Digital Commons Network^™

Critical Information Literacy In Higher Education: An Evolution In Theory, Practice, And Assessment, Dan Williford

Communications in Information Literacy

This article offers a critical synthesis of scholarship on critical information literacy (CIL) in higher education from 2015 to 2026, extending and recalibrating prior longitudinal reviews to account for post-2020 theoretical, political, and technological shifts. Drawing on a corpus of 48 peer-reviewed publications published between 2020 and 2026, the study employs thematic cluster analysis—building on Tewell’s four-domain framework—to examine developments in theory, pedagogy, digital and political engagement, reflexive critique, and assessment. Rather than treating critical information literacy as a settled framework, this review positions it as an evolving and contested practice shaped by the political economy of higher education. It …

"An Open Mind And A Critical Stance": A Content Analysis Of Information Literacy Integration Into A Course About Poverty And Discrimination, Ashley Shealy, C. Rebecca Oldham, Clay Oldham, Tara L. Griffith

Communications in Information Literacy

The ACRL Framework argues that infusing curriculum with information literacy concepts can improve students’ attitudes and abilities to navigate complex information landscapes. This paper describes how a librarian and a faculty member integrated an information literacy curriculum into an undergraduate upper-division course about poverty and discrimination. Curriculum efficacy was assessed through directed content analysis of student responses to open-ended questions about engaging with news and social media, forming opinions, and having conversations about controversial topics. Responses were analyzed using a coding scheme based on course objectives derived from Framework dispositions and knowledge practices. Results indicated that exposing students to an …

Campus Community Vibes: How Queer Asian American Students Navigate Their Higher Education Experiences, Nathan Nguyễn

Dissertations

Misconceptions and stereotypes about Asian American college students include the belief that they are innately academically successful and that if Asian American students struggle, their challenges do not compare to their Black/African American, Hispanic/Latine, or Native American/Indigenous counterparts (Museus & Buenavista, 2016). Contemporaneous to this, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) college students experience interrogation, exploration, and various levels of support regarding their sexuality and/or gender identity. At this intersection, queer Asian American students must navigate campus settings that can enhance or diminish their agency for different facets of their identities (Crenshaw, 1991; Iftikar & Museus, 2018; Ray, 2019). …

The More Things Change...Reaffirming Our Commitment To Cil’S Core Values, Jane Hammons, Laureen Cantwell-Jurkovic, Jessica Denke, Allison Hosier, Sarah Lemire

Communications in Information Literacy

The new co-editors of Communications in Information Literacy reaffirm their commitment to the journal's values.

Regionalization Without A Roadmap: Stakeholder Conceptions Of Asean Integration At Vietnam National University Hanoi, Phuong T. Nguyen

Journal of Comparative & International Higher Education

This study examines stakeholder conceptions of regionalization of higher education at Vietnam National University Hanoi (VNU). Regionalization remains unevenly understood in Southeast Asia and often overshadowed by internationalization discourses. Drawing on document analysis and semi-structured interviews with administrators, faculty, and students, the study explores how regionalization is enacted through student mobility programs. Findings reveal divergent rationales: administrators highlight political prestige and institutional reputation; faculty emphasize academic quality and professional development; while students focus on cultural and personal growth. Regionalization unfolds largely de facto, driven by bilateral scholarships and East Asian partnerships rather than intentional ASEAN strategies. Challenges include fragmented coordination, …

Introduction: 18(3) 2026 Emerging Scholar Research Summaries, Rosalind L. Raby

Journal of Comparative & International Higher Education

No abstract provided.

International Students As Vectors Of Informal Diplomacy : Does Soft Power Matter More Than Dollars?, Alexis Carriere

Journal of Comparative & International Higher Education

This article examines the evolving rationales underlying government strategies to attract international students, with a particular focus on their role as vectors of informal diplomacy. While existing scholarship has largely analyzed international student mobility through individual motivations or institutional strategies, this study highlights the state-level logics that frame student mobility as a tool of soft power. Drawing on policy documents, political speeches, and scholarly literature, the article analyzes the approaches of the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council—countries that remain among the world’s top destinations for international students—across three historical periods: 1945–1990s, 1990s–2010s, and 2010s–2025. Findings reveal …

Full Pdf Issue 18(3) 2026, Rosalind L. Raby

Journal of Comparative & International Higher Education

No abstract provided.

