Learning from Recent British Information Literacy Models: A Report to ACRL\u27s Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education Task Force

Information literacy is a fluid concept, shaped by our experiences, and changes in our information rich society. Guidelines articulating information literacy need modification to reflect the current form of this evolving concept. This report highlights the work of four groups in the United Kingdom to create innovative guidelines to assist practitioners in the promotion and teaching of information literacy

Finding Your Inner Gamer: Adapting Instruction for Digital Natives

This presentation investigates the rapidly growing appeal of digital gaming among students and what they learn while playing these games. While 65% of college students are gamers, creating digital games for library instruction may not be realistic. Yet by understanding the educational benefits and alluring aspects of video games, librarians can incorporate techniques into instruction that engage students. The presenters will detail the elements that play an important role in player engagement--goals/rules, challenges, control, fantasy--as well as the educational components that can be incorporated into and benefit library instruction. The presenters will also enumerate gamer demographics. One benefit of digital gaming to be explored is parallel processing, which enables gamers to interpret multiple elements at one time. Parallel processing allows them to live at twitch speed. Growing up with digital games and the Internet trains gamers to embrace the deluge of unfiltered information and efficiently interpret multidimensional images. This presentation concludes with suggestions for adapting gaming attributes to instruction. For example, most games require players to be a part of a story in the first person position. Use of this narrative stance in the classroom engages students to be an active player rather than a passive observer. By using innovative text, images, and multimedia, stories will help students comprehend the material by showing the connection between ideas and application

Single molecule imaging with longer x-ray laser pulses

During the last five years, serial femtosecond crystallography using x-ray laser pulses has developed into a powerful technique for determining the atomic structures of protein molecules from micrometer and sub-micrometer sized crystals. One of the key reasons for this success is the "self-gating" pulse effect, whereby the x-ray laser pulses do not need to outrun all radiation damage processes. Instead, x-ray induced damage terminates the Bragg diffraction prior to the pulse completing its passage through the sample, as if the Bragg diffraction was generated by a shorter pulse of equal intensity. As a result, serial femtosecond crystallography does not need to be performed with pulses as short as 5--10 fs, as once thought, but can succeed for pulses 50--100 fs in duration. We show here that a similar gating effect applies to single molecule diffraction with respect to spatially uncorrelated damage processes like ionization and ion diffusion. The effect is clearly seen in calculations of the diffraction contrast, by calculating the diffraction of average structure separately to the diffraction from statistical fluctuations of the structure due to damage ("damage noise"). Our results suggest that sub-nanometer single molecule imaging with 30--50 fs pulses, like those produced at currently operating facilities, should not yet be ruled out. The theory we present opens up new experimental avenues to measure the impact of damage on single particle diffraction, which is needed to test damage models and to identify optimal imaging conditions.Comment: 23 pages; 5 figure

Supersolid phases of light in extended Jaynes-Cummings-Hubbard systems

Jaynes-Cummings-Hubbard lattices provide unique properties for the study of correlated phases as they exhibit convenient state preparation and measurement, as well as "in situ" tuning of parameters. We show how to realize charge density and supersolid phases in Jaynes-Cummings-Hubbard lattices in the presence of long-range interactions. The long-range interactions are realized by the consideration of Rydberg states in coupled atom-cavity systems and the introduction of additional capacitive couplings in quantum-electrodynamics circuits. We demonstrate the emergence of supersolid and checkerboard solid phases, for calculations which take into account nearest neighbour couplings, through a mean-field decoupling.Comment: 9 pages with 6 figures, accepted for publication in Physical Review

Effects of aging on identifying emotions conveyed by point-light walkers

M.G. was supported by EC FP7 HBP (grant 604102), PITN-GA-011-290011 (ABC) FP7-ICT-2013-10/ 611909 (KOROIBOT), and by GI 305/4-1 and KA 1258/15-1, and BMBF, FKZ: 01GQ1002A. K.S.P. was supported by a BBSRC New Investigator Grant. A.B.S. and P.J.B. were supported by an operating grant (528206) from the Canadian Institutes for Health Research. The authors also thank Donna Waxman for her valuable help in data collection for all experiments described here.Peer reviewedPostprin

