Exploring theory development: Learning from diverse masters

The goal of this chapter is to illuminate the theory development process in order to encourage, inspire, and assist individuals striving to understand theory, develop theory, or teach theory and theory development

Investigating Human-Rare Historic Book Interaction among Young Adults

This paper reports on research conducted to improve understanding of human-rare historic book interaction as a necessary first step in order to design and develop physical-virtual renderings of rare books that provide integrated haptic, audio, olfactory, visual and cognitive human-rare book interaction for the public. Our synthesis of relevant literature proposes that current research and technology can be categorized according to five characteristics: expected users, content and content management, navigation, presentation, and interaction control. Our research investigates how young adults (novices) in northern Europe interact with a rare historic book and their reflections about their interaction. Results indicate that interaction engendered appreciation and curiosity regarding individual human behaviour and social practices, and regarding design and technology for novices. Interaction also had an affective impact, eliciting personal memories and emotions. Participants reported that interacting only visually with books or their representations would not have afforded the same results. The results suggest several design recommendations for future physical-virtual renderings of rare historic books

Mentoring Future Biologists via the Internet

Mentoring has a long tradition, reaching as far back as 1000 B.C. It continues to be practiced today in both educational and corporate settings. The process is typically established to help a protégé grow and develop new skills and attitudes. But science students in lower socioeconomic areas rarely have the opportunity to interact with mentors face-to-face. This is particularly true if the students are located in a rural setting, since most corporate scientists and their research facilities are concentrated in a few urban areas of the country. Few college students can travel to these sites as part of their college study, and few scientists have the leisure to travel to colleges and universities to interact with students there. If such contact were possible, students would be exposed to a much wider range of perspectives on scientific and professional issues. The E-Mentoring program was designed to overcome some of these difficulties. Electronic mentoring, or telementoring, involves the use of computer-mediated communications (like e-mail or computer conferencing systems) to support a mentoring relationship when a face to-face relationship would be impractical.The E-Mentoring program provided biology students from two historically minority universities in North Carolina with opportunities to interact and develop relationships with corporate scientists, to expand their learning horizons, and to use technology in a meaningful way. To provide a meaningful context for electronic mentoring for students, the project was integrated within appropriate biology courses, one undergraduate and one graduate. For most students and mentors, e-mentoring was a pleasant experience, but there was no immediate important impact. It is possible that the impact of the relationship may be more fully appreciated upon later reflection. For a few students, the program was unsuccessful They never developed a relationship with their mentors, and so the only benefit they received was the introduction and use of a new technological communication tool. Recommendations for future e-mentoring programs are provided

E-Mentoring Handbook: Lessons Learned from Two Electronic Mentoring Pilot Programs

E-Mentoring, electronic mentoring for tomorrow’s scientist, connects Historically Minority University (HMU) students and corporate scientists. E-Mentoring helps to prepare HMU students for a rewarding future and/or career not only in science but also quite possibly in technology. E-Mentoring introduces all participants to the world of technology, if they haven’t already been exposed to it. Students use e-mail and computer technology, often for the first time. Teachers get additional hands-on exposure to computers and web-based instructional software. Corporate scientists get the satisfaction of being mentors to tomorrow’s scientists, using technology on their desktop or in their homes. There are numerous items that need to be in place before E-Mentoring can occur. The first section of this report covers identifying participants and matching students and scientists. The next sections will pick up where this leaves off, in terms of pulling all the pieces together and making it work and be successful