The contemporary librarian: Skills, knowledge and attributes required in a world of emerging technologies

Seventy-six librarians participated in a series of focus groups in support of research exploring the skills, knowledge and attributes required by the contemporary library and information professional in a world of ever changing technology. The project was funded by the Australian Learning and Teaching Council. Text mining data analysis revealed three main thematic clusters (libraries, people, jobs) and one minor thematic cluster (community). Library 2.0 was broadly viewed by participants as being about change whilst librarian 2.0 was perceived by participants as not a new creation but just about good librarian practices. Participants expressed the general belief that personality traits, not just qualifications, were critical to be a successful librarian or information worker in the future.     

Fifteen hundred guidelines and growing: the UK database of clinical guidelines

BACKGROUND: The National Library for Health offers a comprehensive searchable database of nationally approved clinical guidelines, called the Guidelines Finder. This resource, commissioned in 2002, is managed and developed by the University of Sheffield Health Sciences Library. METHODS: The authors introduce the historical and political dimension of guidelines and the nature of guidelines as a mechanism to ensure clinical effectiveness in practice. The article then outlines the maintenance and organisation of the Guidelines Finder database itself, the criteria for selection, who publishes guidelines and guideline formats, usage of the Guidelines Finder service and finally looks at some lessons learnt from a local library offering a national service. CONCLUSIONS: Clinical guidelines are central to effective clinical practice at the national, organisational and individual level. The Guidelines Finder is one of the most visited resources within the National Library for Health and is successful in answering information needs related to specific patient care, clinical research, guideline development and education.     

A Black perspective on Mentoring

This article reports and analyses the key role played by mentoring in a projects to enhance ethnic minority participation and achievement in Higher Education.

     

Teacher views on the effects of the change from coursework to controlled assessment in GCSEs

When General Certificates of Secondary Education (GCSEs) were introduced in the late 1980s, coursework was included as a requirement in many subjects. Coursework was intended to help best represent students' attainments, but concerns about various issues (e.g., tasks becoming formulaic, authenticity of student work, workload) led to a review and ultimately to its replacement with “controlled assessments”. This research investigated the effects of this change. A questionnaire was completed by 346 teachers across 6 subjects. Most teachers felt the risks of plagiarism are similar or have reduced. Two thirds of teachers reported that the introduction of controlled assessment has affected the way they teach, and around 60% feel it has affected the nature of the knowledge and skills learnt by students. There are reportedly practical challenges relating to timetabling, student absence, and increased administration. However, over 70% of teachers consider it “important” or “very important” to have some form of internal assessment in their subject.     

A Q factor analysis of college undergraduate students' study behaviours

This study attempted to better understand the study behaviours of undergraduate students by categorizing students into distinctive typologies based on their self-reported study behaviours through an exploratory approach – Q factor analysis. A sample of 152 undergraduate students completed a survey instrument, the Study Behavior Inventory. The Q factor analysis yielded a 2-factor structure. Participants exhibiting the 1st behavioural type demonstrated reflective, well-organized study behaviours and favoured high-level thinking; thus were described as “Organized Holistic Learners”. Those exhibiting the 2nd behavioural type were found to manage time poorly and primarily focus on memorizing facts; thus were labelled “Disorganized Procrastinators”. Type 1 students had significantly higher grade point averages (GPAs) than Type 2 students. Student type was a significant predictor of academic achievement, as measured by self-reported GPA above and beyond students' attribute variables including sex, age, major, and enrolment status. Theoretical and practical implications were discussed.     

Gathering data: does it make sense?

Abstract

Much laboratory work in school science involves observation and measurement; an important development, in recent years, has been the application of computers to this activity. Data-logging techniques have been available to science teachers for some time (outside the United Kingdom [UK], this technology is sometimes known as microcomputer-based laboratories or MBL). It is only relatively recently, however, that data-logging technology has become sufficiently user-friendly and affordable for it to be more widely adopted. The use of sensors, interfaces and data-loggers to capture and record data, and its subsequent display and analysis using computer software, now constitute a realistic alternative to traditional approaches. With the National Curriculum for initial teacher training including information and communications technology now in place in the UK, the time seems opportune to take stock of current use of data-logging methods and to consider how they might be further developed. This article describes how data-logging currently appears to be used in science lessons. It considers how the demands of the National Curriculum have shaped current practice, and argues for a shift of emphasis in the pupils' role in data-logging activities. Some suggestions are then offered for encouraging pupils to engage in more interpretative activity, which recent software readily supports.     

Science Teacher Efficacy and Extrinsic Factors Toward Professional Development Using Video Games in a Design-Based Research Model: The Next Generation of STEM Learning

Designed-based research principles guided the study of 51 secondary-science teachers in the second year of a 3-year professional development project. The project entailed the creation of student-centered, inquiry-based, science, video games. A professional development model appropriate for infusing innovative technologies into standards-based curricula was employed to determine how science teacher’s attitudes and efficacy where impacted while designing science-based video games. The study’s mixed-method design ascertained teacher efficacy on five factors (General computer use, Science Learning, Inquiry Teaching and Learning, Synchronous chat/text, and Playing Video Games) related to technology and gaming using a web-based survey). Qualitative data in the form of online blog posts was gathered during the project to assist in the triangulation and assessment of teacher efficacy. Data analyses consisted of an Analysis of Variance and serial coding of teacher reflective responses. Results indicated participants who used computers daily have higher efficacy while using inquiry-based teaching methods and science teaching and learning. Additional emergent findings revealed possible motivating factors for efficacy. This professional development project was focused on inquiry as a pedagogical strategy, standard-based science learning as means to develop content knowledge, and creating video games as technological knowledge. The project was consistent with the Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPCK) framework where overlapping circles of the three components indicates development of an integrated understanding of the suggested relationships. Findings provide suggestions for development of standards-based science education software, its integration into the curriculum and, strategies for implementing technology into teaching practices.     

What to Do About Zero Frequency Cells When Estimating Polychoric Correlations

Categorical structural equation modeling (SEM) methods that fit the model to estimated polychoric correlations have become popular in the social sciences. When population thresholds are high in absolute value, contingency tables in small samples are likely to contain zero frequency cells. Such cells make the estimation of the polychoric correlations more difficult. Some SEM programs use solutions such as adding .5 to the zero frequency cells. However, the adequacy of this solution has never been systematically explored in the literature. In this article, the frequency with which contingency tables with zero cells occur in small samples is explored. Second, it is explored whether or not adding .5 is in any way preferable to leaving the cell value as zero. Binary and 3-category data and a variety of threshold values and correlation values are considered. The findings suggest that the two methods of dealing with zero frequency cells have quite different properties. With binary data, the method of adding .5 is recommended, unless thresholds are opposite-signed and the underlying correlation is suspected to be large. No adjustment is recommended for greater numbers of categories.