The relationship among young adult college students' depression, anxiety, stress, demographics, life satisfaction, and coping styles.

Science.gov (United States)

Mahmoud, Jihan Saber Raja; Staten, Ruth; Hall, Lynne A; Lennie, Terry A

2012-03-01

Recent research indicates that young adult college students experience increased levels of depression, anxiety, and stress. It is less clear what strategies college health care providers might use to assist students in decreasing these mental health concerns. In this paper, we examine the relative importance of coping style, life satisfaction, and selected demographics in predicting undergraduates' depression, anxiety, and stress. A total of 508 full-time undergraduate students aged 18-24 years completed the study measures and a short demographics information questionnaire. Coping strategies and life satisfaction were assessed using the Brief COPE Inventory and an adapted version of the Brief Students' Multidimensional Life Satisfaction Scale. Depression, anxiety, and stress were measured using the Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21). Multiple regression analyses were used to examine the relative influence of each of the independent variables on depression, anxiety, and stress. Maladaptive coping was the main predictor of depression, anxiety, and stress. Adaptive coping was not a significant predictor of any of the three outcome variables. Reducing maladaptive coping behaviors may have the most positive impact on reducing depression, anxiety, and stress in this population.

Demographic Variables and Recreational Substance Use Among College Students.

Science.gov (United States)

Carlson, B. Robert; Davis, Jaime L.

1988-01-01

Examined relationship between demographic variables and recreational substance use in college students (N=832). Results revealed that persons using certain recreational substances differed significantly from nonusers. Marijuana users differed from nonusers on parental income, high school grade point average, and political orientation. No…

Demographic Factors Affecting Internet Using Purposes of High School Students

OpenAIRE

Abdullah Faruk Kılıç; Cem Oktay Güzeller

2017-01-01

This study aimed at determining the impact of demographic factors on the Internet usage purposes of high school students. The population of the study consisted of students between 9th and 12th grades from the Anatolian high schools, science high schools, social sciences high schools, sports high schools and fine arts high schools in Turkey. The sample was chosen through the stratified and cluster sampling procedure. The students were chosen randomly depending on the regions of their school at...

The Orientation Student Profile Card: Improving the Collection of Student Demographic Information

Science.gov (United States)

Clapp, Marlene; Young, Michael

2010-01-01

Bridgewater State University (BSU) is a public institution that falls under the Carnegie classification of Master's Colleges and Universities. BSU is committed to serving students in the New England region. This student population includes a sizeable number of underrepresented students. BSU is dealing with intense pressure to serve these students…

Influence of stress factors and socio-demographic characteristics on the sleep quality of nursing students

OpenAIRE

Benavente, Sonia Betzabeth Ticona; Silva, Rodrigo Marques da; Higashi, Aline Baraldi; Guido, Laura de Azevedo; Costa, Ana Lucia Siqueira

2014-01-01

Objective:To analyze the influence of stress factors and socio-demographic characteristics on the sleep quality of nursing students. Method: An analytical cross-sectional and quantitative study, conducted with 151 nursing students in São Paulo between March and April of 2012. A form for socio-demographic characteristics, the Instrument to Evaluate Stress in Nursing Students and the Pittsburgh Sleep Index were applied. Results: High levels of stress was predominant for Time Management (27.8%) ...

Graduate Students May Need Information Literacy Instruction as Much as Undergraduates

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Robin Elizabeth Miller

2014-09-01

Full Text Available A Review of: Conway, Kate. (2011. How prepared are students for postgraduate study? A comparison of the information literacy skills of commencing undergraduate and postgraduate studies students at Curtin University. Australian Academic & Research Libraries, 42(2, 121-135. Abstract Objective – To determine whether there is a difference in the information literacy skills of postgraduate and undergraduate students beginning an information studies program, and to examine the influence of demographic characteristics on information literacy skills. Design – Online, multiple choice questionnaire to test basic information literacy skills. Setting – Information studies program at a large university in Western Australia. Subjects – 64 information studies students who responded to an email invitation to participate in an online questionnaire, a 44% response rate. Of those responding, 23 were undergraduates and 41 were postgraduates. Methods – Over the course of two semesters, an online survey was administered. In order to measure student performance against established standards, 25 test questions were aligned with the Australian and New Zealand Information Literacy Framework (ANZIIL (Bundy, 2004, an adapted version of the ACRL Information Literacy Standards for Higher Education (Association of College & Research Libraries, 2000. In the first semester that the survey was administered, 9 demographic questions were asked and 11 in the second semester. Participants were invited to respond voluntarily to the questionnaire via email. Results were presented as descriptive statistics, comparing undergraduate and postgraduate student performance. The results were not tested for statistical significance and the author did not control for confounding variables. Main Results – Postgraduate respondents scored an average of 77% on the test questionnaire, while undergraduates scored an average of 69%. The 25% of respondents who had previous work experience

A Multi-Institution Study of Student Demographics and Outcomes in Chemical Engineering

Science.gov (United States)

Lord, Susan M.; Layton, Richard A.; Ohland, Matthew W.; Brawner, Catherine E.; Long, Russell A.

2014-01-01

Using a large multi-institutional dataset, we describe demographics and outcomes for students starting in and transferring into chemical engineering (ChE). In this dataset, men outnumber women in ChE except among black students. While ChE starters graduate in ChE at rates comparable to or above their racial/ethnic population average for…

Association Between Student Loan Debt on Graduation, Demographic Characteristics and Initial Choice of Practice Setting of Pharmacists

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Akeem A. Yusuf

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Objectives: (1 To examine trends in level of student loan indebtedness for groups of pharmacists that were first licensed between 1980 and 2006; (2 To examine if demographic variables are associated with level of student loan indebtedness; (3 To examine the association between student loan debt and choice of practice setting while controlling for demographic variables. Methods: Data for this study were collected from a national random sample of 3,000 pharmacists using a self administered survey. Descriptive statistics were used to examine trends in level of indebtedness. The relationships between level of indebtedness, demographic variables and practice setting choice were examined using Chi-square statistics. Multinomial logistic regression was used to determine the independent association of student loan debt and choice of practice setting while controlling for demographic variables. Results: The proportion of licensed pharmacists reporting student loan debt after graduation, and the mean amount of debt incurred increased between 1980 and 2006. Non-white pharmacists incurred debt at a higher proportion compared to white, and they also incurred significantly higher levels of debt. A lower level of indebtedness was associated with choosing independent practice over chain practice. Conclusions: Student loan indebtedness has been increasing over time, especially for non-white pharmacy students. Future research should be done to examine other factors that might influence student debt load, work contributions and choice of practice settings. The affordability of pharmacy education for students of color and how salaries may or may not help off-set these costs also should be examined closely.   Type: Original Research

The effect of socio-demographic factors and sources of sex ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The effect of socio-demographic factors and sources of sex information on romantic love levels among Jimma university students. ... Socio-demographic factors including gender, religion, ethnicity, place of origin (urban/rural), and level of education did not have a statistically significant effect on the romantic love level of the ...

Demographics of new Undergraduate Medical Imaging and Medical Sonography degree students at CQUniversity, Australia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Spuur, Kelly M.; Falconi, Caroline L.; Cowling, Cynthia M.; Bowman, Anita L.; Maroney, Maria A.

2012-01-01

Aim: To report the student demographics of the inaugural intake into the Bachelor of Medical Imaging and Bachelor of Medical Sonography/Graduate Diploma of Medical Sonography at CQUniversity, Mackay, Australia. Method: Surveys were distributed to students enrolled in the course MEDI11001 Fundamentals of the Imaging Professions; this course is common to both cohorts in Term 1 of the programs. All students enrolled at the time of the survey were present to participate in the survey. Participation was voluntary. Descriptive statistics were developed from responses and thematic analysis applied to open-ended questions. Results: A total of 44 students were enrolled in the programs. The most common place of residence on enrolment was within 40 km of the Mackay campus (16/36.4%); mature age students (30/68.2%); live on campus in the purpose built residences (18/40.9%) and were influenced by the location of the programs in Mackay to enrol (27/61.2%), with the primary justification for this being that the programs were offered close to home. The university website was identified as the primary source of information regarding the programs (15/34.1%) followed by family and friends (11/25%). The programs were first preference for 31 students (70.5%). The majority (23/52.3%) undertakes some type of paid work. Conclusion: Both programs have attracted a diverse student cohort. The majority of students were mature age students from outside of the area local to the Mackay campus of CQUniversity.

Relationship between Chinese Learning Motivation types and demographic features among Danish Students

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zhang, Chun

The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between Chinese learning motivation types and the various demographic features among students at lower and upper secondary schools in Denmark. The basis of the analysis is survey data collected in Denmark from 204 students from 6 upper......) in mind, the motivational types in Chinese learning demonstrate the distinct features of the context. Theoretical and pedagogical implications for the findings are discussed....

Association Between Socio-Demographic Background and Self-Esteem of University Students.

Science.gov (United States)

Haq, Muhammad Ahsan Ul

2016-12-01

The purpose of this study was to scrutinize self-esteem of university students and explore association of self-esteem with academic achievement, gender and other factors. A sample of 346 students was selected from Punjab University, Lahore Pakistan. Rosenberg self-esteem scale with demographic variables was used for data collection. Besides descriptive statistics, binary logistic regression and t test were used for analysing the data. Significant gender difference was observed, self-esteem was significantly higher in males than females. Logistic regression indicates that age, medium of instruction, family income, student monthly expenditures, GPA and area of residence has direct effect on self-esteem; while number of siblings showed an inverse effect.

Relationship between demographic and environmental factors and knowledge of secondary school students on natural disasters

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Cvetković Vladimir M.

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The subject of quantitative research is to examine the connection between demographic (gender, age and environmental factors (family, school and media and knowledge and perceptions of students about natural disasters. Bearing in mind the orientation of the research design on determination of character and strength of relationships of demographic and environmental factors with the knowledge and perceptions of students about natural disasters, research has explicative goal. The authors use the method of interviewing high school students to identify demographic and environmental factors associated with the knowledge and perceptions of students about natural disasters. The study included 3,063 students of secondary schools in the city of Belgrade. Results suggest the existence of links between gender, success achieved in school and education of parents and the knowledge of students about natural disasters. The results also indicate that the education of students at school and within family does not affect the knowledge, but affects their perception on natural disasters. Bearing in mind the geographical space of Serbia, the study is based only on the Belgrade region, so the findings can be generalized only to the population of students in this area. Research findings indicate potential ways to influence students to raise level of knowledge about natural disasters to a higher level. Given the evident lack of education about natural disasters in Serbia, the study results can be used for policies of educational programs, which would contribute to improving the safety of youth culture. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. 179045: Development of institutional capacities, standards and procedures for countering organized crime and terrorism in terms of international integration, br. 179034: From encouraging initiative, cooperation and creativity in education to new roles and identities in the society i br. 47008: Improving quality and

Credibility and Usefulness of Health Information on Facebook: A Survey Study with U.S. College Students

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Sung Un; Syn, Sue Yeon

2016-01-01

Introduction: This study examines ways in which college students perceive the credibility and usefulness of health information on Facebook, depending on topic sensitivity, information source and demographic factors. Method: With self-selection sampling, data were collected from two universities through an online survey; 351 responses were used for…

Recognizing the expatriate and transnational distance student: A preliminary demographic exploration in the Republic of Korea

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William H. Stewart

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Descriptions of distance students in the literature are robust. Yet when speaking about students outside of a national context, nuance is lost by the failure to identify the complexity in borderless higher education. The global student body is often too broadly categorized as “international” when in reality, this can be further refined to produce two additional classifications that more appropriately identify and describe a hitherto invisible phenomenon: the expatriate and transnational distance student. Utilizing respondent-driven sampling, student demographic and academic program data were collected using these two operational definitions. The resulting data suggests a potential profile for the expatriate/transnational distance student phenomenon as manifested in South Korea, along with broader demographic and program characteristics. As a nascent phenomenon and introductory inquiry, the research is limited in scope with the intention of a establishing a taxonomy for the distance education community, b a practical method for investigation, and c avenues for further research such as student characteristics, motivation, attrition/retention, etc. Such insight would assist policy/guidelines for universities, their programs, and instructors.

Demographics and complaints of university students who sought help at a campus mental health service between 1987 and 2004.

Science.gov (United States)

Oliveira, Maria Lilian Coelho de; Dantas, Clarissa de Rosalmeida; Azevedo, Renata Cruz Soares de; Banzato, Cláudio Eduardo Muller

2008-01-02

Client characterization is an important step in evaluating the services offered by campus counseling and mental health centers and in their further planning and development. The objectives here were to describe reported complaints and demographics among students who sought counseling/mental healthcare at a Brazilian campus mental health service over a 17-year period and to compare these characteristics with those of the general university student body. Retrospective study at the Psychological and Psychiatric Service for Students (SAPPE), Universidade Estadual de Campinas (Unicamp). The participants were all of the 2,194 students who sought counseling/mental health care at SAPPE from 1987 to 2004. Information was obtained from clients clinical charts. Unicamps database was consulted for general information on its students. The findings indicated overrepresentation, among the clients, of undergraduates, female students, students from Brazilian states other than São Paulo, students living in the campus residence hall and those whose main source of income was a scholarship grant. We also found overrepresentation of Humanities and Arts students among the clients. The most frequently reported complaints were difficulties in interpersonal relationships, family conflicts and poor academic performance. Course level (undergraduate or postgraduate), study field, living in a university residential facility and reliance on a scholarship grant were found to influence the behavior of seeking mental health counseling among Brazilian university students in this study. Course level was found to influence the pattern of complaints reported at first contact with the mental health service.

Spanish students' use of the Internet for mental health information and support seeking.

Science.gov (United States)

Montagni, Ilaria; Parizot, Isabelle; Horgan, Aine; Gonzalez-Caballero, Juan-Luis; Almenara-Barrios, José; Lagares-Franco, Carolina; Peralta-Sáez, Juan-Luis; Chauvin, Pierre; Amaddeo, Francesco

2016-06-01

The Internet is a growing source of information for health in general, with university student being online almost daily. Evaluating their use of the Internet for mental health information and support can help understanding if online tools and websites should be used for mental health promotion and, to some extent, care. A survey was conducted with more than 600 students of Law, Nursing and Computer Science of the University of Cadiz in Spain to determine their general use of the Internet and their perceptions and trust in using this medium for mental health information. Data were collected using a 25-item-questionnaire and findings indicated that students had a strong distrust in online mental health information, notwithstanding their daily use of the Internet. The frequency and methods of their research on the Internet correlated with their health status, their medical consultations and with certain socio-demographic characteristics. © The Author(s) 2014.

Demographic, dietary and physical activity predictors of general and abdominal obesity among university students: a cross-sectional study

OpenAIRE

Mogre, Victor; Nyaba, Rauf; Aleyira, Samuel; Sam, Napoleon B.

2015-01-01

Background Obesity has become a disease of global public health concern in both developing and developed countries. We investigated the influence of socio-demographic, dietary habits and physical activity levels on general and abdominal obesity among a sample of university students in Ghana. Methods This cross-sectional study was carried out among a sample of 552 students attending the University for Development Studies, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Tamale, Ghana. Demographic chara...

Students' Demographic, Academic Characteristics and Performance in Registered General Nursing Licensing Examination in Ghana

Science.gov (United States)

Doe, Patience Fakornam; Oppong, Elizabeth Agyeiwaa; Sarfo, Jacob Owusu

2018-01-01

The decreasing performance of student nurses in the professional licensure examinations (LE) in Ghana is a major concern to stakeholders, especially at a time when the nurse-patient ratio stands at 1: 1500. The study sought to determine the effect of students' demographic and academic characteristics on performance in the Registered General…

Student, Home, and School Socio-Demographic Factors: Links to School, Home, and Community Arts Participation

Science.gov (United States)

Mansour, Marianne; Martin, Andrew J.; Anderson, Michael; Gibson, Robyn; Liem, Gregory Arief D.; Sudmalis, David

2016-01-01

This study explored the role of student (e.g., age, language background, gender), home (e.g., parent/caregiver education), and school (e.g., school type, size) socio-demographic factors in students' school (e.g., in-school arts tuition, arts engagement), home (e.g., parent/caregiver-child arts interaction), and community (e.g., arts attendance,…

Demographics and complaints of university students who sought help at a campus mental health service between 1987 and 2004

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maria Lilian Coelho de Oliveira

Full Text Available CONTEXT AND OBJECTIVE: Client characterization is an important step in evaluating the services offered by campus counseling and mental health centers and in their further planning and development. The objectives here were to describe reported complaints and demographics among students who sought counseling/mental healthcare at a Brazilian campus mental health service over a 17-year period and to compare these characteristics with those of the general university student body. DESIGN AND SETTING: Retrospective study at the Psychological and Psychiatric Service for Students (SAPPE, Universidade Estadual de Campinas (Unicamp. METHODS: The participants were all of the 2,194 students who sought counseling/mental health care at SAPPE from 1987 to 2004. Information was obtained from clients’ clinical charts. Unicamp’s database was consulted for general information on its students. RESULTS: The findings indicated overrepresentation, among the clients, of undergraduates, female students, students from Brazilian states other than São Paulo, students living in the campus residence hall and those whose main source of income was a scholarship grant. We also found overrepresentation of Humanities and Arts students among the clients. The most frequently reported complaints were difficulties in interpersonal relationships, family conflicts and poor academic performance. CONCLUSION: Course level (undergraduate or postgraduate, study field, living in a university residential facility and reliance on a scholarship grant were found to influence the behavior of seeking mental health counseling among Brazilian university students in this study. Course level was found to influence the pattern of complaints reported at first contact with the mental health service.

Association between Eating Out and Socio-Demographic Factors of University Students in Chongqing, China.

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Ping; Wu, Tingting; Zhang, Fan; Zhang, Yan; Lu, Lu; Zeng, Huan; Shi, Zu-Min; Sharma, Manoj; Xun, Lei; Zhao, Yong

2017-10-30

(1) Objective : We aimed to explore the current situation of eating out and the association with socio-demographic factors of university students in Chongqing, China. (2) Methods : We used self-administered questionnaires to collect information. There are 14 universities in Chongqing; four (Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing University, Chongqing Normal University, and Chongqing University of Science & Technology) were randomly selected. In each selected university, two disciplines were randomly selected. (3) Results : 4595 university students participated in the study. The frequency of eating out was relatively high. The frequency of eating out among females was higher than that among males during weekdays. The two main reasons for eating out were having an opportunity to meet friends (56.0%) and improving diet (39.6%). Bistros (61.7%) and hot-pot restaurants (41.1%) were the favorite places for eating out. Only 36.0% of the participants said they considered nutrition and food safety when selecting restaurants. The majority of the participants demonstrated a high demand for nutrition and food safety knowledge when eating out (77.7%). (4) Conclusions : The higher the monthly living expenses were, the higher the frequency of eating out was. An intervention strategy to reduce the frequency or change the behavior of eating out should be formulated by considering the students' perspectives.

Internet and information technology use by dental students in Chile.

