Library Instruction Assessment in Academic Libraries

SUMMARY

Determining the best methods of assessment for a library instruction program in a large research university can be a challenging task. Albert R. Mann Library at Cornell University Library has pilot-tested three methods of formative and summative assessment for its library instruction program-attitudinal, outcomes-based, and gap-measure-and determined not only key areas of improvement for the program, but also the benefits and drawbacks of each method of assessment. Attitudinal assessment has guided program improvement in areas of marketing and user satisfaction but does not provide the measurement of learning that outcomes-based assessment covers. The latter can be difficult to achieve in single-session, short-term instruction, while gap-measure assessment can provide a more nuanced view of both patron and instructor attitudes toward learning outcomes, if not actual data on achievement of the objectives themselves. The authors have determined that a combination of these three different types of assessment can address the shortcomings of a single method alone and provide a better measure of the program as a whole.     

核心素养视域下校园足球课程理论的构建

在当前教育环境下,关于校园足球课程理论构建,一直是不容忽视的话题。通过逻辑分析,从客观实际出发,研究当前足球课程目标现状,并探讨其存在的实际意义,有着十分重要的意义。在遵循公平原则基础上,根据体育课程改革的实际要求,针对所出现的委托,进行具体的策略实施,为培养当前新时代的足球课程体系提供切实可行的措施。     

创新能力培养视角下的大学生科技信息素质教育分析

本文通过对科技信息素质与创新能力概念的简述,讨论创新能力培养与科技信息素质教育的关系,详细分析以科技信息素质教育推动创新能力培养的具体途径。     

An ecological analysis of infant neglect by adolescent mothers

To inform efforts to prevent child neglect, we investigated a wide range of risk factors that have been largely unexamined in relation to infant neglect, the most commonly occurring form of child maltreatment. Using an ecological model of child neglect, we assessed the influence of characteristics at the level of the child, the mother, the family, and broader childrearing contexts on adolescent mothers’ likelihood of being a perpetrator in a substantiated case of neglect against their firstborn infants (n = 383, M = 12 months). Several factors were associated with infant neglect by young mothers: median block income, low infant birth weight, maternal smoking, maternal childhood history of neglect and of positive care, intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetrated by either the mother or her partner, and maternal use of mental health services. In multivariate models, income, a maternal childhood history of positive care, IPV by either a mother or her partner, and mental health service usage made significant contributions to the odds that a mother neglected her infant. Our findings suggest that these factors have particular salience to policymakers’ and practitioners’ efforts to identify high risk families and to intervene during the earliest months of life to prevent child neglect.     

中国四省市学生ICT胜任力的表现及影响因素——基于PISA 2015 ICT精熟度问卷数据的分析

信息素养是学生生存和发展的基本素养,对信息通信技术(ICT)的胜任力是反映学生信息素养的重要指标。基于PISA 2015中的ICT精熟度问卷数据,对中国四省市学生的ICT胜任力表现进行分析,考查中国学生的ICT资源、ICT使用情况以及ICT兴趣对其ICT胜任力的影响。结果发现:中国四省市学生的ICT胜任力在参测的48个国家和地区中排名靠后;不同性别、不同年级学生的ICT胜任力存在显著差异;家庭ICT资源对学生ICT胜任力有显著的正向预测作用;学生在学校使用ICT越多、在家使用ICT做作业越多,学生的ICT胜任力越高;学生的ICT兴趣越高,他们的ICT胜任力越高,学生的ICT兴趣对他们的ICT胜任力影响最大。为了提高我国学生的ICT胜任力,教育行政部门、学校、教师应充分重视ICT教育,完善ICT素养测评体系;扩大对ICT资源的投入,为学生更多地接触电子设备提供条件;加大ICT和电子设备的使用频率,在教育实践中逐步融入信息素养教育;着力培养学生对信息技术的兴趣,提高他们的ICT胜任力。     

A consideration for physical literacy in Irish youth,and implications for physical education in a changing landscape

