scholarly journals Skills Gained from University Library Instruction Sessions Are Perceived as Useful Four to Eight Weeks Later

2007 ◽  
Vol 2 (4) ◽  
pp. 67
Author(s):  
Lorie A. Kloda

Objective – To assess the impact of a university library instruction program. Design – Survey questionnaire administered post-intervention. Setting – A mid-size science and technology university in Hong Kong. Subjects – Student and staff participants in either course specific or open (elective) library instruction workshops. Methods – Surveys were conducted to measure the perceived effectiveness of the library instruction program, including various types of course specific (CS) and open workshops (OW). Librarians responsible for teaching nominated the sample of workshops for evaluation. Students in all but one CS workshop were provided with a 14-question paper questionnaire in class by their course instructor, while participants in all of the open workshops and one CS workshop received the same questionnaire via e-mail. The questionnaires were distributed between four to eight weeks following the workshops in order to gauge the “enduring” impact of the instruction. Most questions were closed, forcing participants to choose an answer from a list or select from a 4- or 7-point Likert scale. Comments were also solicited. Results were summarised and analysed using SPSS software. The CS and OW questionnaires were studied separately to allow for comparisons between groups. Main results – Out of 133 workshops taught in the fall of 2004, 25 were included in the sample: 15 CS and 10 OW. The overall response rate was 68%, with 466 participants completing questionnaires. Most participants indicated that the workshops were useful for learning about sources and search methods for finding information quickly. The majority (72.2%) responded that they felt an increase in confidence when conducting library research and slightly more than half (57.9%) agreed the workshops led to an increased interest in using the library. The responses differed significantly for the CS and OW groups: OW participants consistently rated the usefulness of the workshops higher than CS participants. In regards to retention of skills, 68.5% of participants responded in the affirmative when asked of they had continued using the skills taught, with rates ranging from 56 to 83% depending on the workshop. There was little difference in perceived retention between the CS and OW groups. The skills most frequently identified as having been learned included the abilities to “form better search strategies” and “find better Internet resources.” Written feedback included remarks on reducing class size and length, and increasing practice time and the number of handouts. Conclusion – A “delayed perception survey” revealed positive feedback from library workshop participants on questions about confidence, usefulness, and retention of skills learned. There was a significant difference in confidence levels reported between CS and OW groups, with OW participants reporting higher levels of confidence. The researchers surmise this might be a result of self-selection, as OW participants volunteered both to attend the library instruction workshops and to respond to the survey questionnaire. The short questionnaire is an efficient tool for assessing the perceived usefulness of library workshops for both course-integrated sessions and elective workshops.

2017 ◽  
Vol 42 (2) ◽  
pp. 80-85 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ellen Petraits

Throughout the year, research and instruction librarians at Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) instruct students in ways to use the library for studio-based research. At the end of each semester, librarians attend studio critiques for these classes to see the finished work and participate in the critique. These visits are opportunities to look for and reflect upon the presence of research and the impact of concepts taught during library research workshops on the finished presentations and artworks. The coordinator of graduate library instruction created a qualitative tool to assess the evidence of student learning within the studio critique. Its use is cultivating a culture of art and design research within the library and throughout campus by fostering reflection and discussion about the value of qualitative assessment.


Trauma ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 118-126 ◽  
Author(s):  
EC Cioè-Peña ◽  
JC Granados ◽  
LL Wrightsmith ◽  
AL Henriquez-Vigil ◽  
RT Moresky

Background In El Salvador, over 32% of all deaths are due to trauma. However, El Salvador lacks any established standardized trauma response system to treat the most critical of Salvadoran patients. In an effort to improve trauma response in El Salvador, we assessed the impact of a trauma-specific skills training, which could improve trauma care in a setting where no formal trauma training exists. Methods We used a pre- and post-interventional design study to measure the critical actions performed during a trauma event, as well as the case-fatality rate, emergency ward-to-operating room time, and utilization of ultrasound. The intervention was a primary trauma care course taught to all study participants. Results Eighteen providers were observed over a six-month period and 194 patient encounters (48 pre- and 146 post-intervention) were recorded. There was no significant difference in observed critical actions during major trauma between the pre-intervention and post-intervention periods. There was a significant improvement in ultrasound usage post-intervention (9.5% to 21.4%; p = 0.04). Conclusion The lack of behavior change observed following a two-day trauma training underscores the gap between physician knowledge and applied behavior change. This is a limited single center study, but further examination is necessary to determine the role of two-day training courses in the larger context of behavior change within a health system that has no formal post-graduate training in or defined algorithmic trauma care.