Science.gov (United States)

Uribe, S; Mariño, R J

2006-08-01

As part of a larger cross-country survey of dental students, students from the School of Dentistry, The University of Valparaiso, were invited to participate in a study to describe their use of information and communication technology (ICT). Information was derived from a 124-item questionnaire which included 14 socio-demographic items and 29 items asking about ICT use. ICT items were derived from a University of Birmingham, UK, battery. Data was collected in July and August 2004. A total of 162 of the 249 dental students participated in the study. The average age of students was 21.0 years (SD 2.4 years). The majority of participants (62.1%) were female. All participants had access to a computer, and 96.4% used the Internet. Most students had home Internet connections (73.4%). The most commonly used Internet sites on at least a weekly basis were: email (92.2%); and search engines (88.3%). However, a very few (21.1%) used the Internet to search for dental information for their studies on at least a weekly basis. Furthermore, although the majority (70.4%) found Internet use easy/very easy, 56.2% indicated that any search for information was easy/very easy. The majority (72.2%) indicated that the use of virtual education would not affect their class attendance. The final multivariate model explained 26% of the variance in ICT use, significant predictors for ICT use were gender, year of study, level of difficulty in using Internet, and place of Internet use. However, Internet use was mostly for non-dental purposes.

Effects of selected socio-demographic characteristics on nutrition knowledge and eating behavior of elementary students in two provinces in China.

Science.gov (United States)

Qian, Ling; Zhang, Fan; Newman, Ian M; Shell, Duane F; Du, Weijing

2017-07-14

National and international child health surveys have indicated an increase in childhood obesity in China. The increase has been attributed to a rising standard of living, increasing availability of unhealthy foods, and a lack of knowledge about healthy diet. The objective of this study was to assess the effect of selected socio-demographic characteristics on the BMI, nutrition knowledge, and eating behavior of elementary school children. Multistage stratified cluster sampling was used. Information on demographics, nutrition knowledge, and eating behavior was gathered by means of questionnaires. The schools' doctors provided the height and weight data. The study was set in one economically advantaged and one economically disadvantaged province in China. The participants were Grade 3 students, ages 8-10 years (N = 3922). A cluster analysis identified four socio-demographic variables distinguished by parental education and family living arrangement. A one-way ANOVA compared differences among the clusters in BMI, child nutrition knowledge, and child eating behavior. Students in the cluster with lowest parent education level had the lowest nutrition knowledge scores and eating behavior scores. There was no significant benefit from college education versus high school education of parents in the other three clusters. BMI was not affected by parent education level. The nutrition status of elementary school age children will benefit most by increasing the general level of education for those adults who are presently least educated.

"Hooking up" among college students: demographic and psychosocial correlates.

Science.gov (United States)

Owen, Jesse J; Rhoades, Galena K; Stanley, Scott M; Fincham, Frank D

2010-06-01

This study investigated 832 college students' experiences with hooking up, a term that refers to a range of physically intimate behavior (e.g., passionate kissing, oral sex, and intercourse) that occurs outside of a committed relationship. Specifically, we examined how five demographic variables (sex, ethnicity, parental income, parental divorce, and religiosity) and six psychosocial factors (e.g., attachment styles, alcohol use, psychological well-being, attitudes about hooking up, and perceptions of the family environment) related to whether individuals had hooked up in the past year. Results showed that similar proportions of men and women had hooked up but students of color were less likely to hook up than Caucasian students. More alcohol use, more favorable attitudes toward hooking up, and higher parental income were associated with a higher likelihood of having hooked up at least once in the past year. Positive, ambivalent, and negative emotional reactions to the hooking up experience(s) were also examined. Women were less likely to report that hooking up was a positive emotional experience than men. Young adults who reported negative and ambivalent emotional reactions to hooking up also reported lower psychological well-being and less favorable attitudes toward hooking up as compared to students who reported a positive hooking up experience. Based on these findings, suggestions for psychoeducational programming are offered. Additionally, directions for future research are provided.

Influence of Family and Socio-Demographic Variables on Students with Low Academic Achievement

Science.gov (United States)

Casanova, Pedro F.; Garcia-Linares, M. Cruz; de la Torre, Manuel J.; Carpio, M. de la Villa

2005-01-01

In this study we compare the distribution of parental educational styles and the scores reported both by parents and students for various family characteristics (acceptance, control, involvement, and expectations) and socio-demographic factors (socio-economic status, family structure, number of children, and order of birth of the children) in a…

Datasets on demographic trends in enrollment into undergraduate engineering programs at Covenant University, Nigeria.

Science.gov (United States)

Popoola, Segun I; Atayero, Aderemi A; Badejo, Joke A; Odukoya, Jonathan A; Omole, David O; Ajayi, Priscilla

2018-06-01

In this data article, we present and analyze the demographic data of undergraduates admitted into engineering programs at Covenant University, Nigeria. The population distribution of 2649 candidates admitted into Chemical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Computer Engineering, Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Information and Communication Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, and Petroleum Engineering programs between 2002 and 2009 are analyzed by gender, age, and state of origin. The data provided in this data article were retrieved from the student bio-data submitted to the Department of Admissions and Student Records (DASR) and Center for Systems and Information Services (CSIS) by the candidates during the application process into the various engineering undergraduate programs. These vital information is made publicly available, after proper data anonymization, to facilitate empirical research in the emerging field of demographics analytics in higher education. A Microsoft Excel spreadsheet file is attached to this data article and the data is thoroughly described for easy reuse. Descriptive statistics and frequency distributions of the demographic data are presented in tables, plots, graphs, and charts. Unrestricted access to these demographic data will facilitate reliable and evidence-based research findings for sustainable education in developing countries.

[Socio-demographic factors and tobacco smoking among the Rzeszow's collage students].

Science.gov (United States)

Binkowska-Bury, Monika; Chmiel-Połeć, Zdzisława; Marć, Małgorzata; Januszewicz, Paweł

2008-01-01

Tobacco smoking is the most known single factor of the highest impact on the number of cancerous deceases. Chemical compound contained in the tobacco smoke have an affect on strong mutagen and carcinogenic actions. Among 400 chemical compound 40 of them have a proven carcinogenic action for human. From the medical point of view the most important are: nicotine- responsible as well as for the pharmacologic tobacco smoking addiction, carbon monoxide, carcinogenic and irritant substances. Regular monitoring of the tobacco smoking among academic students might be used in the actions considering the health risk management. The aim of the study was identifying the relation among selected socio-demographic factors like: age, sex, major, permanent residence, parent's education, material status, medical profile and tobacco smoking among academic students. The research was carried out among 521: science, humanities and medical stationary students. The research was conducted with a usage of the chi-squared evenness test. The research shows that sex and place of residence are the two factors having the most impact on tobacco smoking among academic students. Academic students originated from town or cities as well as men are more often to make a decision on smoking tobacco.

Differentiation of behavioral health factors among students depending on selected socio-demographic, environmental and cultural factors

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Barbara Ślusarska

2015-02-01

Abstract Introduction. Behavioral factors of health are an important area of empirical cognition from the perspective of long-term individual as well as social investment in health. Aim. The assessment of health behaviors and their differentiation due to selected socio-demographic and environmental-cultural characteristics in a group of young adults. Materials and methods. Cross-sectional studies in the group of students of the city of Lublin were performed using the Health Behavior Inventory (HBI by Z. Juczyński. The study also included the survey questions in the field of socio-demographic and cultural- environmental indicators. Results. The analysis concerned data on 1,593 randomly selected people (63.53% women, 36.47% men, aged 20-35 years (x = 22.16, SD =2.81. In the group, at 45.07% of students, the rate of intensity of health behaviors according to HBI was low, at 39.60% - was the average, and in only 11.30% -it was high. Conclusions. In the group, low rates of health behaviors intensity predominated. Among women, the students of medical university, non-smokers and those characterized by regular physical activity a higher level of health behaviors was shown.   Key words: behavioral factors, socio-demographic indicators, health status, young adults.

Mobile Student Information System

Science.gov (United States)

Asif, Muhammad; Krogstie, John

2011-01-01

Purpose: A mobile student information system (MSIS) based on mobile computing and context-aware application concepts can provide more user-centric information services to students. The purpose of this paper is to describe a system for providing relevant information to students on a mobile platform. Design/methodology/approach: The research…

How accurately do instructors judge students' attitudes online? A measurement of expectations and level of satisfaction with an Online Information Systems masters program

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lauren-Nicole Macht

2002-12-01

Full Text Available In order to run a successful educational program, instructors as well as staff members must constantly review and adapt to the expectations, concerns, demographics and satisfaction level of their student consumers. This study was conducted in order to examine these issues in an online educational setting. First, interviews were given to the program instructors in order to determine their opinions about the students' expectations and satisfaction levels. This information was then used to create a student survey that assessed the students' expectations and level of satisfaction. These two sets of results were then compared This comparison revealed that the online instructors did have a good grasp of the online students' expectations, concerns, demographics and satisfaction level. The only areas where the instructors' concepts of student views were slightly less accurate was student concerns and student feelings about the program administration, where the instructors overestimated the level of concern the students had about successfully returning to the learning environment and underestimated the students' satisfaction with the program's administration. This leads us to conclude that, even with the added online factor, instructors strongly understand student expectations, satisfaction levels, demographics and concerns.

Effects of selected socio-demographic characteristics on nutrition knowledge and eating behavior of elementary students in two provinces in China

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ling Qian

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background National and international child health surveys have indicated an increase in childhood obesity in China. The increase has been attributed to a rising standard of living, increasing availability of unhealthy foods, and a lack of knowledge about healthy diet. The objective of this study was to assess the effect of selected socio-demographic characteristics on the BMI, nutrition knowledge, and eating behavior of elementary school children. Methods Multistage stratified cluster sampling was used. Information on demographics, nutrition knowledge, and eating behavior was gathered by means of questionnaires. The schools’ doctors provided the height and weight data. The study was set in one economically advantaged and one economically disadvantaged province in China. The participants were Grade 3 students, ages 8–10 years (N = 3922. Results A cluster analysis identified four socio-demographic variables distinguished by parental education and family living arrangement. A one-way ANOVA compared differences among the clusters in BMI, child nutrition knowledge, and child eating behavior. Students in the cluster with lowest parent education level had the lowest nutrition knowledge scores and eating behavior scores. There was no significant benefit from college education versus high school education of parents in the other three clusters. BMI was not affected by parent education level. Conclusion The nutrition status of elementary school age children will benefit most by increasing the general level of education for those adults who are presently least educated.

Turkish College Students' Subjective Wellbeing in Regard to Psychological Strengths and Demographic Variables: Implications for College Counseling

Science.gov (United States)

Sivis-Cetinkaya, Rahsan

2013-01-01

This study investigated Turkish college students' subjective wellbeing in regard to psychological strength and demographic variables. A sample of Turkish college students (N?=?1,052) aged 17-32 (mean age = 21, SD = 1.79) was administered various psychological strength instruments--the Gratitude Scale, the Rosenberg Self Esteem Inventory, the…

Evaluation and analysis of uncertainty in the information seeking behavior of medical post-graduate students

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Azami Mohammad

2018-02-01

Full Text Available This study aimed to explore and analyze uncertainty in the information seeking behavior among the students of Kerman University of Medical Sciences (KUMS based on Kuhlthau Information Search Process Model. This is an applied research. Data gathered using questionnaire. Research population included 1075 students from all graduate students of KUMS in M.Sc. and Ph.D. grades. The sample size estimated 263 people .The studied students had relatively similar senses as reported by Kuhlthau in her information search process model. Among demographic variables, only gender affected the presentation stage. Women had better performance in the presentation stage. Ph.D. students performed better than master students when selecting their research topics. These two groups had no clear differences in other stages. Students with previous experience in research activities had better performance in title selection, literature exploration and presentation stages and also had lower uncertainty. The students’ performance decreased in different stages as their ages increased. The effect of individuals’ age on their performance was considerable in the stages of literature exploration and result presentation. The graduate students of KUMS follow the same stages as Kuhlthau information search process model and have similar feelings with that. Uncertainty was felt in the different stages of information search by graduate students of KUMS. The factors like age, gender, level of education and previous experience were effective in some stages on decrease or increase of uncertainty.

Predicting health literacy of students in Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences in 2016: The role of demographic variables

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Arash Ziapoor

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Background and objective: Health literacy is a key outcome measures of health education that should be in the context of broader health promotion. This study aims to predict the health literacy of students in Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences in 1395: the role of demographic variables was performed. Methods: A descriptive correlational study on 350 students of Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences was done. Sampling was random. Data collection was conducted through a questionnaire of health literacy Montazeri et al. Information collected through software SPSS 23 and using t-tests, ANOVA and Pearson correlation coefficient were analyzed. Results: The mean (SD total score of health literacy in students was 4.04 ± 0.43. T-test and ANOVA between health literacy by gender, age, profession, education level and location have a significant relationship. Pearson correlation coefficient between the components of health literacy in research samples showed high correlation was statistically significant (P <0.01. Conclusion: The importance and need for attention to students' health literacy for health promotion as an essential factor in the impact-transition seems to be. Paper Type: Research Article.

Organ Donation in the 50+ Age Demographic: Survey Results on Decision Rationale and Information Preferences.

Science.gov (United States)

Tartaglia, Alexander; Dodd-McCue, Diane; Myer, Kevin A; Mullins, Andrew

2016-09-01

The rate of organ donation by older potential donors is significantly declining even though recent studies show positive clinical outcomes with organs transplanted from older donors. This study examined the 50+ age demographic to identify the rationale for donation decisions, preferred media methods of donation information delivery, and responsiveness to an age-tailored donation message. Results from 579 surveys, 87% from the 50+ age demographic, found respondents prone to self-select themselves as medically ineligible based on current medication and health status, even though they might be medically suitable donors. Their incentive to pursue additional information on donation is limited except when motivated by personal accounts within their families and communities. In addition, even when computer literate, they continue to favor the printed or spoken word for donation information delivery. The results suggest an opportunity for those working with older adults to develop more personalized, localized donation education programs targeting this age demographic. © The Author(s) 2014.

The relationship between demographic variables and leisure perceptions of selected South African first year university students / J.T. Weilbach.

OpenAIRE

Weilbach, Johannes Theron

2013-01-01

Participation in campus leisure and recreation programmes can provide university students with various benefits, but the provision of effective leisure programmes are complicated by the changes that have taken place in the demographic composition of the student population attending South African universities. Increases in the proportion of black students attending university, and decreases in the proportion of white students means that current students possibly exhibit leisure behaviours that...

Using a generalised identity reference model with archetypes to support interoperability of demographics information in electronic health record systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Xu Chen; Berry, Damon; Stephens, Gaye

2015-01-01

Computerised identity management is in general encountered as a low-level mechanism that enables users in a particular system or region to securely access resources. In the Electronic Health Record (EHR), the identifying information of both the healthcare professionals who access the EHR and the patients whose EHR is accessed, are subject to change. Demographics services have been developed to manage federated patient and healthcare professional identities and to support challenging healthcare-specific use cases in the presence of diverse and sometimes conflicting demographic identities. Demographics services are not the only use for identities in healthcare. Nevertheless, contemporary EHR specifications limit the types of entities that can be the actor or subject of a record to health professionals and patients, thus limiting the use of two level models in other healthcare information systems. Demographics are ubiquitous in healthcare, so for a general identity model to be usable, it should be capable of managing demographic information. In this paper, we introduce a generalised identity reference model (GIRM) based on key characteristics of five surveyed demographic models. We evaluate the GIRM by using it to express the EN13606 demographics model in an extensible way at the metadata level and show how two-level modelling can support the exchange of instances of demographic identities. This use of the GIRM to express demographics information shows its application for standards-compliant two-level modelling alongside heterogeneous demographics models. We advocate this approach to facilitate the interoperability of identities between two-level model-based EHR systems and show the validity and the extensibility of using GIRM for the expression of other health-related identities.

Association between Eating Out and Socio-Demographic Factors of University Students in Chongqing, China

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Ping Hu

2017-10-01

Full Text Available (1 Objective: We aimed to explore the current situation of eating out and the association with socio-demographic factors of university students in Chongqing, China. (2 Methods: We used self-administered questionnaires to collect information. There are 14 universities in Chongqing; four (Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing University, Chongqing Normal University, and Chongqing University of Science & Technology were randomly selected. In each selected university, two disciplines were randomly selected. (3 Results: 4595 university students participated in the study. The frequency of eating out was relatively high. The frequency of eating out among females was higher than that among males during weekdays. The two main reasons for eating out were having an opportunity to meet friends (56.0% and improving diet (39.6%. Bistros (61.7% and hot-pot restaurants (41.1% were the favorite places for eating out. Only 36.0% of the participants said they considered nutrition and food safety when selecting restaurants. The majority of the participants demonstrated a high demand for nutrition and food safety knowledge when eating out (77.7%. (4 Conclusions: The higher the monthly living expenses were, the higher the frequency of eating out was. An intervention strategy to reduce the frequency or change the behavior of eating out should be formulated by considering the students’ perspectives.

Survey of Anxiety Levels and Its Relation to Students Demographic of Alborz University of Medical Sciences

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R. Norouzinia

2012-10-01

Full Text Available Background: Today, changing lifestyles, social relations and the advancement of technology causes fear, threats and concerns of different groups in society, especially students. Adverse impact of Anxiety on the efficacy and talents, personality and social identity formation of students, threat to achieve the goals of academic achievement and mental health. The present study was conducted to determine level of anxiety and some of their demographic correlates in the Alborz University of Medical Sciences in 1390. Methods: This study is a descriptive cross sectional study. The study population included all students of the Alborz university. 305 students were selected by stratified random sampling method. The data collection instrument was a demographic questionnaire and standardized Spielberger Anxiety Inventory. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistical methods. Results: Based on our results, 64 percent of students were anxious. Anxiety levels were significantly higher in men than women (p=0.049. The level of anxiety and interesting in medical course (p<0.001, non-academic study (p=0.007 and a major physical illness (p=0.009 had significant correlations with together. Conclusion: Results showed a high percentage of students anxious. Regarding the relation between anxiety and other problems such as depression and other disorders including failure in educational function, social relationships and lifestyle, Training courses on coping skills for anxiety and stress as well as consulting services and further guidance is recommended for them.

Evaluation of information literacy status among medical students at Shiraz University of Medical Sciences.

