LEARNERS’ DEMANDS AND EXPECTATIONS FOR SPACE IN A UNIVERSITY LIBRARY: OUTCOMES FROM A SURVEY AT LOUGHBOROUGH UNIVERSITY1

In this era of e-learning, open-learning and distance learning in the electronic environment, it is interesting to note that library physical space is being given much consideration and thought in higher education institutions. If space is to be provided in an appropriate and welcoming manner, then it is imperative to develop a better understanding of learners’ expectations and needs. In order to provide this intelligence, a major user survey was undertaken at Loughborough University Library in March 2006 of learners’ perceptions of library space. Different kinds of space are provided in the Loughborough University Library, including large group study areas, group study rooms, individual carrels, silence subject floors and personal computer suites. Aspects explored in the survey were how often different library spaces were used as well as the important factors identified when choosing specific space. A further focus was to identify the reasons why library space was used (as well as not used). Further examinations took place of learners’ perceptions of the different space categories. This paper presents the outcomes of the survey (which benefited from over 400 responses). The survey has provided invaluable insight into such issues as noisy versus quiet learning, nature of personal computer access in libraries, importance levels of different factors (such as physical environment and access to library staff) and the role of print (books and journals) in library space. The paper concludes by describing how the survey results have influenced Loughborough University Library future space use. The wider implications for the sector will also be described.     

Acquisition and Management of Digital Content at the Library of Congress

The Library of Congress has been actively building digital content within its collection for some years now. This article addresses this digital collection building, covering both the technical means and the practical results. It discusses the underlying philosophies that are guiding the Library of Congress and identifies the areas in which the Library wishes to expand its operations along with the key questions it faces currently in meeting this goal. Finally, it seeks to share the lessons it has learned in the process.     

Patterns of Nonverbal Adaptation in Supportive Interactions

This study seeks initial evidence for the patterns of nonverbal adaptation predictive of emotional improvement after a troubles talk conversation. A total of 128 dyads composed of two unacquainted individuals engaged in a 5-minute conversation about a stressful event, and the nonverbal behaviors of both the supportive listener and discloser were coded for immediacy. We detected a general pattern of matching between interlocutors, which was positively associated with disclosers’ reported emotional improvement above and beyond listener immediacy. Importantly, we found primary support for a discloser-matching model whereby emotional improvement is a function of disclosers matching highly immediate listeners but no support for a listener-matching model whereby emotional improvement is a function of listeners matching disclosers to signal empathy.     

The impact of relational markers on expository text comprehension in L1 and L2

This article reports on an experimentinvestigating the impact of causal discoursemarkers (connectives and signaling phrases) onthe comprehension of expository texts in L1 andL2. Although several psycholinguistic studieshave investigated the impact of connectives andlexical markers of text structure oncomprehension (i.e. off-line), there is noconsensus on the exact effect of explicitdiscourse markers on text understanding; threedifferent findings are reported in theliterature: markers would have a facilitatingeffect, an interfering effect or no effect atall. The first goal of this article is toclarify this problem of contradicting resultsby limiting the scope of the study to causalrelations, and to one specific text type:expository texts. Furthermore, the naturalnessof the experimental texts was controlled,readers did not need specific backgroundknowledge to understand the texts and theexperimental method consisted of open answerquestioning. Our second goal is to investigateto what extent a supposed effect of linguisticmarking depends on readers proficiency in afirst or second language.The experiment consisted in the reading of short expository texts in two languages, Dutchand French, which both functioned as L1 and L2.The results indicate that readers benefit fromthe presence of causal relational markers bothin L1 and in L2. Implications for (theoriesof) text processing are discussed, as well asfor the further insights in readingcomprehension in L1 and L2.     

