Linking academic knowledge and professional experience in using statistics: a design experiment for business school students

The aim of the empirical study presented in this paper is to explore how students link academic knowledge with workplace experience. I carried out a research study with a group of 36 business school students entering a 3-year masters level apprenticeship programme. In an introductory statistics course, I designed and implemented a four-step learning activity, based on an Exploratory Data Analysis approach and inspired by an authentic workplace situation. I report the findings of qualitative research based on the recorded discussions between students and the reports they wrote at each step in the experience. I found that three different forms of rationality—technical, pragmatic and scientific—led them to shape the problem differently. I observed that they hardly used statistical tools because pragmatic rationality which is linked to their experience as salespersons prevails, although access to a managerial approach suggests the use of more statistical knowledge.     

Interlibrary Loan Interoperability Experiment: A Nontechnical View

Accessing interlibrary loan requests from various resource-sharing software systems through a single interface has long been a promise of vendors—a promise not often implemented. Our region of New York State chose VDX for its hundreds of libraries, while the State University of New York at New Paltz, the major lender, is a participant in OCLC via ILLiad. Our staff required training and updates for both systems. This article describes our successful efforts to implement interoperability and the steps and missteps encountered to achieve compatibility between VDX and ILLiad.     

An Academic Librarian's Response to the “ITHAKA Faculty Survey 2009: Key Strategic Insights for Libraries,Publishers, and Societies”

The mission of libraries and librarians is to serve the information needs of our patrons. Thus we continually adapt to their changing requirements and interests. However, when we are presented with our future diminished role or total technological answers with which we disagree, we seldom speak out publicly. ITHAKA, a digitizing organization, sees libraries as a budget line and predicts a background role maintaining digital archives for academic librarians based on answers to their recent faculty survey. Interlibrary loan is often placed in this background role even as use of our services grows, defying predictions. We benefit from digitization and electronic communication, but we need to build upon the initial patron point of contact we enjoy to expand into a larger resource sharing role.     

Distancing strategies in child-mother dyads: effect of mother’s education and children’s sex

European Journal of Psychology of Education - This study on mother–child interactions is in line with Sigel’s theoretical approach to distancing. The current study aimed at analyzing...     

Supporting Parents in Early Literacy through Libraries (SPELL): An Evaluation of a Multi-Site Library Project

ABSTRACT

The Supporting Parents in Early Literacy through Libraries (SPELL) project was initiated to evaluate the effectiveness of early literacy programs in libraries. Eight Colorado libraries developed and implemented year-long early literacy programs targeting parents of children ages zero to three. Pre- and post-surveys were conducted to determine the effect of these programs on the early literacy habits of participating parents. The survey results indicated that after participating in the SPELL prototype programs, respondents reported increased knowledge of and engagement in early literacy activities.