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Bazrafkan, Leila; Hayat, Ali Asghar; Abbasi, Karim; Bazrafkan, Aghdas; Rohalamini, Azadeh; Fardid, Mozhgan

2017-01-01

The information literacy status and the use of information technology among students in the globalization age of course plans are very momentous. This study aimed to evaluate the information literacy status and use of information technology among medical students of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences in 2013. This was a descriptive-analytical study with cross-sectional method. The study population consisted of all medical students (physiopathology, externship and internship) studying at Shiraz University of Medical Sciences. The sample size (n=310) was selected by systematic random sampling. The tool of data gathering was LASSI questionnaire (assigned by America research association) with 48 closed items in five-point LIKERT scale. The questionnaire included two distinct parts of demographic questions and the information literacy skills based on the standards of information literacy capacities for academic education. The content validity was acquired by professors' and experts' comments. The reliability was also calculated by Cronbach'salpha (0.85). Data were analyzed in both descriptive (frequency- mean) and analytical level (t-test, analysis of variance) using SPSS 14 software. 60.3% of the participants were females, and the remaining (29.7%) were males. The mean score of information literacy and its five subgroups among the students weren't at a desirable level. The mean scores of information literacy for educational grades from the highest to lowest belonged to the internship, physiopathology and externship. The results showed that the highest average was related to the effective access ability to information among interns (9.27±3.57) and the lowest one was related to the ability of understanding legal and economical cases related with using information among externs (3.11±1.32).The results of ANOVA showed that there wasn't a significant difference between educational grades and information literacy. Finally, the result of independent t-test did not show a

Socio-Demographic Factors Affecting Levels of Cultural and Non-Cultural Prejudice: Comparing Korean, Chinese, and Japanese College Students

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Chung, Hyun Sook; Jung, Sun Young; Lee, Jeeyon

2017-01-01

This study examined how socio-demographic factors related to the levels of cultural and non-cultural prejudice among college students from Korea, China, and Japan. We used data collected from the Asian Value Survey. The main findings are as follows. First, Chinese students showed the lowest levels of cultural and non-cultural prejudice. Second,…

Cross-cultural and socio-demographic correlates of homophobic attitude among university students in three European countries.

Science.gov (United States)

Ciocca, G; Niolu, C; Déttore, D; Antonelli, P; Conte, S; Tuziak, B; Limoncin, E; Mollaioli, D; Carosa, E; Gravina, G L; Di Sante, S; Di Lorenzo, G; Fisher, A D; Maggi, M; Lenzi, A; Siracusano, A; Jannini, E A

2017-02-01

The aim of this study was to investigate homophobic attitudes in three European countries: Italy, Albania, and Ukraine. One thousand and forty-eight students were recruited in Italian (n = 766), Albanian (n = 180), and Ukrainian (n = 102) university centers. A socio-demographic questionnaire and Homophobia Scale (HS) were administered by our staff. Cross-cultural and significant differences among Italian, Albanian, and Ukrainian students were found on the Homophobia Scale (HS; Italy: mean = 22.26 ± 16.73; Albania: mean = 38.15 ± 17.28; Ukraine: mean = 59.18 ± 16.23). The analysis of socio-demographic characteristics revealed that the male gender emerged as main predictor of homophobic attitude in all the three countries, although also a conservative political orientation and the religious belief predict higher homophobia levels in Italy and Albania, particularly. This study revealed that in these European countries assessed, attitudes toward homosexuality are different. Ukrainians display higher levels of homophobia than Albanians and Italians, confirming the central role of cultural differences in homophobic attitudes. Nevertheless, some socio-demographic aspects such as identification as male have a similar influence on homophobic attitudes in all assessed populations.

Academic and Socio-demographic Causes of Medical Student's underachievement in Iranian Medical Schools: A Systematic Review

OpenAIRE

Keivan Dolati; Hosein Hamadiyan; Fazilat Pour Ashouri; Sepehr Rasekhi

2016-01-01

The academic performance of medical students seems to influence and be influenced by various factors. Identification of the factors that would influence the academic performance may help to modify some of these factors which may be reflecting positively on student’s GPA. Therefore, the objective of present study was to examine the effects of factors such as the student’s demographic data, educational and socio-cultural factors on the academic underachievement of Iranian medical students. In t...

75 FR 53724 - Proposed Collection; Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) Form, Demographic Information...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-09-01

... PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT OFFICE Proposed Collection; Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) Form, Demographic Information on Applicants, OMB 3046-0046; Correction AGENCY: U.S. Office of Personnel Management. ACTION: Notice; correction. SUMMARY: The published document in the Federal Register of August 2...

Optimal demographic information for policy development in the ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

After ten years of a democratic education system in South Africa , the demographic realities should be better understood in educational planning. The fragmented nature of the predemocratic education system has led to undesirable perceptions about quality education and has subsequently influenced the demographic ...

Supplemental Instruction: The Effect of Demographic and Academic Preparation Variables on Community College Student Academic Achievement in STEM-Related Fields

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Rabitoy, Eric R.; Hoffman, John L.; Person, Dawn R.

2015-01-01

This study evaluated variables associated with academic preparation and student demographics as predictors of academic achievement through participation in supplemental instruction (SI) programs for community college students in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) fields. The findings suggest a differential impact of SI outcome for…

An assessment of the impact of demographic, cognitive, and non-cognitive variables on student success in a community college science course

Science.gov (United States)

Mackey, Audrey Leroy

The impact of demographic, cognitive, and non-cognitive variables on academic success among community college science students was studied. Demographic variables included gender, employment status, and ethnicity. Cognitive variables included college grade point average, assessment status, course prerequisites, college course success ratios, final course grade, withdrawal patterns, and curriculum format. Non-cognitive variables included enrollment status, educational objectives, academic expectations, and career goals. The sample population included students enrolled in human anatomy courses (N = 191) at a large metropolitan community college located in central Texas. Variables that potentially influence attrition and achievement in college level science courses were examined. Final course grade and withdrawal phenomena were treated as dependent variables, while all other variables were treated as independent variables. No significant differences were found to exist between any of the demographic variables studied and the numbers of students who withdrew passing or failing. A difference was shown to be associated with the ethnicity variable and achievement levels. Educational objectives and career goals were shown to have an impact on the number of students who withdrew failing. The career goals variable and the academic expectations variable were shown to have an impact on achievement among daytime and evening students. College grade point average and course success ratios were shown to make a difference among students who withdrew passing. None of the other cognitive variables studied were shown to influence the numbers of students who withdrew passing or failing. College grade point average and course prerequisites, however, were shown to make a difference in achievement. The collaborative learning instructional format was found to have no impact on attrition or achievement, however, mean scores earned by students experiencing the collaborative learning format

The Association between Socio-Demographic Charactristics and Fast Food Consumption withinHigh School Students in Isfahan, Iran

OpenAIRE

Parastoo Yarmohammadi; Gholam Reza Sharifirad; Leila Azadbakht; Parisa Yarmohammadi; Zohreh Rahaei; Vali Bahrevar; Zahra Khajeh

2015-01-01

Abstract Introduction: Fast food consumption has greatly increased with in adolescents in recent years, which is linked with weight gain, poor dietary indexes and insulin resistance. Hence, the purpose of this study was to examine the association between demographic characteristics and fast food consumption with in high school students. Materials & Methods: In this descriptive-analytic study, a sample of 521 high school students  aged 15-18 years were examined in Isfahan city, who wer...

STUDY OF DEPRESSION AMONG ADOLESCENT STUDENTS OF RURAL MAHARASHTRA AND ITS ASSOCIATION WITH SOCIO-DEMOGRAPHIC FACTORS: A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY

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Shelke Umesh S, Kunkulol Rahul R, Phalke Vaishali D, Narwane Sandeep P, Patel Prashant C

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Depression is the most common psychiatric disorder that appears in adolescents. It has an adverse effect on physical as well as mental health. Many adolescents remain undiagnosed due to no accessibility to clinics. Objectives: To study demographic factors and their association with depression among adolescents of rural Maharashtra. Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted on 300 students (30 of either sex from 8th to 12th class. 6 item KADS (Kutcher Adolescent Depression Scale, BG Prasad’s modified socioeconomic scale and demographic data were collected from volunteers. Results: 6.66% of students were screened positive for depression by the scale. No statistical difference was found in number of students with depression with respect to sex, class and socioeconomic status. However the residence and type of family showed significant difference in number students of depression. Conclusion: the KADS is a good screening tool for depression and should be implemented for adolescents studying in rural areas for prevention and early treatment of depression.

Medical Students' Satisfaction and Academic Performance with Problem-Based Learning in Practice-Based Exercises for Epidemiology and Health Demographics

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Jiménez-Mejías, E.; Amezcua-Prieto, C.; Martínez-Ruiz, V.; Olvera-Porcel, M. C.; Jiménez-Moleón, J. J.; Lardelli Claret, P.

2015-01-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of problem-based learning (PBL) on university students' satisfaction with and academic performance in a course on epidemiology and social and demographic health. The participants in this interventional study were 529 students (272 in the intervention group and 257 in the control group) enrolled in a…

Undergraduate Students' Information Search Practices

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Nikolopoulou, Kleopatra; Gialamas, Vasilis

2011-01-01

This paper investigates undergraduate students' information search practices. The subjects were 250 undergraduate students from two university departments in Greece, and a questionnaire was used to document their search practices. The results showed that the Web was the primary information system searched in order to find information for…

Comparison of the Physical Education and Sports School Students' Multiple Intelligence Areas According to Demographic Features

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Aslan, Cem Sinan

2016-01-01

The aim of this study is to compare the multiple intelligence areas of a group of physical education and sports students according to their demographic features. In the study, "Multiple Intelligence Scale", consisting of 27 items, whose Turkish validity and reliability study have been done by Babacan (2012) and which is originally owned…

Socio-demographic and dietary factors associated with obesity among female university students in Jordan.

Science.gov (United States)

Musaiger, Abdulrahman O; Hammad, Shatha S; Tayyem, Reema F; Qatatsheh, Ala A

2015-08-01

This study aimed to explore the socio-demographic and dietary factors that may be associated with obesity among female university students in Jordan. A cross-sectional survey was carried out among 406 female students recruited from two universities in Jordan. Data were collected through self-reporting, using a previously validated questionnaire. Weight and height were measured and body mass index was calculated to determine the weight status of the participants. High educational level of mothers [odds ratio (OR)=1.25] and monthly pocket money of more than 200 Jordanian Dinars (OR=1.67) were found to be risk factors for obesity, whereas a sibling ranking of more than six was a protective factor (OR=0.31). Those who were eating from the university cafeteria had double the risk for obesity (OR=2.41) than those who did not. Regular eating of meals and snacking between meals were found to be protective factors (OR ranged from 0.42 to 0.79). Regular consumption of milk products, fruit, canned fruit juices, bakery products and legumes were found to be protective factors. In contrast, the regular consumption of potato chips (OR=1.35), chicken (OR=1.51), and fish (OR=1.45) were found to be risk factors for obesity. Using a chi-square test, none of the factors studied showed significant association with obesity. A program to promote healthy eating among university students in Jordan should consider the local socio-demographic and food behavior factors that could be related to obesity to ensure the effectiveness of such a program.

Changing demographics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vetter, B.M.

1991-01-01

This paper reports on changing population demographics, poor academic preparation for and a decreasing interest in engineering among college students which indicates possible shortages ahead, particularly among chemical and petroleum engineers. The talent pool for engineering must be enlarged to include women and minority men, if we are to ensure an adequate future supply for the U.S

Demographic Predictors of Students' Science Participation over the Age of 16: an Australian Case Study

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Cooper, Grant; Berry, Amanda; Baglin, James

2018-01-01

Using the Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth (LSAY) data, this paper aimed to examine if, and to what extent, demographic factors predict students' participation in science over the age of 16 (post-16). While all the students participating in this study are attending Australian schools, the comprehensiveness of these datasets, together with inclusion of studies from around the world provides a useful reference point for an international audience. Over 7000 students are included in the analysis of this paper. Characteristics of focus in this paper include groups who have been identified as being underrepresented in past studies including Indigenous students, those from lower-socio-economic status (SES) backgrounds, sex differences and immigrants. Among the factors tested, Indigenous status was the strongest negative predictor of post-16 science participation. SES was also a relatively strong predictor of post-16 science participation. Compared to students categorised with an Australian-ancestry, first-generation and foreign-background students were more likely to participate in post-16 science. The findings of this study contribute to existing research on debates about equity and trends in science participation.

Predicting the educational performance of Isfahan University students of medical sciences based on their behaviour profile, mental health and demographic characteristic.

Science.gov (United States)

Samouei, Rahele; Fooladvand, Maryam; Janghorban, Shahla; Khorvash, Fariba

2015-01-01

The issue of students' academic failure is one of the most important educational, economic, and social issues. Cognizance of the factors related to academic downfall is so efficient in its prevention and control and leads to protecting governmental assets and labor force. In order to achieve this goal, this study intends to determine the predictive factors of the students' academic performance in Isfahan University of Medical Sciences in terms of their personality profile, mental health, and their demographic characteristics. This study was a descriptive-correlation study on 771 students who entered Isfahan University of Medical Sciences between 2005 and 2007. The information was gathered through using the students' educational and clinical files (for measuring personality characteristics and mental health) and SAMA Software (To get the mean scores). Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory short form and General Health Questionnaire were used for collecting clinical data. The data were analyzed using SPSS 15 (stepwise regression coefficient, variance analysis, Student's t-test, and Spearman correlation coefficient). The results showed that the aforementioned students obtained a normal average for their personality profile and mental health indicators. Of all the reviewed variables, education, age, gender, depression, and hypochondria were the predictive factors of the students' educational performance. It could be concluded that some of the personality features, mental health indicators, and personality profile play such a significant role in the students' educational life that the disorder in any of them affects the students' educational performance and academic failure.

Demographic and Lifestyle Characteristics, but Not Apolipoprotein E Genotype, Are Associated with Intelligence among Young Chinese College Students.

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Xiao-Fen Chen

Full Text Available Intelligence is an important human feature that strongly affects many life outcomes, including health, life-span, income, educational and occupational attainments. People at all ages differ in their intelligence but the origins of these differences are much debated. A variety of environmental and genetic factors have been reported to be associated with individual intelligence, yet their nature and contribution to intelligence differences have been controversial.To investigate the contribution of apolipoprotein E (APOE genotype, which is associated with the risk for Alzheimer's disease, as well as demographic and lifestyle characteristics, to the variation in intelligence.A total of 607 Chinese college students aged 18 to 25 years old were included in this prospective observational study. The Chinese revision of Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (the fourth edition, short version was used to determine the intelligence level of participants. Demographic and lifestyle characteristics data were obtained from self-administered questionnaires.No significant association was found between APOE polymorphic alleles and different intelligence quotient (IQ measures. Interestingly, a portion of demographic and lifestyle characteristics, including age, smoking and sleep quality were significantly associated with different IQ measures.Our findings indicate that demographic features and lifestyle characteristics, but not APOE genotype, are associated with intelligence measures among young Chinese college students. Thus, although APOE ε4 allele is a strong genetic risk factor for Alzheimer's disease, it does not seem to impact intelligence at young ages.

Comparative description of migrant farmworkers versus other students attending South Texas schools: demographic, academic, and health characteristics.

Science.gov (United States)

Cooper, Sharon P; Weller, Nancy F; Fox, Erin E; Cooper, Sara R; Shipp, Eva M

2005-08-01

Little is known about academic performance, health, and social functioning of youth from migrant farmworker families. This study was designed to compare demographic, academic, health, and social data between migrant and nonmigrant youth residing in South Texas. Anonymous cross-sectional survey data were collected from 6954 middle and 3565 high school students. About 5% of South Texas middle and high school students reported belonging to a migrant family. Compared with nonmigrant students, migrant youth were more likely to miss and arrive late to school, sleep in class, and study fewer hours weekly. Migrant students reported fewer hours of nightly sleep, fewer hours spent with their friends, and more minor illnesses than nonmigrant youth. These results demonstrate the need for interventions specifically targeted to this vulnerable adolescent population.

Suicide Prevention Exposure, Awareness, and Knowledge Survey (SPEAKS) - Student

Data.gov (United States)

U.S. Department of Health & Human Services — The SPEAKS- student dataset contains individual level information from a sample of college students on GLS funded campuses. These data include student demographics,...

Information Access for Disabled Students

OpenAIRE

Cypaite, Asta; Šerkšnien, Justina; Rudžioniene, Jurgita

2008-01-01

Disabled students who makes relatively small part of the academic society are in risk to disappear among all other students, due to their communication and mobility difficulties have less possibilities to satisfy their needs, ensuring their rights to qualitative studies, equal opportunities in the labor market and social integration. A topic about information accessibility for disabled students is extremely important because of their information exclusion in their study process at the un...

Predictors of Nationalism and Cosmopolitanism: The Contribution of Certain Socio-demographic Features, Ideological Self-identification and Individualism/Collectivism on a Sample of Students and Their Parents

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Tajana Križanec

2009-06-01

Full Text Available The objective of this research has been to compare the levels of and to establish the connection between results of psychology students and their parents in relation to nationalism and cosmopolitanism and collectivism, and to horizontal and vertical individualism. In addition, an attempt has been made to define the contribution of socio-demographic variables, the importance of religion and the ideological orientation of the respondents along with collectivism/individualism in explaining the pronounced nature of nationalism and/or cosmopolitanism among the students and their parents. The research was carried out on a group of 200 students (26 male and 174 female and 296 parents (143 male and 153 female, all of Croatian nationality. Three questionnaires were applied: the Nationalism and Cosmopolitanism Scale (Čorkalo and Kamenov, 1999, the HVIC questionnaire on horizontal and vertical individualism and collectivism (Singelis et al., 1995 and a socio-demographic questionnaire. The results showed that parents of students express more marked nationalism and collectivism than their (adult children, while students express more marked cosmopolitanism and horizontal individualism than their parents. However, as far as vertical individualism is concerned, there is no difference between the average results of students and parents. The correlation between the collectivism and individualism of students and their mothers and fathers is lower than that between nationalism and cosmopolitanism. The set of socio-demographic predictors, the importance of religion, ideological orientations and collectivism/individualism more reliably foresee nationalism rather than cosmopolitanism, both in the parental and student sample. The type and contribution of the individual predictors are similar in both samples, with the exception of certain socio-demographic predictors that were shown to be significant in the parental, but not in the student sample. Apart from socio-demographic

Adult anthropometric measures and socio-demographic factors influencing age at menarche of university students in malaysia.

Science.gov (United States)

Hossain, Md Golam; Wee, Ai-Sze; Ashaie, Maeirah; Kamarul, T

2013-09-01

Early onset of menarche has been shown to be associated with breast cancer and ischaemic heart disease. Studies on age at menarche of the Malaysian population are poorly documented. This study aimed to determine the influence of anthropometric and socio-demographic factors on the age at menarche of university students in Malaysia. Data were obtained in 2010-11 from 961 students between the ages of 18 and 25 years from the University of Malaya using stratified sampling, and multiple regression analysis was applied. Sixty-three per cent of students reached menarche at the age of 12 or 13 years, with the mean and median of age at menarche being 12.45 ± 1.17 and 12.01 years, respectively. Menarcheal age was positively associated with height (pObese and overweight students reached menarche earlier than students who were underweight or of normal weight (p<0.01). The variations in age at menarche among the Malaysian ethnic groups were statistically insignificant. The results suggest that heavier and first-born students from small families are more likely to attain menarche earlier than their counterparts.