Lost and Found: Personal Reflections on Educational Earnestness and the Power of Love

In this essay, Polly Graham addresses a current instantiation of what might be called self‐loss within education in the United States. Graham observes that, in her experience, many students and educators, whether decidedly or without reflection, conform to superficial schooling practices that circumscribe the possibility of receiving affirmations for the sense of self we implicitly know to be authentic. Through narrative, she puts forward the possibility of “educational love” as a counter to the fundamental insecurity associated with habits of acting in conformance with superficial, alienated, school‐determined identity criteria. The question of “repetition” in a Kierkegaardian sense invites the reader to resist the logic of standardization — which assumes and valorizes comparability and reliability from an outsider perspective — in favor of a consideration of generalizability as embedded within the intimacy of a particular relation. As such, educational love is resonance rather than dictation.     

Prevalence,School Progress and Referral of Mildly Retarded Children in Regular Classes

This study sought to determine the prevalence of mildly retarded children in a sample of 312 primary school classes (N (pupils) = 8,967). Schools were chosen at random from each of the eight Psychological Service districts of metropolitan Auckland; all Grade 2‐5 classes in the sample schools were included in the investigation. Eighty percent of the teachers surveyed believed they had one or more mildly retarded children in their classes, yielding an overall prevalence rate of 8.04 percent (N = 721). Approximately one‐third of the children designated as mildly retarded were considered by their teachers to be not coping academically as well as socially, but of these 75 percent had not been referred for special educational consideration. Comparisons among the eight districts revealed that prevalence/referral rates and characteristics of identified/referred children did not differ significantly across districts. Results are discussed in terms of their policy implications for the identification and referral of mildly retarded children in need of special educational services.     

The Use of the Course Experience Questionnaire as a Monitoring Evaluation Tool in a Problem-based Medical Programme

This paper reports on the use of the Course Experience Questionnaire (CEQ) as an instrument to monitor the medical programme at the University of Sydney and in particular to measure improvements in teaching quality with the introduction of the new graduate-entry problem-based programme. In addition, it raises the more general issue of interpretation of CEQ results in courses designed around problembased learning (PBL). Students' perceptions of teaching quality were sought using a whole class questionnaire survey and small group interviews. Students in the new programme rated their course more highly than did students in the old programme with respect to good teaching, appropriate assessment, generic skills and overall satisfaction. These improvements did not hold with respect to the clarity of goals and standards, nor for perceptions of an appropriate workload. The results are interpreted in context and it is argued that particular items in the CEQ do not reflect the educational philosophy or the instructional processes of PBL programmes.     

An Objectivist Critique of Relativism in Mathematics Education

Many constructivists tag as `absolutist' references to mathematics as an abstract body of knowledge, and stake-out the moral high-ground with the argument that mathematics is not only utilised oppressively but that mathematics is, in-itself, oppressive. With much reference to Ernest's (1991) Philosophy of Mathematics Education this tag has been justified on the grounds that if mathematics is a social-cultural creation that is mutable and fallible then it must be social acceptance that confers the objectivity of mathematics. This paper argues that mathematics, albeit a social-cultural creation that is mutable and fallible, is a body of knowledge the objectivity of which is independent of origin or social acceptance. Recently, Ernest (1998) has attempted to express social constructivism as a philosophy of mathematics and has included the category of logical necessity in his elaboration of the objectivity of mathematics. We argue that this inclusion of logical necessity not only represents a U-turn, but that the way in which Ernest has included this category is an attempt to maintain his earlier position that it is social acceptance that confers the objectivity of mathematics.     

Self-regulated strategy development in writing: Going beyond NLEs to a more balanced approach

In this article, we present an argument for consideration by those researching and promoting new learning environments (NLEs). We believe advocates of NLEs should consider the literature and research base indicating effective instruction is not based on a forced dichotomy between theoretical perspectives, but rather a thoughtful, pragmatic blending of practices based on evidence gained from various perspectives and lines of research. While unguided or minimally guided instructional approaches are popular and intuitively appealing, these approaches ignore substantial evidence indicating these approaches are less effective and less efficient than instructional approaches that incorporate guidance of the learning process that is faded as internal guidance is developed (Kirschner et al., Educ Psychol 41:75–86, 2006). We illustrate how integrating evidence from multiple theoretical perspectives leads to the development of more powerful approaches to learning and instruction through a review of the premises, evolution, and research behind Self-Regulated Strategy Development (SRSD) in the area of writing.