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1 – 10 of over 68000This study explores how Taiwanese college and technical institution libraries familiarize users with library facilities and information resources. Three relevant literatures were…
Abstract
This study explores how Taiwanese college and technical institution libraries familiarize users with library facilities and information resources. Three relevant literatures were reviewed to identify the general trends from the past. Questionnaires were distributed to 19 colleges and 50 technical institutions, 61 institutions responded. Various user education programs, implementation methods and evaluations were explored in the survey. Lists of common difficulties and the problems faced by library staff and their suggestions were profiled and compiled. Analyses based on the survey findings are made and suggestions centered on the analysis results are provided to interested fellow librarians in Taiwan.
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Shows that undergraduates do have needs for user education programs but that existing programs are not well designed to meet these needs. Suggests that if librarians can better…
Abstract
Shows that undergraduates do have needs for user education programs but that existing programs are not well designed to meet these needs. Suggests that if librarians can better understand undergraduate needs, they then can redesign existing user education programs accordingly. Also presents models and theories that help to understand undergraduate needs and the factors affecting those needs. Concludes that it is unrealistic for librarians to serve every undergraduate’s needs. Effective segmentation is therefore necessary to identify realistic segments to be targeted. Suggests subject‐based segmentation to be an effective means.
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Nurudeen Adeniyi Aderibigbe and Bosede Adebimpe Ajiboye
The focus of this study is the development of effective user education programs that will enhance the use of electronic information resources (EIR) in an era of electronic…
Abstract
Purpose
The focus of this study is the development of effective user education programs that will enhance the use of electronic information resources (EIR) in an era of electronic information for the students of the University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, which consequently could be adapted for students in other higher institutions of learning.
Design/methodology/approach
This study was carried out during the first semester of the 2010/2011 academic session (November 2010 to February 2011), employing a survey method. The target population is postgraduate students (postgraduate diploma, Master's degree and Doctor of Philosophy students) of the seven colleges that run postgraduate programs at the University of Agriculture, Abeokuta. Of a total population of 330 postgraduate students, 250 postgraduate students were selected randomly using a purposive sampling technique since the student population was not evenly distributed across the colleges. Administration and retrieval of the questionnaire lasted for six weeks.
Findings
The findings of this study have shown that the user education program of Nimbe Adedipe Library is not adequate; the library provides more library orientation than bibliographic instruction and information literacy skills. It was also found that few of the students received training on EIR usage while an analysis of the open‐ended questions revealed that the students got to know how to use electronic resources through their own efforts, periodic training in the library, and through the efforts of some library staff and friends. It was also found that use of EIR has a great impact on the respondents' academic activities, as reflected in their responses, where the students agreed that their academic work would suffer without the use of EIR.
Practical implications
It is the belief of the researchers that empirical research on the use of library resources is crucial for the design and implementation of user education programs.
Originality/value
The results of this study will be a meaningful addition to the literature of library and information science in the area of user studies.
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Helen Rhodes and Jacqueline Chelin
A survey carried out during 1998 investigated the use of the World Wide Web for user education in 68 UK university libraries. Almost three‐quarters of the libraries surveyed make…
Abstract
A survey carried out during 1998 investigated the use of the World Wide Web for user education in 68 UK university libraries. Almost three‐quarters of the libraries surveyed make use of the Web for this purpose. The Web is used as a supplement to existing user education, in order to support independent, student centred learning and to reach parttime and distance learners. Just ten percent of user education is delivered solely via the Web, but libraries indicated that use will grow in the future. It was found that greater use is made of the Web for information skills training than for library induction. The authors suggest a number of reasons why more use is not being made of the Web for user education and propose future developments in this area. Web‐based instruction is unlikely to completely replace traditional methods, but it can be used to supplement and extend existing provision.
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Abiodun Olatunji Abisuga, Cynthia Changxin Wang and Riza Yosia Sunindijo
This paper aims to identify user-centred facilities performance attributes of higher education buildings and how they can be used to evaluate individual learning spaces. These…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to identify user-centred facilities performance attributes of higher education buildings and how they can be used to evaluate individual learning spaces. These attributes are then consolidated for developing a post-occupancy evaluation (POE) framework in this context.
Design/methodology/approach
A systematic review of the literature on the POE of higher education buildings is conducted.
Findings
This study identifies 36 facility performance attributes in higher education buildings, which can be categorised into four dimensions: ambient; spatial; technology; and building support and services requirements. These facility performance attributes need to meet user requirements to achieve satisfactory feedback. It is also important to note that user requirements differ from one learning space to another; thus, it is essential to consider the characteristics of individual learning spaces.
Research limitations/implications
The proposed evaluation framework is context-based and may not be suitable to evaluate other types of buildings. It may be further extended and enhanced to meet other facility management evaluation needs.
Practical implications
The POE framework developed in this research can be used to generate facilities management analytic to inform future design and improve existing higher education facilities.
Originality/value
This research has developed a holistic POE framework tool to meet user requirements in higher education buildings.