Science Literacy and Prior Knowledge of Astronomy MOOC Students

Science.gov (United States)

Impey, Chris David; Buxner, Sanlyn; Wenger, Matthew; Formanek, Martin

2018-01-01

Many of science classes offered on Coursera fall into fall into the category of general education or general interest classes for lifelong learners, including our own, Astronomy: Exploring Time and Space. Very little is known about the backgrounds and prior knowledge of these students. In this talk we present the results of a survey of our Astronomy MOOC students. We also compare these results to our previous work on undergraduate students in introductory astronomy courses. Survey questions examined student demographics and motivations as well as their science and information literacy (including basic science knowledge, interest, attitudes and beliefs, and where they get their information about science). We found that our MOOC students are different than the undergraduate students in more ways than demographics. Many MOOC students demonstrated high levels of science and information literacy. With a more comprehensive understanding of our students’ motivations and prior knowledge about science and how they get their information about science, we will be able to develop more tailored learning experiences for these lifelong learners.

Student approaches for learning in medicine: what does it tell us about the informal curriculum?

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Jianzhen; Peterson, Raymond F; Ozolins, Ieva Z

2011-10-21

It has long been acknowledged that medical students frequently focus their learning on that which will enable them to pass examinations, and that they use a range of study approaches and resources in preparing for their examinations. A recent qualitative study identified that in addition to the formal curriculum, students are using a range of resources and study strategies which could be attributed to the informal curriculum. What is not clearly established is the extent to which these informal learning resources and strategies are utilized by medical students. The aim of this study was to establish the extent to which students in a graduate-entry medical program use various learning approaches to assist their learning and preparation for examinations, apart from those resources offered as part of the formal curriculum. A validated survey instrument was administered to 522 medical students. Factor analysis and internal consistence, descriptive analysis and comparisons with demographic variables were completed. The factor analysis identified eight scales with acceptable levels of internal consistency with an alpha coefficient between 0.72 and 0.96. Nearly 80% of the students reported that they were overwhelmed by the amount of work that was perceived necessary to complete the formal curriculum, with 74.3% believing that the informal learning approaches helped them pass the examinations. 61.3% believed that they prepared them to be good doctors. A variety of informal learning activities utilized by students included using past student notes (85.8%) and PBL tutor guides (62.7%), and being part of self-organised study groups (62.6%), and peer-led tutorials (60.2%). Almost all students accessed the formal school resources for at least 10% of their study time. Students in the first year of the program were more likely to rely on the formal curriculum resources compared to those of Year 2 (p = 0.008). Curriculum planners should examine the level of use of informal

Kindergarten Students' Levels of Understanding Some Science Concepts and Scientific Inquiry Processes According to Demographic Variables (The Sampling of Kilis Province in Turkey)

Science.gov (United States)

Ilhan, Nail; Tosun, Cemal

2016-01-01

The purpose of this study is to identify the kindergarten students' levels of understanding some science concepts (LUSSC) and scientific inquiry processes (SIP) and compare their LUSSC and SIP in terms of some demographic variables. Also, another purpose of this study is to identify the predictive power of those demographic variables over the…

Lessons from Ebola: Sources of Outbreak Information and the Associated Impact on UC Irvine and Ohio University College Students.

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Koralek, Thrissia; Runnerstrom, Miryha G; Brown, Brandon J; Uchegbu, Chukwuemeka; Basta, Tania B

2016-08-25

Objectives. We examined the role of outbreak information sources through four domains: knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and stigma related to the 2014 Ebola virus disease (EVD) outbreak. Methods. We conducted an online survey of 797 undergraduates at the University of California, Irvine (UCI) and Ohio University (OU) during the peak of the outbreak. We calculated individual scores for domains and analyzed associations to demographic variables and news sources. Results. Knowledge of EVD was low and misinformation was prevalent. News media (34%) and social media (19%) were the most used sources of EVD information while official government websites (OGW) were among the least used (11%). Students who acquired information through OGW had higher knowledge, more positive attitudes towards those infected, a higher belief in the government, and were less likely to stigmatize Ebola victims. Conclusions. Information sources are likely to influence students' knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and stigma relating to EVD. This study contains crucial insight for those tasked with risk communication to college students. Emphasis should be given to developing effective strategies to achieve a comprehensive knowledge of EVD and future public health threats.

Profiling students using an institutional information portal:a descriptive study of the Bachelor of Arts degree students,University of South Africa

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Omwoyo Bosire Onyancha

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Using data mining techniques, this study examines the Bachelor of Arts (General degree’s data available in the University of South Africa’s institutional information and analysis portal (IP maintained by the Department of Information and Strategic Analysis (DISA. The purpose of this was to draw a demographic profile of the students and demonstrate the potential use of an IP in monitoring and evaluating the performance of individual qualifications as far as registrations, cancellations and graduation rates are concerned. Data were analysed in order to determine the students’ age, gender, occupational, home language and geographic distributions and the relationships between the “incoming”, “re-entering”, “degree completed” and “graduation” headcounts. It was observed, among other findings, that the BA(G degree attracts students with diverse characteristics; there is a general continued decline in the number of students registering as well as completing the qualification; the number of students cancelling registrations in BA(G has continued to grow since 2005; and that there is a significant positive correlation between (a the “incoming” and “graduation” headcounts; (b “incoming” and “degree completed” headcounts; (c “degree completed” and “graduation” headcounts; and (d “graduation” and “total registration” headcounts. Other findings as well as conclusions and recommendations are offered.

Bullying Perpetration, Victimization, and Demographic Differences in College Students: A Review of the Literature.

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Lund, Emily M; Ross, Scott W

2016-01-11

Although bullying has been widely recognized as a serious issue in elementary and secondary school and in the workplace, little is known about the prevalence of bullying in postsecondary education. We conducted a comprehensive search of the peer-reviewed literature and found 14 studies that reported the prevalence of bullying perpetration, victimization, or both in college or university students. Prevalence estimates varied widely been studies, but on average about 20-25% of students reported noncyberbullying victimization during college and 10-15% reported cyberbullying victimization. Similarly, approximately 20% of students on average reported perpetrating noncyberbullying during college, with about 5% reporting cyber perpetration. Men were more likely to report perpetration, but no consistent gender differences in victimization were found. Few studies reported prevalence by sexual orientation or race/ethnicity, and none reported prevalence by disability status. Overall, these results indicate that bullying continues to be prevalent in postsecondary education, but more research needs to be conducted, particularly that which uses multiuniversity samples and examines demographic differences in prevalence rates. © The Author(s) 2016.

A study of communication skills in health care management students and its association with demographic characteristics

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Shiva Karimzadeh; Rita Rezaee; Peivand Bastani

2017-01-01

Introduction: Communication skills are one of the most important skills for health care managers and play an important role in their personal life and future occupation. The present study aimed to evaluate the students’ communication skills as well as its relationship with the students’ demographic characteristics. Method: This descriptive-analytical study was performed on 153 university students majoring in healthcare management in 2014. A self-administered communication skills questionna...

The Influence of Self-Esteem and Selected Demographic Characteristics on First Semester Academic Achievement of Students Enrolled in a College of Agriculture

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Gaspard, Mae B.; Burnett, Michael F.; Gaspard, Camile P.

2011-01-01

The primary purpose of this study was to determine the influence of self-esteem and selected demographic characteristics on academic achievement among students at the freshman level in the College of Agriculture at Louisiana State University. The sample of the study was all students at Louisiana State University enrolled in the Introduction to…

A Study of the Physical Fitness Test in Relation to Demographics, Academic Achievement, and Students' Physical Fitness Perceptions

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Mobilia-Jones, Karen

2010-01-01

This study examines the overall results of the Physical Fitness Test (PFT) and the six fitness areas of the PFT, academic achievement, demographics and self perceptions and the potential impact on students' performance on the PFT. While academic expectations are increasing, the adolescent obesity rate is also increasing, producing a decline in the…

Prediction of the Dimensions of the Spiritual Well-Being of Students at Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Iran: The Roles of Demographic Variables.

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Ziapour, Arash; Khatony, Alireza; Jafari, Faranak; Kianipour, Neda

2017-07-01

Spiritual well-being is one of the aspects of well-being which organize the physical, psychological, and social aspects. Given the outstanding and unique roles of students in society, providing spiritual well-being as well as identifying and eliminating the negative factors affecting their mental well-being are of the essence. The present study aimed to predict the dimensions of the spiritual well-being of students at Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences and to investigate the roles of demographic variables in this respect. In this descriptive and correlational study, the statistical population was comprised of 346 doctoral students in the for-profit Schools of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceuticals in Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences in 2016. For data collection, an instrument comprising the demographic questions and the 20-item spiritual well-being scale by Paloutzian and Ellison (1982) was utilized. To analyze data, the descriptive (frequency distribution, mean, and standard deviation) and inferential statistics (independent t-test, one-way ANOVA, and chi-squared test) were employed in the SPSS Statistics Software Version 21.0. The results of the present study demonstrated that the spiritual well-being of students was average (71.86±4.84), and of all demographic variables under study, only the variable of gender significantly correlated with the mean score of spiritual well-being. Also, the results revealed that the students' score of religious well-being measured higher than that of their existential well-being. However, a significant correlation was found between spiritual well-being and its dimensions. Also, the religious and existential well-being were found to be significantly related (pspirituality among the students of the for-profit Schools at Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences. Therefore, it is recommended that appropriate plans be laid by the culture and education policy makers to promote the spiritual well-being of university

The Role of Demographic Factors of International Students on Teaching Preferences: An Empirical Research from the United States

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Rao, Pramila

2016-01-01

Purpose: This empirical research was conducted in a medium-sized private university located in the north-eastern region of the USA. The purpose of this paper was to understand whether demographic attributes (age, gender, country of origin and years of stay in the USA) of international students will predict any preferences for specific teaching…

Connecting Inspiration with Information: Studio Art Students and Information Literacy Instruction

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Katie Greer

2015-06-01

Full Text Available This article discusses the partnership between the library and the studio art faculty at [Institution name], that led to the integration of information literacy instruction into the studio art curriculum. The author outlines the importance of information literacy to artistic practice and student success, and discusses the program of instruction and learning outcomes. Early assessment of student needs and the program’s effectiveness, using both citation analysis and anecdotal feedback, reveals that the program has contributed to the maturation of student research and inquiry skills, and positively affected the relationship between the department and the library, and provides preliminary conclusions about undergraduate studio art information behaviors. An ongoing further program of study to more fully describe the information needs of undergraduate studio art students is also outlined.

The Association between Socio-Demographic Charactristics and Fast Food Consumption withinHigh School Students in Isfahan, Iran

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Parastoo Yarmohammadi

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Introduction: Fast food consumption has greatly increased with in adolescents in recent years, which is linked with weight gain, poor dietary indexes and insulin resistance. Hence, the purpose of this study was to examine the association between demographic characteristics and fast food consumption with in high school students. Materials & Methods: In this descriptive-analytic study, a sample of 521 high school students  aged 15-18 years were examined in Isfahan city, who were selected via multistage sampling method. The study data were collected using a questionnaire completed by the students. The present study probed to assess such items as frequency of fast food consumption, demographic characteristics, hours of television viewing, as well as high school students' knowledge and attitude. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Result: Frequent intake of fast food (&ge1 time/week was reported 15.5% within females and 15.3% within males. A significant relationship was detected between parents’ high level of education and high income of the family with the fast food consumption. The predominate reasons for fast food consumption were stated as “enjoying tastes”, “eating at any place”,” inexpensive and economic”. Conclusion: The findings revealed that fast food consumption increased in families with high income and high education level, though these families needed to be educated on the harmful effects of fast food and how to choose the healthy foods. Therefore, some interventions may be regarded beneficial in order to reduce the exposure to the fast food and promote knowledge, attitude, and behavior change in regard with reducing consumption of fast food.

Demographic Information Sources and Utilization as Determinants of Educational Policy Making in South Western Nigeria

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Gbadamosi, Belau Olatunde

2013-01-01

The paper examines demographic information sources and utilization as determinants of educational policy making in South West Nigeria. Using validated and structured questionnaire, the study population of 398 officers in the ministries of education in the affected states were enumerated. The study establishes population census, vital registration,…

An examination of the association between demographic and educational factors and African American achievement in science

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Cottledge, Michael Christopher

Objective of the Study: The objective of this research study was to investigate whether an association exists between teacher demographic factors (years of teaching experience and gender), 2 educational factors (certification type and certification pathway) and the percent passing rate of tenth grade African American male students on the 2010 science TAKS. Answers to the following questions were sought: 1. Is there an association between teacher demographic factors and the percent passing rate of their tenth grade African American male students on the 2010 science TAKS? 2. Is there an association between teacher educational factors and the percent passing rate of their tenth grade African American male students on the 2010 science TAKS? 3. Is there an association between teacher demographic factors, educational factors and the percent passing rate of their tenth grade African American male students on the 2010 science TAKS? Status of the Question: According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), science and engineering jobs in the U.S. have increased steadily over recent years and by the year 2016 the number of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) jobs will have grown by more than 21 percent. This increase in science and engineering jobs will double the growth rate of all other workforce sectors combined. The BLS also reports that qualified minority applicants needed to fill these positions will be few and far between. African Americans, Latinos, and other minorities constitute 24 percent of the U.S. population but only 13 percent of college graduates and just 10 percent of people with college degrees who work in science and engineering (Education Trust, 2009). Drawing on the above information, I proposed the following hypotheses to the research questions: H01: There will be no significant statistical association between the demographic factors teacher gender and years of teaching experience and the percent passing rate of their tenth grade African

Utilisation of Library Information Resources among Generation Z Students: Facts and Fiction

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Oghenere Gabriel Salubi

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Generation Z was the foremost generation to have prevalent access to the Internet from an early age. Technology has strongly influenced this generation in terms of communication, education and consequently their academic information behaviour. With the next generation of scholars already being trained, in a decade, most of the researchers will be mainly digital natives. This study sought to establish the library information resources use pattern in relation to users’ preferred information media in order to render better academic information services to library users. A total of 390 respondents were surveyed at the Nelson Mandela University and the University of Fort Hare using quantitative and qualitative methods. Most of the respondents, 82.3%, were aged between 18 and 23 years; while the average library use time was two hours daily. The most utilised library resource is the Wi-Fi with e-books and e-journals found to be lowly utilised. Records from the E-librarians revealed that undergraduate students account for no more than 6% of total users of electronic databases with 62.3% of the respondents preferring print information resources. Better understanding of library users’ demographics and information media preference is essential in proving the right kind of information services to Generation Z library users.

Internet Addiction among Greek University Students: Demographic Associations with the Phenomenon, Using the Greek Version of Young's Internet Addiction Test

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Frangos, C. C.; Frangos, C. C.; Kiohos, A.

2010-01-01

Internet addiction (IA) is a new disorder described in 1996 by the psychologist Kimberly Young. The aim of this paper is to estimate the percentage of IA among Greek university students. Results of a sample survey among 1876 Greek university students, 18-27 years old, are presented. The questionnaire consisted of eight questions from Young’s Diagnostic Test for Internet Addiction (YDTIA) as well as an inventory including demographic factors and questions about academic performance, computer a...

Socio-demographic characteristics associated with cigarettes smoking, drug abuse and alcohol drinking among male medical university students in Iran.

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Jalilian, Farzad; Karami Matin, Behzad; Ahmadpanah, Mohammad; Ataee, Mari; Ahmadi Jouybari, Touraj; Eslami, Ahmad Ali; Mirzaei Alavijeh, Mehdi

2015-01-01

Substance abuse is one of the most complicated social problems. Understanding socio-demographic characteristics of those who abuse substances could help deal with this problem more efficiently. The main objective of this study was to determine socio-demographic characteristics associated with alcohol drinking, cigarettes smoking and drug abuse among a sample of male medical university students in Iran. This cross-sectional study was conducted in 2014 among 425 male medical college students randomly selected with the proportional to size among different faculties in Isfahan and Kermanshah medical universities in Iran. A self-report written questionnaire was applied to collect data. Data were analyzed by the SPSS-20. Mean age of the respondents was 19.9 yr (ranging from 18 to 22 yr). About 19.4%, 3.9%, and 10.1% of the respondents had history of cigarette smoking, drug use, and alcohol drinking during the past three months, respectively. Logistic regression showed that mother's educational level, living place, economic status, and parents' divorce were the most influential predictive factors on substance abuse. Considering the high prevalence of substance abuse (especially smoking and alcohol drinking), it seems essential to design educational interventions to prevent substance abuse, paying attention to predictive factors mentioned above, among college students.

Do commencing nursing and paramedicine students differ in interprofessional learning and practice attitudes: evaluating course, socio-demographic and individual personality effects.

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Hallam, Karen T; Livesay, Karen; Morda, Romana; Sharples, Jenny; Jones, Andi; de Courten, Maximilian

2016-03-03

Interprofessional education (IPE) requires health students to learn with, from and about each other in order to develop a modern workforce with client-centred care at its core. Despite the client centred focus of IPE, training programs often utilize standard approaches across student cohorts without consideration of discipline, sociodemographic and personality variability that attract students to different health disciplines. Knowing the students who engage in IPE to tailor training may prove as beneficial as knowing the client to delivered individualized client centred care in interprofessional practice (IPP). This research investigates whether students commencing undergraduate nursing and paramedicine degrees ener training with existing demographic and personality differences and, if these are associated with different attitudes towards health care teams and interprofessional education. This online study recruited 160 nursing and 50 paramedicine students in their first week of their undergraduate course. Students completed questionnaires regarding their background, personality (General Perceived Self Esteem Scale, International Mini Markers) and the attitudes towards health care teams scale (ATHCTS) and interprofessional education perception scale (IEPS). Results show that commencing nursing and paramedicine students are demographically different on education, gender, speaking a language other than English at home (LOTE) and their own experience with healthcare. The results further demonstrate that LOTE, discipline being studied and personality factors play a role in perceptions regarding interprofessional training whilst discipline being studied impacted on attitudes towards health care teams in the workforce. These results highlight a number of existing personal and psychological differences between individuals who choose to train in these selected professions. This suggests a need for tertiary education IPE programs to move towards tailoring their education to

The Language of Information Literacy: Do Students Understand?

