Community ICT projects: do they really work? Reflections from the West End Connect project one year on

The West End suburb of Brisbane is an example of a socially, culturally and economically diverse community in Australia. The suburb has traditionally been home to Indigenous and migrant populations as well as being a refuge for many of Brisbane’s homeless people. The demographics of this suburb, however, are being significantly altered by new property developments with wealthier residents choosing to move close to the city. West End is rapidly becoming a digitally divided community. In 2004/05, academics from the Queensland University of Technology, worked with staff from the State Library of Queensland and the Ethnics Community Council of Queensland, and members of two West End community groups – the Women’s Ethnic Network and the African Women’s Network on a community Information and Communication Technology (ICT) project. Twelve community members from the groups participated in a ten month project that began with focus groups to discuss how ICT was used in the daily life of participants and what they perceived were their personal training needs and the training needs of the larger community group they represent. Training sessions (i.e. Beginning Email) were delivered based on these focus groups. Three months after the sessions, participants were interviewed about their ongoing feelings with ICT; whether they had shared their training experiences with other community members and what impact they felt the training had on their life. All participants reported that the training had a positive impact on their lives and their community. This paper presents the results of a focus group with the participants one year after their initial training experience to determine what ongoing impact, if any, the training had on their life and their community. The study is limited by its small sample size. Nonetheless, three observations can be noted: Firstly, ICT and ICT training does empower and change people’s lives. Secondly, ICT training for community groups should be provided via specialized learning environments that will allow the group members to learn and grow at their own pace and style. Thirdly, ICT training that directly involves only a small number of community members can still have considerable impact on the larger community group through shared narratives and support by the training participants with the other community members. Drawing upon the researcher’s experience of conducting the West End Connect project from beginning to end (and beyond), and having consulted the existing literature in the field of ICT projects, the following literature based recommendations (or is that predictions?) for future community ICT projects are offered: (i) community ICT projects should identify and utilize ‘communities of practice’; (ii) community ICT projects should be inspired to be community ICT initiatives; and, (iii) community ICT projects should use community leaders or educators

Generic education for specialist information professionals

Debate concerning specialist and generalist education for law librarianship is reviewed

Effecting Social Change in the 'Smart City': The West End Connect Community Project

Brisbane has declared itself a 'smart city'. But more and more Brisbane is also becoming a digitally divided city. The Brisbane community is being separated into those who have access to and are comfortable using Information and Communication Technology (ICT) – the 'haves' – and groups who do not have access to and are not comfortable using ICT – the 'have-nots'. The social and economic implications of digitally divided communities cannot be ignored by government or society as whole. The inner city suburb of West End is an example of a socially, culturally and economically diverse community. The suburb has traditionally been home to Indigenous and migrant populations as well as being a refuge for many of Brisbane's homeless people. The demographics of this suburb, however, are being significantly altered by new property developments with wealthier residents choosing to move close to the city. West End is rapidly becoming a digitally divided community. This paper explores a case study in which the Queensland University of Technology and the State Library of Queensland worked in collaboration with a number of community groups in West End to help bridge the growing digital divide. The West End Connect Community Project began in November 2004 with the aim of providing the opportunity for West End community groups to develop the skills and knowledge vital for personal and vocational success in an ever-changing environment of digital information. The paper will discuss and evaluate the strategies used to deliver and develop a community education program that will lead to social change for West End. The paper will discuss the impact of the project on the West End community as a way of bridging the digital divide

ePortfolio use by university students in Australia: A review of the Australian ePortfolio Project

In October 2008, the Australian Learning and Teaching Council (ALTC) released the final report for the commissioned project ePortfolio use by university students in Australia: Informing excellence in policy and practice. The Australian ePortfolio Project represented the first attempt to examine the breadth and depth of ePortfolio practice in the Australian higher education sector. The research activities included surveys of stakeholder groups in learning and teaching, academic management and human resource management, with respondents representing all Australian universities; a series of focus groups and semi-structured interviews which sought to explore key issues in greater depth; and surveys designed to capture students’ pre-course expectations and their post-course experiences of ePortfolio learning. Further qualitative data was collected through interviews with ‘mature users’ of ePortfolios. Project findings revealed that, while there was a high level of interest in the use of ePortfolios in terms of the potential to help students become reflective learners who were conscious of their personal and professional strengths and weaknesses, the state of play in Australian universities was very fragmented. The project investigation identified four individual, yet interrelated, contexts where strategies may be employed to support and foster effective ePortfolio practice in higher education: government policy, technical standards, academic policy, and learning and teaching. Four scenarios for the future were also presented with the goal of stimulating discussion about opportunities for stakeholder engagement. It is argued that the effective use of ePortfolios requires open dialogue and collaboration between the different stakeholders across this range of contexts

Developing a Culture of Evidence Based Practice within the Library and Information Profession: the Impact of Library Science Education. A Teaching and Learning Model from the Queensland University of Technology

Evidence Based Practice (EBP) has recently emerged as a topic of discussion amongst professionals within the library and information industry. Simply stated, EBP is the process of using formal research skills and methods to assist in decision making and establishing best practice. The emerging interest in the EBP within the library context serves to remind the library profession that research skills and methods will ensure that the library industry remains current and relevant in a rapidly changing environment. The future of EBP within the library context relies upon effective cooperation between industry professionals, library science educators and professional associations. This paper will consider the role of library science education in ensuring the future of EBP within librarianship. Aware of its role to industry as a supplier of employees to the marketplace, the Queensland University of Technology (QUT) is continually reviewing its library science curriculum to more readily embrace the needs of current industry practice. This paper will discuss the teaching and learning model that is being at the Queensland University of Technology to foster student awareness and understanding of EBP and its practical role in the library and information industry. The paper examines the experiences of both the teaching staff and the students in practicing EBP within an industry context and considers the contribution the course makes in developing an EBP culture within the Australian library and information profession