2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 47 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ali Tarhini ◽  
Ra’ed Masa’deh ◽  
Ali Al-Badi ◽  
Majdolen Almajali ◽  
Sufian Hussien Alrabayaah

This paper aims to investigate the effects of perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, self-efficacy, trust, job opportunity, top management support, competitive pressure, and regulatory support on employees’ behavioral intention to use cloud computing. Data was collected by means of self-administrated questionnaire containing 25 items from 205 employees’ working in three, four, and five star hotels. Multiple regression analysis was conducted to test the research hypotheses. Results of the current study revealed that there are significant impacts of four independent variables (i.e. job opportunity, top management support, competitive pressure, and regulatory support) on behavioral intention (BI) to use cloud computing; whereas four independent variables (i.e. perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, self-efficacy, and trust) have no significant impact on BI. The results of T-test also showed that there is a significant difference in the impact of BI to use cloud computing in favor of gender. On the other hand, the results of ANOVA’s test showed that there is no significant difference in the impact of BI that can be attributed to age, educational level, and personal income; whereas a significant difference found in favor of work position and hotel’s classification. In light of these findings, implications to both theory and practice are discussed.


1997 ◽  
Vol 27 (4) ◽  
pp. 199-202 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mubina Agboatwalla ◽  
Dure Samin Akram

A prospective community-based intervention study was conducted in a slum area of Karachi, Pakistan, with the objective of evaluating the impact of health education on the knowledge of mothers. One hundred and fifty households were studied in the intervention and the same in the non-intervention group. The post intervention knowledge scores of the mothers showed a significant difference of P < 0.05. Nearly 50.7% mothers in the intervention group knew of at least four diseases against which vaccination is given as compared to the non-intervention group ( P < 0.05). Similarly, mothers in the intervention group were more aware about the advantages of breast feeding, signs of dehydration, measures for prevention of measles and tuberculosis as compared to the non-intervention group ( P < 0.05). Finally, a comparison was made between the pre- and post-intervention scores between the two groups. The score in the non-intervention group changed from 11.5 to 16.1 ( P > 0.05) as compared to the intervention group in which it changed from 10.2 to 32.2 ( P < 0.05).


2017 ◽  
Vol 21 (4) ◽  
pp. 857-871 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abdoulaye Kaba ◽  
Chennupati K. Ramaiah

Purpose The purpose of this study is to investigate and analyze demographic differences in using knowledge creation tools among faculty members. It also attempts to identify the most knowledge creation tool used by the participants. The tools comprised of 13 items including data mining, metadata, classifications, expert profiling, Mashup and blogs. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected through an online survey questionnaire. A total of 300 faculty members from 26 universities and colleges accredited by the UAE Ministry of High Education participated in the study. The t-test and analysis of variance (ANOVA) test are used to validate the stated hypotheses. Findings The study found personal knowledge management to be the most used knowledge creation tool among the faculty members, followed by authoring tools and templates. Findings of the study indicate statistically no significant difference in using knowledge creation tools with respect to gender, qualification, academic rank, teaching experience and institutional affiliation. These findings support the stated null hypotheses (H1, H3, H4, H6 and H8) and suggest that the use of knowledge creation tools is independent from these variables. However, the results showed statistically a significant age group difference, academic specialization and research experience in using knowledge creation tools. The findings reject the assumed hypotheses (H2, H5 and H7) and suggest the impact of these variables on the use of knowledge creation tools. Research limitations/implications The paper is based on the data collected through a survey questionnaire. Future studies may combine quantitative and qualitative data collection methods for the purpose of comparison and in-depth analysis. Practical implications Findings could be an important reference for knowledge management officers and knowledge intensive organizations and institutions to develop knowledge creation tools and promote usage among knowledge workers. Originality/value The paper represents one of the very few empirical studies conducted on the use of knowledge creation tools. Findings of the study may contribute to the process of knowledge creation among faculty members and also to the improvement of knowledge management in the academic environment and other knowledge organizations.