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Schaub, Gayle; Cadena, Cara; Bravender, Patricia; Kierkus, Christopher

2017-01-01

To effectively access and use the resources of the academic library and to become information-literate, students must understand the language of information literacy. This study analyzes undergraduate students' understanding of fourteen commonly used information-literacy terms. It was found that some of the terms least understood by students are…

Master’s Students in an Information Studies Program Enter the Program with Excitement and Leave with Concerns about Professional Preparation for their Chosen Fields. A Review of: Cherry, J. M., Duff, W. M., Singh, N., & Freund, L. (2011. Student perceptions of the information professions and their master's program in information studies. Library & Information Science Research, 33(2, 120-131. doi:10.1016/j.lisr.2010.09.004

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Christina E. Carter

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Objective – To assess master’s students’ perceptions of their information studies program with regard to the program’s academic quality and professional preparation as it moved to become an iSchool.Design – Longitudinal survey, employing both quantitative analysis of demographics and closed responses, and thematic analysis of open-ended responses.Setting – University of Toronto, Canada, Faculty of Information, Master of Information Studies (MISt ALA-accredited program.Subjects – Students enrolled in the MISt program from fall 2003 to spring 2007.Methods – Between 2003 and 2007, a self-administered confidential questionnaire was distributed eight times: a short version of the questionnaire to incoming students in the fall term over the four years, and a longer version to the entire MISt student body in the spring term of the four years. Thus, individual students participated in the survey multiple times. Survey questions fell into four categories: program assessment, perceptions on the information professions, career and personal achievements, and demographics. The first questionnaire was mailed in paper form; after that, Web-based questionnaires were used. Quantitative data collected was analyzed using SPSS, version 17, and open-ended responses were examined for recurring themes.Main Results – Across the four years of the survey, researchers obtained about 1,000 completed questionnaires. The response rate was always higher in the fall term than in the spring term, ranging from a high of 67% in fall 2003, to a low of 47% in spring 2007 which seemed to indicate “fatigue” with the study (p. 124. Respondents primarily were interested in the information professions and the majority planned to work in one of them (archives, library systems, or library and information science after graduating. No statistically significant differences relating to the year the survey was completed were found for student perceptions of career

Students' Informal Peer Feedback Networks

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Headington, Rita

2018-01-01

The nature and significance of students' informal peer feedback networks is an under-explored area. This paper offers the findings of a longitudinal investigation of the informal peer feedback networks of a cohort of student teachers [n = 105] across the three years of a UK primary education degree programme. It tracked the dynamic nature of these…

Information and communication strategies for increasing information literacy in students

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Haddadian, F

2013-04-01

Full Text Available The study reviews the effects of Information and Communication Technology (ICT on learning and information literacy of students. Experimental method involving experimental and control groups was used. Pre-test and post-test were run to investigate the effectiveness of ICT. The statistical population of the research consisted of all male third year students of middle school (school year 89-90 in the city of Arak. After pre-certification testing and applying random cluster sampling, 64 students were selected and placed into two experimental and control groups. Data collection instruments were Educational Improvement Test and Standardized Information Literacy Questionnaire. Collected data were analysed using analysis of covariance method, t-test, and non-parametric Mann-Whitney U test. Findings showed that general hypotheses of the research were true: ICT has a significant effect on learning rate of students, and there is a significant difference between the experimental group and control group regarding information literacy and its features. Based on the results of this study, we recommend educational authorities to apply ICT in educational canters in order to improve students’ learning and educational quality.

Critical thinking dispositions and learning styles of baccalaureate nursing students from China.

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Zhang, Huan; Lambert, Vickie

2008-09-01

Although considerable information exists regarding the learning styles and critical thinking dispositions of nursing students from Western countries, limited comparable information exists within China. The purposes of this study were to assess the learning styles and critical thinking dispositions of Chinese baccalaureate nursing students and to identify the relationships among the learning styles, critical thinking dispositions, and demographics. The sample consisted of 100 Chinese baccalaureate nursing students enrolled at two universities. The data were obtained through a Demographic Data Questionnaire, the California Critical Thinking Disposition Inventory, and the Index of Learning Styles. The primary learning style dimensions were found to be reflective, sensing, visual, and global, while the critically thinking abilities was found to be weak. A number of positive and negative correlations were found among the demographics, learning styles, and critical thinking dispositions. These findings suggest further examination on how to increase nursing students' critical thinking skills based upon their preferred learning styles.

How Information Literate Are Junior and Senior Class Biology Students?

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Schiffl, Iris

2018-03-01

Information literacy—i.e. obtaining, evaluating and using information—is a key element of scientific literacy. However, students are frequently equipped with poor information literacy skills—even at university level—as information literacy is often not explicitly taught in schools. Little is known about students' information skills in science at junior and senior class level, and about teachers' competences in dealing with information literacy in science class. This study examines the information literacy of Austrian 8th, 10th and 12th grade students. Information literacy is important for science education in Austria, because it is listed as a basic competence in Austria's science standards. Two different aspects of information literacy are examined: obtaining information and extracting information from texts. An additional research focus of this study is teachers' competences in diagnosing information skills. The results reveal that students mostly rely on online sources for obtaining information. However, they also use books and consult with people they trust. The younger the students, the more they rely on personal sources. Students' abilities to evaluate sources are poor, especially among younger students. Although teachers claim to use information research in class, their ability to assess their students' information competences is limited.

How Mobile Devices Affect Students According to Teachers' Beliefs

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Cumaoglu, Gonca Kizilkaya

2015-01-01

The purpose of this study is to examine teachers' beliefs concerning the effects on students using mobile devices, and to determine whether these beliefs vary according to the demographic characteristics and Internet usage purposes. For this purpose, a demographic information questionnaire and the scale developed by Diker Coskun & Kizilkaya…

Student-peer mentoring on a drug information response.

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Rodis, Jennifer Lin; Backo, Jennifer; Schmidt, Brittany M; Pruchnicki, Maria C

2014-03-12

To implement a student peer-mentoring program with a drug information response assignment in an introductory pharmacy practice course. Second-year student pharmacists (P2 mentors) enrolled in an independent study course were randomly assigned first-year student pharmacists (P1 mentees) to mentor on a drug information assignment. The P2 mentors provided feedback to P1 mentees' assignment drafts. The P1 mentees had the opportunity to revise the draft prior to turning in the completed assignment to course faculty members for grading. Both P1 mentees and P2 mentors agreed the mentorship improved their ability to prepare a drug information response (76% and 100%, respectively). A majority of the student pharmacists would choose to be involved in the program again. The student peer-mentoring program was successful in improving student pharmacists' perceptions of ability to compose a drug information response.

Information Literacy Practices and Student Protests: Mapping Community Information Landscapes

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Špiranec, Sonja; Kos, Denis

2013-01-01

Introduction: This paper provides a contribution to understandings of information literacy regarding context and transferability of information practices. Specifically, the paper analyses the subset of information practices in situations of student protests and addresses issues of transfer of information literacy practice from a highly formal…

Performance of Distance Learning Students in a Small Business Management Course

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Kotey, Bernice; Anderson, Phil

2006-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of the paper is to compare the performance of distance-learning students in a Small Business Management (SBM) course with that of internal (on-campus) students, and to examine students' demographics and information processing systems for their moderating effects on performance of each student group.…

Designing informal learning spaces using student perspectives

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Matthew David Riddle

2012-06-01

Full Text Available This article describes the design of informal learning spaces at an Australian university that support students in the generation of knowledge. Recent learning space design projects at La Trobe have been informed by a number of pre-existing projects, including a small research project on student use of technologies, a national project on learning space design, and a significant curriculum renewal process at the university. It demonstrates the ways in which evidence based on student perspectives and principles developed through applied research in teaching and learning can inform real world learning space design projects in a higher education context.

A Community Patient Demographic System

OpenAIRE

Gabler, James M.; Simborg, Donald W.

1985-01-01

A Community Patient Demographic System is described. Its purpose is to link patient identification, demographic and insurance information among multiple organizations in a community or among multiple registration systems within the same organization. This function requires that there be a competent patient identification methodology and clear definition of local responsibilities for number assignment and database editing.

Designing informal learning spaces using student perspectives

OpenAIRE

Matthew David Riddle; Kay Souter

2012-01-01

This article describes the design of informal learning spaces at an Australian university that support students in the generation of knowledge. Recent learning space design projects at La Trobe have been informed by a number of pre-existing projects, including a small research project on student use of technologies, a national project on learning space design, and a significant curriculum renewal process at the university. It demonstrates the ways in which evidence based on student perspectiv...

Students’ attitudes towards learning communication skills : correlating attitudes, demographic and metacognitive variables

OpenAIRE

Lumma-Sellenthin, Antje

2012-01-01

Objectives: This study aimed at exploring the relationship of students' attitudes towards learning communication skills to demographic variables, metacognitive skills, and to the appreciation of patient-oriented care. Methods: The cross-sectional survey study involved first- and third-term students from two traditional and two problem-based curricula (N= 351). Demographic variables, attitudes towards communication skills learning, patient orientation, and awareness of learning strategies were...

Top Four Trends in Student Information Systems

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Weathers, Robert

2013-01-01

The modern student information systems (SIS) is a powerful administrative tool with robust functionality. As such, it is essential that school and district administrators consider the top trends in modern student information systems before going forward with system upgrades or new purchases. These trends, described herein, are: (1) Support for…

Demographic and Social Correlates of Tobacco, Alcohol and Cannabis Use Among 15-16-Year-Old Students in Albania: Results of the ESPAD Survey

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Toçi Ervin

2014-10-01

Full Text Available AIMS – Our aim was to assess the demographic and social factors associated with lifetime use of tobacco, alcohol and cannabis among school students aged 15–16 in Albania in order to make information and knowledge available for health promotion specialists working on substance use prevention. DESIGN – This cross-sectional study was conducted in March–May 2011 in the framework of the European School Survey Project on Alcohol and Other Drugs (ESPAD. In total, 3189 students born in 1995 participated in the survey. The standardised ESPAD questionnaire was used to collect data about substance use. RESULTS – Our multivariable adjustment analysis showed that being a male and having easy access to cigarettes were the only universal factors significantly increasing the likelihood of ever using tobacco, alcohol or cannabis. Own smoking was strongly and significantly associated with alcohol and cannabis use. The associations of own substance use with peer substance consumption were weak to moderate. CONCLUSIONS – Own smoking seems to be the most important single independent risk factor which strongly and significantly predicted alcohol and cannabis use among Albanian school students. Policy makers need to strengthen the rule of law whereas health promotion professionals should firmly address smoking in adolescence through target interventions.

75 FR 26943 - Notice of Proposed Information Collection Requests

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2010-05-13

... information on school context and student demographics to benchmark performance and inform policy. School... PISA 2012 field test sample will include about 35 schools (main study sample about 150) and about 1,600... ``Download Attachments'' to view. Written requests for information should be addressed to U.S. Department of...

An Exploratory Study of Student Satisfaction with University Web Page Design

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Gundersen, David E.; Ballenger, Joe K.; Crocker, Robert M.; Scifres, Elton L.; Strader, Robert

2013-01-01

This exploratory study evaluates the satisfaction of students with a web-based information system at a medium-sized regional university. The analysis provides a process for simplifying data interpretation in captured student user feedback. Findings indicate that student classifications, as measured by demographic and other factors, determine…

Examination of the Attitudes of Middle School Students towards Social Media

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Bulu, Sanser; Numanoglu, Mustafa; Keser, Hafize

2016-01-01

This study aims to identify middle school students` general attitudes towards social media. Participants of this descriptive study were middle school students from three public schools (n = 367) in Ankara. Data was collected using "Demographic Information Form" and "Social Media Attitudes Survey for Students" developed by…

Information literacy skills of undergraduate medical radiation students

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shanahan, Madeleine C. [Medical Radiations, School of Medical Sciences, RMIT University, PO Box 71, Bundoora, Victoria (Australia)]. E-mail: mshanahan@rmit.edu.au

2007-08-15

Undergraduate education is undergoing a shift away from the traditional transmission of a fixed body of knowledge to a learning approach where the emphasis is on supporting learners to learn. Central to this change is recognition that undergraduate education programmes should aim to develop independent learners who become effective lifelong learning practitioners. Successful independent learning as an undergraduate student or as a lifelong learner requires the learner to have well developed information literacy skills. An Online Electronic Information Skills (OEIS) intervention was designed to develop the information literacy skills in a cohort of second year undergraduate radiography students. An evaluation focused on learning outcomes was used to provide evidence of development of information literacy within the undergraduate course. The evaluation clearly demonstrated substantial skill development in students' ability to access scholarly information in their discipline area. The reported continued use of database searching by this cohort of students seven months after the OEIS intervention provides evidence that they are continuing to access and use scholarly information, information literacy skills necessary for their future work context.

Information literacy skills of undergraduate medical radiation students

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shanahan, Madeleine C.

2007-01-01

Undergraduate education is undergoing a shift away from the traditional transmission of a fixed body of knowledge to a learning approach where the emphasis is on supporting learners to learn. Central to this change is recognition that undergraduate education programmes should aim to develop independent learners who become effective lifelong learning practitioners. Successful independent learning as an undergraduate student or as a lifelong learner requires the learner to have well developed information literacy skills. An Online Electronic Information Skills (OEIS) intervention was designed to develop the information literacy skills in a cohort of second year undergraduate radiography students. An evaluation focused on learning outcomes was used to provide evidence of development of information literacy within the undergraduate course. The evaluation clearly demonstrated substantial skill development in students' ability to access scholarly information in their discipline area. The reported continued use of database searching by this cohort of students seven months after the OEIS intervention provides evidence that they are continuing to access and use scholarly information, information literacy skills necessary for their future work context

Information Needs and Information Seeking Behavior of Foreign Students in University of Delhi: A Survey

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K P Singh

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this paper is to investigate the information needs and information seeking behavior of foreign students. A survey method was used for the undertaken study. The data were collected using a structured questionnaire, self-administered to 120 foreign students (60 males & 60 females with 88 (47 males & 41 females returns. The research is limited to post-graduate, M.Phil. and Ph.D. foreign students in University of Delhi. It was found that post-graduate students need information regarding their program of study while research scholars need information for writing research articles and for doing their research work. Most of them seek information through the internet. Research scholars used electronic resources such as databases, e-journals and e-theses and dissertations. 88.6% of the respondents also use books for seeking information. Their use of the library is limited with complaints about library staff and too few computer terminals. The present study will be helpful in designing new systems and services for the foreign students so that their information needs can be fulfilled easily. Further, findings of the study indicate that how the library professionals should assist foreign students to accomplish their information needs.

Laboratory Demographics Lookup Tool

Data.gov (United States)

U.S. Department of Health & Human Services — This website provides demographic information about laboratories, including CLIA number, facility name and address, where the laboratory testing is performed, the...

Euthanasia: A Controversial Entity Among Students of Karachi.

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Kumar, Ameet; Naqvi, Syeda; Giyanwani, Pirthvi Raj; Yousuf, Fareeha; Masnoon, Aaliya; Bai, Kiran; Kumar, Deepak

2017-07-24

Background A serene death may be achieved through skilled and compassionate care, as well as by the dying person's own sense of having lived a righteous life. The purpose of this study is to acquire information about students' knowledge and understanding of euthanasia. Materials and Methods Four hundred and fifty-six students from four classes of two institutions with similar demographic characteristics were included in this cross-sectional study. A questionnaire adapted from a study of 'Gruber, et al.' was distributed among the respondents after obtaining a verbal informed consent. The questionnaire had two parts, first dealing with demographics of respondents, and in the second part students were given different situations and asked about their decision in that particular setting to understand their opinion about euthanasia. Results There were 31.7% medical students and 12.9% non-medical students in favor to provide complete medical information (p < 0.001) while 59.2% non-medical students thought that complete information should be given to a patient if any iatrogenic incident occurred. Same favored by 33.7% of medical students (p < 0.001). The majority of medical students (84.5%) felt that cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) must always be provided (p < 0.001) and this was acceptable more among females (p = 0.001). Furthermore, medical students (57.6%) were more in favor of continuing maximum medical treatment including CPR than non-medical students (42.9%, p = 0.003). A total of 83% non-medical students and 46% medical students found euthanasia an acceptable practice. Conclusion Results show a significant difference in perception of medical and non-medical students regarding euthanasia. Non-medical students are more in favor of euthanasia than medical students. Also, it is observed that males seem to be more inclined towards euthanasia while females are more in favor to provide maximum medical treatment.

Sequencing Genetics Information: Integrating Data into Information Literacy for Undergraduate Biology Students

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MacMillan, Don

2010-01-01

This case study describes an information literacy lab for an undergraduate biology course that leads students through a range of resources to discover aspects of genetic information. The lab provides over 560 students per semester with the opportunity for hands-on exploration of resources in steps that simulate the pathways of higher-level…

How Students Evaluate Information and Sources when Searching the World Wide Web for Information

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Walraven, Amber; Brand-Gruwel, Saskia; Boshuizen, Henny P. A.

2009-01-01

The World Wide Web (WWW) has become the biggest information source for students while solving information problems for school projects. Since anyone can post anything on the WWW, information is often unreliable or incomplete, and it is important to evaluate sources and information before using them. Earlier research has shown that students have…

Informing Educational Psychology Training with Students ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The purpose of this article was to describe students' experiences of community engagement in an Educational Psychology practicum in order to inform relevant educational psychology training literature with experiences of students' community engagement. Experiential learning served as our theoretical framework and we ...

Demographics of undergraduates studying games in the United States: a comparison of computer science students and the general population

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McGill, Monica M.; Settle, Amber; Decker, Adrienne

2013-06-01

Our study gathered data to serve as a benchmark of demographics of undergraduate students in game degree programs. Due to the high number of programs that are cross-disciplinary with computer science programs or that are housed in computer science departments, the data is presented in comparison to data from computing students (where available) and the US population. Participants included students studying games at four nationally recognized postsecondary institutions. The results of the study indicate that there is no significant difference between the ratio of men to women studying in computing programs or in game degree programs, with women being severely underrepresented in both. Women, blacks, Hispanics/Latinos, and heterosexuals are underrepresented compared to the US population. Those with moderate and conservative political views and with religious affiliations are underrepresented in the game student population. Participants agree that workforce diversity is important and that their programs are adequately diverse, but only one-half of the participants indicated that diversity has been discussed in any of their courses.

Demographic Differences in Organizational Commitment to the University of College of Business Administration Students: An Application of the Allen and Meyer Model

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Love, Kevin G.

2013-01-01

Organizational commitment of undergraduate college students to the university was measured by modifying an established measure and demographic differences were examined. Affective, continuance, and normative commitment facets were assessed. No differences based upon gender, race, and GPA were found. Length of time at the university and transfer…

Attitudes Toward LGBT Patients Among Students in the Health Professions: Influence of Demographics and Discipline.

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Wilson, Christina K; West, Lindsey; Stepleman, Lara; Villarosa, Margo; Ange, Brittany; Decker, Matthew; Waller, Jennifer L

2014-09-01

Health providers' personal and professional experiences may predict attitudes toward lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) individuals and can therefore serve as key targets for health professions training aimed at decreasing barriers to high-quality patient care. This study explored the relationship between professional, demographic, and training characteristics and health professions student attitudes toward LGBT patients. Students from a health sciences university and applied mental health programs in Georgia (N=475) completed a survey that included a modified version of the Attitudes Toward LGBT Patients Scale (ATLPS). Profession, sexual orientation, current financial status, religion, religiosity, spirituality, and self-reported familiarity with various religious perspectives on sex were associated with ATLPS scores. However, religiosity and self-reported familiarity with various religious perspectives on sex were the only significant predictors of ATLPS scores when these variables were included in one general linear model. Health professions students with higher levels of religiosity and lower levels of self-reported familiarity with various religious perspectives on sex reported less positive attitudes toward LGBT individuals. Results suggest that personal factors may be important to address in interprofessional curriculum related to LGBT patient care. Self-report biases and other factors may limit the accuracy and generalizability of the findings.

Information literacy during entry to practice: information-seeking behaviors in student nurses and recent nurse graduates.

