Integrating Information Literacy and Evidence-Based Medicine Content within a New School of Medicine Curriculum: Process and Outcome

This column describes a process for integrating information literacy (IL) and evidence-based medicine (EBM) content within a new school of medicine curriculum. The project was a collaborative effort among health sciences librarians, curriculum deans, directors, and faculty. The health sciences librarians became members of the curriculum committees, developed a successful proposal for IL and EBM content within the curriculum, and were invited to become course instructors for Analytics in Medicine. As course instructors, the librarians worked with the other faculty instructors to design and deliver active learning class sessions based on a flipped classroom approach using a proprietary Information Mastery curriculum. Results of this collaboration may add to the knowledge base of attitudes and skills needed to practice as full faculty partners in curricular design and instruction.     

Using Course Syllabi to Develop Collections and Assess Library Service Integration

ABSTRACT

Ria Lukes and Angie Thorpe, librarians from Indiana University Kokomo, presented a conference session exploring the use of course syllabi as a core tool for measuring and enhancing library support of curriculum needs and service integration. The researchers described their process and the results from a review of 477 syllabi collected from numerous departments spanning diverse disciplines at their institution. Their findings demonstrate how syllabi may be used to identify collection weaknesses, discover misconceptions about library holdings and services, and ultimately serve as a starting point to interact with faculty and librarians to improve and clarify library holdings, services, and outreach initiatives.     

Learning to look through the eyes of our students: action research as a tool of inquiry

Abstract

The story we are about to tell occurred when Gayle was a middle school science teacher and graduate student in Joanne's seminar on the study of teaching. Gayle was trying to make sense of her science students' indifference toward the environment, an attitude that concerned her as an environmentalist. She turned her inquiry into an action research project that sought to answer the question, ‘What are the assumptions that my middle school students have about their relationship with the environment?’ Joanne was mentoring Gayle in her action research study, and at the same time exploring Gayle's perspective as an action researcher. Now, several years later, we are both action researchers and teacher educators and understand that we have been looking through the eyes of our students in order to become scholars of our own teaching.     

LOVE STORIES OF LATER LIFE: A NARRATIVE APPROACH TO UNDERSTANDING ROMANCE By Amanda Smith Barusch

The numbers and proportions of ethnic and minority aged are increasing more rapidly than their age cohorts among nonminorities. This is particularly true among the old‐old, where increasing incidences of frailty and functional dependence increase the demand for health care services. In these circumstances the need for health care professionals to develop sensitivity to cultural and ethnic factors that impinge the health care of the aged is compelling. Barriers to effective cross‐cultural communication are discussed, and guidelines for culturally sensitive communication are provided.     

Enhancing e-Learning with Media Rich Content and Interactions. Richard Caladine

The purpose of this project was to evaluate an online course in child development in which active learning strategies were infused. Preservice teachers taking the course were future elementary teachers seeking initial prekindergarten to sixth-grade teaching certification. Sixty-one persons were enrolled in a traditional face-to-face section of the course, and fifty-four were enrolled in an online section of the same course. Online discussion postings and reflective journals were analyzed to determine the preservice teachers’ use of higher-level thinking skills. Mastery of course content was measured through final course grades. Results showed no significant difference between the two groups in overall achievement, but a significant difference was seen in the use of higher-level thinking. Preservice teachers in the online class showed a significant increase in the use of higher-level thinking from the beginning of the course to the end; however, those in the face-to-face course did not. In addition, higher-level thinking for all preservice teachers in the study was positively correlated with greater course achievement. Finally, preservice teachers in the online course experienced the most higher-level thinking when posting to the online discussion board.     

Epistemic beliefs and beliefs about teaching practices for moral learning in the early years of school: relationships and complexities

While investment in young children is recognised as important for the development of moral values for a cohesive society, little is known about early years teaching practices that promote learning of moral values. This paper reports on observations and interviews with 11 Australian teachers, focusing on their epistemic beliefs and beliefs about teaching practices for moral education with children aged 5–8 years. The analysis revealed three main patterns of thinking about moral education: following others, reflecting on points of view, and informing reflection for action. These patterns suggest a relationship between epistemic beliefs and beliefs about teaching practices for moral learning which have implications for teacher professional development concerning experiences in moral education.     

