The Library as Publisher

This article describes a half-day preconference that focused on the library as publisher. It examined how the movement from print to online publication has impacted the roles of libraries and their ability to take on new roles as publishers. The session explored the benefits of libraries becoming publishers, and discussed Open Access, what it is and is not and its importance to libraries and scholarly communication. A detailed case study of the publishing operations of the University Library System at the University of Pittsburgh was presented as an example of a successful library publishing program. The session provided an opportunity for participants to discover ways that libraries can be involved in publishing.     

Media violence research: Interpreting the findings

The pages which follow are an attempt to stand back and assess what we know about the effects of media violence in an effort to sort into a usable pattern the results of hundreds of reported studies. Timothy P. Meyer is assistant professor of speech in Mass Communications at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst; James A. Anderson is associate professor of radio‐television and director of the Broadcast Research Center at Ohio University, Athens.     

Infusing assessment into mathematics content courses for pre-service elementary school teachers

The present study aims to explore the use of assessment in mathematics content courses for future elementary school teachers. Analysis of self assessment data on mathematical understanding and peer assessment data on oral mathematical presentation showed that pre-service teachers had a balanced understanding of procedural knowledge and problem solving. Conceptual understanding was not in the structure of pre-service teachers’ mathematical knowledge. Understandings of conceptual knowledge, procedural knowledge, and problem solving had no meaningful effects on gains in mathematics performance. Aspects of oral mathematical presentation were associated with improved understanding of procedural knowledge and in particular conceptual knowledge. The result of the study calls for a conceptual approach to mathematical knowledge and sufficient mathematical problem solving in college-level mathematics content courses and in particular the infusion of assessment into college-level mathematics education for pre-service teachers.