2016 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
pp. 343-353 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeevita S. Pillai ◽  
Aoife McLoughlin

Time is an important aspect of people’s lives and how it is perceived has a great impact on how we function, which includes whether we engage in activities such as exercise that are beneficial for our health. These activities can also have impact on our experience of time. The current study aims to investigate human interval timing after completion of one of two tasks: listening to an audiobook, or engaging in a Zumba workout. Participants in this study completed two temporal bisection tasks (pre and post intervention). Bisection points (point of subjective equality) and Weber’s ratios (sensitivity to time) were examined. It was hypothesised that individuals in the Zumba condition would experience a distortion in their timing post workout consistent with an increase in pacemaker speed. Unexpectedly there appeared to be no significant difference in bisection points across or within (pre/post) the conditions, suggesting that neither intervention had an impact on an internal pacemaker. However, there were significant differences in sensitivity to timing after Zumba Fitness suggesting a potential attentional focus post workout. Implications and future directions are also discussed.


2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S65-S65
Author(s):  
Ross Pineda ◽  
Meganne Kanatani ◽  
Jaime Deville

Abstract Background Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) remains a significant pathogen in patients with respiratory infections. Guidelines recommend empiric MRSA coverage in patients at increased risk, resulting in substantial vancomycin use. Recent literature highlights the use of MRSA nasal assays as a rapid screening tool for MRSA pneumonia, demonstrating high negative predictive values and allowing for shorter empiric coverage. We aimed to evaluate the impact of MRSA nasal screening review by the antimicrobial stewardship program (ASP) on vancomycin utilization for respiratory infections. Methods This was a retrospective, quasi-experimental, pre-post intervention study. The intervention saw the addition of an MRSA screening review tool into the ASP electronic record, highlighting patients on vancomycin (actively or recently administered) with a negative MRSA screening. Vancomycin days of therapy (DOT) was collected for all orders indicated for a respiratory infection in the two weeks following a negative screening. Additional outcomes include vancomycin total dose and DOT per 1,000 patient days. Outcomes were compared via independent samples t-tests. Results 1,110 MRSA screenings resulted across 2 months, of which the majority were excluded for either not having vancomycin ordered, or for having vancomycin ordered for a non-respiratory indication, leaving 37 and 35 evaluable screenings in the pre- and post-intervention groups, respectively. Regarding vancomycin DOT, we did not identify a significant difference between pre- and post-intervention groups with respective means of 2.45 (SD=1.52) and 2.14 (SD=1.12) (p=0.35). We identified a total 8.78 vancomycin DOT per 1,000 patient days in the pre-intervention group versus 6.69 in the post-intervention group. Conclusion ASP-guided review of MRSA screenings was associated with a nonsignificant decrease in mean vancomycin DOT and lower total DOT per 1,000 patient days for respiratory infections following a negative screen. Given the recent implementation of our intervention, our analysis covered a small sample size, highlighting the need for continued data collection. MRSA screenings are not always fully or immediately utilized in our institution, demonstrating room to de-escalate MRSA-targeted antibiotics. Disclosures All Authors: No reported disclosures


2021 ◽  
Vol 40 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Roya Sheybani ◽  
Zahra Hosseini ◽  
Sayed Hossein Davoodi ◽  
Teamur Aghamolaei ◽  
Amin Ghanbarnejad

Abstract Background Evidence indicates the lower intake of fruits and vegetables than the recommended daily amount. Study aimed at determining the effects of peer education intervention on the consumption of fruits and vegetable in housewives. Methods A quasi-experimental was conducted with 130 housewives referring to health care centers in Bandar Abbas, Iran. Sixty-five subjects were recruited in each of the intervention and the control groups. Intervention group were divided into three subgroups each receiving a seven-sessions educational programs (lecturing and group discussion) through peers about the importance of benefits of fruits and vegetables consumption. Participants were followed for two months. Data were collected using a questionnaire in two stages of pre- and post-intervention. Differences in the outcome before and after the intervention were tested using T-test and paired T-test. Results The daily servings of fruits and vegetables in the intervention group increased from 1.73 to 4.20 and in the control group from 1.96 to 2.16; a statistically significant difference was also observed between the groups (P < 0.001). After the intervention benefits and self-efficacy of fruits and vegetables consumption significantly increased and perceived barriers of fruits and vegetables consumption significantly decreased in the intervention group (P < 0.001). Conclusion Peer education improves benefits and self-efficacy, reduces barriers, and increases the daily servings of fruits and vegetables in housewives.


