Applying evidence in the real world: a case study in library and information practice

Background/objectives: Methodological decisions made during the research process can influence generalizability of findings to real world practice. The aims of this study were to explore the impact of decisions made in the development of a palliative care search filter and to consider the implications for implementation. Methods: Three elements of the original study methodology were explored: (i) choice of OVID medline field delimiters; (ii) use of the general medical literature to evaluate the filter's performance; and (iii) use of the OVID interface. Sensitivity, specificity, accuracy and precision rates of variant search strategies were compared to consider each issue. Results: The delimiter .af. outperformed the alternatives of .tw. or .mp. in OVID medline , improving sensitivity from 45.4 to 46.2%. Applying the filter in the specialist palliative literature resulted in 87.5% (692/791) of articles being retrieved using either .tw. or .mp., increasing to 100% (791/791) with the .af. delimiter. Finally, a PubMed version of the filter was successfully validated. Conclusions: Reviewing three methodological decisions that preserved validity in an original study led to the improved utility of a search filter in practice. Generating high‐quality evidence is only part of evidence‐based practice: consideration of generalizability issues can inform further research and effective evidence implementation.     

Survey of Web Developers in Academic Libraries

A survey was sent to library Web designers from randomly selected institutions to determine the background, tools, and methods used by those designers. Results, grouped by Carnegie classification type, indicated that larger schools were not necessarily working with more resources or more advanced levels of technology than other institutions.     

Grasping the Unimaginable: Recent Holocaust Novels for Children by Morris Gleitzman and John Boyne

This discussion explores the role that storytelling and stories might have in leading children towards an awareness of uncertainty and ambiguity in relation to Holocaust representation. It focuses on Morris Gleitzman’s Once (2006), its sequel Then (2008), and John Boyne’s The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas (2006) to consider the narrative techniques used to draw young readers into an understanding of the Holocaust. In particular, the discussion examines the role of silence within these narratives to suggest that a meaningful dialogue with silence is a crucial aspect in communicating the fractured nature of Holocaust history. Literature aimed at a young audience engages explicitly with the oft-cited injunction not to forget the Holocaust by setting out to inform a new generation of readers about the horrors of the Nazi genocide. In my analysis of these texts, however, I want to consider whether we should assume that such works do necessarily perform a progressive educative role. The article argues that the blunt didacticism of Boyne’s text might close down possibilities for the child reader’s imaginative engagement with the ungraspable nature of the Holocaust. In contrast, Gleitzman’s novels confront the child reader with a complex set of ideas about the relationship between narrative and subjectivity.     

Evaluation of the development of metacognitive knowledge supported by the knowcat system

The aim of this study was to examine the development of the metacognitive knowledge of a group of higher education students who participated actively in an experiment based on a Computer Supported Collaborative Learning environment called KnowCat. Eighteen university students participated in a 12-month learning project during which the KnowCat learning environment was used to support scaffolding process among equals during problem-solving tasks. After using KnowCat, the students were interviewed over their work in this shared workspace. Qualitative analysis revealed that the educational application of KnowCat can favour and improve the development of metacognitive knowledge.     

The graduate attributes we’ve overlooked: enhancing graduate employability through career management skills

Recent shifts in education and labour market policy have resulted in universities being placed under increasing pressure to produce employable graduates. However, contention exists regarding exactly what constitutes employability and which graduate attributes are required to foster employability in tertiary students. This paper argues that in the context of a rapidly changing information‐ and knowledge‐intensive economy, employability involves far more than possession of the generic skills listed by graduate employers as attractive. Rather, for optimal economic and social outcomes, graduates must be able to proactively navigate the world of work and self‐manage the career building process. A model of desirable graduate attributes that acknowledges the importance of self‐management and career building skills to lifelong career management and enhanced employability is presented. Some important considerations for the implementation of effective university career management programs are then outlined.     

Motivators and Inhibitors for University Faculty in Distance and e-learning

This article reports on four United States studies of how rewards systems, extrinsic and intrinsic, could play an important role in providing incentives for university faculty to teach (or remain teaching) electronic and distance education courses. The first three studies conducted prior to 2003 reported faculty were inherently motivated to teach e-learning and distance education. The fourth study in 2003 reported key findings that differed from the earlier studies. Using a principal components analysis, the researchers found nine indicators of motivation to participate or not participate in electronic or distance education. The implications from the fourth study indicated that, while faculty members were inherently committed to helping students, faculty members wanted their basic physiological needs met by university administration through extrinsic motivators, such as salary increases and course releases.