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A. RENNIE McELROY and JOHN L. BATE
User education programmes fall into two categories. They may aim simply to help the student through his course and familiarise him with a single library (short‐term objectives)…
Abstract
User education programmes fall into two categories. They may aim simply to help the student through his course and familiarise him with a single library (short‐term objectives), or to provide a fuller awareness of the generation, role, and use of information which may allow him to research problems in any subsequent professional situation (long‐term objectives). It is argued that the latter are more valuable; the objectives of librarian and student on such courses are discussed in detail. A user education course based on long‐term objectives is described, and its effects on student and library discussed. Finally, the contribution of user education to the “information society” is considered, and user education programmes with long‐term objectives preferred.
For a field approaching a critical period of reappraisal and rethinking of methods, user education is well served by secondary material. A definitive history of training in the…
Abstract
For a field approaching a critical period of reappraisal and rethinking of methods, user education is well served by secondary material. A definitive history of training in the use of the library by Bonn in 1960 has been followed by a steady flow of review articles on the subject. Tidmarsh in 1968 concentrated on instruction in the use of academic libraries. After briefly tracing the historical background in Britain and America she went on to describe developments in Britain in theory and practice following the proposals of the Library Association University and Research Section in 1949 for a three‐stage user education programme. She concluded her review with a discussion of the three main problems that were then, and to a certain extent still are, hampering the spread of user education—inadequate finance, lack of timetabled time, and indifference of academic staff. Mews reviewing developments in teaching the use of books and libraries, again with reference to British academic libraries for the period 1966–70, examined courses reported during that period paying particular attention to instruction for new students and undergraduates. Trends she noted included a move to the use of audio‐visual aids and to the appointment of information officers, bringing new opportunities for person‐to‐person enquiries. Surveying current practice in 1970 Pugh noted many difficulties faced by library instruction programmes at the time. These problems were taken up by Scrivener in a significant article describing instruction in library use as a persisting problem. ‘The welter of writing shows clearly the extent of interest in the subject and equally clearly that it is a problem (or complex of problems) to which no generally accepted solutions have been found.’ In America the approaches to teaching library skills to college students have been studied by Dudley, a study which included descriptions of two accredited courses at the Berkeley and Los Angeles campuses of the University of California. More recently Givens after discussing the history of the role of the library in user education studied the educational developments of the ‘sixties and the libraries’ response. He discussed the componsnets of a user education programme and the rethinking and reorganization that would be required to achieve that programme.
Gives an overview of the current diverse user education scene inacademic libraries. Discusses why libraries carry out user education andthe arguments for and against. Describes…
Abstract
Gives an overview of the current diverse user education scene in academic libraries. Discusses why libraries carry out user education and the arguments for and against. Describes the different forms of user education covering library orientation, bibliographic instruction, information skills teaching, on‐line instruction and course‐related instruction, and instructional methods and their appropriateness to different situations. Offers guidance on how to go about setting up a programme of user education from the planning stage to the evaluation of the programme.
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The purpose of this paper is to examine user studies as well as user education within the context of public services offered by archival institutions. It highlighted some of the…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine user studies as well as user education within the context of public services offered by archival institutions. It highlighted some of the key aspects that constitute both concepts drawing from history in order to provide a better understanding in the context of current professional discussions.
Design/methodology/approach
The review analysed peer-reviewed articles ranging from the late 1970s to the present time to illuminate debates in the archival professional underpinning the current understanding of user studies and user education.
Findings
The paper outlined the different paths used in user studies to ensure data collection is exhaustive and provides a nuanced assessment of user needs. It also outlined the two related paradigms of structuring user education programmes, highlighted the points at which they differ and the rich discussions resulting from comparative analysis.
Originality/value
The paper demonstrated that there is a rich corpus of professional literature on both user studies and user education, expounding on different aspects that would ensure both are designed and implemented effectively.
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Lucy Simons, Steve Tee and Tina Coldham
Mental health education aims to develop valuesbased practice to support practitioners in clinical decision‐making. Values‐based practice requires high levels of cultural…
Abstract
Mental health education aims to develop valuesbased practice to support practitioners in clinical decision‐making. Values‐based practice requires high levels of cultural competence achieved through service user participation in professional preparation. The degree of service user participation remains dependent on the values of programme providers.In this paper, we consider whether strategies to involve service users in mental health professional education can support the principles of valuesbased practice. To do this, we have drawn on the findings from qualitative studies of educators' practices and their views regarding service user involvement. Values‐based practice requires self‐awareness of values impacting on decisions and knowledge derived from service users' personal accounts. The studies suggest that while opportunities exist for service users to present their accounts, few examples of service user involvement facilitated deeper examination of values underpinning decision‐making. Enabling service users to influence values‐based practice development requires more authentic participatory approaches. Educators valued the contribution of service users' experiential knowledge to the learning process, but there was less evidence of educators' values base that would model commitment to the empowerment of service users.
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