Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Building A Seamless Environment For Assessment Of Information Literacy: Libraries, Student Affairs, And Learning Outside The Classroom, Scott Walter

Communications in Information Literacy

Assessment has been a topic of interest in higher education for decades, with its recent growth rooted in a number of scholarly traditions, as well as the broader interest in "accountability" that has been characteristic of American education since the 1980s. Many previous studies have demonstrated that the literature of assessment in higher education is a rich resource for those wishing to identify effective approaches to the assessment of information literacy. This piece invites readers to pay attention to the lessons taught by faculty development experts as well as by scholars of the science of teaching and learning, but also …

The Ile Project: A Scalable Option For Customized Information Literacy Instruction And Assessment, Steve Borrelli, Corey M. Johnson, Lara A. Cummings

Communications in Information Literacy

With the vast amount of information available today, information literacy (IL) education is a critical component of undergraduate education necessary to prepare students for tomorrow's world. Instructors want students to demonstrate critical thinking skills and are often disappointed with student submissions resulting from undeveloped IL skills. Library Instruction programs are often tasked with addressing this educational need and often struggle to find a scalable method to provide IL instruction to the student body. The Information Literacy Education (ILE) Project is an asynchronous learning environment tailored to deliver instruction and assessment. Posited as a customizable option to present IL instruction, this …

Using Blackboard To Deliver Library Research Skills Assessment: A Case Study, Maura A. Smale, Mariana Regalado

Communications in Information Literacy

Like other college and university departments, academic libraries are increasingly expected to assess their services and facilities. This article describes an initial step in the development of a comprehensive assessment program for library instruction in the Brooklyn College Library. A pre- and post-quiz were developed based on the curriculum for a required library session in an introductory English composition course. The quizzes were designed to establish a baseline for student knowledge of information literacy as well as measure the effect of library instruction on student learning. We also sought to evaluate the suitability of the Blackboard learning management system for …

Information Literacy Rubrics Within The Disciplines, Britt A. Fagerheim, Flora G. Shrode

Communications in Information Literacy

This paper reports the results of a pilot project in which the authors developed rubrics for assessing information literacy in the disciplines and examined whether rubrics are a feasible and effective method for librarians to assess their students' information literacy skills. We developed rubrics for capstone classes in chemistry and psychology based on benchmarks appropriate for each major. We then used the rubrics to assess the research and information literacy skills the students displayed in their papers or projects.

Mixing And Matching: Assessing Information Literacy, Carol Mcculley

Communications in Information Literacy

Authentic assessment of student learning outcomes is much in demand. This paper reviews a variety of assessment methods that measure cognitive, behavioral, and affective levels of learning that can be used to design library class instruction and assessments to improve student learning and teaching of information literacy concepts. The intentional use of these methods to assess undergraduate student learning in many disciplines through working collaboratively with faculty and integrating the assessments in a learner-centered environment is discussed.

Using Assessment Data To Inform Library Instruction For First Year Students, Julie Gilbert

Communications in Information Literacy

Seeking ways to develop information literacy skills among first year college students, librarians at our institution developed a pilot program to measure the effects of a multiple library instruction session module on students' research skills in the first semester. The pilot program incorporates a substantial assessment model consisting of a pretest, posttest, and a citation analysis of final papers. Results demonstrate that students who had multiple library instruction sessions during the first semester report higher levels of confidence and greater use of library resources than students who had only a single instruction session.

A Program For Introducing Information Literacy To Commercial Art And Design Students, David A. Walczak, Diane L. Sammet, Monika E. Reuter

Communications in Information Literacy

This paper describes the process of developing and implementing a comprehensive, school-wide, and sustainable information literacy program at a commercial art and design school. The program requires that information literacy student learning outcomes be included in specific General Education and art and design courses across the curriculum. The results of this multi-year effort indicate that while the program is sound, teaching information literacy is an on-going effort requiring much more training of faculty and students. Best practices in information literacy in library science and art and design literature are reviewed

The Evolution Of A Testing Tool For Measuring Undergraduate Information Literacy Skills In The Online Environment, Elizabeth Mulherrin, Husein Abdul-Hamid