Veteran teachers and technology: change fatigue and knowledge insecurity influence practice

In recent years, a significant problem that has manifested in the quest to capitalise on the pedagogical potential of technology in schools is that veteran teachers are unwilling to integrate these resources into their practices. Given that veteran teachers comprise up to 40% of teachers, their lack of use is important. This paper aims to shed light on the issue of detachment by presenting empirically based findings of a five-year, grounded theory examination of the technology practices of a small group of veteran teachers. Data included classroom observations, teacher interviews and document analysis of teacher and school planning documentation, student focus groups, interviews with teaching colleagues and key school technology personnel observation. Analysis included the application of the teachers’ data to a framework of dilemmas teachers encounter when expected to change their practice. In using this process, change fatigue and knowledge insecurity (brought about by cultural and political changes to their contexts) were prominent factors which contributed to the teachers’ lack of technology use. Identifying their challenges opened scrutiny to the myriad of factors they drew on when making decisions about how and whether to use technology in their practice. The longitudinal analysis of the data showed that as these dilemmas alleviated, the teachers became more committed to educational technology. The findings inform how we can move forward from the issue of veteran teachers’ lack of use of technology to how to support this group in the development of their practices. In particular, the need for a re-imagining of professional learning to one which focuses on reshaping cultural and political aspects of technology practices. This includes changes to the management of technology-related policy changes as well as facilitating learning communities that promote a valuing and sharing of relevant knowledge amongst teachers and students.     

Pre-service teachers’ epistemic perspectives about philosophy in the classroom: it is not a bunch of ‘hippie stuff’

Using epistemic perspectives as a theoretical framework, this study investigated Australian pre-service teachers’ perspectives about knowing, knowledge and children’s learning, as they engaged in a semester-long unit on philosophy in the classroom. During the field experience component of the unit, pre-service teachers were required to teach at least one philosophy lesson. Pre-service teachers completed the Personal Epistemological Beliefs Survey at the beginning and end of the unit. They were also interviewed in focus groups at the end of the semester to investigate their views about children’s learning. Paired sample t-tests were used to explore changes in epistemic beliefs over time. Significant differences were found for only some individual items on the survey. However, when interviewed, pre-service teachers indicated that field experiences helped them consider children as competent ‘thinkers’ who were capable of engaging in philosophy in the classroom. They reported predominantly student-centred perspectives of children’s learning, although a process of adjudication (exploring disagreements and evidence for responses) was lacking in these responses.     

Portable computers: a catalyst for collaboration? a study of how the use of multimedia portable computers in primary schools can affect teacher and pupil collaboration

Abstract

This article arises from an evaluation of the Welsh Office Multimedia Portables Project1998–1999, in which two teachers from each of 54 primary and junior schools and one special school in Wales were provided with multimedia portables to explore the impact of their introduction. A particular aim was to improve pupil attainment in the area of Key Stage 2 literacy through the use of information and communications technology. From this evaluation different stages of development in collaborating and networking emerge and the factors that contribute to progression in both teachers and pupils are identified and examined. The article discusses some of the issues surrounding the use of technology in the primary years and goes on to relate features of the project to conditions for change and McDougall & Squires's (1997) framework for evaluating teacher professional development. It concludes by suggesting that the use of portables in the primary school can lead to wider collaboration and networking and identifies factors that may influence this progression.     

The use of personal video conferencing with special needs pupils from three schools serving rural areas: a case of successful adoption of new technology

Abstract

This article will focus on the use of desktop (or personal) video conferencing to link groups of special needs children from three secondary schools in a rural area of Wales. The collaboration developed out of a Superhighways project which introduced video conferencing to a network of schools and which was aimed mainly at supporting geography teaching through the use of satellite images of the Earth. The link was used with the special needs pupils to develop communication and social skills and to overcome their relative isolation from other pupils with similar needs. The article will examine how the technology was used and identify factors that might have influenced its adoption amongst the teachers involved. (N.B. Throughout this article, the terms ‘desktop’ and ‘personal’ video conferencing refer to the same thing, i.e. a system consisting of a small video camera mounted on a desktop computer.)