ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
Assessing Rigor in Experiential Education: A Working Model from Partners in the Parks
Author: MacLean, John S.
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Honors Curriculum,College Students,College Faculty,Educational Assessment,Qualitative Research,Interdisciplinary Approach,Research Projects,Difficulty Level,Parks,Experiential Learning

Assessment has become a popular buzzword on academic campuses over the last few decades. Most assessment models are designed to evaluate traditional learning structures. If we were to state simply the process of assessment, it might read like this: (1) what you want the students to learn; (2) how you want to teach the material; and (3) how you know if the students learned the material. In a traditional pedagogical environment, for example, an instructor might want the students to learn how early geologists deduced the influence of glaciation in the Sierra Mountains from striations on polished granite surfaces. The teacher would design a lecture that presents the information, and then he or she might create a test or project to find out whether the students retained the material in a useful way. One could argue that current assessment strategies are often designed to validate rather than assess traditional pedagogical practices, leaving little room for the development of teaching and learning practices that might radically deviate from the norm. Honors programs and honors education, however, have long been defined as educational experiences that push traditional pedagogical boundaries in numerous ways. Just ask any honors director or sample the website of any honors program and you will find evidence in support of such claims. Both the NCHC-affiliated Partners in the Parks program and City as Text™ experiences push the boundaries of traditional learning models even further by incorporating experiential education in their core design. Experiential education practices are logistically difficult to assess using conventional evaluation models given the prevalence of unexpected &quot;teachable moments&quot; and unpredictable learning opportunities. If instructors cannot anticipate what students will experience and learn, then they have less control over outcomes. In short, designing assessment models without having solid control over the content or the methods of content-delivery is tricky. This article offers one model of an assessment strategy for experiential education programs based on the 2012 Partners in the Parks adventure in Sequoia National Park, where the authors qualitatively measured the rigor of this week-long program by requiring participants to propose interdisciplinary honors research projects that combined the students' chosen fields of study with their sometimes unpredictable learning moments and experiences. The benefits and results of experiential education can be unpredictable, but experiential education practitioners can prepare for unexpected results by designing assessments that allow students to show what they learned rather than by prescribing a limiting curriculum.
John Boswell: Posting Historical Landmarks at the Leading Edge of the Culture Wars
Author: Cisneros, Jeffrey
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: History,Homosexuality,Christianity,Religion,Social Bias,Religious Factors,Political Issues,Cultural Influences,Social Attitudes

One of the most enduring and controversial figures in the field of history is John E. Boswell. His work on homosexuality and the history of the Christian Church was published at a key time during the Stonewall Riots in the late 1960s and the removal of homosexuality from the list of diagnostic mental disorders in the mid 1970s. This social upheaval created a dynamic that not only influenced Boswell personally but contributed to the vehement reaction to his book &quot;Christianity, Social Tolerance, and Homosexuality: Gay People in Western Europe from the Beginning of the Christian Era to the Fourteenth Century&quot; (CSTH). Written in 1980, this book has profoundly influenced theological debates in numerous Christian denominations, particularly in the United States. Boswell's private papers illustrate the controversy surrounding the publication of CSTH, the heart of which centered on his contention that Christianity was not always hostile to homosexuality. This contention was poorly received by secular gay activists on the left, who were negative about the Church, as well as by religious conservatives on the right, who were negative about homosexuality. Boswell's book created a moment in time when politically odd bedfellows worked together to defend outdated but cherished ideas about how Christianity historically treated homosexuals.
Mothers in Honors
Author: Killinger, Mimi
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Honors Curriculum,Mothers,College Students,Social Isolation,Power Structure,Student Recruitment,Academic Persistence

This article describes the experiences of four honors mothers as they offer sage advice. They argue convincingly that they are motivated, focused students who bring rich diversity to college programs. They further report disturbing marginalization and isolation that could be ameliorated with support and increased sensitivity on the part of administrators, faculty, and students alike. They propose expansion of admissions criteria that might allow for increased recruitment of these excellent students as well as structural changes to support their retention. As these mothers in many ways represent the ideal honors student, this group of authors propose that others like them with similar stories need to be fully integrated into honors programs and to help sustain their work. The authors feel that not only will the women and their children described here clearly benefit, but honors programs, and other women from similar circumstance, and colleges will move toward achieving their full potential through the wholehearted inclusion of these remarkable women.
Personal, Anticipated Information Need
Author: Bruce, Harry
Date: 2005-04-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Information Needs,Information Management,Internet,Information Seeking,Individual Needs

