The provision of sexual health education in Australia: primary school teachers' perspectives in rural Victoria

In Australian schools, one significant component of whole-school learning in sexuality education is to provide students with developmentally appropriate curriculum and learning opportunities, with the intention of influencing positive health and well-being. In the situation where the usual classroom teacher is under-prepared or unwilling to teach sexuality education to their students, the use of external providers who are experts in puberty and sexual health is crucial. While the provider is a key influential factor in any sexual health programme, reliance on external providers for the provision of sexuality education in regional Australian cities is not well documented. This mixed-method study aims to address this gap in the literature with a specific focus on Ballarat, where the provision of sexuality education, particularly in primary schools, is heavily reliant on several external providers. Participant schools highlight the need for further positive synergies between the classroom teachers, external agencies and the accessibility of a rigorous curriculum to sustain the delivery of an effective programme to young people in schools.     

America,America: National Identity,Presidential Debates,and National Mood

In their public messages, United States politicians often invoke America in an attempt to unite citizens and build electoral coalitions. Such an emphasis is particularly common in presidential debates, which are climactic “media events” late in campaigns for the White House, when candidates take questions from journalists and citizens while addressing millions of voters. We analyzed the connection between (a) candidates' highlighting of national identity in presidential debates and (b) mass public opinion since 1960. We expected and found that (a) candidates increased their emphasis on the nation during times of heightened national uncertainty, (b) Democratic presidential candidates invoked the nation more often than Republican candidates, and (c) comparisons across elections among incumbents suggest that national uncertainty was more important than partisan identity in eliciting invocations of the nation.     

Learning by Doing: Performance Assessment of Information Literacy across the First-Year Curriculum

In the 2011–2012 school year, the instruction librarians at Augustana College, Illinois, changed their assessment approach in the college's required first-year sequence to focus on higher-level information literacy concepts. The librarians replaced a quantitative assessment instrument with performance assessments, which they integrated into their first-year library sessions. Although the sequence is taught by many faculty with diverse assignments, these new assessments could be applied organically across sections yet provide generalizable results. This case study describes that assessment project and its initial findings, analyzes the project's implications, and suggests how other college libraries might adopt similar qualitative assessments.     

Motivating African-American Students Through Information Literacy Instruction: Exploring the Link Between Encouragement and Academic Self-Concept

This article argues that information literacy instruction has a unique role to play in increasing academic motivation among African-American college students. Drawing on recent work in student motivation, this article argues that perception of faculty encouragement is the single most important predictor of African-American college students' academic self-concept, trumping both academic performance (e.g., grades) and school environment (i.e., historically Black colleges or universities vs. predominantly White colleges or universities). Given this link between encouragement and academic self-concept, information literacy instruction becomes an arena in which librarians may support the development of students' self-concept, thus increasing motivation. This article discusses the role of encouragement in information literacy instruction and suggests how to achieve greater perception of encouragement both during and after instruction. Lastly, this article considers ramifications for instructional services programs at historically Black colleges or universities by reviewing recent experiences at Bennett College for Women in Greensboro, North Carolina.     

SCCTP Electronic Serials Cataloging Workshop

This preconference was a presentation of the Electronic Serials Cataloging Workshop created by the Serials Cataloging Cooperative Training Program (SCCTP). The workshop assumed a general knowledge of print serials cataloging and focused on issues specific to cataloging electronic serials. Presenter Jeanne Baker followed the course content developed by SCCTP, while highlighting changes introduced by the new CONSER standard record where applicable.     

Planning Intercultural Interaction: Extending Anxiety/Uncertainty Management Theory

This article responds critically to a recent article by Lemieux and Tighe (Communication Research Reports, 21, 144–153, 2004) in which the authors conclude that recipients of comforting efforts prefer messages that exhibit a moderate rather than high level of person centeredness. It is argued that an erroneous assumption made by Lemieux and Tighe about the status of “receiver perspective” research on the comforting process led to faulty interpretations of the data and unwarranted conclusions about recipient preferences regarding comforting messages. Alternative interpretations of Lemieux and Tighe's data are presented; these are guided by the extensive previous research that has assessed evaluations and outcomes of comforting messages.     

Online and Face-to-Face Library Instruction: Assessing the Impact on Upper-Level Sociology Undergraduates

Online information literacy instruction: Can it impact learning as effectively as face-to-face instruction? Using a quasi-experimental design, this study examined that in relation to upper-level sociology students; it also considered whether library instruction affected participants’ perceptions of learning formats’ (i.e., online or face-to-face) effectiveness and the academic library's place in their research. Using a pretest/posttest design, no significant learning difference was found between the two instructional delivery formats. However, data suggested that instruction did impact online participants’ perceptions of the academic library as a place for research. Implications of this research and future directions for inquiry are discussed.     

The Read/Write Web and the Future of Library Research

ABSTRACT

The new, social Web is fun and easy to use. The same cannot usually be said of library Web sites and digital resources. Libraries would benefit from incorporating aspects of the Read/Write Web into their services. This article examines how libraries currently erect barriers to service and provides an example of how these barriers could be eliminated by the creation of a social library research environment.     

Academic Self-Efficacy,Information Literacy,and Undergraduate Course-Related Research: Expanding Gross's Imposed Query Model

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this article is to demonstrate the potential relevance of academic self-beliefs to Gross's imposed query model as they apply to undergraduate students, particularly at the IQ2 (transferred) and IQ3 (interpreted) stages. The author argues that, at these two stages, students will decide if they have the skills required to be successful, how much effort they will put into the research process, and if they will seek help from an expert information intermediary. Furthermore, the author proposes an expanded model of the IQ2 (transferred) and IQ3 (interpreted) stages to be tested by future research seeking to understand how undergraduate students navigate the course-related research process.