Using the results of a satisfaction survey to demonstrate the impact of a new library service model

Background: In 2005, the University of Calgary entered into a contract to provide library services to the staff and physicians of Alberta Health Services Calgary Zone (AHS CZ), creating the Health Information Network Calgary (HINC). Objectives: A user satisfaction survey was contractually required to determine whether the new library service model created through the agreement with the University of Calgary was successful. Our additional objective was to determine whether information and resources provided through the HINC were making an impact on patient care. Methods: A user satisfaction survey of 18 questions was created in collaboration with AHS CZ contract partners and distributed using the snowball or convenience sample method. Results: Six hundred and ninety-four surveys were returned. Of respondents, 75% use the HINC library services. More importantly, 43% of respondents indicated that search results provided by library staff had a direct impact on patient care decisions. Conclusions: Alberta Health Services Calgary Zone staff are satisfied with the new service delivery model, they are taking advantage of the services offered, and using library provided information to improve patient care.     

Expanded Markers of Success in Introductory University Physics

As part of our Physics Education Research Group efforts to transform the physics instruction at Florida International University (FIU), we have focused attention on how to assess the reforms we implement. In this paper, we argue that the physics education community should expand the ways that it measures students' success beyond grades and conceptual inventory scores to include assessments of students' participation in a learning community and changes in their attitudes. We present case studies of three introductory undergraduate physics students' increasing participation in the physics learning community at FIU, which is a large, urban, Hispanic-serving institution. In previous work, we have reported gains in conceptual learning and attitudes about learning science in those students enrolled in the introductory courses at FIU taught with Modeling Instruction, which operates in a collaborative learning environment [Brewe, E., Kramer, L., & O'Brien, G. (2009 Brewe, E., Kramer, L., & O'Brien, G. (2009). Modeling instruction: Positive attitudinal shifts in introductory physics measured with CLASS. Physical Review Special Topics—Physics Education Research, 5(1). doi: 10.1103/PhysRevSTPER.5.013102  [Google Scholar]). Modeling instruction: Positive attitudinal shifts in introductory physics measured with CLASS. Physical Review Special Topics—Physics Education Research, 5(1). doi: 10.1103/PhysRevSTPER.5.013102]. This paper expands upon those results in considering the variety of opportunities for participating in the physics learning community and by closely examining three aspect of student participation: students' attitudes about learning physics, their ties within the physics classroom, and their relationships within the physics learning community. This provides a more comprehensive understanding of how students in underrepresented groups may become successful physics learners.     

Dump-and-Chase: The Effectiveness of Persistence as a Sequential Request Compliance-Gaining Strategy

Two field experiments were performed assessing the effectiveness of the dump-and-chase, a compliance-gaining technique employing strategic persistence. These two experiments demonstrate the effectiveness of the dump-and-chase relative to other known compliance-gaining techniques. Experiment 1 found the dump-and-chase more effective than pooled data from the door-in-the-face and placebic information technique. Experiment 2 found the dump-and-chase more effective than the door-in-the-face, placebic information, and foot-in-the-door. The dump-and-chase produced consistently higher compliance-gaining proportions across experiments. Moreover, because the contextual features of two experiments differed substantially, the effect was robust to important contextual differences.     

Children's adjustment problems in families characterized by men's severe violence toward women: Does other family violence matter?

ObjectiveThis research examined whether additional forms of family violence (partner-child aggression, mother-child aggression, and women's intimate partner violence [IPV]) contribute to children's adjustment problems in families characterized by men's severe violence toward women.MethodsParticipants were 258 children and their mothers recruited from domestic violence shelters. Mothers and children completed measures of men's IPV, women's IPV, partner-child aggression, and mother-child aggression. Mothers provided reports of children's internalizing and externalizing behavior problems; children provided reports of their appraisals of threat in relation to interparent conflict.ResultsAfter controlling for sociodemographics and men's IPV: (1) each of the additional forms of family violence (partner-child aggression, mother-child aggression, and women's IPV) was associated with children's externalizing problems; (2) partner-child aggression was associated with internalizing problems; and (3) partner-child aggression was associated with children's threat appraisals. The relation of mother-child aggression to externalizing problems was stronger for boys than for girls; gender differences were not observed for internalizing problems or threat appraisals.ConclusionsMen's severe IPV seldom occurs in the absence of other forms of family violence, and these other forms appear to contribute to children's adjustment problems. Parent-child aggression, and partner-child aggression in particular, are especially important. Systematic efforts to identify shelter children who are victims of parental violence seem warranted.Practice implicationsMen's severe IPV seldom occurs in the absence of other forms of family violence (partner-child aggression, mother-child aggression, and women's IPV), and these different forms of family violence all contribute to children's adjustment problems. Treatment programs for children who come to domestic violence shelters should address these different forms of family violence, especially parent-child aggression.     

