Search results

Structuring a sound freshman‐year experience has become an important retention and orientation tool on many campuses, and there are many different approaches; having a program of instruction for the incoming first‐year class is not unique at top liberal arts universities. But Southwestern University chose in 1985 to begin providing its first‐year students with a common intellectual experience that goes beyond a three‐day or even semester‐long orientation to the university or college life. Southwestern chose rather to address a different scholarly topic each fall semester and to have all first‐year students attend the same lectures, do the same assignments, and break into smaller faculty‐led groups for discussion and class meetings. Library instruction has become an integral part of the university's Freshman Symposium, with library literacy a goal of the program and coordinated library involvement in at least one common assignment each year.

This study aims to examine the instruction of basic information literacy (IL) skills taught to the socio‐economically disadvantaged students in the Educational Opportunity Program (EOP) at Rider University in summer 2011. The study set out to determine how the beginning IL levels of EOP freshmen differ from those of other freshmen, their learning outcomes, and retention of IL as a means to improve future research instruction.

Faculty of a speech communication class and two librarians collaborated in integrating IL in the class assignments of the 2011 summer EOP program. The assessment tools include identical pre‐ and post‐tests, a second post‐test with different multiple correct answer questions, a survey about students' perceptions of their IL training, and the teaching faculty's observations of EOP students' research skills.

EOP freshmen are equivalent to the peer freshmen in their low levels of IL skills. The findings suggested that EOP freshmen complete IL instruction with stronger IL skills. The second post‐test revealed that many students were confused about some basic IL concepts. Faculty's observation of students' information literacy skills concurs with the pre‐ and post‐tests.

This study fills a void in the literature on recent research of information literacy skills of socio‐economically disadvantaged college students. The multi‐correct answer questions employed are valuable but rarely employed in studies or discussed in the literature. The collaboration of faculty and librarians in assignment design is valuable as an increasing number of faculty are utilizing librarians to teach the necessary IL skills needed in today's curricula.

Previous studies indicate that a college-student’s leader self–efficacy (LSE) enhances the ability to be an effective leader. However, there is limited empirical evidence on the college experiential factors that develop students’ LSE in Historically Black Institutions (HBIs). The purpose of this study is to adapt Astin’s input-environment- outcome (I-E-O) model to identify the effects of college experiential variables (environment) on student LSE development (output) while controlling for precollege variables (input). Pre- and post-data were collected from 200 freshmen studying at two Historically Black Institutions and analyzed using the hierarchical multiple regression (HMR). The findings suggested that precollege LSE and college co-curricular leadership experiences significantly influence students’ LSE development.

This study aims to examine the effects of participating in physical activities on female college graduates' starting salaries. We used an instrumental variable (IV) approach to address the possible endogeneity problem. By using the Taiwan Higher Education Dataset, we discovered that participating in physical activities during college increased an individual's earnings by 3.06%. The significant positive effect of physical activity on salary demonstrated in this study is consistent with that in other relevant studies. This study also discovered that both the intensity and the persistence of participation in physical activities affected salary outcomes. Individuals earned 0.17%–2.41% more if they exercised for an additional hour per week, suggesting the importance of the intensity of participation in physical activities. In addition, persistent participation in physical activities was associated with a 3.08% higher salary.

Library instruction is an important component in developmental programs for high‐risk college freshmen. There is little in the literature to describe information literacy programs for these students. Aims to redress this omission.

This article describes a library instruction component that was included in an English department enrichment skills program for university freshmen with low verbal SAT scores. The library component includes instruments used to evaluate library sessions from the viewpoint of both the English department faculty and library faculty. A pre‐session survey was given to students to ascertain their previous experience with using the library. The results of this indicated that library instruction was needed. An assessment quiz given to students at the end of the session evaluated what they had learned.

Two or three library sessions are required to cover the basic skills of library use. In addition, librarians and English professors need to collaborate closely on assignments for the library sessions so that students will have a practical need to focus on the material presented.

This article adds to the body of literature on information literacy programs for high‐risk students, an often overlooked group.