Background: The role of personal information collections is a well known feature of personal information management. The World Wide Web has introduced to such collections ideas such as filing Web pages or noting their existence in &quot;Bookmarks&quot; and &quot;Favourites&quot;. Argument: It is suggested that personal information collections are created in anticipation of some future need for that information-personal, anticipated information need, which also underlies the design of formal information systems. Elaboration: Examination of the literature of information needs and information seeking behaviour leads to the formulation of five propositions that elaborate the concept of personal, anticipated information need. These propositions draw upon concepts such as uncertainty, predictability, sensitivity and the valuation of information sources. Conclusion: An individual's understanding of personal, anticipated information need and how this understanding guides the acquisition and management of personal information will determine the effectiveness of that collection.
A New Model of Information Behaviour Based on the Search Situation Transition Schema
Author: Pharo, Nils
Date: 2004-10-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Models,Schematic Studies,Information Seeking,Information Retrieval,Online Searching,Internet,Correlation,Goal Orientation,Interaction,Foreign Countries,College Students,Questionnaires,Search Strategies,Student Characteristics,Difficulty Level,Environmental Influences

This paper presents a conceptual model of information behaviour. The model is part of the Search Situation Transition method schema. The method schema is developed to discover and analyse interplay between phenomena traditionally analysed as factors influencing either information retrieval or information seeking. In this paper the focus is on the model's five main categories: the work task, the searcher, the social/organisational environment, the search task, and the search process. In particular, the search process and its sub-categories search situation and transition and the relationship between these are discussed. To justify the method schema an empirical study was designed according to the schema's specifications. In the paper a subset of the study is presented analysing the effects of work tasks on Web information searching. Findings from this small-scale study indicate a strong relationship between the work task goal and the level of relevance used for judging resources during search processes.
Discipline, Availability of Electronic Resources and the Use of Finnish National Electronic Library-- FinELib
Author: Törmä, Sanna
Date: 2004-10-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Electronic Libraries,Use Studies,College Faculty,Intellectual Disciplines,Information Sources,Government Libraries,National Surveys,User Satisfaction (Information),Access to Information,Online Surveys,Graduate Students,Doctoral Programs

This study elaborated relations between digital library use by university faculty, users' discipline and the availability of key resources in the Finnish National Electronic Library (FinELib), Finnish national digital library, by using nationwide representative survey data. The results show that the perceived availability of key electronic resources by researchers in FinELib was a stronger predictor of the frequency and purpose of use of its services than users' discipline. Regardless of discipline a good perceived provision of central resources led to a more frequent use of FinELib. The satisfaction with the services did not vary with the discipline, but with the perceived availability of resources.
Choosing People: The Role of Social Capital in Information Seeking Behaviour
Author: Johnson, Catherine A.
Date: 2004-10-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Social Capital,Information Seeking,Information Sources,Interpersonal Relationship,Social Networks,Network Analysis,Foreign Countries

It is an almost universal finding in studies investigating human information behaviour that people choose other people as their preferred source of information. An explanation for the use of people as information sources is that they are easier to approach than more formal sources and therefore are a least effort option. However there have been few studies that have investigated who the people chosen as information sources are and what their relationship to the information seeker is. This paper reports findings that come out of a larger investigation of the information seeking behaviour of a random sample of residents of Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. Using the theory of social capital as a conceptual framework and the methods of social network analysis, this study investigated the relational factors associated with the choice of people as information sources. Results indicate that respondents chose people who had better resources than they had and were not well known by them. This suggests that respondents were deliberate in their choice of people information sources and therefore it is speculated that people are not necessarily the least effort option but may require considerable effort to seek out and consult.
Spreading the Load: Mobile Information and Communications Technologies and Their Effect on Information Overload
Author: Allen, David K.
Date: 2005-01-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Telecommunications,Communications,Case Studies,Semi Structured Interviews,Information Dissemination,Handheld Devices,Information Technology,Access to Information,Police,Foreign Countries,Cognitive Processes,Barriers,Information Management,Grounded Theory

