Educational Evaluation Schemes and Gender Gaps in Student Achievement

This paper investigates whether gender gaps in student achievement are related to evaluation schemes. We exploit different evaluations at the end of compulsory education in Norway in a difference-in-difference framework. Compared to scores at anonymously evaluated central exit exams, girls get significantly higher grades than boys when assessed by their teacher. We find no evidence that the competitiveness of the environment can explain why boys do relatively better at the exam. The gender grading gap is related to teacher characteristics. The results indicate that the teacher-student interaction during coursework favor girls in the teacher grading.

Efficiency potential and efficiency variation in Norwegian lower secondary schools

The paper performs an efficiency analysis of the lower secondary school sector in Norway. The efficiency potential is calculated to 14 percent based on a DEA analysis with grades in core subjects (adjusted for student characteristics and family background) as outputs. The analysis of the determinants of efficiency indicates that a high level of municipal revenue, a high degree of party fragmentation, and a high share of socialists in the local council are associated with low educational efficiency. The negative effects of the share of socialists and party fragmentation seem to reflect both higher resource use and lower student performance.educational efficiency; DEA analysis; determinants of efficiency; political and budgetary institutions

Efficiency Potential and Efficiency Variation in Norwegian Lower Secondary Schools

The paper performs an efficiency analysis of the lower secondary school sector in Norway. The efficiency potential is calculated to 14 percent based on a DEA analysis with grades in core subjects (adjusted for student characteristics and family background) as outputs. The analysis of the determinants of efficiency indicates that a high level of municipal revenue, a high degree of party fragmentation, and a high share of socialists in the local council are associated with low educational efficiency. The negative effects of the share of socialists and party fragmentation seem to reflect both higher resource use and lower student performance.educational efficiency, DEA analysis, determinants of efficiency, political and budgetary institutions

Up the Down Escalator: Creating Realistic Expectations with Teaching Faculty

Has a faculty member ever approached you and asked you to come to her class to talk to students about library services and research tools, and when you ask, “What are the learning objectives for the session?” the faculty member replied, “Oh, they just need to know everything about library research, library services, how to evaluate information, and how to access materials in the library and online.” How much is reasonable for a subject librarian to impart to students in a single 50-minute one-shot? Join colleagues to discuss strategies for managing faculty expectations of library sessions and approaches for narrowing learning outcomes to specific and reasonable objectives that are met in a single class meeting

Booklists: Should- and Want-to-Reads

Booklists ... librarians love them, but they also raise many questions. This session explores where today\u27s libraries fit in the dichotomy between what we \u27should read,\u27 what we \u27want to read.\u27 Our first stop on this exploration will be the concept of a booklist. Highlights of this part of the adventure will be: testing attendee\u27s knowledge of current booklists, a review of booklist sources, and identification of OCLC booklist highlights. The literary canon will be the second focus of our session. After defining this concept, we will ask attendees to join us in a discussion of the library\u27s role in the creation and perpetuation of the literary canon

Designing Cybersecurity Awareness Solutions for the Young People in Rural Developing Countries: The Need for Diversity and Inclusion

Cybersecurity challenges and the need for awareness are well-recognized in developed countries, but this still needs attention in less-developed countries. With the expansion of technology, security concerns are also becoming more prevalent worldwide. This paper presents a design and creation research study exploring which factors we should consider when designing cybersecurity awareness solutions for young people in developing countries. We have developed prototypes of mini-cybersecurity awareness applications and conducted a pilot study with eight participants (aged 16-30) from Gambia, Eritrea, and Syria. Our findings show that factors like the influence of culture and social constructs, literacy, and language competence, the way of introducing cybersecurity terms and concepts, and the need for reflection are essential to consider when designing and developing cybersecurity awareness solutions for target users in developing countries. The findings of this study will guide future researchers to design more inclusive cybersecurity awareness solutions for users in developing countries.Comment: 17 page

Dynamite Tips for Marketing Yourself: Exploding Your Interview Potential

Are you looking for your first professional job or hoping to change jobs? This session will give you helpful tips on what to do (and what not to do) on your journey to a perfect fit, discussing everything from places to look for jobs, cover letters, resumes, references, interviews, and thank you notes that keep you in the minds of potential employers. Presenters will include role-play and invite audience interaction. If you are hiring soon this could be a great refresher for you too

After the 22 July Terror in Norway. Media Debates on Freedom of Expression and Multiculturalism

This article analyses the mainstream press coverage of the terror in Norway post 22.07.2011 and discusses how and in what context the concepts of freedom of expression and multiculturalism occur. The aim has been to map important discursive trends in the aftermath of the terror. A clear division between different victim positions is identified. One blames majority society for not granting enough space to extreme right wing views on Islam and diversity/ multiculturalism; another one sees the terror connected to a majority society that already has demonstrated a high degree of hostility towards migrants and Muslims. Thus, two different understandings of the status for freedom of expression in Norway occur, linked to differing positions on the diversity society

Party with a Plan: A Guide to Hosting Events

Need to connect with your community through an outreach or assessment activity? Careful planning leads to successful outcomes. This session provides step-by-step instructions, examples, timelines, & advice for hosting events large & small. Attendee outcomes: 1) participate in activities geared towards simulating productive events, 2) receive handouts, timelines, instructions, and examples for planning events, and 3) share you own event-planning problems and successes. This session is aimed at any librarian – or anyone who works in a library – who is or will be involved in event planning. Specifically, presenters will share examples of both positive and negative experiences from their event planning