Education for Information - Volume 33, issue 3

Authors: Canuel, Robin | MacKenzie, Emily | Senior, Andrew | Torabi, Nazi

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: As a consequence of the high adoption levels of mobile technology, users are increasingly accessing academic library-subscribed content via vendor-supplied mobile applications (apps) or responsive websites. However, users may be unaware of the existence of some standalone apps and might miss benefitting from available apps at their most significant point of need. This paper outlines the McGill Library’s multifaceted approach to promotion and outreach to increase awareness and usage of mobile apps in an effort to provide additional access points for the library’s e-resources. A variety of online and traditional promotional methods were employed, such as faculty news e-bulletins, an …app web-guide, images on the Library home page slideshow, and in-person demonstrations, to advertise two of the Library’s subscribed apps, PressReader and BrowZine. Complementing this approach, four different workshops were offered at different times during an academic year targeted to specific audiences: faculty, university communications and library staff, and students. The authors describe the content and results of these initiatives showing how specific promotional strategies appear to have a greater impact on usage. They conclude with thoughts on how current behaviours in mobile usage might begin to affect the future direction of mobile access to library-subscribed e-resources. Show more

Keywords: Apps, digital literacy, app usage, academic libraries

DOI: 10.3233/EFI-160085

Citation: Education for Information, vol. 33, no. 3, pp. 135-152, 2017

Authors: Muñoz-Cañavate, Antonio | Larios-Suárez, Verónica

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: This paper reviews the history and current situation of postgraduate studies in Librarianship and Information Science (LIS) at the university level in Spain before and after the development of the Bologna Process’s European Higher Education Area (EHEA). It contextualizes the historical development of these studies, describing how official postgraduate studies in Librarianship developed in those Spanish universities which had traditionally offered the first-cycle or Bachelor’s degree LIS studies and which have instructors in this area. A distinction is made between the official postgraduate offer (which is regulated by Spain’s Ministry of Education) and the unofficial offer (which is governed by …the separate regulations of each university). It is concluded that the Bologna Process has led to the consolidation of a range of official Master’s and Doctorate studies accredited by the ANECA, a government agency that certifies the minimum quality of the courses. However, there has been little renovation of the LIS content that was being taught before the appearance of the EHEA. Show more

Keywords: Librarianship and Information Science, Spain, postgraduate

DOI: 10.3233/EFI-160087

Citation: Education for Information, vol. 33, no. 3, pp. 153-169, 2017

Authors: Colón-Aguirre, Mónica

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: This work explores the ways in which academic librarians specializing in areas related to user services consider the courses they took as part of obtaining their library and information science (LIS) degree prepared them to deal with issues of customer service in their current work. Effective customer service is a central aspect of accomplishing community engagement in academic libraries. This research employs Grounded Theory in order to explore the process through which the librarians’ personal experience of learning and applying principles of good customer service that will result in more community engagement. A total of 14 academic librarians working reference …and instruction areas were interviewed for this project employing a semi-structured questionnaire. Analysis of the data uncovered perceived weakness in how LIS education prepares students to deal with customer service issues in their professional careers. Service learning is suggested here as a sensible approach to help bridge this gap between education and practice. Show more

Keywords: Service learning, community engagement, customer service in libraries, reference, LIS education

DOI: 10.3233/EFI-160096

Citation: Education for Information, vol. 33, no. 3, pp. 171-185, 2017

Authors: Chang, Chih-Kai | Yang, Ya-Fei | Tsai, Yu-Tzu

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: Previous research indicates that understanding the state of learning motivation enables researchers to deeply understand students’ learning processes. Studies have shown that visual programming languages use graphical code, enabling learners to learn effectively, improve learning effectiveness, increase learning fun, and offering various other advantages. This study is a counterbalanced experiment on the students of a class, conducted in three stages. The first stage examines the students’ initial motivation states. In the second stage, students use a traditional programming language before a visual programming language to learn a specific data structure topic. Finally, in the third stage, students use a visual …programming language before a traditional programming language to learn another specific data structure topic. After collecting the experimental data, we cross analyzed questionnaire results to observe whether there was any correlation between them. We found that the motivation state at stages two and three were significantly higher than at stage one. It can be deduced that the use of a visual programming language in a data structure course has a significant effect on improving learning motivation. Show more

Keywords: Counterbalanced design, data structure, learning motivation, Scratch, visual programming language

DOI: 10.3233/EFI-170108

Citation: Education for Information, vol. 33, no. 3, pp. 187-200, 2017