Introduction: We report on a small-scale research project which examined the impact of mobile technologies on the users' experience of information overload. The project focused on a group of worker who have had relatively little attention in both the mobile technology and information overload literatures: senior managers. Method: The case study approach was adopted, as complementary to an incremental approach to theory building. An inductive approach is adopted, in which data are collected and the findings are interpreted in the light of previous work. The case site was West Yorkshire Police Force in the UK where BlackBerry™ handhelds were being used by senior officers. Analysis: A semi-structured interview schedule was developed and applied in face-to-face interviews with the Senior Management Team and their secretaries. All interviews were recorded and the transcripts of the interviews analysed, using qualitative coding. Results: A conceptual model of the interactions and relationships among the key elements that drive and mediate the information flows and information behaviour within a complex organizational environment was developed. Managers' information behaviour and coping strategies were found to have changed since the introduction of mobile devices. Officers are more likely to deal with information received sooner, thereby resulting in less queuing of messages (although filtering strategies still prevail). Approximation (responding in a non-precise way) was also found to have increased. In this particular implementation, the mobile technology has not altered the information-pull behaviour of managers. Conclusion: The main finding is that personal information management is now distributed more evenly throughout the day. Thus, the technology has enabled officers to &quot;spread the load&quot; and, in doing so, has helped to ease some of the pressures created by information overload.
A Non-Linear Model of Information Seeking Behaviour
Author: Foster, Allen
Date: 2005-01-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Models,Information Seeking,Researchers,Semi Structured Interviews,Behavior,Interdisciplinary Approach,Universities,Foreign Countries

Introduction:The results of a study of information seeking behaviour of inter-disciplinary academic and postgraduate researchers are reported. Method. The study applied the naturalistic methods recommended by Lincoln and Guba for maximising credibility, transferability, dependability, and confirmability in data collection and analysis. Sampling combined purposive and snowball methods, and led to a final sample of 45 interdisciplinary researchers from the University of Sheffield. In-depth semi-structured interviews were used to elicit detailed examples of information seeking. Analysis: Coding of interview transcripts took place in multiple iterations over time and used Atlas-ti software to support the process. Results: The results of the study are represented in a non-linear model of information seeking behaviour. The model describes three core processes (Opening, Orientation, and Consolidation) and three levels of contextual interaction (Internal Context, External Context, and Cognitive Approach), each composed of several individual activities and attributes. The interactivity and shifts described by the model show information seeking to be non-linear, dynamic, holistic, and flowing. Conclusion: The paper concludes by describing the whole model of behaviour as analogous to an artist's palette, in which activities remain available throughout information seeking. A summary of key implications of the model and directions further research are included.
Preparing for Opening Night: Temporal Boundary Objects in Textually-Mediated Professional Practice
Author: Davies, Elisabeth
Date: 2004-10-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Documentation,Theaters,Clinics,Qualitative Research,Interviews,Content Analysis,Records (Forms),Information Management,Cooperation,Check Lists,Allied Health Personnel,Communities of Practice,Foreign Countries

The authors report on two projects in which the role of documents as temporal boundary objects mediating information practices across multiple timelines was explored. It has been suggested that studying workplace documents will uncover the information practices of professionals beyond traditional information needs and uses studies. Two workplaces were studied: a professional theatre production and a midwifery clinic. Both settings are communities constructed partly through textual dynamics and both have a pre-production phase leading to an opening night. In the theatre setting, qualitative interviews with the cast and crew and document analysis of the prompt book were the means of data collection. The midwifery clinic setting was investigated by means of interviews and followups with 16 midwife-client pairs and document analysis of the antenatal record. Preliminary thematic analysis pertaining to time and information was conducted on interview transcripts and the relevant documents. It was possible to show several instances of both the prompt book and the antenatal record being treated as a timeline by the various professionals using them. The authors conclude with a discussion of the temporal aspects of professionals' information practices as revealed by these two projects and encourage further document-focused research.
Information Seeking Research Needs Extension towards Tasks and Technology
Author: Järvelin, Kalervo
Date: 2004-10-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Information Seeking,Information Retrieval,Models,Task Analysis,Research Needs,Information Technology