When too much entertainment is barely enough : current affairs television in the 1990s

The article examines the state of current affairs journalism and looks at news values versus entertainment values

Développement des compétences transversales et surtout de la compétence numérique des apprenants dans un projet de télécollaboration entre deux universités du pourtour méditerranéen

[EN] Telecollaboration (TC) can be defined as a technique involving different groups of students in virtual projects in two types of places geographically far apart. These projects serve, on the one hand, to improve the communicative competence in a foreign language and, on the other, to develop other transversal competences. This study is framed within a telecollaboration project with online exchanges, thus relating FLE learning tutors with FLE students having a B1 level. The interaction among students with a B1 level is accomplished through tasks created and animated by their tutors. Our study questions about the transversal competences that are developed, particularly, the digital competence acquired by students while carrying out those tasks. The project RealBergame (RB) involves students from two universities in different countries in the Mediterranean surroundings: Universitá Delgi Studi di Bergamo (UNIBG) and University of Castilla-La Mancha (UCLM). Within this project, tutors have supervised those students for 6-8 weeks. These supervised sessions consisted of encouraging, in the distance, tasks for students to be done. The tutors guided them during the process of collaborative tasks and provided them with feedback about the activities done. This help could be pedagogical, disciplinary or technical. To take place, as communication was done through computers (CMO), the digital or technical competence is one of the fundamental competences in these types of projects. Therefore, we have analysed the effects these types of projects have on the acquisition of transversal competences of the students but, above all, the digital competence.[ES] La telecolaboración (TC) es definida como una técnica que implica grupos de estudiantes en proyectos virtuales con pares de clases de lugares geográficamente alejados. Estos proyectos sirven, por un lado, para mejorar la competencia comunicativa en lengua extranjera y, por otra parte, para el desarrollo de otras competencias transversales. Este trabajo se inscribe en el marco de un proyecto de telecolaboración con intercambios en línea poniendo en relación aprendices tutores de FLE con estudiantes de FLE de nivel B1. La interacción entre los estudiantes de nivel B1 se realiza alrededor de tareas creadas y animadas por los tutores. Nuestro estudio se interroga sobre las competencias transversales desarrolladas, y en particular la competencia digital adquirida, por los estudiantes durante la realización de esas tareas. El proyecto RealBergame (RB) implica estudiantes de universidades de dos países del contorno mediterráneo : la Universitá Delgi Studi di Bergamo (UNIBG) y la Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha (UCLM). En el marco de este proyecto, los tutores han tutorizado a los estudiantes durante seis a ocho semanas. Estas tutorías consistían en animar, a distancia, tareas para estos últimos. Los tutores los guiaban durante la realización de las tareas colaborativas y les brindaban una retroalimentación de sus actividades. Esta ayuda podía ser de orden pedagógico, disciplinaria o técnica. Al estar la comunicación mediatizada por ordenador (CMO), la competencia digital o técnica es una de las competencias esenciales para participar en estos tipos de proyectos. Así pues, hemos analizado los efectos que tienen estos tipos de proyectos en la adquisición de las competencias transversales de los estudiantes, pero sobre todo la competencia digital.[FR] La télécollaboration (TC) est définie comme une technique qui implique des groupes d’étudiants dans des projets virtuels avec des pairs de classe, de lieux géographiquement distants. Ces projets servent, d’un côté à améliorer la compétence communicative des étudiants, et d’un autre côté à développer d’autres compétences transversales. Cette proposition de communication s’inscrit dans le cadre d’un projet de télécollaboration présentant des échanges en ligne mettant en relation des apprentis tuteurs de FLE avec des apprenants de FLE niveau B1. L’interaction entre ces apprenants de niveau B1 se réalise autour de tâches créées et animées par les tuteurs. Notre étude s’interroge sur les compétences transversales développées, et particulièrement la compétence numérique acquise, par les apprenants lors de la réalisation de ces tâches. Le projet RealBergame (RB) implique des apprenants d’universités de deux pays du pourtour méditerranéen : l’Universitá Delgi Studi di Bergamo (UNIBG) et l’Universidad de CastillaLa Mancha (UCLM). Dans le cadre de ce projet, les tuteurs ont tutoré les apprenants durant six à huit semaines. Ce tutorat consistait à animer, à distance, des tâches pour les apprenants. Ceux-ci leur apportaient une aide pendant la réalisation des tâches collaboratives et leur fournissaient une rétroaction sur leurs activités. Cette aide pouvait être d’ordre pédagogique, disciplinaire ou même technique. Pour y participer, la communication étant médiatisée par ordinateur (CMO), la compétence numérique ou technique de l’apprenant est l’une des compétences essentielles de ce genre de projet. Nous nous sommes donc interrogés sur les effets qu’a ce genre de projet sur les compétences transversales des apprenants mais surtout la compétence numérique.Martin, J. (2017). Développement des compétences transversales et surtout de la compétence numérique des apprenants dans un projet de télécollaboration entre deux universités du pourtour méditerranéen. En Palabras e imaginarios del agua. Les mots et les imaginaires de léau. XXV coloquio AFUE. Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València. 165-174. https://doi.org/10.4995/XXVColloqueAFUE.2016.2937OCS16517

