Understanding How Higher Education Students Read Images Across Disciplines

This presentation will describe an exploratory study in which I sought to understand if, and if so, how, college students evaluate digital images. The study used a mixed methods approach which included quantitative analysis of a survey consisting of 10 multiple choice questions and qualitative analysis for the associated open-ended question for each multiple choice question. To recruit students for the survey, a nonprobability, convenience sampling technique was used and 73 responses were collected. Qualitative data was analyzed using a chi-square test of independence to examine the relationship between how frequently students performed certain behaviors and qualitative data was analyzed using an inductive, open coding process

Teaching students to critically read digital images: a visual literacy approach using the DIG method

This innovative teaching idea, the Digital Image Guide (DIG) Method, addresses the pressing need to develop visual pedagogies in the university classroom by providing a technique for students to use to critically read digital images. This article also introduces the concept of shallow and deep images. It then explains the difference between the two types of images and how to use the DIG Method to dig deeper in order to understand deep images. By utilizing the DIG Method, students can learn to analyze, interpret, evaluate and comprehend images found on social media sites and around the web, increasing their visual literacy skills in the process

Image Building: How Photography Transforms Architecture

Review of Image Building: How Photography Transforms Architecture, Reviewed March 2019 by Dana Statton Thompson, Research and Instruction Librarian, Waterfield Library, Murray State University, [email protected]

Walker Evans: Starting from Scratch

Review of Walker Evans: Starting from Scratch, Reviewed November 2020 by Dana Statton Thompson, Research and Instruction Library, Waterfield Library, Murray State University, [email protected]

Examining the Pedagogical Practices of Business Faculty: A Qualitative Analysis to Inform Library Support

During the 2018-2019 academic year, the Murray State University Libraries conducted a study to examine the pedagogical practices of business instructors who teach undergraduates at Murray State University. The study was part of a larger suite of parallel studies of business instructors at higher education institutions in the United States and was coordinated by Ithaka S+R, a non-profit organization that provides research and strategic guidance to help libraries navigate economic and technological change. Participating institutions, including Baruch College (CUNY), Bowling Green State University, Georgia Tech, Grand Valley State University, Kansas State University, Michigan Technological University, Murray State University, North Carolina Central University, Providence College, Queens College (CUNY), Santa Clara University, University at Buffalo (SUNY), University of St. Thomas, and the University of Texas at San Antonio, engaged in local studies of business instructors teaching practices and compiled independent research results and recommendations for creating or enhancing local library services and supports. Participating institutions then contributed their findings to Ithaka S+R to create a capstone report. The capstone report provides a cumulative view of the evolving needs of business instructors and includes recommendations that libraries, universities, and business associations can use to support the changing teaching needs of business instructors

Visualizing the Virus

Review: Visualizing the Virus is a cross between an online repository of original content and bibliography of existing resources. The purpose of the international and interdisciplinary project is to showcase both how the COVID-19 pandemic has been visualized and the inequalities it has revealed. The project was founded and is led by Dr Sria Chatterjee, an art historian and environmental humanities scholar who is the Head of Research and Learning at the Paul Mellon Centre in London

Review: What They Saw: Historical Photobooks by Women, 1843-1999

Review of What They Saw: Historical Photobooks by Women, 1843-1999 by Russet Lederman and Olga Yatskevich. 10x10 Photobooks, November 2021. 352 p. ill. ISBN 978-0-578-93213-2 (pbk.), $85.00. https://10x10photobooks.org/what-they-saw-historical-photobooks-by-women-publication/. Reviewed January 2023 by Dana Statton Thompson, Research and Instruction Librarian, Waterfield Library, Murray State University, [email protected]

The Path Forward: Using Canvas Commons for Online Information Literacy Instruction in the Health Sciences

Question: How can we improve the delivery of information literacy instruction in the health sciences in a virtual environment? This paper examines the integration of Canvas Commons Modules to provide downloadable, open-access information literacy tutorials for students across various disciplines, including the health sciences. Setting/Participants/Resources: The Murray State University Libraries and multiple disciplines, including Nursing and Communication Disorders. Brief Description: As higher education offers more online courses, addressing virtual learners’ information literacy needs has become critical. The modules were originally created in Fall, 2019 as an additional mode of instruction and an online substitute for in-person information literacy instruction sessions when necessary. The demand unexpectedly escalated in the Spring of 2020 due to COVID-19, when all classes moved to an online format. This paper describes the pilot year’s planning process, implementation, lessons learned, and future plans for providing online library instruction. Evaluation Method: Post assessment data comparing face-to-face instruction with online tutorials. A student feedback survey, a faculty feedback survey, and tracking the type and number of courses reached were used to determine the impact of the instruction. Results/Outcomes: Future longitudinal analysis of the library instruction program will examine the long-term significance of implementing the modules. Conclusions: As we move forward, current assessment data indicates that in-person and online tutorials can both play a valuable role in our information literacy instruction program

Recommendations for Creating Inclusive Visual Communication During a Pandemic

SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) has fundamentally changed the way we live and communicate in 2020. In the United States, public health messaging, particularly infographics, continues to accompany now familiar phrases like “wash your hands,” “socially distance,” and “flatten the curve.” This messaging often falls short of inclusivity, accessibility, and diversity. In this article, we advocate for creating and sharing public health infographics that adhere to accessibility and metadata standards as well as inclusive design best practices. Libraries are uniquely positioned, along with other community centers, to create and disseminate public health information, especially in times of crisis. Whether designing their own visual communication or reusing messaging from elsewhere, librarians can incorporate social justice measures into their visual communication by incorporating best practices for intentional, strategic, and inclusive public health visual information

\u3ci\u3eDrosophila\u3c/i\u3e Muller F Elements Maintain a Distinct Set of Genomic Properties Over 40 Million Years of Evolution

The Muller F element (4.2 Mb, ~80 protein-coding genes) is an unusual autosome of Drosophila melanogaster; it is mostly heterochromatic with a low recombination rate. To investigate how these properties impact the evolution of repeats and genes, we manually improved the sequence and annotated the genes on the D. erecta, D. mojavensis, and D. grimshawi F elements and euchromatic domains from the Muller D element. We find that F elements have greater transposon density (25–50%) than euchromatic reference regions (3–11%). Among the F elements, D. grimshawi has the lowest transposon density (particularly DINE-1: 2% vs. 11–27%). F element genes have larger coding spans, more coding exons, larger introns, and lower codon bias. Comparison of the Effective Number of Codons with the Codon Adaptation Index shows that, in contrast to the other species, codon bias in D. grimshawi F element genes can be attributed primarily to selection instead of mutational biases, suggesting that density and types of transposons affect the degree of local heterochromatin formation. F element genes have lower estimated DNA melting temperatures than D element genes, potentially facilitating transcription through heterochromatin. Most F element genes (~90%) have remained on that element, but the F element has smaller syntenic blocks than genome averages (3.4–3.6 vs. 8.4–8.8 genes per block), indicating greater rates of inversion despite lower rates of recombination. Overall, the F element has maintained characteristics that are distinct from other autosomes in the Drosophila lineage, illuminating the constraints imposed by a heterochromatic milieu