Meeting Learning Outcomes: Assessments and Rubrics for Legal Research Competency

Setting learning outcomes for teaching legal research is important to ensure that the instructor has defined goals and students are aware what they need to know by the end of the class. But even more important is making sure that the instructor can adequately assess that students are meeting these outcomes. This session will cover different types of assessments that are useful for evaluating legal research competencies and using rubrics to clearly define the skills expected in an assessment to ensure they are meeting set learning outcomes

The Multilevel, Multicultural, and Multi-Temporal Ecosocial Framework of Population Health : How Neighborhoods, Culture, and History Impact Health Outcomes and Produce Health Disparities

According to findings in the field of genetics, it has now been established that the impact of race on health is mostly a function of a people\u27s lived experience, not their genetic make-up. Due to this, the role of race in the study of health outcomes and health disparities has traditionally been specified improperly in statistical models due to confounding with ethnicity. Additionally, the role of geography or the impact of neighborhoods on health is often not specified properly. Thus, the author proposes a multilevel, multicultural, and multi-temporal ecosocial framework that explains the impact of neighborhoods on health and the role of race via ethnicity. This conceptual framework builds on the work of social scientists while advancing researchers\u27 understanding of the role of neighborhoods, culture, history, and socially assigned race as it relates to health outcomes and the existence of health disparities. Data collected from 5,314 participants in the Jackson Heart Study (in Jackson, Mississippi) were used to analyze and test the conceptual framework. The outcomes of interest are cardiovascular disease risk factors and hospitalization due to ambulatory care sensitive conditions are tested in multilevel models. Dependent variables included: total physical activity scores, hypertension status, diabetes status, hypercholesterolemia status, and hospitalizations due to ambulatory care sensitive conditions. Among the study sample in a cross-sectional analysis, factors such as higher income, car ownership, and having a larger social network were statistically significant predictors of higher physical activity scores. In the prospective analysis of hypertension status, none of the variables designed to test the conceptual framework was statistically significant; however, social status is implicated via the statistical significance of college education in more advantaged neighborhoods. In the prospective analysis of diabetes status, historical factors (unfair medical treatment), cultural factors (church attendance), and neighborhood factors (fast food restaurant availability) were statistically significant predictors of diabetes. Having perceptions of serious neighborhood problems were statistically significant predictors of hypercholesterolemia. In the cross-sectional analysis of hospitalizations due to ambulatory care sensitive conditions, only increased age was associated with the dependent variable (likely due to small sample size). Based on the dissertation research and findings across the literature, the multilevel, multicultural, and multi-temporal ecosocial framework shows promise and deserves further investigation. If the proposed ecosocial framework is refined and proven to be valid in future research, it can possibly help transform the practice and delivery of health care. Medical care can be modified to first assess and then develop an ethnically congruent treatment plan informed by an individual\u27s social identity and their view of the world of health and health care. Policy makers and health care administrators can pass policies that address issues of quality, perceptions, trust, preferences, and health stewardship for individuals and populations. Finally, health care systems around the world can be transformed to provide ethnically responsive and relevant care that is locally flexible, persistently proactive, and able to use evidence-based interventions to eliminate health disparities

Designing and Implementing Research Competency

In 2013, the American Association of Law Libraries (AALL) adopted the Principles and Standards of Legal Research Competency (PSLRC) with the aim of identifying a set of legal research skills required to be considered competent n any practice setting. The five broad principles are each supported by more specific standards and demonstrable competencies. By outlining the required qualities, skills, and knowledge attributes of a successful legal researcher, the PSLRC act as a guide for legal research instructors to ensure that students are trained with the skills they need to succeed as new attorneys

A history of Camosun Bog : restoration efforts and the people involved report

Camosun Bog is one of Vancouver’s most diverse habitats. Since it’s recognition as a landmark that deserves protection and restoration in the twentieth century there have been many groups that sought to do just that. The U.B.C. Technical Committee and the Vancouver Natural History Society played vital roles in raising public awareness, studying, restoring and protecting the Camosun Bog. In the early 1990s there were big steps made with large amounts of funding to restore the bog. These efforts came to an abrupt stop however circa 1992 potentially due to either expiration of granted funds, loss of interest from groups associated with the restoration or public aversion to the required restorative activities. Now the bog stands as an almost completely restored bog habitat. None of these successes however could have been possible without the abundance of support and involvement of the GVRD Parks department.Arts, Faculty ofGeography, Department ofUnreviewedUndergraduat

Technology Competence Instruction and Assessment under the Principles and Standards of Legal Research Competency

Many states require lawyers to maintain technology competence. This article discusses the importance of teaching technology competency to law students. It describes the recent technology competency updates made to the Principles and Standards for Legal Research Competency. It provides suggestions for teaching and assessing technology competency in legal research or other skills-related instruction