Health Scope ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol In Press (In Press) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sedigheh Abedini ◽  
Farzaneh Pourjalil ◽  
Shokrallah Mohseni

Background: Hypertension is an important health problem that can be controlled by self-care. Objectives: The present study aimed to determine the impact of an educational program based (BASNEF) model on knowledge and self-care behaviors for hypertensive patients in Bastak, Iran. Methods: This quasi-experimental study was performed on 180 patients with hypertension who were admitted to health centers of the Bastak city. The participants were randomly assigned to intervention (n = 90) and control (n = 90) groups. Data were collected using a questionnaire that had three sections of demographic information, knowledge, and BASNEF constructs. The questionnaires were completed before the intervention and two months after providing the intervention. After the pre-test, an appropriate educational intervention was designed and implemented only among the intervention group. To analyze the data, paired t-test, independent t-test, and Chi-square tests were run by SPSS version 19. Results: The mean age of the participants was 50.62 ± 7.549 years. The results showed a statistically significant difference in the mean scores of attitudes, subjective norms, enabling factors, and self-care behaviors in the intervention group pre- and post-intervention (P = 0.001). Besides, it was found that enabling factors (0.311) play a significant role in predicting self-care behaviors. Conclusions: The results of this study support the effectiveness of educational interventions in raising awareness and improving self-care behaviors in patients with hypertension using the BASNEF model. Therefore, with an emphasis on enabling factors, the BASNEF model can be used as a framework to develop educational interventions for self-care.


2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Innocent Dalumzi Njiva

In this democratic era, two of the largest previously disadvantaged communities in Port St Johns i.e. Mtumbane and Maheng were still without waste collection services. Solid waste was dumped indiscriminately and posed risks to health and the environment. To help these communities to achieve better health, this study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of environmental education on waste management practices (WMP). The key objectives entailed establishing the knowledge, attitude and behaviour of sampled households towards WMP; evaluating the intervention of the 4Rs (reuse, reduce, recycle and recover) of WMP as taught to Grades 4 to 7 residing in the previously sampled households and assessing the impact of the intervention on WMP in these households. This study was undertaken in three phases. The pre-intervention and post-intervention phases included questionnaire administration occurring over two months. The intervention comprised the teaching of the 4Rs of WMP and the completion of a daily diary by Grades 4 to 7 residing in the previously sampled households.This study focused on statistically significant differences that were reported between pre- and post- intervention. The differences were meant to establish if the respondents had any changes in knowledge regarding solid waste management. Results showed that the use of plastic bags increased which showed a significant difference (p-value 0.034).Indiscriminate dumping of waste in Mtumbane decreased whereas in Maheng, there was no difference with their practices. Among the majority of respondents from Mtumbane, waste was regarded as something useful (p-value 0.003). The education associated with waste management for both townships increased by more than 15% and that made a significant difference (p-value 0.025). Further, more than half of the respondents in Mtumbane separated their waste. The results show that there was a significant difference (p-value 0.001) in Mtumbane and not in Maheng. This significant difference may be attributed to the distribution of adequate information as the two townships vary in distance from the municipal offices i.e. Mtumbane: three kilometres and Maheng: 15 km). It was found that the number of respondents willing to pay for waste collection services increased post-intervention (p-value 0.003). It appears that in every aspect when pre- and post-intervention were reported, there was a positive difference after the intervention phase. Four recommendations are proposed: (1) organising solid waste cleaning campaigns and environmental education in schools and communities; (2) the introduction of the 4Rs to communities; (3) the provision of communal waste skips and (4) the use of incentives to foster proper waste disposal practices. It is important for all future studies to consider a method for disseminating important information to the community in order that waste management strategies can be fully and successfully implemented.


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