Do expenditures other than instructional expenditures affect graduation and persistence rates in American higher education?

During the last two decades, median instructional spending per full-time equivalent (FTE) student at American 4-year colleges and universities has grown at a slower rate than median spending per FTE student in a number of other expenditure categories, including academic support, student services and research. Our paper uses institutional level panel data and a variety of econometric approaches, including unconditional quantile regression methods, to analyze whether these non-instructional expenditure categories influence graduation and first-year persistence rates of undergraduate students.     

The path to information in the public domain: Official publications in Spain

Official publications are aimed towards editing and spreading the messages created by governments and other bodies of the public domain. At the beginning, the aim of this activity is twofold: on the one hand, fulfilling the principle of publicity of the norms, as it constitutes a basis for the efficiency of those, and, on the other hand, fulfilling a general function of information about the activities of public authorities. As the action of government generalises, this function of communication between those governing and those governed has extended to other fields of activity, thus, free and pay materials, both printed and electronic, are published.     

Collaborative information seeking: A field study of a multidisciplinary patient care team

Multidisciplinary teams are an essential aspect of modern organizational work. These teams often work in information-rich environments but little is known about their collaborative information seeking (CIS) behavior. We have been studying the CIS behavior of teams in the context of medical care. We conducted an ethnographic field study of a multidisciplinary patient care team in an emergency department to identify (a) team information needs and (b) situations that trigger collaborative information seeking activities. We identified seven categories of information needs as expressed by questions asked by team members. The majority of questions focused on medical information, but there were a larger than expected percentage of questions focusing on organizational information. We also identified three triggers for CIS activities. These triggers are: (1) lack of expertise, (2) lack of immediately accessible information, and (3) complex information needs. The questions and triggers highlight the importance of face-to-face communication during CIS activities and how CIS activities could lead to interruptive workplaces. We also discuss organizational and technical implications for supporting CIS behavior of teams.     

Evaluation of a personalized digital library based on cognitive styles: Adaptivity vs. adaptability

Personalization can be addressed by adaptability and adaptivity, which have different advantages and disadvantages. This study investigates how digital library (DL) users react to these two techniques. More specifically, we develop a personalized DL to suit the needs of different cognitive styles based on the findings of our previous work [Frias-Martinez, E., Chen, S. Y., & Liu, X. (2008) Investigation of behavior and perception of digital library users: A cognitive style perspective. International Journal of Information Management]. The personalized DL includes two versions: adaptive version and adaptable version. The results showed that users not only performed better in the adaptive version, but also they perceived more positively to the adaptive version. In addition, cognitive styles have great effects on users’ responses to adaptability and adaptivity. These results provide guidance for designers to select suitable techniques to develop personalized DLs.     

On the governance of information: Introducing a new concept of governance to support the management of information

Information governance as an approach to better govern the use of information within and outside an organization is rapidly gaining popularity. A common and scientific ground for this approach has not yet been formulated. In this article the authors describe a definition for information governance, extending the common, one-dimensional approach into a more generic statement. Starting from the well-known principles of IT governance the authors further explore the aspects of both information and governance. Four hypotheses are proposed to give ground to the use of information governance. These hypotheses will be the basis for further research.     

Modernizing Bangladesh public administration through e-governance: Benefits and challenges

More and more public administration emphasizes how Information and Communication Technology (ICT) can be used to support transformational change in governmental functions globally to achieve efficiency and cost-effective service delivery to citizens. Bangladesh public administration employs energies to achieve this goal. Experience in some developing countries has shown that e-governance can improve transparency which leads to, among other things, corruption control and poverty reduction. This article examines the role that e-governance can play in the modernization of public administration for efficient and effective service delivery to the citizens of Bangladesh, as well as its potential to control corruption and reduce poverty. Based on the lessons learned from successful practices in developing countries and literature review, it suggests that e-governance can play a significant role for corruption control and poverty reduction, and thus offers opportunities to cost-effective service delivery to the citizens in Bangladesh.     

The impact of rural broadband development: Lessons from a natural field experiment

Significant public investments in rural broadband internet service authorized by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act raise new questions regarding the impacts of broadband on rural residents and communities. The results of a natural field experiment involving broadband internet projects funded by the Community Connect program of the Rural Utilities Service are reviewed here to provide a context for future evaluations of the effects of broadband infrastructure deployment and efforts to stimulate sustainable broadband use in rural areas. Based on pre-post surveys conducted in four communities in 2005 and 2008, the implementation of broadband infrastructure grants increased broadband adoption, although penetration also increased where a grant was awarded but later terminated. Public education efforts in a community participating in the ConnectKentucky initiative had an incremental effect on broadband adoption by positively affecting residents' perceptions of broadband service. Impacts on individual economic development activities and community satisfaction were not found. Implications for rural broadband initiatives and future evaluations of their effects are drawn.     

Analyzing the role of stakeholders in the adoption of technology integration solutions in UK local government: An exploratory study

Over the last decade many governments across the world have intensified their efforts to improve efficiency of public services through Information and Communication Technology (ICT)-enabled transformation of Local Government Authorities (LGAs). Many of these efforts involve implementing new Information Systems and Technology (IS/IT) and integrating various disparate legacy systems to deliver improved services. While there is a surfeit of literature that have outlined the various organizational and technical challenges posed by Technology Integration Solutions (TIS), few studies have examined the role of stakeholders and surrounding challenges when implementing TIS in LGAs. The TIS adoption process involves several stakeholders, each with specific domain knowledge and expertise that are crucial to the success of TIS projects. In this paper, the authors use the concept of stakeholder theory to analyze the role of stakeholders during the TIS adoption process with regards to their perceptions on the factors influencing TIS adoption in LGAs and their involvement on the adoption lifecycle phases. A qualitative multiple case study approach is adopted to empirically highlight the different categories of stakeholders involved in the TIS adoption process, the dynamic nature and importance of their role, and why their domain knowledge and expertise are vital for TIS projects.     

Trends in information behavior research, 1999-2008: A content analysis

A content analysis of articles published between 1999 and 2008 in the area of information behavior yielded results directly comparable to previous research and demonstrated little change in research methods employed, relative interest in particular user groups, or attention to affective variables. However, interdisciplinarity of the literature has increased, and it appears that the proportions of researchers and practitioners contributing to the literature in this area have reversed: now a majority of authors are researchers. This suggests an increase in scholarly activity in the area, a finding consistent with other recent reviews.     

Collaborative inquiry project-based learning: Effects on reading ability and interests

The academic performance of students has been shown to be associated with reading ability. Inquiry learning can potentially enhance the reading abilities and interests of students. This study verified this proposition by examining the effects of an inquiry approach to group projects on the reading abilities of primary school students. Using a case study design, an inquiry project-based learning (PBL) approach, with the collaboration between three types of teachers and the school librarian was implemented to support the development of reading abilities and interests of students in a primary school in Hong Kong. The participants included Primary 4 students, teachers, and parents. Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) tests were used to evaluate the students' reading abilities; survey questionnaire and interviews were used to examine the participants' perceptions of the inquiry PBL; and the PIRLS survey was used to measure the students' attitudes and self-perceptions. Quantitative and qualitative data analyses showed positive effects on the reading abilities and attitudes of the participating students. Students' attitudes and self-perceived abilities appeared to influence the improvements in reading abilities. Finally, improvements in the students' reading comprehension, reading speed, and vocabulary were perceived. These findings provide evidence and insights to support further implementation of inquiry PBL in primary schools.