Racialized Internationalization And College Sport: Amplifying Black Ncaa Division I International College Athlete Voices Through Critical Podcasting, Timothy Ford Bryson

Journal of Comparative & International Higher Education

College sports in the United States have become a key site for internationalization in higher education, with international college athletes (ICAs) comprising 13% of Division I athletes (NCAA, 2023). While ICAs pursue degrees, compete at elite levels, and navigate F-1 visa requirements, their experiences remain underexamined in international education scholarship. This omission is especially stark for Black ICAs, whose stories are often collapsed into either generalized international student scholarship or studies of Black U.S. athletes.

This dissertation addresses this gap by examining the experiences of Black NCAA Division I ICAs through the lens of Migration Infrastructure Theory and Black Diasporic …

Information Literacy Tutorials For High Enrollment Courses: An Iterative Design-Based Approach, Kimberly Casey, Rebekah Heleen

Communications in Information Literacy

The purpose of this paper is to provide academic librarians practical guidance on how to provide information literacy support to high enrollment, general education courses. It includes a detailed description and analysis of our approach and findings throughout the project, as well as reflections and lessons learned. The project team developed asynchronous information literacy tutorials for first-year students at the University of Arkansas, utilizing a flipped classroom approach, to address challenges in delivering personalized instruction to high-enrollment courses. Collaborating with program directors, the team created online tutorials embedded with feedback surveys, which collected nearly 2,000 student responses. We also surveyed …

Assessment Of Information Literacy Instruction In Reference: Applying Vanscoy’S Conceptual And Procedural Framework In Practice, Vanessa Arce

Communications in Information Literacy

The instructional aspect of reference work has long been acknowledged, especially in academic libraries. The current RUSA guidelines include helping users develop information literacy as a goal of reference. In this context, investigating the presence and nature of information literacy instruction can be used to assess the quality of reference services. This study applied Amy VanScoy’s conceptual/procedural framework for point-of-need instruction to a sample of chat reference transcripts at Lehman College, City University of New York. One of the assessment’s goals was to determine the prevalence of instruction and type of knowledge addressed in reference interactions. Another goal was to …

Research Matters: Problem-Setting: A Research Reflection Process, Merinda Kaye Hensley

Communications in Information Literacy

In this inaugural “Research Matters” column, Merinda Kaye Hensley introduces problem-setting as an intentional research reflection process inspired by instructional design. This three-pronged approach invites librarians to examine their research agendas by surfacing prior knowledge, identifying bottlenecks, and creating an assumptions inventory. By interrogating what we think we know and where we struggle in doing research related to information literacy, problem-setting reframes our research processes as a generative, inquiry-driven practice. Drawing on an example from her own research agenda, investigating undergraduate researchers’ understandings of the publication process, Hensley demonstrates how reflective problem-setting can unstick thinking, sharpen questions and energize scholarly …

Percepciones, Uso Y Confianza En Ia Generativa Según Género En Estudiantes Universitarios, Elena Rodríguez-Rodríguez, María Moreno Guzmán, Irene Ojeda Fernández, Juan Pablo Hervás-Pérez, Inmaculada Mateos-Aparicio, Alejandra García-Alonso, María Luisa Pérez-Rodríguez, Rocío De La Peña Armada, José Raggio, Beatriz Gómez-Gómez, Araceli Gónzalez-Cortés, Emma Gracia-Lor, Gustavo Moreno-Martín, Ángel Juilio Reviejo-García, Esther Sánchez-Tirado, Jon Sanz Landaluce, Arturo Casado, Marta Sánchez-Paniagua

GDI. Revista de investigación de Género, Diseño e Innovación

Introducción: La presencia creciente de la inteligencia artificial (IA) en la universidad está transformando el proceso de enseñanza-aprendizaje y la relación del alumnado con la tecnología. Un equipo docente de la Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM), la Universidad Rey Juan Carlos (URJC) y la Universidad Camilo José Cela (UCJC) diseñó diversas estrategias para integrar la IA generativa (IAg) como recurso complementario en asignaturas de estudios universitarios oficiales de Grado y Posgrado. Esta iniciativa surge de la necesidad de evaluar la implementación de la IA para mejorar el proceso de enseñanza-aprendizaje y fomentar un uso crítico entre el alumnado de estas …

Well-Being Of University Students In Singapore, Tina Li Yi Ng, Andree Hartanto, William Tov

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Singapore provides an insightful case study for university student well-being due to its national culture of competitiveness. Amid a meritocratic society that valorizes academic success as the path to securing one’s future (Ho et al., 1998), educational attainment is central to Singaporean university students’ well-being (Inter-University Network, 2022). In response to Singapore’s increasing incidence of mental health challenges among young adults (Ministry of Health Singapore, 2022), the government and higher education institutes have sought to destigmatize mental health and improve accessibility to related resources. In this chapter, we review the literature on the well-being of Singaporean university students. We situate …

Imaginatively Humankind Dwells: The Necessity Of The Imagination For Divine-Human Commun(E)Ication, Tracey-Ann Pypker-Van Brenk

Pro Rege

No abstract provided.