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Wahoush, Olive; Banfield, Laura

2014-02-01

The ability to locate information pertinent to guide clinical practice is important for quality nursing care and patient safety. To date, little is known about the transfer of information literacy skills as student nurses transition to clinical practice as new graduates. This study begins to address this gap from the perspective of student nurses, recent nurse graduates (RNs), nurse leaders and library staff. To describe the information-seeking behaviors of student nurses and RNs within their clinical settings. This is a descriptive study that included both cross-sectional surveys and key informant interviews. Participants were senior-level undergraduate students and recently graduated RNs (graduated since 2008), and nurse leaders and library staff employed in one of the clinical sites accepting undergraduate students from the McMaster Mohawk and Conestoga BScN program. The study was completed in two large hospital corporations in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. Student nurses and RNs were invited to complete online surveys to assess their access to and use of information sources and resources within clinical practice. Students completed a survey comprised of five open-ended questions, while RNs completed a survey comprised of 13 fixed choice and open-ended questions. Nurse leaders and library staff participated in qualitative interviews to verify the extent and availability of information resources. Eighteen RNs and 62 students completed their respective surveys. Three categories of information sources and resources were identified: electronic, print and interpersonal. Electronic sources of information were the most used resource by both students and RNs. More RNs reported using interpersonal sources, while students reported using more print sources of information. Recent RN graduates meet the Canadian Association of Schools of Nursing performance indicators related to information access for the entry to practice Nursing Informatics competencies. Crown Copyright �

Investigating the relationship between information literacy and academic performance among students.

Science.gov (United States)

Soleymani, Mohammad Reza

2014-01-01

Nowadays, no student can ever pursue the ends of his studies unless he makes use of his information literacy skills. To become lifelong learners, they do need these skills. Information literacy is a set of information needed for searching, retrieval, evaluating, and making best use of information. This study uncovers the relationship between information literacy and academic performance among students at Isfahan University of Medical Sciences. This is a practical study using a survey method. All MA students in Isfahan University of Medical Sciences make the statistical population for this study, according to the sample size determined by using Cochran formula 265 samples that were selected by stratified random sampling. Data collection was through information literacy questionnaires designed by Davarpanah and Siamak, verified by Library and Information Sciences experts; and finally, gave a Cronbach's alpha of 0.83. To determine academic performance, the average scores of the students in previous semesters were considered. The information literacy of all other students was significantly higher than medium except for students at Nursing and Nutrition faculties. The students of Management and Information Sciences faculty had the highest level of information literacy and students of nutrition faculty were attributed with the least level. There was no significant difference between male and female students' information literacy. We also found out that there was a significant positive relationship between information literacy and students' academic performance in Isfahan University of Medical Sciences. Information literacy is one of the most important factors that leads to educational success. As there is a significant positive relationship between information literacy and students' academic performance, we should necessarily provide them with relative skills dealing with information literacy to improve their academic performance.

The impact of socio-demographic and religious factors upon sexual behavior among Ugandan university students.

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Agardh, Anette; Tumwine, Gilbert; Östergren, Per-Olof

2011-01-01

More knowledge is needed about structural factors in society that affect risky sexual behaviors. Educational institutions such as universities provide an opportune arena for interventions among young people. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between sociodemographic and religious factors and their impact on sexual behavior among university students in Uganda. In 2005, 980 university students (response rate 80%) were assessed by a self-administered questionnaire. Validated instruments were used to assess socio-demographic and religious factors and sexual behavior. Logistic regression analyses were applied. Our findings indicated that 37% of the male and 49% of the female students had not previously had sex. Of those with sexual experience, 46% of the males and 23% of the females had had three or more sexual partners, and 32% of the males and 38% of the females did not consistently use condoms. For those who rated religion as less important in their family, the probability of early sexual activity and having had a high number of lifetime partners increased by a statistically significant amount (OR = 1.7; 95% CI: 1.2-2.4 and OR = 1.6; 95% CI: 1.1-2.3, respectively). However, the role of religion seemed to have no impact on condom use. Being of Protestant faith interacted with gender: among those who had debuted sexually, Protestant female students were more likely to have had three or more lifetime partners; the opposite was true for Protestant male students. Religion emerged as an important determinant of sexual behavior among Ugandan university students. Our findings correlate with the increasing number of conservative religious injunctions against premarital sex directed at young people in many countries with a high burden. of HIV/AIDS. Such influence of religion must be taken into account in order to gain a deeper understanding of the forces that shape sexual behavior in Uganda.

Collaborating to optimize nursing students' agency information technology use.

Science.gov (United States)

Fetter, Marilyn S

2009-01-01

As the learning laboratory for gaining actual patient care experience, clinical agencies play an essential role in nursing education. With an information technology revolution transforming healthcare, nursing programs are eager for their students to learn the latest informatics systems and technologies. However, many healthcare institutions are struggling to meet their own information technology needs and report limited resources and other as barriers to nursing student training. In addition, nursing students' information technology access and use raise security and privacy concerns. With the goal of a fully electronic health record by 2014, it is imperative that agencies and educational programs collaborate. They need to establish educationally sound, cost-effective, and secure policies and procedures for managing students' use of information technology systems. Strategies for evaluating options, selecting training methods, and ensuring data security are shared, along with strategies that may reap clinical, economic, and educational benefits. Students' information technology use raises numerous issues that the nursing profession must address to participate in healthcare's transformation into the digital age.

Information technologies in physical education of students.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ivchatova T.V.

2011-05-01

Full Text Available In the article is presented the systematized information about the using features of modern information technologies in practice of student physical education in not athletic universities. The analysis of domestic and foreign literature is conducted, and also Internet sources related to the problem of healthy way of life of students, and also to forming of active position in maintenance and strengthening of the health.

Environmental Literacy in Madeira Island (Portugal): The Influence of Demographic Variables

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Spinola, Hélder

2016-01-01

Demographic factors are among those that influence environmental literacy and, particularly, environmentally responsible behaviours, either directly or due to an aggregation effect dependent on other types of variables. Present study evaluates a set of demographic variables as predictors for environmental literacy among 9th grade students from…

Making Students Eat Their Greens: Information Skills for Chemistry Students

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Sarah George

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Employers are increasingly requiring a range of "soft" skills from chemistry graduates, including the ability to search for and critically evaluate information. This paper discusses the issues around encouraging chemistry students to engage with information skills and suggests curricular changes which may help to "drip-feed" information skills into degree programs.

Gender and Information Literacy: Evaluation of Gender Differences in a Student Survey of Information Sources

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Taylor, Arthur; Dalal, Heather A.

2017-01-01

Information literacy studies have shown that college students use a variety of information sources to perform research and commonly choose Internet sources over traditional library sources. Studies have also shown that students do not appear to understand the information quality issues concerning Internet information sources and may lack the…

THE DEVELOPMENT OF INFORMATION COMPETENCES FOR MEDICAL STUDENTS

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S. I. Karas

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The goal of this paper is the analysis of information communication technologies using for professional competencies development for medical students. There are described two informational learning technologies: standard and developed in Tomsk.Virtual learning environment Moodle is open source software which is developed for on-line education and installed in more than a dozen thousands educational institutions around the world including Russia. The Moodle provides students with rapid access to professional-oriented learning information via Internet any time and through any gadget. Using the Moodle a teacher can present different types of digital information, organize learning course, student’s knowledge and skills evaluation after structuring teacher’s knowledge. Rating approach is implemented in the Moodle very easy. Developed and develo­ping resources for the Moodle are located at the server http://simcenter.ssmu.ru.Learning electronic health record (LEHR is developing by Tomsk professional team and it is the integration of an electronic health record and a program for clinical subject. There are additional functions besides usual for paper medical record, for example: learning about specialized software, electronic re­ference books, and medical standard documents. Information and clinical competences are forming in LEHR at the same time what is the undoubted advantage for students. Now LEHR on pediatrics and neurology are testing before trial exploitation in the learning. Software for LEHR and information about virtual patients are located at the server http://students.umssoft.com.The analysis and our experience have shown the possibilities of effective using the information communication technologies for development of informational and professional competencies of medical students in different subjects of educational program.

Creative Approaches to Information Literacy for Creative Arts Students

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Appleton, Leo; Grandal Montero, Gustavo; Jones, Abigail

2017-01-01

This paper discusses the information literacy requirements of art and design students, and how traditional approaches to information literacy education are not always appropriate for these particular students. The paper argues that different, creative, and innovative approaches to information literacy training need to be developed with the…

Prevalence of Smoking and Associated Factors: Evidence From the CHILILAB Demographic Surveillance System in Vietnam.

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Thi Thanh Huong, Le; Khanh Long, Tran; Xuan Son, Phung; Thi Tuyet-Hanh, Tran

2017-07-01

This study analyzed secondary data from Chi Linh Health and Demographic Surveillance System (CHILILAB) database to identify smoking prevalence and associated demographic factors. Data were extracted from the database of the CHILILAB 2016, which included information on individual smoking behaviors, as well as individual and household demographic data. Descriptive and binary logistic regression analyses were performed with significance level of 0.05. The smoking prevalences were 34.7%, 0.9%, and 16.1% for men, women, and both genders, respectively. A total of 78.2% of current smokers smoked daily inside their houses. Lower smoking status was associated with younger age, being student, rich, and/or single. Future efforts should not only spend on further reduction of smoking rate in Chi Linh Town but should also pay special attention on reducing the prevalence of in-home smoking. This will help to decrease the risk of nonsmokers being exposed to secondhand smoke in their home environment.

Iterative student-based testing of automated information-handling exercises

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

C. K. Ramaiah

1995-12-01

Full Text Available Much laboratory teaching of information-handling involves students in evaluating information provided either online or via a computer package. A lecturer can help students carry out these tasks in a variety of ways. In particular, it is customary to provide students with hand-outs, and there is good evidence that such hand-outs are a valuable resource, especially for lower-ability students (see, for example Saloman, 1979. In many of these exercises, students are passive receivers of information, in the sense that they assess the information but do not change it. However, it is sometimes possible to use student feedback to change the original input. In this case, the users' mental models of the system can be employed to modify the user-interface set up by the original designer (see Moran, 1981. A number of experiments have been carried out in the Department of Information and Library Studies at Loughborough University to examine how computer interfaces and instruction sheets used in teaching can be improved by student feedback. The present paper discusses examples of this work to help suggest both the factors to be taken into account and the sorts of changes involved. Our approach has been based on the concept of 'iterative usability testing', the value of which has recently been emphasized by Shneiderman (1993.

Middle-School Students' Online Information Problem Solving Behaviors on the Information Retrieval Interface

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Yeh, Yi-Fen; Hsu, Ying-Shao; Chuang, Fu-Tai; Hwang, Fu-Kwun

2014-01-01

With the near-overload of online information, it is necessary to equip our students with the skills necessary to deal with Information Problem Solving (IPS). This study also intended to help students develop major IPS strategies with the assistance of an instructor's scaffolding in a designed IPS course as well as on an Online Information…

Depression in Asian-American and Caucasian undergraduate students.

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Young, Christina B; Fang, Daniel Z; Zisook, Sidney

2010-09-01

Depression is a serious and often under-diagnosed and undertreated mental health problem in college students which may have fatal consequences. Little is known about ethnic differences in prevalence of depression in US college campuses. This study compares depression severity in Asian-American and Caucasian undergraduate students at the University of California San Diego (UCSD). Participants completed the nine item Patient Health Questionnaire and key demographic information via an anonymous online questionnaire. Compared to Caucasians, Asian-Americans exhibited significantly elevated levels of depression. Furthermore, Korean-American students were significantly more depressed than Chinese-American, other minority Asian-American, and Caucasian students. In general, females were significantly more depressed than males. Results were upheld when level of acculturation was considered. The demographic breakdown of the student population at UCSD is not representative to that of the nation. These findings suggest that outreach to female and Asian-American undergraduate students is important and attention to Korean-American undergraduates may be especially worthwhile. 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Making Students Eat Their Greens: Information Skills for Chemistry Students

Science.gov (United States)

George, Sarah; Munshi, Tasnim

2016-01-01

Employers are increasingly requiring a range of "soft" skills from chemistry graduates, including the ability to search for and critically evaluate information. This paper discusses the issues around encouraging chemistry students to engage with information skills and suggests curricular changes which may help to "drip-feed"…

Predictors of a Major for Psychology and Special Education Students.

Science.gov (United States)

Magnello, M. Eileen

An inventory was administered to 161 college students in the late fall of 1977 in an attempt to predict the academic major of either psychology or special education students. The predictors were from the following series of items: demographic characteristics, academic information, occupational interests, and utility of their college program. A…

Does the mind map learning strategy facilitate information retrieval and critical thinking in medical students?

Science.gov (United States)

D'Antoni, Anthony V; Zipp, Genevieve Pinto; Olson, Valerie G; Cahill, Terrence F

2010-09-16

A learning strategy underutilized in medical education is mind mapping. Mind maps are multi-sensory tools that may help medical students organize, integrate, and retain information. Recent work suggests that using mind mapping as a note-taking strategy facilitates critical thinking. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether a relationship existed between mind mapping and critical thinking, as measured by the Health Sciences Reasoning Test (HSRT), and whether a relationship existed between mind mapping and recall of domain-based information. In this quasi-experimental study, 131 first-year medical students were randomly assigned to a standard note-taking (SNT) group or mind map (MM) group during orientation. Subjects were given a demographic survey and pre-HSRT. They were then given an unfamiliar text passage, a pre-quiz based upon the passage, and a 30-minute break, during which time subjects in the MM group were given a presentation on mind mapping. After the break, subjects were given the same passage and wrote notes based on their group (SNT or MM) assignment. A post-quiz based upon the passage was administered, followed by a post-HSRT. Differences in mean pre- and post-quiz scores between groups were analyzed using independent samples t-tests, whereas differences in mean pre- and post-HSRT total scores and subscores between groups were analyzed using ANOVA. Mind map depth was assessed using the Mind Map Assessment Rubric (MMAR). There were no significant differences in mean scores on both the pre- and post-quizzes between note-taking groups. And, no significant differences were found between pre- and post-HSRT mean total scores and subscores. Although mind mapping was not found to increase short-term recall of domain-based information or critical thinking compared to SNT, a brief introduction to mind mapping allowed novice MM subjects to perform similarly to SNT subjects. This demonstrates that medical students using mind maps can successfully

Iranian undergraduate nursing student perceptions of informal learning: A qualitative research.

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Seylani, Khatereh; Negarandeh, Reza; Mohammadi, Easa

2012-11-01

Nursing education is both formal and informal. Formal education represents only a small part of all the learning involved; and many students learn more effectively through informal processes. There is little information about nursing student informal education and how it affects their character and practice. This qualitative study explores undergraduate nursing student perceptions of informal learning during nursing studies. Data were gathered through semi-structured interviews with a sample of undergraduate nursing students (n = 14). Strauss and Corbin's constant comparison analysis approach was used for data analysis. The categories that emerged included personal maturity and emotional development, social development, closeness to God, alterations in value systems, and ethical and professional commitment. Findings reveal that nursing education could take advantage of informal learning opportunities to develop students' nontechnical skills and produce more competent students. Implications for nursing education are discussed.

Turkish University Students' Technology Use Profiles and Their Thoughts about Distance Education

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Baran, Bahar; Kilic, Eylem; Bakar Corez, Aysegul; Cagiltay, Kursat

2010-01-01

This study presents the results of a survey implemented to investigate Turkish university students' technology use profile and their thoughts about distance education. The sample of the study is 6504 students from four universities in Turkey. The results of the study are reported in five main sections: 1) demographic information of the students,…

Changing demographics and shrinking engineering enrollments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vetter, B.M.

1992-01-01

This paper reports that changing U.S. population demographics, poor academic preparation, and a decreasing interest in engineering among college student indicate possible shortages ahead, particularly among chemical and petroleum engineers. If we are to ensure an adequate future supply for the U.S., the engineering talent pool must be enlarged to include women and minority men

Information seeking and students studying for professional careers: the cases of engineering and law students in Ireland

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Gillian Kerins

2004-01-01

Full Text Available This paper reports the results of two empirical studies which explored the information seeking behaviour of engineering and law students in Ireland. Findings reveal similar patterns in the information seeking behaviour between students studying to become professionals and information seeking patterns of these groups identified in Leckie et al.'s model. Students learned their information seeking strategies, including effective and less effective approaches, from educators and continuing mis-perceptions of libraries and information professionals. The studies suggest that engineering and law students in Ireland could benefit from greater information literacy training and awareness, enabling them to acquire the information skills they need to function effectively and efficiently in their future professional work lives.

Teaching Graduate Students How To Do Informal Science Education

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Ackerman, S. A.; Crone, W.; Dunwoody, S. L.; Zenner, G.

2011-12-01

One of the most important skills a student needs to develop during their graduate days is the skill of communicating their scientific work with a wide array of audiences. That facility will serve them across audiences, from scientific peers to students to neighbors and the general public. Increasingly, graduate students express a need for training in skills needed to manage diverse communicative environments. In response to that need we have created a course for graduate students in STEM-related fields which provides a structured framework and experiential learning about informal science education. This course seeks to familiarize students with concepts and processes important to communicating science successfully to a variety of audiences. A semester-long course, "Informal Science Education for Scientists: A Practicum," has been co-taught by a scientist/engineer and a social scientist/humanist over several years through the Delta Program in Research, Teaching, & Learning at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The course is project based and understanding audience is stressed throughout the class. Through development and exhibition of the group project, students experience front end, formative and summative evaluation methods. The disciplines of the participating students is broad, but includes students in the geosciences each year. After a brief description of the course and its evolution, we will present assessment and evaluation results from seven different iterations of the course showing significant gains in how informed students felt about evaluation as a tool to determine the effectiveness of their science outreach activities. Significant gains were found in the graduate students' perceptions that they were better qualified to explain a research topic to a lay audience, and in the students' confidence in using and understanding evaluation techniques to determine the effectiveness of communication strategies. There were also increases in the students

Information technologies in physical education of student young people

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Ivchatova T.V.

2010-09-01

Full Text Available The uses of modern information technologies given about features are systematized in practice of physical education of students. Perspective directions of the use of computer technologies are considered in physical education of student young people. In a student environment the insufficient level of knowledges is felt on the indicated theme. There is a requirement in the receipt of the proper information on forming valued orientations which determine the healthy way of life of young people. The computer informative systems are the attractive source of popularization and propaganda of healthy way of life.

Improving Student Learning: A Strategic Planning Framework for an Integrated Student Information System in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools

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Ngoma, Sylvester

2010-01-01

There is growing recognition that an electronic Student Information System (SIS) affects student learning. Given the strategic importance of SIS in supporting school administration and enhancing student performance, school districts are increasingly interested in acquiring the most effective and efficient Student Information Systems for their…

Demographic and Economic Changes and Postsecondary Education.