The concept of physical literacy (PL) has been suggested as one that can offer a catalyst for a new emphasis in physical education (PE). In the broadest sense, a physically literate child is confident, active, and can maintain health enhancing physical activity (PA) for life. PL includes engagement in PA, physical competence, and PA motivation, confidence, knowledge and understanding. The purpose of this study is to investigate the levels of PL in Irish adolescents. As part of a larger study data were collected from 535 (12.78?±?.42 years) adolescents across 20 schools, to measure physical activity, physical competence, and psychological correlates of physical activity. Less than half of participants are accumulating the minimum of 60 minutes of PA daily required for health (49% males, 26% females). Data highlight that Irish youth are performing ‘below par’ across the domains of PL, with cardiovascular fitness (45% of males and 67% of females reaching ‘optimal’ target) and self-efficacy (53% of males and 46% of females reaching ‘optimal’ target) of greatest concern. Findings are discussed in the context of the need for a targeted direction in post-primary PE in Irish schools to increase levels of PL in Irish adolescents.     

Literacies across sponsorscapes: mobilising notions of literacy sponsorship

Building from the concept ‘sponsors of literacy', the authors revisit three empirical studies to argue for mobilising notions of sponsorship beyond fixed conceptions of individual sponsors and literacy to lifewide perspectives that take into account sponsoring relations across the broader learning lives of youth. The authors take up the theoretical heuristic ‘sponsorscapes' as a lens for attending to the dynamically networked, reciprocal and human‐material dimensions of literacy practices. With cases drawn from across settings and research foci, including middle school students in a classroom setting, high school‐aged youth across contexts and a participant‐researcher's interactions with a college student, the authors argue that attending to sponsorscapes can contribute critical insight into the emergent, diverse and valued literacies and sponsorship thriving across lifewide learning pathways, while recognising learners' agentive roles in investing, resisting and sponsoring literacies.     

How can children with mild literacy difficulties be supported at the transition to secondary school? A small‐scale quasi‐experimental study

There is evidence that pupils with weak literacy skills struggle on transition to secondary school. Many experience a drop in attainment in the summer break between the two. A British government‐funded programme of rigorously designed research on boosting literacy at transition had (by 2015) found only four of 15 interventions evaluated had positive effects. This small‐scale quasi‐experimental study investigated the effectiveness of support for pupils with mild literacy difficulties on transition to secondary school. Thirty‐two pupils in three schools were involved; half received the programme. Pairs were matched on reading, spelling, age and gender. Intervention was designed around the individual needs of each pupil, focusing variously on language skills, writing, reading and spelling. The group receiving the programme made modest gains in spelling, reading efficiency and single word reading. The comparison group lost ground, relatively, in all three areas. The results suggest a promising line for more rigorous investigation.     

Morphological,phonological, and orthographic differences between the spelling of normally achieving children and basic literacy adults

In this study, we compared 41 adults in a basic literacy class with 92 achievement-level-matched children on their use of English print conventions, as inferred by a qualitative analysis of spelling errors. The two groups followed similar patterns in their mastery of basic spelling features, including letter reversals, consonant blends, and short vowels, with the adults showing relatively more advanced skill in using orthographic patterns. However, the adults made a preponderance of misspellings that were rarely made by the children, including omissions, substitutions, and additions of derivational and inflectional morphemes, and neglect of word endings in general. The findings indicate clear morphological difficulties along with more subtle phonological coding deficits. We suggest that low literacy adults would benefit from specific direct instruction in linguistic analysis, with particular attention to the morphological principles underlying inflections and derivations. Such instruction should be based on a careful assessment of reading and spelling knowledge.     

The possibilities of exploring nontraditional datasets with young children

Today's world is characterized by the extensive production of data in different scenarios that everyday citizens need to understand for their informed participation in society. With the increase in the availability of data in a society defined by the industrious production of data, the educational system needs to think of possibilities to bring young children closer to the world of data science. This paper presents a nontraditional data exploration experience with an 8-year-old participant helped by a data visualization tool. A task-based interview was conducted while the participant explored a carbon dioxide emission dataset. This paper studied how the participant interrogates the data, draws inferences and exhibits dispositions. At the end, some reflections are presented when introducing the exploration of nontraditional data in teaching.