We May Be Teaching Information Literacy,but Are the Design First Year Students Actually Getting It?

The purpose of this study was to examine the outcomes of information literacy instruction for the Design first year students at the Temasek Polytechnic Library. Also of interest was whether or not the librarian was being seen as easily approachable, and if the students were deeming the lessons to be worthwhile. A participant action research approach was used, with the data being collected from multiple choice tests delivered via the institutional learning management system, group exercises, and a diagnostic assessment that was delivered before the workshops. It was found that the students did see the librarian as someone who was eminently approachable, and the majority of them found the lessons to be of value. It was concluded that the use of a diagnostic tool can be very useful in highlighting the gaps in students' knowledge, and that it would be beneficial to use it for all information literacy instruction at TP. Suggested future research could include a study of how much the students retain of IL skills into their third year of study.     

How Ordinary MPs Can Make it Into the News: A Factorial Survey Experiment with Political Journalists to Explain the Newsworthiness of MPs

Parliamentarians have to compete against each other to make it into the news, and some of them succeed more than others. Based upon news value theory, I consider MPs’ characteristics as news factors to explain their newsworthiness. I take an innovative approach by conducting a factorial survey experiment with political journalists. This allows me to study first which MPs are considered newsworthy and second whether journalists judge MPs’ newsworthiness regardless of their own personal background. In total, 73 Belgian journalists each judged 8 fictional press releases in which we carefully manipulated 4 characteristics of the MP sending it: party affiliation, issue specialization, media reactivity, and political action. Results show that parliamentarians from larger parties, those who react on mediatized issues, and those who communicate about their bill proposals are more newsworthy. Journalists’ judgments do not differ according to their gender, age, education, or political leaning.     

Care practice #3: continuous labor support

This updated edition of Care Practice Paper #3 presents the evidence for the benefits of continuous support in labor. The role of the doula is explained. Women are encouraged to plan for continuous support during labor and to consider including a woman experienced with childbirth among their labor support team.     

An Early Endeavor to Apply Quality Concepts to the Systematic Design of Instruction: Successes and Lessons Learned

In 1988, two staff members in the design department at Motorola Training and Education Center (MTEC) began a self-initiated project to develop and implement a system to improve the quality of courses being developed for their customers. This article describes how they applied Motorola's six steps to Six Sigma quality to their instructional design activities. While their quality system was not institutionalized throughout the instructional design department, several valuable lessons were learned that might benefit others embarking on a similar endeavor. Lessons learned dealt with: the sample of customers used to determine customer requirements, product-specific customer requirements, a continuous improvement system within the context of an instructional systems design model, the level of organizational readiness, involvement of stakeholders, the role of rewards and recognition, and appropriate metrics.     

Childcare Workers’ Knowledge About the Brain and Developmentally Appropriate Practice

Advances in neuroscience are providing information about the brain and its development. Some researchers propose that childcare workers need to understand this information because it confirms their importance and their use of developmentally appropriate practice (DAP). Given the fact that childcare workers could benefit from this insight, it seems reasonable to ask where they get their information about the brain and what they know about the brain and DAP. The purpose of this exploratory study was to investigate these questions by surveying a group of 59 childcare workers from three different centers. Results indicate these childcare workers prefer to get their information from workshops. They knew most about interactions and things that can harm the developing brain. They knew significantly less about brain development. Implications from these findings point to the importance of offering workshops with sound scientific information.     

再见，那些无法忘却的“最后一次”

今年的夏天,像是有所顾忌,姗姗来迟。当盛夏绽开,我就要告别大学,告别我的学生时代了。“毕业”,是不愿意提及的词。小学、初中、高中,不论毕业的时候是欢笑还是哭泣,那总归是告别——告别相处了几年的老师同学, 告别自己课桌上的涂鸦,告别操场上留下过的汗水,告别暗恋的男生, 更是,告别自己那一段日子。     

How Heritable are Parental Sensitivity and Limit-Setting? A Longitudinal Child-Based Twin Study on Observed Parenting

We examined the relative contribution of genetic, shared environmental and non-shared environmental factors to the covariance between parental sensitivity and limit-setting observed twice in a longitudinal study using a child-based twin design. Parental sensitivity and parental limit-setting were observed in 236 parents with each of their same-sex toddler twin children (M_age = 3.8 years; 58% monozygotic). Bivariate behavioral genetic models indicated substantial effects of similar shared environmental factors on parental sensitivity and limit-setting and on the overlap within sensitivity and limit-setting across 1 year. Moderate child-driven genetic effects were found for parental limit-setting in year 1 and across 1 year. Genetic child factors contributing to explaining the variance in limit-setting over time were the same, whereas shared environmental factors showed some overlap.     

#3: continuous labor support

In this position paper-one of six care practice papers published by Lamaze International and reprinted here with permission-the benefit of continuous labor support is discussed and presented as an evidence-based practice that helps promote, protect, and support normal birth. The paper is written for childbearing women and their families. Women with continuous support are less likely to have a cesarean, an instrument delivery, and regional anesthesia. They are also less likely to report dissatisfaction with or negatively rate their childbirth experience. The value of the doula for both the laboring woman and her labor partner is discussed. The accompanying commentary-written by a leading proponent of maternity care practices-supports evidence that promotes continuous labor support. Lamaze International encourages women to plan for a supportive birth environment that includes continuous support.