Science.gov (United States)

Charner, Ivan

The interaction of demographic and economic shifts has led to, and will continue to effect, changes in the postsecondary education system and institutions. Demographic shifts include aging of the population, more women in the paid labor force, and increased numbers of minorities. Economic shifts include the growth of the information sector,…

The Demographics of Corporal Punishment in Texas

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Phillips, Stephanie

2012-01-01

This dissertation examined the student discipline policies of 1,025 Texas school districts, as well as data from the Texas Education Agency's Academic Excellence Indicator System in order to identify demographic patterns regarding corporal punishment policies in Texas schools. The study also studied the relationship between a district's corporal…

Knowledge and utilization of information communication technology (ICT) among health science students at the University of Gondar, North Western Ethiopia.

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Woreta, Solomon Assefa; Kebede, Yigzaw; Zegeye, Desalegn Tegabu

2013-03-03

Despite the relatively huge ICT investment and policy deployment in higher institutions in Ethiopia, there is still scant information about the success of implementation of the Information Communication Technology (ICT) in the higher education. This study, therefore, was carried out with an aim to assess knowledge and utilization of Information Communication Technology (ICT) among medicine and health science students and its associated factors in Gondar College of Medicine and Health sciences, University of Gondar. A cross-sectional study was conducted at the College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Gondar, Ethiopia. Data regarding socio-demographic characteristics of the students, level of knowledge and utilization of ICT were collected by means of a self-administered questionnaire. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 13. A total of 1096 students responded giving a response rate of 97.8%. The mean age of the study participants was 20.3 (±1. 3) years. Females constitute only 26% of the respondents. The majority (79%) were fulltime students. Only half of the respondents (51%) had ICT knowledge and only 46% students utilized ICT while 47% of the respondents never used electronic communication (e.g. email or chat room) and 39% of the respondents never used Microsoft office (e.g. word (®) or WordPerfect (®)). ICT knowledge [AOR = 2.5, 95% CI: 1.7-3.5], family educational background [AOR = 4.36, 95% CI: 2.16-8.80], and perceived quality of training [AOR = 1.9, 95% CI: 1.3-2.8] showed strong and positive associations with ICT utilization. Students from urban areas were more likely to utilize ICT compared with those from rural areas [AOR = 2.7, 95% CI: 2.097, 3.497], and information technology training was found to be positively associated with ICT utilization [AOR = 2. 07, 95% CI: 1.18, 3.62]. The result showed that students' knowledge was inadequate and utilization of ICT was poor. Therefore, the university should sustain professional development to

Electronic Information Access and Utilization by Makerere University Students in Uganda

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Elisam Magara

2008-09-01

Full Text Available Objectives – The objectives of this study were to establish the level of computer utilization skills of Makerere University (Uganda Library and Information Science (LIS students; to determine the use of electronic information resources by LIS students; to determine the attitudes of LIS students towards electronic information resources; and to establish the problems faced by LIS students in accessing electronic information resources.Methods – A questionnaire survey was used for data collection.Results – The majority of Library and Information Science students at Makerere University depend on university computers for their work, and very few of them access the library’s e-resources. The few who access e-resources are self-taught. The majority of students surveyed were unaware of Emerald and EBSCO databases relevant to Library and Information Science students, and they found accessing eresources time-consuming. Conclusion – The study concluded that a concerted effort is needed by both LIS lecturers and university librarians in promoting use of the library’s electronic resources.

Learning centred approach for developing the electronic information search processes of students.

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Shanahan, Madeleine

2009-11-01

Undergraduate students of the twenty-first century are widely regarded as 'technologically savvy' and have embraced the electronic information world. The literature, however, describes undergraduate students as using a limited range of electronic information sources and not critically evaluating the information they retrieve from internet searches. The aim was to evaluate a purposefully designed intervention that sought to expand the information search and evaluation practices of undergraduate students. The intervention scaffolded an independent learning activity in the form of a group-based project. Survey methodology was used to collect data from student pre- and post-intervention for two cohorts of students who undertook the intervention in 2005 and 2006 involving a total of 71 students. Percentages were used to describe survey findings and chi-square analysis and Fisher's exact test examined differences between groups. Questionnaires were completed by 59 students (response rate 83%) pre-intervention and 49 students (response rate 69%) post-intervention. Post-intervention there were positive and statistically significant differences in database searching behaviour (p = 0.000), use of Google Scholar (p = 0.035) and number of criteria used to evaluate information retrieved from the internet (p = 0.000) by students. By positively reshaping the electronic information search and evaluation practices of students we are helping students to find informed information sources as they engage in independent learning activities at university and as future health professionals.

Relationship between information-seeking behavior and innovative behavior in Chinese nursing students.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhong, Zhuqing; Hu, Dehua; Zheng, Feng; Ding, Siqing; Luo, Aijing

2018-04-01

In the information-based economy, information literacy has become the foundation of scientific literacy, and provides the basis for innovative growth. Exploring the relationship between information-seeking behaviors and innovative behaviors of nursing students could help guide the development of information literacy education and training for nursing students. The relationship between information-seeking behavior and innovative behavior in nursing students has received little attention, however. This study aims to explore the relationship between information-seeking behavior and innovative behavior of nursing students. Nursing students in Xiangya Medical School, Central South University and Medical School of Hunan Normal University in the Chinese Province of Hunan were surveyed with an information-seeking behavior scale and an innovative behavior scale. A total of 1247 nursing students were included in the final analysis. The results showed that both information-seeking behavior and innovative behavior were significantly better in undergraduates than in junior college nursing students (P information-seeking behavior was positively related to innovative behavior (r = 0.63, P information-seeking behavior were also correlated with innovative behavior in varying degrees. Furthermore, information utilization was proved to be the strongest predictor of innovative behavior. Information-seeking behavior is positively associated with innovative behavior among nursing students. There is a need to integrate information literacy education with information retrieval courses, especially in the aspects of information utilization, retrieval, and assessment. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

University Students' Online Information Searching Strategies in Different Search Contexts

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Tsai, Meng-Jung; Liang, Jyh-Chong; Hou, Huei-Tse; Tsai, Chin-Chung

2012-01-01

This study investigates the role of search context played in university students' online information searching strategies. A total of 304 university students in Taiwan were surveyed with questionnaires in which two search contexts were defined as searching for learning, and searching for daily life information. Students' online search strategies…

Millennial Students' Mental Models of Information Retrieval

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Holman, Lucy

2009-01-01

This qualitative study examines first-year college students' online search habits in order to identify patterns in millennials' mental models of information retrieval. The study employed a combination of modified contextual inquiry and concept mapping methodologies to elicit students' mental models. The researcher confirmed previously observed…

Information Technology Diffusion: Impact on Student Achievement

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Lee, Gregory M.; Lind, Mary L.

2011-01-01

For student achievement, the diffusion and adoption of information technology (IT) infrastructure enabled by special funding was posited to have a positive impact on student achievement. Four urban school districts provided the context for this study to assess the impact of IT adoption on standardized test scores.

Attitudes toward Information Competency of University Students in Social Sciences

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Pinto, María; Fernández-Pascual, Rosaura; Gómez-Hernández, José A.; Cuevas, Aurora; Granell, Ximo; Puertas, Susana; Guerrero, David; Gómez, Carmen; Palomares, Rocío

2016-01-01

This paper examines students' self-assessment of their information literacy, presenting a study involving 1,575 social science students at five Spanish universities. Data were collected and analyzed through a validated instrument that measures the variables of (1) the students' belief in the importance of information literacy skills; (2)…

Market Research on Law School Student Aid Award Letters and Shopping Sheet Information. NASFAA Consumer Information & Law Student Indebtedness Task Force Report

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National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators, 2016

2016-01-01

"Market Research on Law School Student Aid Award Letters and Shopping Sheet Information" set out to identify through consumer testing what information on the financial aid award letter and U.S. Department of Education's (ED) Shopping Sheet could be modified to create a document that better assists students applying to, or currently…

The relationships of coping, negative thinking, life satisfaction, social support, and selected demographics with anxiety of young adult college students.

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Mahmoud, Jihan S R; Staten, Ruth Topsy; Lennie, Terry A; Hall, Lynne A

2015-05-01

Understanding young adults' anxiety requires applying a multidimensional approach to assess the psychosocial, behavioral, and cognitive aspects of this phenomenon. A hypothesized model of the relationships among coping style, thinking style, life satisfaction, social support, and selected demographics and anxiety among college students was tested using path analysis. A total of 257 undergraduate students aged 18-24 years completed an online survey. The independent variables were measured using the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, the Brief Students' Multidimensional Life Satisfaction Scale, the Brief COPE Inventory, the Positive Automatic Thoughts Questionnaire, and the Cognition Checklist-Anxiety. The outcome, anxiety, was measured using the Anxiety subscale of the 21-item Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale. Only negative thinking and maladaptive coping had a direct relationship with anxiety. Negative thinking was the strongest predictor of both maladaptive coping and anxiety. These findings suggest that helping undergraduates manage their anxiety by reducing their negative thinking is critical. Designing and testing interventions to decrease negative thinking in college students is recommended for future research. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Information Behaviors and Information Literacy Skills of LIS Students: An International Perspective

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Saunders, Laura; Kurbanoglu, Serap; Boustany, Joumana; Dogan, Guleda; Becker, Peter; Blumer, Eliane; Chowdhury, Sudatta; Dobreva, Milena; Gendina, Natalia; Grgic, Ivana Hebrang; Haddow, Gaby; Koltay, Tibor; Kortelainen, Terttu; Krakowska, Monika; Majid, Shaheen; Mezhova, Marina; Repanovici, Angela; Rudžioniene, Jurgita; Schneider, Rene; Terra, Ana Lucia; Todorova, Tania Y.

2015-01-01

Librarians are expected to be expert searchers, and developing information literacy skills to navigate the vast world of information is a focus of most library and information science (LIS) programs. It is important to understand the information literacy and behaviors of LIS students to see if they are employing the skills they will need to assist…

Demographics in Astronomy and Astrophysics

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Ulvestad, James S.

2011-05-01

Astronomy has been undergoing a significant demographic shift over the last several decades, as shown by data presented in the 2000 National Research Council (NRC) report "Federal Funding of Astronomical Research," and the 2010 NRC report, "New Worlds, New Horizons in Astronomy and Astrophysics." For example, the number of advertised postdoctoral positions in astronomy has increased much more rapldly than the number of faculty positions, contributing to a holding pattern of early-career astronomers in multiple postdoctoral positions. This talk will summarize some of the current demographic trends in astronomy, including information about gender and ethnic diversity, and describe some of the possible implications for the future. I thank the members of the Astro2010 Demographics Study Group, as well as numerous white-paper contributors to Astro2010, for providing data and analyses.

Translating Information Literacy: Online Library Support for ESL Students

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Lombard, Emmett

2016-01-01

This article describes information literacy struggles of ESL college students within the context of four information literacy components: Identify, Locate, Evaluate, Use. Experiences from an online freshman composition course are used to illustrate these struggles, along with techniques academic librarians use to help ESL students from a distance.

How are Closeness and Conflict in Student-Teacher Relationships Associated with Demographic Factors, School Functioning and Mental Health in Norwegian Schoolchildren Aged 6-13?

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Drugli, May Britt

2013-01-01

This study explored the association between teacher-reported student-teacher relationship quality (closeness and conflict) and demographic factors, school functioning and child mental health in a cross-sectional study. The study was conducted among a national sample of Norwegian school children (N?=?825) in grades 1 to 7. Bivariate analyses and…

Teaching Information Security Students to "Think thief"

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hartel, Pieter H.; Junger, Marianne

2012-01-01

We report on an educational experiment where information security master students were encouraged to think out of the box. Instead of taking the usual point of view of the security engineer we challenged the students to take the point of view of the motivated offender. We report on the exciting

Information Literacy in a Digital Era: Understanding the Impact of Mobile Information for Undergraduate Nursing Students.

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Doyle, Glynda J; Furlong, Karen E; Secco, Loretta

2016-01-01

Recent entry-to-practice nursing informatics competencies for Registered Nurses in Canada mean nurse educators need educational strategies to promote student competency within the rapidly evolving informatics field. A collaborative research team from three Canadian nursing programs completed a mixed method survey to describe how nursing students used mobile nursing information support and the extent of this support for learning. The Mobile Information Support Evaluation Tool (MISET) assessed Usefulness/Helpfulness, Information Literacy Support, and Use of Evidence-Based Sources. The quantitative and qualitative data were analyzed to describe students' perspectives and the ways they used mobile resources in learning situations. Findings suggest nursing students mainly accessed mobile resources to support clinical learning, and specifically for task-oriented information such as drug medication or patient conditions/diagnoses. Researchers recommend a paradigm shift whereby educators emphasize information literacy in a way that supports evidence-based quality care.

Managing diversity: Changing demographics in the engineering workplace

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Judd, J.C.; Vella, J.J.

1990-01-01

Technological development creates a need for better educated workers with increased basic, analytical, and interpersonal skills. At the same time, both the population of 22-yr olds and the numbers of traditional students who are choosing careers in engineering and science are decreasing, creating a gap between engineering and construction needs and available trained resources. If more and better caliber students are not attracted to engineering, industry is expected to face selective shortages in the future. There is no question that the demographic composition of the next generation of engineers will significantly differ from that of today's engineers. Industry must recognize the changes that are occurring and take action to ensure that there continues to be an adequate supply of technically qualified workers in light of these demographic changes. In its role as adviser and coordinator of industry action, ANS can play a vital role in ensuring that the industry actions are timely and effective. The ANS should form a committee to study the changing composition of future engineers and constructors and formulate an effective action plan that industry can use to continue to attract able, top-performing students to the engineering field

An Exploratory Study of Face-to-Face and Cyberbullying in Sixth Grade Students

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Accordino, Denise B.; Accordino, Michael P.

2011-01-01

In a pilot study, sixth grade students (N = 124) completed a questionnaire assessing students' experience with bullying and cyberbullying, demographic information, quality of parent-child relationship, and ways they have dealt with bullying/cyberbullying in the past. Two multiple regression analyses were conducted. The multiple regression analysis…

Responding to Demographic Change: What Do Suburban District Leaders Need to Know?

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Diarrassouba, Nagnon; Johnson, Shirley

2014-01-01

This study examined the demographic shifts in a medium-sized school district in West Michigan and the responses developed as a result of these changes during the last two decades. Findings indicated that the district's school demographics changed from being European American to minority dominant. As a result of these changes in student population…

Blending Student Technology Experiences in Formal and Informal Learning

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Lai, K.-W.; Khaddage, F.; Knezek, Gerald

2013-01-01

In this article, we discuss the importance of recognizing students' technology-enhanced informal learning experiences and develop pedagogies to connect students' formal and informal learning experiences, in order to meet the demands of the knowledge society. The Mobile-Blended Collaborative Learning model is proposed as a framework to…

Why Are Students Not Majoring in Information Systems?

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Walstrom, Kent A.; Schambach, Thomas P.; Jones, Keith T.; Crampton, William J.

2008-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine some of the factors that influence and impact business students when they select their major and, more particularly, to examine why students are not majoring in information systems. Students in an entry level business class responded that they were more knowledgeable about careers in management, marketing,…

Information seeking habits of information and knowledge management students: A University of Johannesburg case study

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Cornelius J.P. Niemand

2010-10-01

Full Text Available According to Uçak (2007:697, ‘it is important to explore the information behaviours of the students who are being educated in the field of information management since the role they are going to play in establishing connections between information sources and users is crucial’. This study focuses on the identification of the information seeking behaviour of students in the department of Information and Knowledge Management at the University of Johannesburg, South Africa. The research is based on research conducted at the Hacettep University in Ankara, Turkey.

Academic and Socio-demographic Causes of Medical Student's underachievement in Iranian Medical Schools: A Systematic Review

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Keivan Dolati

2016-05-01

Full Text Available The academic performance of medical students seems to influence and be influenced by various factors. Identification of the factors that would influence the academic performance may help to modify some of these factors which may be reflecting positively on student’s GPA. Therefore, the objective of present study was to examine the effects of factors such as the student’s demographic data, educational and socio-cultural factors on the academic underachievement of Iranian medical students. In this systematic review study, all the papers related to the investigation of the causes of academic underachievement in case of the Iranian medical students, that were published during the period between 1996 and 2015, were recorded and reviewed. To carry out this purpose, all the Iranian journals and some of the scientific databases such as IranMedex, SID, Magiran, and MedLib, and foreign databases such as PubMed, Web of Science, Google Scholar, ERIC, and Science Direct, were used to search the keywords academic underachievement, medical students, educational status, and education progress. After searching mentioned databases, 218 papers were recorded, 97 of which were unrelated and were omitted during the initial review. After omitting the unrelated papers, 121 papers were reviewed by authors independently, and after the omission of the papers not possessing the criteria to enter the study, 65 papers remained, and finally, after complete reviewing procedure, 10 studies entered the analysis. In conclusion, being married, having second jobs, residing in a dormitory, admission to university by the privilege, low educational level of the parents, long interval between receiving diploma and entering university, male sex, age, not having educational planning and motivation skills, and absence from the classes are the main educational barriers among medical students resulted in underachievement.

Socio-Demographic Factors As Predictor Of Parents' Perspectives ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Correlational Research design was adopted to examine the predictive influence of some socio-demographic variables on perspectives of parents towards the inclusion of HIV and AIDS education in Lagos State schools. Four hundred parents of pupils and students of four primary and secondary schools with diverse ...

Knowledge and utilization of information communication technology (ICT) among health science students at the University of Gondar, North Western Ethiopia

Science.gov (United States)

2013-01-01

Background Despite the relatively huge ICT investment and policy deployment in higher institutions in Ethiopia, there is still scant information about the success of implementation of the Information Communication Technology (ICT) in the higher education. This study, therefore, was carried out with an aim to assess knowledge and utilization of Information Communication Technology (ICT) among medicine and health science students and its associated factors in Gondar College of Medicine and Health sciences, University of Gondar. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted at the College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Gondar, Ethiopia. Data regarding socio-demographic characteristics of the students, level of knowledge and utilization of ICT were collected by means of a self-administered questionnaire. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 13. Results A total of 1096 students responded giving a response rate of 97.8%. The mean age of the study participants was 20.3 (±1. 3) years. Females constitute only 26% of the respondents. The majority (79%) were fulltime students. Only half of the respondents (51%) had ICT knowledge and only 46% students utilized ICT while 47% of the respondents never used electronic communication (e.g. email or chat room) and 39% of the respondents never used Microsoft office (e.g. word ® or WordPerfect ®). ICT knowledge [AOR = 2.5, 95% CI: 1.7-3.5], family educational background [AOR = 4.36, 95% CI: 2.16-8.80], and perceived quality of training [AOR = 1.9, 95% CI: 1.3-2.8] showed strong and positive associations with ICT utilization. Students from urban areas were more likely to utilize ICT compared with those from rural areas [AOR = 2.7, 95% CI: 2.097, 3.497], and information technology training was found to be positively associated with ICT utilization [AOR = 2. 07, 95% CI: 1.18, 3.62]. Conclusions The result showed that students’ knowledge was inadequate and utilization of ICT was poor. Therefore, the

Developing Students' Critical Reasoning About Online Health Information: A Capabilities Approach

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Wiblom, Jonna; Rundgren, Carl-Johan; Andrée, Maria

2017-11-01

The internet has become a main source for health-related information retrieval. In addition to information published by medical experts, individuals share their personal experiences and narratives on blogs and social media platforms. Our increasing need to confront and make meaning of various sources and conflicting health information has challenged the way critical reasoning has become relevant in science education. This study addresses how the opportunities for students to develop and practice their capabilities to critically approach online health information can be created in science education. Together with two upper secondary biology teachers, we carried out a design-based study. The participating students were given an online retrieval task that included a search and evaluation of health-related online sources. After a few lessons, the students were introduced to an evaluation tool designed to support critical evaluation of health information online. Using qualitative content analysis, four themes could be discerned in the audio and video recordings of student interactions when engaging with the task. Each theme illustrates the different ways in which critical reasoning became practiced in the student groups. Without using the evaluation tool, the students struggled to overview the vast amount of information and negotiate trustworthiness. Guided by the evaluation tool, critical reasoning was practiced to handle source subjectivity and to sift out scientific information only. Rather than a generic skill and transferable across contexts, students' critical reasoning became conditioned by the multi-dimensional nature of health issues, the blend of various contexts and the shift of purpose constituted by the students.

