Integration of information behavior theory, models and concepts into basic reference courses: A survey

This paper reports on a study currently underway, exploring the use of information behavior theory in basic master’s level courses in reference and information services. The study reported is the third phase of a project which previously examined course syllabi and assigned textbooks, and interviewed course instructors. In the third phase, an online census survey of course instructors at American Library Association-accredited Library and Information Science programs seeks to confirm the findings of the previous interview phase. The conference presentation will focus on presentation of survey results in the context of data from the first two phases, and their implications for education of librarians who provide reference and information services

Student Privacy in the Datafied Classroom: Privacy Practices in an Interconnected World

In an interconnected world, student privacy concerns take on increasingly higher stakes. To address the imminent concerns of student privacy, this work-in-progress study investigates faculty perspectives of student privacy and their practices in relation to emerging learning analytics tools and initiatives. The project is motivated by the team’s previous research (Jones & VanScoy, 2019) that analyzed more than 8,000 library and information science syllabi and found that there is a need to better understand how faculty perceive student privacy issues and strategize to address them in practice. The current project consists of three phases; during the first phase, , the research team is conducting a survey with faculty from diverse disciplinary backgrounds who have online and face-to-face instructional experience. For the second phase, the team will use phase-one data to pursue interviews with faculty members who participate in the survey. In the third and final phase, the team will aggregate key findings from the research phases and the extant literature to facilitate discussions between faculty and librarians. Results from the phase one survey will be available to present on the poster. Focusing on instructors’ attitudes toward personal privacy and student privacy, their knowledge of privacy policies and learning analytics, and their instructional practices, the findings will deepen our understanding of student privacy in the interconnected educational environment. Jones, K. M., & VanScoy, A. (2019). The syllabus as a student privacy document in an age of learning analytics. Journal of Documentation, 75(6), 1333-1355

Sustaining an ethical digital learning environment: Perceptions of student privacy among faculty, librarians, and instructional designers

Despite educators’ eagerness to return to “normal,” the pandemic has demonstrated the importance and usefulness of online learning and its accompanying technologies, especially in times of crisis. No one wants to re-experience the chaos of the Spring 2020 transition to online learning, so taking care to plan ahead and make deliberate choices is important. In the rush to convert courses to the online format, the increased student privacy risks that result from online learning technologies were likely not at the forefront of educators’ minds. But with time to reflect and make rational decisions, educators can consider their values about student privacy and whether or not their instructional choices reflect these values. Just as the pandemic was beginning, our team surveyed instructors from a variety of disciplines and institutions in the United States. We found that educators highly valued student privacy. Although privacy can be defined in many ways, most defined personal privacy and student privacy in the same way, generally with a focus on limiting information access. Instructors’ discipline, rank, and personal demographics did not influence their views of student privacy. We are currently interviewing instructors, librarians, and instructional designers to provide context for the survey findings and to explore how these groups can productively discuss student privacy issues and make informed decisions. By sharing the results of the ongoing project, our aim is to stimulate conversation among library and information science educators about our student privacy values and actions, and to discuss how we prepare future academic librarians to support faculty in ethical decision-making about student privacy

Partnering for Policy Change: Public Policy Internship for Nurses and Interdisciplinary Healthcare Members

Nurses care for individuals, families, communities, states, nations, and the health of the planet. While developing relationships with those for whom they care, nurses also develop relationships with and partner with other interdisciplinary team members to impact policies to improve health for all. The 4.2 million nurses across the United States are uniquely positioned to address health-care needs alongside their interdisciplinary colleagues. This article provides a template for educating about policy so that nurses and other interdisciplinary team members learn how to address health-care topics at the policy level in partnership with one another.

Research with Development Ambitions--Partnering with Non-Researchers

To deliver on a development mandate it is necessary to partner. Partnerships should be based on achieving a common goal, through the partners working on complementary objectives. Partnerships should be based on related objectives, where single organisations will not be able to achieve the goal alone, and where the partnership can lead to more rapid achievement of the goals. Preferably partnership should be objective specific, temporary by nature and dynamic. No one entity can completely address the complexity of real world problems—yet they often propose to do just that. Time and money should be invested in diagnosing pathways to impact, including identifying potential partners with mandates to deliver within those areas of impact. Plan for and invest in the long and enlightening process of engagement with partners, including those who will appear (and disappear) along the way

The Potential to Transform: Information Behavior Theory and Reference Service Professional Education

Information behavior is a critical research area for informing research and information services. The growth of information behavior research over the past few decades has resulted in theories, models, and concepts that can transform thinking about reference and information service. This study explores the extent to which these theories, models, and concepts have been integrated into reference professional education through a syllabus study and interviews with instructors. Preliminary results indicate that inclusion of information behavior theories, models, and concepts remains limited and suggests that a transformation in reference professional education is yet to come

Listening and Negotiation II

This paper is based on a panel held in June, 2017 in Columbus, Ohio, jointly sponsored by the Women in Engineering Division and by the Minorities in Engineering Division. It is focused on negotiation, with an emphasis on providing practical strategies that are relevant in an academic setting. The panel featured academic leaders at multiple levels, including professor, chair and dean, from diverse engineering institutions, ranging from teaching-centric to heavily research-focused. Panelists discussed strategies for negotiation, with an emphasis on an approach that meets the interests of both parties to the extent possible. The panel was administrated with an opening lightning-round in which each panelist provided one strategy for negotiation; this was followed by a role-play of a negotiation, followed with questions and input from the audience. This paper, associated with the panel, provides several examples of negotiation that were presented in the panel discussion

An Integrated Approach to Developing Technical Communication Skills in Engineering Students

The Project to Integrate Technical Communication Habits (PITCH) is being implemented across seven engineering and computer science undergraduate programs. The overarching goal of PITCH is to develop written, oral and visual communication skills and professional habits in engineering students. PITCH activities begin in the very first semester and are reinforced and extended through all four years of each program. Senior design becomes the culminating experience in which students demonstrate the skills and habits acquired through PITCH courses. Student outcomes for the project were established based on an extensive survey of employers, alumni and faculty. Communication instruments include technical memoranda, poster presentations, oral presentations, laboratory reports, proposals, and senior design reports. In addition to text elements, the use of tables and graphics also are addressed. Advice tables, annotated sample assignments and grading rubrics are being developed for each instrument to assist students in their work and facilitate consistency in instruction and assessment across multiple instructors teaching different course sections. Within each of the seven programs, specific courses within all four years are targeted for implementation and assessment of technical communication skills. Roadmaps showing the target courses, and the instruments deployed and outcomes to be learned in each course are made available to students in each program. The different communication products are distributed across courses as appropriate, and the skills are developed at deeper and deeper levels as students progress through the years. Two critical and distinctive features of the project are that technical communication skills are fully integrated into the content of regular engineering courses and are taught by regular engineering faculty. These features will make PITCH sustainable over the longer term. In the first year of the project, 16 engineering and computer science faculty were trained by an external consultant through summer workshops to deliver and assess the technical communication instruments in their courses. All PITCH assignments submitted by students are being archived and will be used in a longitudinal assessment of the effectiveness of the project as the first cohort of students who started in fall 2012 near graduation. PITCH is funded by the Davis Educational Foundation and is designed to be self-sustaining after the three-year period of grant support. This paper describes the approach used, lists the PITCH student outcomes, and provides examples of the PITCH roadmaps, as well as the resources provided to students and faculty