Professional Pathways: Strategies to increase workforce diversity in the Australian library and information sector

In this article it is argued that the notion of a ‘diverse workforce’ extends beyond our understandings about the different cultural and linguistic backgrounds, the gender identity or the sexual orientation of individual staff members; it also considers the increasingly diverse skills required by library and information professionals. The work undertaken in the Australian Professional Pathways project is discussed.Peer Reviewe

Commonwealth government agency libraries review: Literature review

Ongoing financial, administrative, and technological changes present significant challenges and opportunities for government libraries in delivering services to their clients. Determining how government library and information services might best confront these challenges and take advantage of new opportunities is crucial for the future of the sector. The Australian Government Libraries Information Network (AGLIN) has commissioned a review of service delivery models in Commonwealth Government libraries. As an initial step in the project, a literature review was undertaken in order to consider the issues which impact directly on government library service provision today. The literature review builds on and updates the review prepared for the Queensland Government Agency Libraries Review (QGALR) five years ago

ePortfolios through the looking glass: Projecting our learning into the future

This opinion paper was birthed in the reflective conversations between two higher education academics whose combined knowledge and experience spans ten years of Australian ePortfolio research and practice. A number of questions fed those conversations reflecting on the past, present and future for ePortfolio use in Australia. In offering this paper we hope to stimulate a wider collective reflection and conversation about current ePortfolio practice and how we might envisage the future. The NMC Horizon Report Higher Education Report 2016 predicts an increase in blended learning, bring-your-own device (BYOD) and a shift towards deeper learning that will link learner autonomy, graduate attributes and real-world experiences to help students transition to the workplace. The report also sees a significant challenge in students connecting formal and informal learning experiences. The challenge for ePortfolio advocates is demonstrating how to respond effectively to these trends. The AeP project, commissioned by the Australian Learning and Teaching Council (ALTC) in 2007 found a strong interest in ePortfolio use for student reflection and evidencing of skills across Australian universities. The later AeP.2 project sought to develop an ePortfolio community of practice, which over time evolved into the Australian ePortfolio Forum (Hallam et al. 2008, 2009). Since that time ePortfolio implementation has gained traction in institutional, faculty, program/course or course/unit implementations across universities. There is still strong interest in ePortfolio use for professional accreditation and career enhancement, and the development of reflective practice and other pedagogical outcomes. Implementation, however, is not an easy process (Slade et al. in press) but we can project our learnings and experiences into thinking about the future of ePortfolios. Students are the key ePortfolio users in higher education, but there are other important stakeholders, such as staff, institutions and early adopter industry groups, to consider. In particular, we need to understand the systemic barriers and advocate change with industry and accrediting bodies to facilitate improved ePortfolio uptake. We know there are still other areas of ePortfolio practice that could be enhanced, such as ePortfolios in student placements, employability and integration with co-curricular activities or newer areas like learning analytics. This raises a number of questions which we can discuss together. Maybe we need another audit to measure progress, a think tank involving collaboration of stakeholder groups for strategic planning or an idea from left-field. Whatever the case, we are eager to hear the opinions of the ePortfolio collective….so let the conversation begin

The association of academic tracking to depressive symptoms among adolescents in three Caribbean countries

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Students who are tracked into low performing schools or classrooms that limit their life chances may report increased depressive symptoms. Limited research has been conducted on academic tracking and its association with depressive symptoms among high school students in the Caribbean. This project examines levels of depressive symptoms among tenth grade students tracked within and between high schools in Jamaica, St. Vincent and St. Kitts and Nevis.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Students enrolled in grade ten of the 2006/2007 academic year in Jamaica, St. Kitts and Nevis and St. Vincent were administered the Beck Depression Inventory II (BDI-II). In Jamaica and St. Vincent, academic tracking was operationalized using data provided by the local Ministries of Education. These Ministries ranked ordered schools according to students' performance on Caribbean school leaving examinations. In St. Kitts and Nevis tracking was operationalized by classroom assignments within schools whereby students were grouped into classrooms according to their levels of academic achievement. Multiple regression analyses were conducted to examine the relationships between academic tracking and BDI-II depression scores.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>A wide cross-section of 4^thform students in each nation was sampled (n = 1738; 278 from Jamaica, 737 St. Kitts and Nevis, 716 from St. Vincent; 52% females, 46.2% males and 1.8% no gender reported; age 12 to 19 years, mean = 15.4 yrs, sd = .9 yr). Roughly half (53%) of the students reported some symptoms of depression with 19.2% reporting moderate and 10.7% reporting severe symptoms of depression. Students in Jamaica reported significantly higher depression scores than those in either St. Kitts and Nevis or St. Vincent (p < .01). Students assigned to a higher academic track reported significantly lower BDI-II scores than students who were assigned to the lower academic track (p < .01).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>There appears to be an association between academic tracking and depressive symptoms that is differentially manifested across the islands of Jamaica, St. Kitts and Nevis and St. Vincent.</p

Trends in LIS Education in Australia

Recent reforms to the higher education sector are presenting challenges for academic staff and university administrators across Australia. Within this context, LIS education faces its own specific issues and challenges. This paper reviews the current trends in the LIS education, looking at student numbers, academic staffing and curriculum issues. Education providers also need to consider the career-long learning needs of the profession. It is argued that LIS educators cannot work in isolation: the LIS profession as whole must work together collaboratively to ensure it has a bright and relevant future