Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Book Review: Not Just Where To Click: Teaching Students How To Think About Information, Margy Macmillan

Communications in Information Literacy

Book Review: Not Just Where to Click: Teaching Students How to Think About Information

A Survey Of Librarian Perceptions Of Information Literacy Techniques, Simone L. Yearwood, Nancy M. Foasberg, Kenneth D. Rosenberg

Communications in Information Literacy

Teaching research competencies and information literacy is an integral part of the academic librarian's role. There has long been debate among librarians over what are the most effective methods of instruction for college students. Library Faculty at a large urban University System were surveyed to determine their perceptions of the effectiveness of common information literacy instruction techniques. The system includes both two-year and four-year programs, as well as degree granting institutions. This research was undertaken for the purpose of better prioritizing institutional teaching activities in the current academic climate. The research shows that librarians within the University System believed that …

Ideology And Critical Self-Reflection In Information Literacy Instruction, Jessica Critten

Communications in Information Literacy

Information literacy instruction traditionally focuses on evaluating a source for bias, relevance, and timeliness, and rightfully so; this critical perspective is vital to a well-formed research process. However, this process is incomplete without a similar focus on the potential biases that the student brings to his or her interactions with information. This paper describes a case study of a semester-long information literacy course that utilized neo-Marxist philosopher Louis Althusser's figurations of ideology and ideological state apparatuses as a site of critical self-reflection for students and a method by which students could become empowered to recognize themselves as not just consumers, …

Book Review: Using Primary Sources: Hands-On Instructional Exercises, Kevin M. O'Sullivan

Communications in Information Literacy

Book Review: Using Primary Sources: Hands-On Instructional Exercises

Psychometric Properties Of The Centrality Of Pain Scale, Benjamin J. Morasco, Dennis C. Turk, Christina Nicolaidis

Regional Research Institute for Human Services

The Centrality of Pain Scale (COPS) is a recently developed patient-centered, 10-item self-report measure designed to assess how central, or dominating, in their lives individuals with chronic pain perceive pain to be. The COPS underwent initial development and validation previously; preliminary results suggested that the measure had excellent psychometric properties and that COPS scores were associated with important clinical factors. The purpose of the present study was to examine the psychometric properties of the COPS in a sample of individuals with mixed chronic pain diagnoses (N = 178) being treated at a U.S. Veterans Affairs Medical Center. Principal components analysis …

Data Colonialism Through Accumulation By Dispossession: New Metaphors For Daily Data, Jim Thatcher, David O'Sullivan, Dillon Mahmoudi

Urban Studies and Planning Faculty Publications and Presentations

In recent years, much has been written on ‘big data’ in both the popular and academic press. After the hubristic declaration of the “end of theory” more nuanced arguments have emerged, suggesting that increasingly pervasive data collection and quantification may have significant implications for the social sciences, even if the social, scientific, political and economic agendas behind big data are less new than they are often portrayed. Compared to the boosterish tone of much of its press, academic critiques of big data have been relatively muted, often focusing on the continued importance of more traditional forms of domain knowledge and …

Strategic Plan 2016-20, Strategic Planning Development Team

Implementation

The Strategic Plan Development Team served as the main driver of the plan. This diverse team represented a cross-section of students, faculty, staff, alumni, and Board of Trustees, Foundation board members and members of the PSU Alumni Association board. A project manager and an outside consultant, Coraggio Group, facilitated. Decisions were based on general consensus. Separate “topic teams” provided deeper consideration of strategic themes. These teams made recommendations for the strategic goals and initiatives that form the core elements of the plan.

