Avoiding Plagiarism for First Year Student Students

See presentation description

Non-Stationarity in the “Resting Brain’s” Modular Architecture

Task-free functional magnetic resonance imaging (TF-fMRI) has great potential for advancing the understanding and treatment of neurologic illness. However, as with all measures of neural activity, variability is a hallmark of intrinsic connectivity networks (ICNs) identified by TF-fMRI. This variability has hampered efforts to define a robust metric of connectivity suitable as a biomarker for neurologic illness. We hypothesized that some of this variability rather than representing noise in the measurement process, is related to a fundamental feature of connectivity within ICNs, which is their non-stationary nature. To test this hypothesis, we used a large (n = 892) population-based sample of older subjects to construct a well characterized atlas of 68 functional regions, which were categorized based on independent component analysis network of origin, anatomical locations, and a functional meta-analysis. These regions were then used to construct dynamic graphical representations of brain connectivity within a sliding time window for each subject. This allowed us to demonstrate the non-stationary nature of the brain’s modular organization and assign each region to a “meta-modular” group. Using this grouping, we then compared dwell time in strong sub-network configurations of the default mode network (DMN) between 28 subjects with Alzheimer’s dementia and 56 cognitively normal elderly subjects matched 1∶2 on age, gender, and education. We found that differences in connectivity we and others have previously observed in Alzheimer’s disease can be explained by differences in dwell time in DMN sub-network configurations, rather than steady state connectivity magnitude. DMN dwell time in specific modular configurations may also underlie the TF-fMRI findings that have been described in mild cognitive impairment and cognitively normal subjects who are at risk for Alzheimer’s dementia

Shiny and New: Using Book Acquisitions As a Gateway to Information Literacy

See presentation description

Beyond the Map – Using iPads for Library Tours

Use of iPads in instruction has become a common theme in educational forums. At Auburn University, the iPad is an essential tool for introducing first year students to the library by offering a twist on the traditional library tour. Students are invited to become ethnographers for an hour, exploring the library and using iPads to record their findings. This poster presentation demonstrates the improvement over the traditional tour and displays students’ penchant for creativity

Transforming the Tutorial: Teaching Academic Integrity Online

A goal of the instruction team at Auburn University Libraries for the 2013/2014 academic year was to enhance students’ learning opportunities in the areas of plagiarism and academic integrity. A team including a Reference and Instruction Librarian, Assistant Director of the Office of University Writing, and the Auburn University Libraries Web Designer collaborated to create an online tutorial. Not wanting to re-invent the wheel, the team evaluated dozens of tutorials to ensure that the content being created offered new challenges not seen in an average online tutorial. After establishing the benchmark, the team determined that a clean user interface with a clear focus on content would offer a more effective user experience. Instead of a quiz to test users’ comprehension, a series of practice questions were created to enhance student learning rather than evaluate how well they can regurgitate knowledge. The team assessed student engagement with the tutorial, as well as capability for the tutorial to function on multiple platforms. This tutorial structure will be utilized in a series of interlinked tutorials on integrating sources effectively, correct use of citations, and issues of information literacy. Continued assessment will focus on the development of students’ ability to think critically about writing and research. The poster will include a visual explanation of the construction of a clean user interface, plans for future tutorials, as well as screenshots and survey results of assessment to illustrate how collaboration among University departments transformed a typical tutorial structure into a comprehensive learning tool