Analysis of reference sources used in drug-related Wikipedia articles

Objective

References from drug-related Wikipedia articles and a drug information database were compared.

Methods

Drugs in Food and Drug Administration (FDA) MedWatch alerts from January–July 2013 were searched in Wikipedia and Lexicomp to compare reference types and to assess the time for drug safety information to be incorporated into Wikipedia articles.

Results

Wikipedia most commonly cited peer-reviewed journal articles (49.2%) and news articles (12.0%). MedWatch citations were incorporated into Wikipedia on average in 5.9 days.

Conclusions

Wikipedia cited various sources but may not be a reliable, up-to-date resource for drug safety information.     

A Confirmatory Factor Analysis of the Life Orientation Test—Revised With Competitive Athletes

Current reviews outside of sport indicate that the Life Orientation Test-Revised (LOT-R) items load on two separate factors (optimism and pessimism) and, therefore, should be treated as independent constructs. However, researchers in the sport sciences continue to use the single composite score reflecting a unidimensional definition of optimism. Hence, I sought to explicitly examine the factor structure of the LOT-R with athletes. Results of this study support the two-factor structure, which is consistent with accumulating evidence outside of sport and exercise science. This contribution is an important first step toward continued examination of this instrument and future work on the influence of optimism (versus pessimism) on sport and exercise behavior.     

Taking the risk to engage in race talk: professional development in elementary schools

Developing public education where every child has the right to learn requires that teachers pay attention to and engage in race talk – open discussion about race, social construction of race, and racism. While it is clear that children engage and reflect critically about these aspects of race even at a young age, teachers rarely engage in race talk with them. In this study, an African-American preservice teacher and a White teacher educator explore how African-American, Polynesian, and White in-service teachers, participating in Courageous Conversations professional development, address or avoid race talk in their elementary schools through the lens of Critical Race Theory (CRT) and what risks they take when they do. Findings, through in-depth, semi-structured interviews, demonstrate that (1) racism was observed and/or experienced by all teachers in elementary schools; (2) lived racial experiences impacted teachers’ approach to conversations about race; (3) creating an open space was crucial for race conversations; (4) Courageous Conversations provided a ‘new language’ to talk about race; and (5) administrative support facilitated more attention to race. Findings indicate the road to greater equity in schools requires more professional development about race talk in elementary schools.     

A mixed methods analysis of the effects of an integrative geobiological study of petrified wood in introductory college geology classrooms

Mixed methods research conducted across three semesters in introductory college geology classes (n = 187, 190, 138) attempted to ascertain whether integrated study of petrified wood could serve as a portal to improved student geobiological understanding of fossilization, geologic time, and evolution. The Petrified Wood Survey? was administered as a preinstructional and postinstructional assessment in control and experimental classes; the experimental class received integrated petrified wood instruction. Paired t tests of differences in students' pre‐ and postinstructional scores for control and experimental groups revealed significance (α = 0.05, effect size = 0.79, confidence interval 0.56–1.01). The students with integrative study showed greater knowledge gains about petrified wood's abundance, properties, nature, location, and geologic time. However, understanding of fossilization geochemistry remained problematic for both groups. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 44: 1011–1035, 2007     

考研要花多长时间准备

刚动了考研念头的低年级同学对考研的整个过程和细节十分模糊,他们更多的是一种愿望,冲劲.由于对细节的认识不清楚,同学们经常会提一些不好回答的问题,最经常的在bbs上看到的是这样一条:各位大虾,我是一名刚上大学的新生,我想毕业时考研究生,但对此一无所知(或说知甚少),谁能给我一些建议吗(或谁能给我指点迷津)?