This paper discusses the research into information seeking and its directions at a general level. We approach this topic by analysis and argumentation based on past research in the domain. We begin by presenting a general model of information seeking and retrieval which is used to derive nine broad dimensions that are needed to analyze information seeking and retrieval. Past research is then contrasted with the dimensions and shown not to cover the dimensions sufficiently. Based on an analysis of the goals of information seeking research, and a view on human task performance augmentation, it is then shown that information seeking is intimately associated with, and dependent on, other aspects of work; tasks and technology included. This leads to a discussion on design and evaluation frameworks for information seeking and retrieval, based on which two action lines are proposed: information retrieval research needs extension toward more context and information seeking research needs extension towards tasks and technology.
The Nature of Information, and the Effective Use of Information in Rural Development
Author: Meyer, Hester W. J.
Date: 2005-01-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Rural Development,Information Utilization,Oral Tradition,Qualitative Research,Comparative Analysis,Communication (Thought Transfer),Case Studies,Foreign Countries

Introduction: We report on the role of information in the development of rural communities where the impact of the oral tradition remains very strong. The nature of the attributes, and the particular type of communication mechanisms to be used, have been proposed as key factors in the use of information in rural communities. Method: Literature studies have been conducted to determine the nature of information, and information handling skills of traditional people. An in-depth study with field visits provided information on real-life practices. Analysis: A qualitative analysis has been carried out to match evidence from a case study and field visits with evidence in the literature. Requirements for the development process were taken into account. Results: A comparison of the attributes of information with the requirements for development of traditional people revealed that certain attributes of information are conducive to development while others can be counterproductive to the development process if not addressed properly. Conclusion: The successful use of information as a resource for development depends in large part on knowledge of the nature of information and the ability of senders to apply appropriate communication mechanisms understandable to traditional people. This has implications for people involved in the development of rural communities.
Something Old, Something New: Preliminary Findings from an Exploratory Study about People's Information Habits and Information Grounds
Author: Fisher, Karen
Date: 2005-01-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Behavior Patterns,Information Seeking,Information Sources,Telephone Surveys,Urban Population,Rural Population,Mixed Methods Research,Content Analysis,Social Environment,Internet

Introduction: We explored Harris and Dewdney's principle that people follow habitual patterns when seeking everyday information along with Pettigrew's notion of information grounds. Method: A telephone survey of 612 urban-rural residents was conducted regarding their needs for health and human services in partnership with the United Way of America. Analysis: Both quantitative and qualitative methods (content analysis of open question responses) were used to analyse the data. Results: Findings revealed: strong ties (40%) and the Internet (39%) are people's primary information sources; people both value and critique most of their sources' ability to provide reliable and trusted information; and, that the most common information grounds are places of worship and the workplace. Conclusion: People have information grounds from which they acquire information and the Internet is emerging as a popular information ground. Our findings suggest that further research may provide insight into types of information grounds, the ways in which information is socially constructed at these places and how information grounds evolve over time.
A Gender Perspective on Internet Use: Consequences for Information Seeking
Author: Enochsson, AnnBritt
Date: 2005-07-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Information Seeking,Internet,Computer Attitudes,Computer Use,Gender Differences,Ethnography,Observation,Questionnaires,Interviews,Content Analysis,Qualitative Research,Statistical Analysis,Foreign Countries,Elementary School Students

Introduction: The aim of this article is to look at how attitudes towards the Internet technology differ between boys and girls, and how this affects their critical approach when seeking information. Method: The approach is ethnographic, and the material was collected by means of observations, conversations, questionnaires, interviews, computer logs and reading documents. Analyses: The analyses were made with the help of software for qualitative analysis, where all sentences both from interviews and field notes were coded. Some analyses were strictly quantitative and compared data from coded qualitative material with questionnaires and computer logs in a database sheet. Others were of qualitative nature and based on selected material from the coded texts. Results: It cannot be seen that boys and girls have different interests in the Internet technology in practice. But boys talk about their knowledge to a greater extent, and this interplays with their reflections about the Internet's reliability. Conclusion: Since a more developed cognitive model of the Internet seems to lead to more developed critical thinking about information on the Internet, it is important to help especially girls to develop models of the Internet, otherwise there is a risk that traditional gender roles will be preserved.