Topic teams worked with relevant university committees and units that were familiar with the best practices and research …

Tree Inventory Report: Soma District, Cody Graham, Jeremy Bigelow, Gary Shaw, Andrew Bailey, Katelynn Bisso, David Dunnington, Joshua Emmons, Morgan Farber, Cody Graham, Ryan Guidry, Max Joyner, Roger Klingelhoffer, Jonathan Newman, Nicholas Scarpelli, Geoffrey Duh

Asset Mapping: Community Geography Project

The SOMA tree inventory project was taken on by a group of fourteen students as a senior capstone at Portland State University, in September of 2015. Many of us came to this class with GiS background, however, there are others representing the diverse collection of studies offered at PSU, such as film, communication, and general sciences. Capstone courses are PSU’s requirement for all seniors that allow each student to take part in helping those in the surrounding community, by providing a benefit to organizations in need of a large group of volunteers. Our capstone course was designed to impart the …

First Thoughts On Implementing The Framework For Information Literacy, Trudi E. Jacobson, Craig Gibson

Communications in Information Literacy

Following the action of the ACRL Board in February 2015 in accepting the Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education as one of the "constellation of documents" that promote and guide information literacy instruction and program development, discussion in the library community continues about steps in implementing the Framework. The spectrum of possibilities for implementing the Framework encompasses both curricular and co-curricular settings within colleges and universities. At this early stage of implementing the Framework, we suggest five curricular and instructional structures that can be thought of as a continuum of deepened engagement with its core ideas. The second half …

Incidence Of An Astronaut Not Closing The Pressure Garment Visor On Reentry, Cameron M. Smith

Anthropology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Audiovisual records of a Project Mercury pilot's activities during an orbital flight indicate that his visor was left open during reentry and descent to the sea surface, phases of flight during which cabin pressure loss was to be mitigated by suit pressurization; however the suit could not have been pressurized with the visor open. Thus, for a presently unknown reason, a critical safety step—sealing the visor and making a pressure suit integrity test before re-entry—was overlooked in this flight, a fact itself unreported in any flight review or historical documents known to the author. The lesson is clear: even a …

Delivering Green Streets: An Exploration Of Changing Perceptions And Behaviours Over Time Around Bioswales In Portland, Oregon, Glyn Everett, Jessica Lamond, Anita T. Morzillo, Annie Marissa Matsler, Faith Ka Shun Chan

Urban Studies and Planning Faculty Publications and Presentations

Green Infrastructure (GI) is an increasingly popular means of dealing with flooding and water quality issues worldwide. This study examines public perceptions of, and behaviour around, bioswales, which are a popular GI facility in the United States. Bioswales are highly visible interventions requiring support from residents and policy-makers to be implemented and maintained appropriately. To understand how the residents’ perceptions and attitudes might develop over time, we interviewed residents of Portland, Oregon, living near bioswales installed 1–2, 4–5 and 8–9 years ago, to determine awareness, understanding, and opinions about the devices. We found no consistent patterns across time periods, but …

Goal 1: Elevate Student Success, Strategic Planning Development Team

Implementation

A brief series of initiatives needed to support the objective of elevating student success at Portland State University.

Stressors And Strategies For Managing Urban Water Scarcity: Perspectives From The Field, Vivek Shandas, Rosa Lehman, Kelli L. Larson, Jeremy Bunn, Heejun Chang

Urban Studies and Planning Faculty Publications and Presentations

Largely because water resource planning in the U.S. has been separated from land-use planning, opportunities for explicitly linking planning policies to water availability remain unexamined. The pressing need for better coordination between land-use planning and water management is amplified by changes in the global climate, which will place even greater importance on managing water supplies and demands than in the past. By surveying land and water managers in two urbanizing regions of the western United States—Portland, Oregon and Phoenix Arizona—we assessed the extent to which their perspectives regarding municipal water resource management align or differ. We specifically focus on characterizing …

Our Mission, Strategic Planning Development Team

Implementation

Portland State's vision, mission, and values for the University.

Goal 5: Innovate For Long-Term Stability, Strategic Planning Development Team

Implementation

Brief listing of strategic planning initiatives required to support innovations for long-term stability at Portland State University.