Pedagogy Of Care: Exploring Climate Justice Frameworks In Cuny Undergraduate Courses, Ismerlyn Gonzalez

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Climate justice centers the human rights of communities most impacted by the climate crisis rather than solely focusing on the scientific aspects of environmental challenges and disasters. Higher education institutions play a key role in advancing climate justice education, but research shows that frameworks are not consistently defined across institutions. The IRB-approved study that produced the findings in this capstone sought to explore how climate justice frameworks are implemented at the CUNY undergraduate level and learn more about the instructors delivering these courses. From February to April 2026, instructors from different CUNY undergraduate campuses were surveyed, interviewed, and asked to …

Dissertatin' While Black, T. Gertrude Jenkins

Black Educology Mixtape "Journal"

Dissertatin’ While Black (DWB) is a racial affinity space that employs a community-engaged approach to completing dissertation elements. More than a writing retreat, DWB centers holistic care, creating a site for mentorship, celebration, and the exchange of ideas. Rooted in BlackCrit (Dumas & ross, 2016) and Black Liberatory Educational Subversion (Jenkins, 2024), DWB emphasizes that participation in Black institutional third spaces can counter the isolation often experienced by Black doctoral students, especially at predominantly white institutions. Ultimately, DWB operates as a “homeplace” where Black doctoral students can feel seen, valued, and supported in their research (hooks, 1994). We believe that …

Effects Of Garden Exposure On Physician Assistant Students, Richard Gilbert Jr., Anne Schempp, Daniel Martin

Inquiry: The Journal of the Virginia Community Colleges

Introduction: Stress and burnout within the physician assistant student population has been an evolving topic in physician assistant education. Greenspaces have been utilized for the reduction of stress and improvement of overall well-being.

Methods: Using a mixed methods survey methodology, participating physician assistant students were evaluated on their perceived stress levels both pre and post-exposure to a garden area. Both quantitative and thematic qualitative data was synthesized to evaluate the garden’s effect on the physician assistant student stress levels.

Results: A linear mixed effects model revealed that participants significantly improved stress outcomes from pre-test to post-test (ꞵ = 3.83, CI95% …

Editor's Note

Inquiry: The Journal of the Virginia Community Colleges

No abstract provided.

Full Text

Inquiry: The Journal of the Virginia Community Colleges

No abstract provided.

Invisible Students, Visible Consequences: Leadership Under Fte Funding, Derek Bryant

Inquiry: The Journal of the Virginia Community Colleges

The full-time equivalent (FTE) funding model used by the Virginia Community College System (VCCS) serves as a structural constraint that misaligns financial incentives with the missions of the 23 member institutions within it. This qualitative, descriptive phenomenological study, through interviews with system- and college-level leaders, found that this model underserves part-time, adult, and workforce students while simultaneously contributing to a resource instability that prioritizes enrollment over student success. The study concludes that any reform must require a redesigned funding model that first makes institutions whole, with a stable operational baseline of funding, by incorporating broader enrollment measures that better align …

Table Of Contents

Inquiry: The Journal of the Virginia Community Colleges

No abstract provided.

Retraction: “Supporting English Language Learners In The Era Of Direct Enrollment”

Inquiry: The Journal of the Virginia Community Colleges

No abstract provided.

Maximum Agency: Educator Engagement In The Ai Era, W Alex Foxworthy

Inquiry: The Journal of the Virginia Community Colleges

The dominant narrative about AI in education emphasizes anxiety: jobs lost, skills devalued, futures foreclosed. But survey data reveals a more complex picture. Students and faculty who engage with AI tools see greater possibility and feel less threatened than those who avoid them. Engagement correlates with optimism. This essay argues that community college educators are uniquely positioned to bridge this gap and can play a key role in moving students from anxiety to agency by modeling engaged adaptation themselves. Yet faculty consistently report that lack of institutional support, not resistance, is the primary barrier to integration. Drawing on recent surveys …

From Access To Success: Addressing Barriers For Students With Disabilities In Higher Education, Melissa Wood

Inquiry: The Journal of the Virginia Community Colleges

Over the past several decades, enrollment of students with disabilities in higher education has steadily increased. However, disparities in retention and degree completion persist. Although federal laws such as the ADA and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act guarantee equal access, many students continue to encounter barriers that affect their academic experience. These challenges are often more pronounced in community colleges, which serve diverse populations and often operate with limited resources. This paper examines two key barriers and highlights best practices that institutions can implement to improve accessibility, strengthen support systems, and promote persistence and success for students with disabilities.