Communications in Information Literacy

The construction and validity of an assessment tool mapped to objectives in a high enrollment credit-bearing information literacy course delivered primarily online is the focus of this article. An open book and non-proctored objective test can be a reliable measure for assessing student competencies in basic information literacy skills, both at the course level and for reporting to national accrediting bodies and state agencies. An analysis of overall student performance on test items that are mapped to information literacy outcomes helps to identify competencies that need improvement in a course, as well as provide a baseline for informing the process …

Using Cognitive Interviews And Student Response Processes To Validate An Interpretive Argument For The Ets Iskills™ Assessment, Eric Snow, Irvin Katz

Communications in Information Literacy

Evaluating the trustworthiness of Internet-based or other digital information has become an essential 21st century skill. The iSkills™ assessment, from Educational Testing Service (ETS), purports to measure such digital evaluation skills, along with other digital literacy skills. In this work, we use an argument-based approach to assessment validation to investigate the extent to which iSkills test scores can support inferences about the ability of college students to evaluate information in a digital environment. Eighty-eight undergraduates responded to iSkills assessment tasks and to more open-ended "naturalistic" tasks. These naturalistic tasks were designed to be like homework assignments that incorporate the critical …

Reconstructability Analysis Of Elementary Cellular Automata, Martin Zwick, Hui Shi

Systems Science Friday Noon Seminar Series

Reconstructability analysis is a method to determine whether a multivariate relation, defined set- or information-theoretically, is decomposable with or without loss (reduction in constraint) into lower ordinality relations. Set-theoretic reconstructability analysis (SRA) is used to characterize the mappings of elementary cellular automata. The degree of lossless decomposition possible for each mapping is more effective than the λ parameter (Walker & Ashby, Langton) as a predictor of chaotic dynamics.

Complete SRA yields not only the simplest lossless structure but also a vector of losses of all decomposed structures, indexed by parameter, τ. This vector subsumes λ, Wuensche’s Z parameter, and Walker …

Moving Forward: A Better Way To Govern Regional Transportation, City Club Of Portland (Portland, Or.)

City Club of Portland

No abstract provided.

A Pilot Study Of Riders’ Noise Exposure On Bay Area Rapid Transit Trains, Alexis Dinno

Community Health Faculty Publications and Presentations

Excessive noise exposure may present a hazard to hearing, cardiovascular and psychosomatic health. Mass transit systems, such as the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) system, are potential sources of excessive noise. The purpose of this study was to characterize transit noise and riders' exposure to noise on the BART system using three dosimetry metrics.

Bend-La Pine School District: Population And Enrollment Forecasts 2010-11 To 2030-31, Portland State University. Population Research Center, Charles Rynerson, Vivian Siu, Richard Lycan, David West

School District Enrollment Forecast Reports

The Bend-La Pine School District (BLPSD) enrolled 15,898 students in Fall 2009, an increase of 61 students from Fall 2008. This followed a loss of 13 students between Fall 2007 and Fall 2008. These two most recent years are in sharp contrast with the previous 19 years of uninterrupted gains of more than 200 students each year. K-12 enrollment growth averaged about 350 students per year from 1990 to 2000, and about 400 students per year from 2000 to 2007. The enrollment trends align closely with the housing and employment trends described in this report. Housing growth began to slow …

Technology In Practice. Your Virtual Brand, Meredith G. Farkas

Library Faculty and Staff Publications and Presentations

In this article the author suggests that prospective librarians must establish a positive online identity and presence as part of the job search process. She proposes that individuals assess themselves as a brand to be marketed. She points to the influence of personal profiles on online social networks such as Facebook and Twitter on employer hiring decisions.

Bioarchaeological Analysis Of Historic Kormantse, Ghana, William C. Schaffer, E. Kofi Agorsah

Black Studies Faculty Publications and Presentations

Human skeletal remains associated with 17th century artifacts were recovered during the latest excavations at Kormantse, Central Region, Ghana. The following is a preliminary bioarchaeological analysis, and in particular, it concerns data pertinent to demographics, dental and skeletal health, and human behavior extracted from the population sample. All three study areas of the site contain evidence of at least seven individuals and as many as nine. In Study Area 1 at least two adult individuals are represented from leg bones within this feature or area. One may have been a female with a body mass of 59.0 kg. Two teeth …

Foreclosure Activity In The Portland-Vancouver Msa, Webb Sprague, Emily Picha, Nicole Iroz-Elardo, Tom Heinicke

Institute of Metropolitan Studies Publications

Foreclosure activity is an important indicator of community and neighborhood health and the economic viability of households. In the Portland region, foreclosure activity is comparable to many areas of the United States, with significant segments of the population struggling to make their mortgage payments.

