some implementers need support to maintain high levels of treatment integrity. Performance feedback has a large body of research supporting it as a strategy for improving teachers’ implementation of classroom interventions. However, in most prior studies, performance feedback has been delivered by a researcher, not by a school staff member, which limits generalizability of results to applied settings. In this study, school personnel (i.e., internal consultants) assessed teachers’ treatment integrity when implementing a classwide behavioral intervention and, when low, provided performance feedback. Further, researchers assessed internal consultants’ treatment integrity and provided performance feedback as needed. Results indicate that internal consultants are able to assess and briefly increase teachers’ treatment integrity with performance feedback, although some teachers needed more support than did others. Likewise, internal consultants’ treatment integrity was fairly high initially, but required consistent performance feedback to increase treatment integrity levels toward the end of the study. Implications for research and practice are discussed.