How to improve drug dosing for patients with renal impairment in primary care - a cluster-randomized controlled trial

Background: Patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) are at increased risk for inappropriate or potentially harmful prescribing. The aim of this study was to examine whether a multifaceted intervention including the use of a software programme for the estimation of creatinine clearance and recommendation of individual dosage requirements may improve correct dosage adjustment of relevant medications for patients with CKD in primary care. Methods: A cluster-randomized controlled trial was conducted between January and December 2007 in small primary care practices in Germany. Practices were randomly allocated to intervention or control groups. In each practice, we included patients with known CKD and elderly patients (>=70 years) suffering from hypertension. The practices in the intervention group received interactive training and were provided a software programme to assist with individual dose adjustment. The control group performed usual care. Data were collected at baseline and at 6 months. The outcome measures, analyzed across individual patients, included prescriptions exceeding recommended maximum daily doses, with the primary outcome being prescriptions exceeding recommended standard daily doses by 30% or more. Results: Data from 44 general practitioners and 404 patients are included. The intervention was effective in reducing prescriptions exceeding the maximum daily dose per patients, with a trend in reducing prescriptions exceeding the standard daily dose by more than 30%. Conclusions: A multifaceted intervention including the use of a software program effectively reduced inappropriately high doses of renally excreted medications in patients with CKD in the setting of small primary care practices

T-Duality of Green-Schwarz Superstrings on AdS(d) x S(d) x M(10-2d)

We verify the self-duality of Green-Schwarz supercoset sigma models on AdS$_d \times S^d$ backgrounds (d=2,3,5) under combined bosonic and fermionic T-dualities without gauge fixing kappa symmetry. We also prove this property for superstrings on AdS$_d \times S^d \times S^d$ (d=2,3) described by supercoset sigma models with the isometries governed by the exceptional Lie supergroups $D(2,1;\alpha)$ (d=2) and $D(2,1;\alpha)\times D(2,1;\alpha)$ (d=3), which requires an additional T-dualisation along one of the spheres. Then, by taking into account the contribution of non-supercoset fermionic modes (up to the second order), we provide evidence for the T-self-duality of the complete type IIA and IIB Green-Schwarz superstring theory on AdS$_d\times S^d \times T^{10-2d}$ (d=2,3) backgrounds with Ramond-Ramond fluxes. Finally, applying the Buscher-like rules to T-dualising supergravity fields, we prove the T-self-duality of the whole class of the AdS$_d\times S^d \times M^{10-2d}$ superbackgrounds with Ramond-Ramond fluxes in the context of supergravity.Comment: v2: 57 pages, 1 figure, typos fixed and clarifications added, version to appear in JHE