The foreclosure crisis continues to unfold in the United States. In 2009, RealtyTrac reported 3.9 million foreclosure filings on 2.8 million properties in the U.S., up 21 percent from the previous year. Foreclosure filings include default notices, scheduled foreclosure auctions and bank reversions. About two percent of all U.S. housing units received at least one foreclosure …

Where The Ends Don’T Meet: Measuring Poverty And Self-Sufficiency Among Oregon’S Families, Melissa Rowe, Sheila A. Martin, Danan Gu, Webb Sprague

Institute of Metropolitan Studies Publications

This report uses the Self-Sufficiency Standard developed by Dr. Diana Pearce at the University of Washington to analyze the extent to which Oregon households earn enough money to meet their basic needs without a public subsidy. This standard, a vast improvement on the federal poverty level, accounts for differences in the cost of living based on family structure, age of children, and county of residence. Dr. Pearce has defined the income required to meet basic needs for every county in Oregon and a number of household types. A large number of Oregon households not considered poor by the federal poverty …

2009 Oregon Population Report, Portland State University. Population Research Center, Risa Proehl, Julia Crain

Oregon Population Estimates and Reports

This report contains the annual population estimates for Oregon, and its counties, incorporated cities, and unincorporated areas for July 1, 2009. Included in ten tables are the estimates summarized by unincorporated and incorporated areas at the state level, as well as metropolitan areas and non-metropolitan areas. Some tables include historical estimates and Census populations.

Financing Mechanisms For Capacity Improvements At Interchanges, James G. Strathman, Elizabeth Simmons

TREC Final Reports

This report examines the use of alternative local financing mechanisms for interchange and interchange area infrastructure improvements. The financing mechanisms covered include transportation impact fees, tax increment financing, value capture financing, local improvement districts, transportation corporations, state infrastructure banks, local option transportation taxes, fair share mitigation, and transportation concurrency. The financing alternatives are assessed in the context of Interchange Area Management Plans, which are required by the Oregon Transportation Commission, as well as in the context of the Oregon Department of Transportation’s responsibilities under the state’s Transportation Planning Rule.

Canby School District: Enrollment Forecast 2010-11 To 2019-20, Portland State University. Population Research Center, Charles Rynerson, Vivian Siu, David West

School District Enrollment Forecast Reports

The Population Research Center (PRC) has prepared district-wide and individual school Enrollment Forecasts for the Canby School District (CSD) annually for the past four years. This study includes forecasts of district-wide enrollment for the 10 years from 2010-11 to 2019-20 and forecasts for individual schools for the five years from 2010-11 to 2014-15. Previous district-wide forecasts only extended for five years; a 10 year forecast enhances opportunities for school districts to coordinate long range planning with city and county comprehensive plans, which may extend for 20 or more years. After many years of growth, K-12 enrollment in the Canby School …

The Portland Region In 2010: Taking Stock And Looking To The Future, Sheila A. Martin

Urban Studies and Planning Faculty Publications and Presentations

A presentation on regional demographic and economic trends made to the Multnomah County Commission in February 2010.

Vehicle Routing Problems In Congested Urban Areas, Miguel Figliozzi

Systems Science Friday Noon Seminar Series

This talk will discuss vehicle routing problems in congested urban areas. Modeling approaches, data collection issues, and solution algorithms to solve real-world problems will be described and analyzed.

Sri Lankan Migration To The Gulf: Female Breadwinners - Domestic Workers, Michele Ruth Gamburd

Anthropology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Several waves of Sri Lankan migration have taken place since the country gained independence in 1948. Beginning in the mid-1950s, wealthy, educated, English-speaking elites have migrated to Commonwealth countries such as Australia and the United Kingdom. In addition, since the upsurge in ethnic hostilities in the early 1980s, Tamil-speaking Hindu migrants have left the country, with many settling in Canada. In contrast with these permanent migrants, since 1976 a growing number of Sri Lankans have become migrant workers. The leading destination for this migrant labor force — the majority of whom are women — has been the Gulf.