Strength In Numbers: Six Nursing Faculty Embark On A Shared Journey To Doctorate Success, Melissa P. Arthur, Leigh Moore

Inquiry: The Journal of the Virginia Community Colleges

Pursuing a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) is a demanding and transformative experience, one that can be both daunting and profoundly rewarding. This article chronicles the journey of six dedicated nursing faculty and administrators from Southside Virginia Community College (SVCC) who undertook this challenge together, turning an academic endeavor into a shared mission of growth, resilience, and collaboration. Originating from a spontaneous suggestion, this collective pursuit of doctoral education evolved into a powerful example of professional solidarity.

As seasoned educators and leaders, the group had previously collaborated on pivotal institutional milestones such as ACEN accreditation, Board of Nursing improvement initiatives, …

Old Crimes, New Eyes: Recent Findings From The Scottish Witch Hunts, Carol Lee Campbell

Inquiry: The Journal of the Virginia Community Colleges

^Abstract

^{Most discussions about the Scottish witch trials have been shrouded in a category of superstition, primarily from historians postulating from the era of the Enlightenment one hundred years afterward. Some have distanced themselves from the witch hunts by universalizing the cases within a monolithic framework. But the data shows that the Scottish witch “panic” was disproportionately more intense than other hunts in Early Modern Europe and England.}

^{In the last generation, however, scholars utilizing interdisciplinary approaches have revisited trial records and their supporting documents- such as confessions and testimonies - which appear to reveal more than just trial outcomes. …}

Ai-Based Simulated Patient Encounters For Clinical Reasoning: A Needs Assessment, Alex Sorrick, David Liebovitz, Sarah Vick, Andrew S. Parsons, Brian W. Locke, Jonathan Herskovitz, Cory Rohlfsen

Graduate Medical Education Research Journal

Background. Artificial Intelligence (AI) offers an opportunity to enhance formative assessment of clinical reasoning skills. Traditionally, these skills have been assessed through workplace-based assessment or simulated patient encounters, both of which are limited by variability in case exposure, faculty resources, scheduling logistics, and cost. AI-based simulated patient encounters provide a scalable solution for convenient, low-stakes practice. At the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC), we piloted an AI-based simulated patient case and conducted a needs assessment to explore current practices and user experiences.

Methods. From June to August 2025, participants trialed an AI-based simulated patient case and received feedback on …

Artificial Intelligence In Healthcare: Ethical Frameworks, Challenges, And Global Approaches To Responsible Implementation: A Perspective, Vikas Vaibhav, Arwinder Singh, Yashpal S, Raviprakash Meshram, Varun Chandran A, Kshitiza Sharma

Graduate Medical Education Research Journal

Major advancements in domains like diagnosis and personalised treatment will be seen because of the rapid growth of artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare. But this shift additionally presents significant ethical concerns that need to be carefully considered at every stage of AI's research, use, and impact on society in medical settings.

This review summarises the findings of multiple systematic and scoping reviews, as well as studies of specific AI applications published between 2013 and 2025. Additionally, it examines ethical norms from different countries and international organisations objectively. Consistent ethical challenges identified include the "black box" problem (lack of transparency and …

Knowledge And Perception Of Patients Regarding A Postpartum Standardized Hypertensive Disorder Educational Program, Arin Everett, Niranjana Balu, Santiago Ortiz Barragan, Marly Azzi, Sanela Potchileev, Courtney Bisson, Ariel Mueller, Lea Runesha, Sajid Shahul, Sarosh Rana

Graduate Medical Education Research Journal

Background. Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) are a major contributor to rising maternal mortality in the United States. The postpartum period represents a critical window to provide education aimed at reducing the risks of complications. This study evaluates the patients’ understanding of HDP and their retention of key education concepts during the first six weeks postpartum after participation in a structured quality improvement program.

Methods. Prospective cohort study of patients diagnosed with HDP were enrolled in the remote blood pressure monitoring program (RPM) and delivered between June 2023 and January 2024. Baseline surveys were administered prior to discharge and repeated …