Investigations In Transportation, William G. Becker, Carol Biskupic Knight

TREC Final Reports

The Investigations in Transportation program is an elementary school partnership and curriculum development project that will engage science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) professionals in school-based activities and projects that will bring real-world applications to elementary classrooms for grades 3-5. The Portland Metro STEM Partnership (PMSP) is providing leadership and facilitation to a team of educators from Portland State University, Beaverton School District and Hillsboro School District who will work with volunteers from the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) to design, develop, implement and assess the impact of an in-class unit entitled "Investigations in Transportation". This report presents a study …

A Geographic View Of Expansion Choices By U.S. Firms In China, Rossitza Wooster, David Banis, Ayesha Khalid

Economics Faculty Publications and Presentations

How does geography matter for explaining the location patterns of U.S. companies in China? We combine insights from the literature on economic geography and spatial interdependence in foreign direct investment (FDI) activity, to provide a comparative analysis using both sectoral regression results and maps that illustrate patterns in the data. We use a unique sample of publicly traded U.S. firms who announced expansion of operations into China between 1980 and 2005. Regression results show that relative to the tertiary sector, firm characteristics matter more for primary sector firms, whereas province characteristics matter more for secondary sector firms. Additionally, our GIS …

Staying Off The Megaphone And In The Movement: Cultivating Solidarity And Contesting Authority Among White Antiracist Activists, Amie Thurber, Kelley Frances Fenelon, Leah Marion Roberts

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

In the last two years, Black Lives Matter (BLM) emerged as a multiracial movement which foregrounds the experience, leadership, and values of Black people in the United States while suggesting distinct roles for White people to participate. Among these suggestions is the compellingly illustrative to “stay off the megaphone.” This exploratory, participatory case study traces how a group of White activists grapple with the literal and figurative megaphone in their antiracist activism. We focus on three key dimensions of engagement: content (how do White activists engage the megaphone—literally and figuratively?), subject positions (how are White activists positioning themselves within the …

Social Justice Education With Law Enforcement: Reflections From The Field, Amie Thurber

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

The systemic racism embedded in and embodied by law enforcement has resulted in nationwide protests, sparking a call to action that has particular resonance and urgency for social justice educators. While the need for transformed education of police officers is critical, educators may ask: What pedagogic tools are most effective in police departments? How might educators respond to officers’ resistance to learning about inequality? And what obstacles might educators have to overcome in order to do this work? In this case study, I draw from 11 years of experience providing consulting and training to a city police department, sharing key …

First Thoughts On The Framework, Robert Schroeder

Communications in Information Literacy

Introduction to the special section of vol. 9, no. 2 entitled "First Thoughts on the Framework."

Evaluating A Pre-Session Exercise In A Standalone Information Literacy Class, Joseph E. Goetz, Catherine R. Barber

Communications in Information Literacy

In this study, researchers evaluate a homework exercise assigned before a standalone information literacy session. Students in a Master of Education program completed a worksheet using the ERIC database thesaurus. The researchers conducted pre- and posttests within a single library session to assess student learning, using a control group for comparison. The treatment group did not demonstrate better thesaurus skills than students who had regular library instruction alone, but results pointed the way to targeted improvements of pre-session learning materials. This approach could inform other information literacy homework applications such as flipping the classroom.

Colleges Of Education Librarians In Nigeria: An Investigation Into The Self-Perception Of Ict-Related Information Literacy Skills, Ebikabowei Emmanuel Baro, Monica Eberechukwu Eze

Communications in Information Literacy

The purpose of the paper is to investigate the level of ICT related IL skills of librarians in COE libraries and to know some challenges librarians face in acquiring IL skills. Descriptive survey method was adopted using questionnaire.The study covered professionals and para-professional librarians in federal, state and private Colleges of Education libraries in the South-South and South-East geo-political zones of Nigeria. The findings revealed that the librarians rated their information literacy skills to be average. A correlation of the overall assessment of the librarians' IL skills with variables such as institution, gender, years of experience and qualifications revealed differences …

Teaching Information Literacy Through "Un-Research", Allison Hosier

Communications in Information Literacy

Students who write essays on research topics in which no outside sources are cited and accuracy is treated as negotiable generally should not expect to receive good grades, especially in an information literacy course. However, asking students to do just this was the first step in the "un-research project," a twist on the familiar annotated bibliography assignment that was intended to guide students away from "satisficing" with their choice of sources and toward a better understanding of scholarship as a conversation. The project was implemented as part of a credit-bearing course in spring 2014 with promising results, including a more …

