Components of reward-driven attentional bias and impulsivity

History of reward biases attentional selection. However, this reward-driven attentional bias (RDAB) has not been investigated within the context of the separable components of facilitated capture and impaired disengagement. Furthermore, separating these components may better clarify the relationship between RDAB and impulsivity. To this end, across 2 experiments, the current study aimed to firstly characterize capture and disengagement in RDAB and secondly test the relationship between components of RDAB and measures of impulsivity. Across both studies participants completed reward-training followed by a modified cueing paradigm using previously rewarded and previously unrewarded stimuli as cues. Results demonstrated robust effects of facilitated capture and significant effects of impaired disengagement, although these effects were restricted to individuals aware of the reward association, either incidentally or explicitly. Across both studies, neither capture nor disengagement independently predicted impulsivity; however, total RDAB predicted impulsivity in Study 1 only. Possible reasons for these findings are discussed.Master of Art

From insight to action with Appreciative Inquiry

Two people can view the same thing—the same data, issue, or set of circumstances—and discover different opportunities because of their unique perspectives. Sometimes when we engage in User Experience (UX) work, we uncover a problem or an unmet user need, and the way forward is unclear. At this point, it can be beneficial to pull together a group of people in your library who work in different departments and have various roles; the best ideas often emerge when we gather diverse viewpoints. Simply talking about the issue is not usually effective, but numerous facilitation techniques can help lead groups from insight to action. I have often used elements of design thinking in my approach to leading groups through this exploration. Recently I have also found value in using elements of Appreciative Inquiry, and I facilitated a workshop on this technique for UXLibsV. Appreciative Inquiry is an approach co-created by David Cooperrider and his colleagues from Case Western Reserve University in the 1980s (Hammond, 2013: 5). As Cooperrider and Whitney (2005: 15) note, practitioners have defined Appreciative Inquiry in different ways. I describe Appreciative Inquiry as an approach to organizational change that is generative, builds on core strengths, and is solutions-oriented. Appreciative Inquiry can complement design thinking and other UX methodologies, and practitioners can modify elements to fit a variety of purposes

The Front Face of Library Services: How Student Employees Lead the Library at Grand Valley State University

Academic libraries have always been involved in student learning, but our profession has perhaps failed to recognize that the students who work for us every day are likely the ones we can impact the most. Librarians and library staff have a tremendous opportunity to contribute to the professional growth of the students they employ. Historically, academic libraries have defined student learning in terms of librarian instruction, collections, and providing study space. While these remain important aspects of what libraries do, student employees benefit from intentional, empowered roles and, in turn, libraries are enriched when student employees take on leadership roles. When walking into the Mary Idema Pew Library at Grand Valley State University, students surround you. As you walk through the library\u27s main corridor, students are staffing the service desk on your right, and the Knowledge Market on your left is bustling with students engaged in peer consultations. Professional staff are not visible. To students entering the building for the first time, the immediate impression is that students are front and center within the facility. Placing students in these leadership roles visually cues student patrons that the space is theirs and encourages them to manage their own learning. Additionally, this model provides high-impact learning experiences for the student employees themselves and positions them to make significant contributions to the library. Research consultants and user experience (UX) student assistants are the two groups of student employees that serve as the front face of library services in the Mary Idema Pew Library. UX students staff the single service desk, and research consultants provide one-on-one peer consultations in the Knowledge Market. Both groups perform high-level work not traditionally entrusted to student employees

5 Years of User Research: Mary Idema Pew Library Learning & Information Commons, Grand Valley State University Libraries

The Mary Idema Pew Library Learning and Information Commons at Grand Valley State University opened in 2013. Ongoing user research has been conducted to learn how students use the building and to identify design successes and opportunities for improvement. This document synthesizes insights gained through five years of post-occupancy user research

Collecting Space Use Data to Improve the UX of Library Space

Collecting data about where people are and what they are doing is an easy entry point into exploring the UX of library space. This article examines projects at two academic libraries where space use data was collected multiple times per day for several months. The two projects were designed and carried out independently but had the same purpose: to better understand how students were using library spaces so that we could improve student experiences. Collecting space use data provided a baseline understanding of user behavior in these spaces. Similar to web analytics, this baseline can be useful on its own or used in conjunction with other forms of user research

User Experience At Grand Valley State University: Training Students Who Take the Lead in Staffing the Library’s Single Service Point

This chapter overviews the training plan for Grand Valley State University Libraries’ User Experience Student Assistants, the student colleagues who take the lead in staffing the single service desk at the Mary Idema Pew Library Learning and Information Commons

Designed to Meet Our Institutional Mission: A case study from Grand Valley State University Libraries

Academic libraries exist to fulfill the missions of the institutions they serve. Historically, this included maintaining collections in support of courses and curriculum, providing instructional and reference services, and offering space for student study. Decisions about library space design were based on these priorities. However, technological advancements have changed how libraries store and provide access to collections and, as Anne M. Houston (2015) notes, “…the balance of space is moving away from collection storage and toward space enabled to meet other user needs” (84). Library spaces can now meet institutional missions in ways that go beyond traditional expectations, especially in terms of supporting student learning. Diana Oblinger (2006) affirms “Space—whether physical or virtual—can have an impact on learning. It can bring people together; it can encourage exploration, collaboration, and discussion. Or, space can carry an unspoken message of silence and disconnectedness” (1.1). Designing library spaces that encourage the connection Oblinger describes is prudent for academic libraries because “learning spaces convey an image of the institution\u27s philosophy about teaching and learning” (Somerville and Harlan 2008, 17). Library spaces can enhance the academic experience of students and revitalize the library’s institutional relevancy when design decisions are made through the lens of student learning. Grand Valley State University’s Mary Idema Pew Library Learning and Information Commons is designed to meet the institution’s student-centered focus and liberal education 2 tradition. Opened in 2013, the library has been described as a model of twenty-first century learning (Daly 2012, 16). An open, flexible, user-centered design allows students to manage their own learning, engage with others, find support through a variety of services, and discover serendipitous learning opportunities. Reflecting our institutional mission, student learning was at the core of every design decision and continues to be at the center of ongoing assessment

Strategic Planning: Plan-to-plan documentation

As part of the strategic planning process begun in 2020, the Grand Valley State University Libraries Strategic Planning Team developed a collection of planning-to-plan documentation to support the development of a new strategic planning framework. This documentation includes descriptions of the project and scope, the strategic planning team and their roles, and the timeline for the planning process. It also outlines the design principles that will guide the planning process and the ways that the team will incorporate methodologies like SOAR, North Star, and Design Thinking