The purpose of this study is to assess the effectiveness of higher education institution as a sustainability communication channel. The theory of planned behavior was used to examine the degree to which a student’s tenure at a large university with active and visible sustainability initiatives is associated with changes in views about sustainability and changes in reported sustainability behaviors.

This study involved a campus-wide online survey on undergraduate students at a large mid-western university. A direct measurement approach to the theory of planned behavior was used to measure changes in attitudes, normative beliefs, perceived behavioral controls and self-reported behaviors on five different environmental sustainability behaviors.

Overall findings support the notion that higher education institutions can be effective communication channels for sustainability issues, as students who have been in college for a longer period of time reported somewhat more positive attitudes, normative and efficacy beliefs and more sustainable behaviors.

By measuring specific components of the theory of planned behavior, this study provides insights on specific areas in which campaigns targeting college students in different college years could become more effective.

Few studies have assessed college as an effective sustainability communication channel despite the fact that it is potentially a powerful channel to reach a large population at their critical age. This study also measures specific components to sustainability behaviors by using the theory of planned behavior as a guiding framework.

First‐year experience (FYE) courses are excellent venues for introducing freshman students to information literacy concepts. The authors, librarians and FYE instructors at their respective institutions, conducted a nationwide survey to determine whether FYE course curricula contained a library component and, if so, to what extent. Survey results indicate that the majority of FYE programs contain some type of library unit, though results varied broadly depending on institutional factors. Details the presence of a library unit in the overall curricula of FYE courses, who is developing the library component, who is teaching it, and what is being taught. Examines current practices within FYE courses and the results can be used by librarians and FYE professionals, as well as the larger academic community, to expand understanding of the role that libraries, and librarians play in this particular type of course. It will serve as a foundation for future development of FYE course curricula and can be used as documentation for conversations promoting further integration of information literacy.

To provide an overview of innovative information literacy programs at San Jose State University King Library which may serve as models for future academic library information literacy programs.

New and innovative information literacy programs at the San Jose State University King Library are discussed and analyzed. These programs include freshman and transfer student literacy programs and a proposal for campus dormitory information literacy.

Analyzes innovative and multi‐faceted character of San Jose State King Library information literacy programs. Discusses successes, lessons learned, and ongoing challenges of the freshman information literacy program and presents goals and objectives of the transfer and campus dormitory information literacy programs.

This paper may serve as a guide for both academic and joint‐use academic and public libraries interested in assessing or expanding their information literacy programs.

This paper discusses innovative information literacy programs within the context of a merged or joint‐use academic and public library and will be of value to both future joint‐use libraries and academic libraries interested in expanding and evaluating their information literacy programs.

The purpose of this study was to understand factors that hinder success of at-risk students and whether blending advising models helps students who are on academic warning or probation. In this chapter, the researchers reflect on the development and implementation of an academic recovery program (ARP) that involved 332 at-risk students during a three-year period, beginning in the Fall of 2016. When conceptualized, the ARP centered on the issue of development of students on all levels – as individuals, as scholars, and as creators and consumers of knowledge.

The results show that 54% of ARP students exited the program with good standing and persisted at the university (graduated or enrolled at the end of the period of the study). Of the 46% that were not retained by the university, 32% left with good standing. Qualitative explorations indicated that students in the program experienced a variety of academic and external challenges that prevented students from reaching success. These challenges resulted in heightened levels of stress and anxiety about their college success.

This study sought to examine student motives for participating in a residential leadership learning community for incoming freshmen using McClelland’s Achievement Motivation Theory (McClelland, 1958, 1961). Eighty-nine students began the program in the Fall 2009 semester and were administered a single, researcher-developed instrument. Responses to an open-ended question that asked students what their primary motive for participating in the voluntary, residential leadership learning community were analyzed using deductive content analysis techniques (Fraenkel & Wallen, 2009; Patton, 2002) and categorized according to McClelland’s Achievement Motivation Theory as the need for Achievement, the need for Power, the need for Affiliation, or any combination thereof. Results demonstrated that while all three needs were found within the responses, the need for Achievement and the need for Affiliation were more common motives for joining the voluntary, residential leadership learning community.