A Pedagogy Of Inquiry, Nicole Pagowsky

Communications in Information Literacy

Library instruction continues to evolve. Regardless of the myriad and conflicting opinions academic librarians have about the ACRL Framework for Information Literacy, the debates and the document itself have engendered greater discourse surrounding how and why librarians teach. The Framework provides an additional push toward designing instruction with big ideas rather than a skills-based curriculum. However, we still must contend with constraints imposed upon us by higher education taking on business models and enforcing a skills agenda. To enact the pedagogy of the Framework in contrast to changes in higher education presents a challenge. We should consider ways in which …

Book Review: Curriculum-Based Library Instruction: From Cultivating Faculty Relationships To Assessment, Maureen Knapp

Communications in Information Literacy

No abstract provided.

This Is Really Happening: Criticality And Discussions Of Context In Acrl's Framework For Information Literacy, Kevin Patrick Seeber

Communications in Information Literacy

The development of the ACRL Framework for Information Literacy has sparked an immense amount of conversation among academic librarians, though the profession is still far from consensus with regards to if, when, or how the document should be implemented. This essay argues that despite debates over various points within the text, the overall theme of the Framework is a call for librarians and educators to recognize the importance of context when discussing information literacy. As this relates to the curriculum of higher education, instruction and assignments can no longer afford to separate "school" from "real life." Classroom instruction must recognize …

Seeking Social Justice In The Acrl Framework, Andrew Battista, Dave Ellenwood, Lua Gregory, Shana Higgins, Jeff Lilburn, Yasmin Sokkar Harker, Christopher Sweet

Communications in Information Literacy

The scope of this article is to address the possibilities and challenges librarians concerned with social justice may face when working with the ACRL Framework. While the Framework recognizes that information emerges from varied contexts that reflect uneven distributions of power, privilege, and authority, it is missing a cogent statement that connects information literacy to social justice. In this article, authors concerned with social justice and civic engagement will share their reflections on the Framework from a critical pedagogical and social justice orientation.

Continuing The Conversation: Questions About The Framework, Megan E. Dempsey, Heather Dalal, Lynee R. Dokus, Leslin H. Charles, Davida Scharf

Communications in Information Literacy

Given the prevalence of the Information Literacy Competency Standards in the library profession for the past 15 years, and the heated debate that took place regarding whether or not the Framework for Information Literacy and the Standards could harmoniously co-exist, the article raises questions about the future of information literacy in higher education. We do not necessarily have answers to these questions, but offer our own perspectives, some insight into how the Standards have served New Jersey academic librarians in the past, and how we envision using the Framework and the Standards together to further information literacy instruction at our …

Integrating Freight Into Livable Communities, Kristine M. Williams, Alexandria Carroll

TREC Final Reports

Where livability is a goal of the planning process, freight runs the risk of not being considered except as an afterthought or as something to be excluded. Yet, freight is an integral part of local economic development. Because economic prosperity is a key characteristic of livable communities, freight must be incorporated into the planning process. This study explores the relationship between freight and livability through a comprehensive literature review and case study research. The final report includes a menu of strategies and case study perspectives that highlight the importance of transportation and land use integration, interagency coordination, and context-sensitivity in …

Do Tods Make A Difference?, Arthur C. Nelson, Matt Miller, Dejan Eskic, Keuntae Kim, Reid Ewing, Jenny H. Liu, Matt Berggren, Zakari Mumuni

TREC Final Reports

In this report, we present research that measures the outcomes of TOD areas in relation to their metropolitan area controls with respect to (1) jobs by sector; (2) housing choice for household types based on key demographic characteristics; (3) housing affordability based on transportation costs; and (4) job-worker balance as a measure of accessibility. Prior literature has not systematically evaluated TOD outcomes in these respects with respect to light rail transit (LRT), commuter rail transit (CRT), bus rapid transit (BRT), and streetcar transit (SCT) systems. Our analysis helps close some of these gaps. We apply our analysis to 23 fixed-guideway …