Bicycle And Pedestrian Design Curriculum Expansion, Lynn Weigand

TREC Final Reports

This project broadened course offerings on bicycle and pedestrian transportation by redesigning and expanding an existing, three credit undergraduate/graduate course into a five-credit course that includes an applied lab component. The course was open to graduate and undergraduate students in planning and engineering programs. The PI (Lynn Weigand, Ph.D., adjunct faculty) and Mia Birk, adjunct faculty course instructor, developed the course with the following learning objectives:

• learn principles of bicycle and pedestrian facility design;
• understand integration of bicycle and pedestrian facilities within the right-of-way;
• understand basic transportation research and data collection methods; and
• apply course content through project work.

The …

Uncertain Health Insurance Coverage And Unmet Children’S Health Care Needs, Jennifer E. Devoe, Moira Ray, Lisa Krois, Matthew J. Carlson

Sociology Faculty Publications and Presentations

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) has improved insurance coverage rates. However, children's enrollment status in SCHIP frequently changes, which can leave families with uncertainty about their children's coverage status. We examined whether insurance uncertainty was associated with unmet health care needs.

METHODS: We compared self-reported survey data from 2,681 low-income Oregon families to state administrative data and identified children with uncertain coverage. We conducted cross-sectional multivariate analyses using a series of logistic regression models to test the association between uncertain coverage and unmet health care needs. RESULTS: The health insurance status for 13.2% of children …

Comments On The Emergence And Persistence Of Inequality In Premodern Societies, Kenneth M. Ames

Anthropology Faculty Publications and Presentations

The author discusses the development and persistence of permanent inequality in human societies. He comments on an article which undertakes inequality in premodern societies and proposed that intergenerational wealth transmission is the reason for the evolution and persistence of inequality, mentioning the three categories of wealth including material, relational, and embodied.

Land Use Innovation: Experiences In The Adoption Of Land Use Policies To Promote Active Living, Jennifer Dill, Deborah A. Howe

Urban Studies and Planning Faculty Publications and Presentations

Obesity continues to be a major public health problem in the United States. As of 2007, 28.8% of adolescents were either overweight or obese. The rise in obesity may, in part, be attributable to declines in physical activity (PA) levels. In 2007, only 34.7% of adolescents met the national PA guidelines. Since PA levels decrease between childhood and adolescence, the middle school transition is a particularly vulnerable period that warrants special attention. In 2003, Somerville, Massachusetts organized an Active Living by Design (ALbD) partnership to promote community- wide active living through promotion activities (maps), policy changes, programs to engage immigrant …

Overlooked Density: Re-Thinking Transportation Options In Suburbia, Nico Larco

TREC Final Reports

Suburban multifamily housing is an often overlooked housing typology that is the fasted growing housing market in the country and holds strong potential for achieving smart growth goals in suburbia. This housing type is ubiquitous throughout all regions in the nation, is a widespread example of density in suburbia, and is typically located next to commercial uses. The proximity between suburban multifamily housing and commercial uses creates the potential for nodes of concentrated activity, mixed use, and the possibility of substantial non-auto transport in suburbia. While this potential exists, the design of this housing type often follows an enclaved pattern …

Kibrisli Rumlarin Turk Kurtulus Savasi'ndaki Etkinlikleri (Greek Cypriots Turkish Liberation Events In War), Engin Berber

Center for Turkish Studies Occasional Paper Series

In this paper, Dr. Engin Berber discusses the history and politics of Cyprus.

The text of the paper is in Turkish.

Sour Grapes While You're Down And Out: Self-Serving Bias And Applicant Attributions For Test Performance, Kyle Garret Mack

Dissertations and Theses

Recent research has shown that outcome favorability (Ryan & Ployhart, 2000) and perceived performance (Chan, Schmitt, Jennings, Clause, & Delbridge, 1998a) are key determinates of justice judgments, suggesting that self-serving bias is a critical mechanism in the formation of applicant reactions. However, organizational justice theory continues to be the dominant paradigm for understanding applicant reactions. Chan and Schmitt (2004) have suggested a far ranging agenda for research into reactions, which includes considering reactions in a longitudinal framework and considering the natural effect of time on reactions. The current study incorporates these theoretical approaches and addresses these gaps in the research …