The digital divide: Examining socio-demographic factors associated with health literacy, access and use of internet to seek health information.

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Estacio, Emee Vida; Whittle, Rebecca; Protheroe, Joanne

2017-02-01

This article aims to examine the socio-demographic characteristics associated with access and use of Internet for health-related purposes and its relationship with health literacy. Data were drawn from a health literacy survey ( N = 1046) and analysed using logistic regression. Results show a strong association between health literacy, internet access and use. Socio-demographic characteristics particularly age, education, income, perceived health and social isolation also predict internet access. Thus, in addition to widening access, the movement towards digitisation of health information and services should also consider digital skills development to enable people to utilise digital technology more effectively, especially among traditionally hard-to-reach communities.

77 FR 43236 - Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; SURF Program Student Applicant Information

Science.gov (United States)

2012-07-24

... Notice, and place selected students in appropriate research projects that match their needs, interests, and academic preparation. The information includes: Student name, host institution, email address... apply to, academic major/minor, current overall GPA, need for housing and gender (for housing purposes...

Impacting university physics students through participation in informal science

Science.gov (United States)

Hinko, Kathleen; Finkelstein, Noah D.

2013-01-01

Informal education programs organized by university physics departments are a popular means of reaching out to communities and satisfying grant requirements. The outcomes of these programs are often described in terms of broader impacts on the community. Comparatively little attention, however, has been paid to the influence of such programs on those students facilitating the informal science programs. Through Partnerships for Informal Science Education in the Community (PISEC) at the University of Colorado Boulder, undergraduate and graduate physics students coach elementary and middle school children during an inquiry-based science afterschool program. As part of their participation in PISEC, university students complete preparation in pedagogy, communication and diversity, engage with children on a weekly basis and provide regular feedback about the program. We present findings that indicate these experiences improve the ability of university students to communicate in everyday language and positively influence their perspectives on teaching and learning.

Demographic Determinants of Locus of Control among Medical ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The Levenson Multidimensional Locus of Control Inventory and a Socio - demographic data collection sheet were used to collect data from 262 (183 males and 79 females) students selected through convenience sampling. Data were th analyzed using the 16th version of the SPPS. Percentages, means, t-test and ANOVA ...

Empowering Students to Make Sense of an Information Saturated World: The Evolution of Information Searching and Analysis

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James H. Wittebols

2016-06-01

Full Text Available How well students conduct research online is an increasing concern for educators at all levels but especially higher education. The paper describes the evolution of a course that grew from a unit within a course to a whole course that examines confirmation bias, information searching and the political economy of information as keys to becoming more information and media literate. After a key assignment in which students assess their own tendency to engage in confirmation bias, students choose a social justice issue to investigate across web, news and academic research resources. Designed to build good analytical skills in assessing the trustworthiness of a variety of sources of information, the course empowers students as researchers, citizens and consumers.

MULTIPLE ACCESS POINTS WITHIN THE ONLINE CLASSROOM: WHERE STUDENTS LOOK FOR INFORMATION

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John STEELE

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of information placement within the confines of the online classroom architecture. Also reviewed was the impact of other variables such as course design, teaching presence and student patterns in looking for information. The sample population included students from a major online university in their first year course sequence. Students were tasked with completing a survey at the end of the course, indicating their preference for accessing information within the online classroom. The qualitative data indicated that student preference is to receive information from multiple access points and sources within the online classroom architecture. Students also expressed a desire to have information delivered through the usage of technology such as email and text messaging. In addition to receiving information from multiple sources, the qualitative data indicated students were satisfied overall, with the current ways in which they received and accessed information within the online classroom setting. Major findings suggest that instructors teaching within the online classroom should have multiple data access points within the classroom architecture. Furthermore, instructors should use a variety of communication venues to enhance the ability for students to access and receive information pertinent to the course.

Socio-demographic characteristics of a semi-urban community in ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Conclusion: The study revealed that more frequent ad-hoc small-scale intensive surveys are needed to obtain valid, reliable demographic information for planning health intervention programmes and allocation of scarce resources to relevant sectors. KEY WORDS: Socio-Demographic characteristics; Semi urban ...

Arming Students against Bad Information

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Smith, Maribeth D.

2017-01-01

In the age of fake news, teachers in every subject area should redouble their efforts to help students distinguish between credible and deceptive sources of information. The author calls attention to a few key resources, including the CRAAP guidelines developed at California State University, Chico, and promoted by the American Library Association.

Self-Directed Learning: College Students' Technology Preparedness Change in the Last 10 Years

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Caravello, Michael J.; Jiménez, Joel R.; Kahl, Lois J.; Brachio, Brian; Morote, Elsa-Sofia

2015-01-01

This study compares a sample of approximately 44 first year college students in 2005 and 2015 on Long Island, New York, in their technology preparedness and self-directed instruction. The researchers used a survey instrument including demographic information focused upon students' preparation for classroom technology in high school and college.…

INFORMATION SYSTEMS EVALUATION CRITERIA BASED ON ATTITUDES OF GRADUATE STUDENTS

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DAŘENA, František

2011-03-01

Full Text Available Importance of information systems in supporting business activities and managerial decision making is growing. Decisions related to selecting a suitable information system, including the technological background, human resources, procedures and information belong to one of the most difficult and most responsible ones. As in the case of other types of investments, assets and resources invested into information system should return in a reasonable time. There has been a lot of work done in the research and application of IS evaluation techniques to different kinds of information systems. Such evaluations involve a wide variety of technical and technological considerations made by technical experts, on the other hand impacts on management of the organization or financial impacts can be addressed. The objective of the paper is to reveal the preferences of graduate students related to their information systems evaluation and to propose a general framework for such evaluations. During the experimental period two surveys were carried out within the information systems course – at the beginning when the students were completely uninformed and at the end when the students had the knowledge of individual aspects of information systems, their role within organizations and process of information systems evaluation. The former survey used a simple scoring method whereas the latter relied on formal usage of the Analytical Hierarchy Process. The results show the differences in opinions of the students between these two surveys. Presented criteria hierarchy as well as the importance of individual evaluation criteria can be used for demonstration of attitudes of graduate students of management study programs and as a general framework for information systems evaluation.

Associations of learning style with cultural values and demographics in nursing students in Iran and Malaysia.

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Abdollahimohammad, Abdolghani; Ja'afar, Rogayah

2015-01-01

The goal of the current study was to identify associations between the learning style of nursing students and their cultural values and demographic characteristics. A non-probability purposive sampling method was used to gather data from two populations. All 156 participants were female, Muslim, and full-time degree students. Data were collected from April to June 2010 using two reliable and validated questionnaires: the Learning Style Scales and the Values Survey Module 2008 (VSM 08). A simple linear regression was run for each predictor before conducting multiple linear regression analysis. The forward selection method was used for variable selection. P-values ≤0.05 and ≤0.1 were considered to indicate significance and marginal significance, respectively. Moreover, multi-group confirmatory factor analysis was performed to determine the invariance of the Farsi and English versions of the VSM 08. The perceptive learning style was found to have a significant negative relationship with the power distance and monumentalism indices of the VSM 08. Moreover, a significant negative association was observed between the solitary learning style and the power distance index. However, no significant association was found between the analytic, competitive, and imaginative learning styles and cultural values (P>0.05). Likewise, no significant associations were observed between learning style, including the perceptive, solitary, analytic, competitive, and imaginative learning styles, and year of study or age (P>0.05). Students who reported low values on the power distance and monumentalism indices are more likely to prefer perceptive and solitary learning styles. Within each group of students in our study sample from the same school the year of study and age did not show any significant associations with learning style.

Generation Psy: Student Characteristics and Academic Achievement in a Three-Year Problem-Based Learning Bachelor Program

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de Koning, Bjorn B.; Loyens, Sofie M. M.; Rikers, Remy M. J. P.; Smeets, Guus; van der Molen, Henk T.

2012-01-01

This study investigated the simultaneous impact of demographic, personality, intelligence, and (prior) study performance factors on students' academic achievement in a three-year academic problem-based psychology program. Information regarding students' gender, age, nationality, pre-university education, high school grades, Big Five personality…

Demographic Characteristics of Ghanaian Optometry Students and Factors Influencing Their Career Choice and Institution of Learning

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Boadi-Kusi, Samuel Bert; Kyei, Samuel; Mashige, Khathutshelo Percy; Abu, Emmanuel Kwasi; Antwi-Boasiako, Daniel; Halladay, Abraham Carl

2015-01-01

Optometry is only provided at tertiary level in two institutions in Ghana, with an average of 50 students graduating each year for a population of approximately 24.6 million. No information on the demography of optometry students and factors that influence their choice of optometry as a career and institution of learning is available. This…

Demographic Factors and Communal Mastery as Predictors of Academic Motivation and Test Anxiety

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Ünal-Karagüven, M. Hülya

2015-01-01

Academic motivation and test anxiety have been still adduced for low performance of students by educators. To know the factors that have an effect on students' academic motivation and test anxiety levels can be helpful to improve students' academic performance. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of demographic variables and…

Information Literacy in Nursing Students of Fes Zaragoza Unam.

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Sánchez G, Ana; Carmona M, Beatriz; Pérez O, Edgar; Del Socorro García V, Ma

2018-01-01

In an exploratory quantitative study,information literacy was analyzed in first-year students of the nursing program at the Facultad de Estudios superiores Zaragoza UNAM. A sample of 150 students completed, a validated scale that consisted of 8 categories and a total of 110 items. The average score obtained was 2.11, which places them in a 'low knowledge' category of information literacy.

Marketing blood drives to students: a case study.

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Leigh, Laurence; Bist, Michael; Alexe, Roxana

2007-01-01

The aim of this paper is to motivate blood donation among international students and demonstrate the applicability of marketing techniques in the health care sector. The paper uses a combination of focus groups and a questionnaire-based survey. The paper finds that donors primarily find gratification from their altruistic acts through awareness of their contribution to saving lives. Receiving information on how each individual donation is used is seen as a powerful means of reinforcement. Practical benefits such as receiving free blood test information are also useful motivators, while communicating the professionalism of the blood collection techniques are important for reassuring the minority of prospective donors who expressed fears about possible risks associated with blood donation. Since this was a small-scale study among Hungarian and international students in Budapest, further research is necessary to validate its results among other demographic groups. Findings were reported to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies in Hungary in order to increase blood donations among students in Hungary. Subject to validation through further research, applying recommended approaches in different countries and other demographic groups is suggested. This is the first research paper on motivation toward blood donation among international students and offers new and practical suggestions for increasing their level of participation in blood drives.

Students' Characteristics, Self-Regulated Learning, Technology Self-Efficacy, and Course Outcomes in Online Learning

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Chih-Hsuan; Shannon, David M.; Ross, Margaret E.

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship among students' characteristics, self-regulated learning, technology self-efficacy, and course outcomes in online learning settings. Two hundred and fifty-six students participated in this study. All participants completed an online survey that included demographic information, the modified…

Social Media as Source of Medical Information for Healthcare Students

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ariana Anamaria CORDOȘ

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Introduction: The scope of the research was a more detailed understanding of the influence of social media and the importance of student’s usage of social media context in relation to medical information. The research aimed to increase the understanding of social media and the impact on medical information use, informing policy and practice while highlighting gaps in the literature and areas for further research. Methods: The search of PubMed database was performed in October 2015, using terms to identify peer-reviewed research in which social media technologies were an important feature for health occupations, premedical, pharmacy, nursing or medical students. A systematic approach was used to retrieve papers and extract relevant data. Results: There were initially identified 435 studies involving social media, healthcare information and medical students subject headings (MeSH terminology. After filtering for free full text articles, and exclusion of not students or social media specific ones, 33 articles were reviewed. The majority of the studies were interventional studies that either assessed the outcomes of online discussion groups or teaching methods through social media. The majority of studies focused on the use of social media as a teaching tool, how students use it and the implications upon their education. The largest number of original papers was published in 2013. Facebook, Podcasts, Multiplayer virtual worlds, Blogs, and Twitter were identified as being used by medical students. Conclusion: Social media is used as a tool of information for students mainly as the means for engaging and communicating with students.

Country Demographic Profiles: Thailand.

Science.gov (United States)

Bureau of the Census (DOC), Suitland, MD. Population Div.

This profile of the population of Thailand contains 35 tables of selected demographic information, including size of population and estimates of fertility and mortality, beginning in 1950. An adjusted distribution of the population by age and sex is given for the latest census year, as well as for 1976. Projections of the number of women of…

Implications of research staff demographics for psychological science.

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Does, Serena; Ellemers, Naomi; Dovidio, John F; Norman, Jasmine B; Mentovich, Avital; van der Lee, Romy; Goff, Phillip Atiba

2018-03-01

Long-standing research traditions in psychology have established the fundamental impact of social categories, such as race and gender, on people's perceptions of themselves and others, as well as on the general human cognition and behavior. However, there is a general tendency to ignore research staff demographics (e.g., researchers' race and gender) in research development and research reports. Variation in research staff demographics can exert systematic and scientifically informative influences on results from psychological research. Consequently, research staff demographics need to be considered, studied, and/or reported, along with how these demographics were allowed to vary across participants or conditions (e.g., random assignment, matched with participant demographics, or included as a factor in the experimental design). In addition to providing an overview of multidisciplinary evidence of research staff demographics effects, we discuss how research staff demographics might influence research findings through (a) ingroup versus outgroup effects, (b) stereotype and (implicit) bias effects, and (c) priming and social tuning effects. Finally, an overview of recommended considerations is included (see the Appendix) to help illustrate how to systematically incorporate relevant research staff demographics in psychological science. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

Peer teaching and information retrieval: the role of the NICE Evidence search student champion scheme in enhancing students' confidence.

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Sbaffi, Laura; Hallsworth, Elaine; Weist, Anne

2018-03-01

This research reports on the NICE Evidence search (ES) student champion scheme (SCS) first five years of activity (2011-2016) in terms of its impact on health care undergraduate students' information search skills and search confidence. A review of students' evaluation of the scheme was carried out to chart the changes in attitude towards NICE Evidence search as an online health care information source and to monitor students' approach to information seeking. This study is based on the results of questionnaires distributed to students before and after attending a training session on NICE Evidence search delivered by their own peers. The exercise was implemented in health related universities in England over a period of five consecutive academic years. (i) Students' search confidence improved considerably after the training; (ii) ES was perceived as being an increasingly useful resource of evidence based information for their studies; (iii) the training helped students develop discerning search skills and use evidence based information sources more consistently and critically. The NICE SCS improves confidence in approaching information tasks amongst health care undergraduate students. Future developments could involve offering the training at the onset of a course of study and adopting online delivery formats to expand its geographical reach. © 2018 Health Libraries Group.

Information Seeking and Students Studying for Professional Careers: The Cases of Engineering and Law Students in Ireland

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Kerins, Gillian; Madden, Ronan; Fulton, Crystal

2004-01-01

This paper reports the results of two empirical studies which explored the information seeking behaviour of engineering and law students in Ireland. Findings reveal similar patterns in the information seeking behaviour between students studying to become professionals and information seeking patterns of these groups identified in the Leckie et al.…

Involving Medical Students in Informed Consent: A Pilot Study.

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Chiapponi, Costanza; Meyer, Frank; Jannasch, Olof; Arndt, Stephan; Stübs, Patrick; Bruns, Christiane J

2015-09-01

Studies have reported that patients often sign consent documents without understanding the content. Written paperwork, audio-visual materials, and decision aids have shown to consistently improve patients' knowledge. How informed consent should be taken is not properly taught at most universities in Germany. In this cross-sectional study, we investigated how much information about their procedure our patients retain. In particular, it should be elucidated whether an additional conversation between patients and properly prepared medical students shortly before surgery as an adjunct to informed consent can be introduced as a new teaching unit aimed to increase the understanding of surgery by patients and students. Informed consent of all patients had been previously obtained by three surgical residents 1-3 days in advance. All patients had received a copy of their consent form. The same residents developed assessment forms for thyroidectomy, laparoscopic cholecystectomy, umbilical hernia repair, and Lichtenstein procedure for inguinal hernia, respectively, containing 3-4 major common complications (e.g., bile duct injury, hepatic artery injury, stone spillage, and retained stones for laparoscopic cholecystectomy) and briefed the medical students before seeing the patients. Structured one-to-one interviews between students (n = 9) and patients (n = 55) based on four different assessment forms were performed and recorded by students. Both patients and students were asked to assess the new teaching unit using a short structured questionnaire. Although 100% of patients said at the beginning of their interview to have understood and memorized the risks of their imminent procedure, 5.8% (3/55) were not even able to indicate the correct part of the body where the incision would take place. Only 18.2% (10/55) of the patients were able to mention 2 or more complications, and 45.3% (25/55) could not even recall a single one. 96.4% (53/55) of the patients and 100% (9/9) of the

Attitudes toward Cigarette Smoking among College Students

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Van Volkom, Michele

2008-01-01

The purpose of the current study was to gather data on the attitudes and smoking habits of university students. Data were collected from 250 undergraduates dealing with various aspects of smoking behavior. There were 80 smokers and 170 nonsmokers, including 21 former smokers. In addition to demographic information, participants were assessed with…

ACADEMIC MOTIVATION FOR BUSINESS INFORMATION SYSTEMS STUDENTS

OpenAIRE

Catalin Maican; Radu Lixandroiu

2015-01-01

Academic Motivation Scale (AMS) was applied to Business Information Systems students for finding out their reasons and motives for enrolling this academic field, for undergraduate and postgraduate academic cycles. The students were presented the AMS scale translated in Romanian, together with other questionnaires. The first part of the paper makes a short introduction to AMS, the second describes its objectives, while the third presents the results.

Open Access in Higher Education–Strategies for Engaging Diverse Student Cohorts

OpenAIRE

Signor, Luisa; Moore, Catherine

2014-01-01

With growth in online education, students gain tertiary qualifications through a mode more suited to their demographics such as work and life balance, learning styles and geographical accessibility. Inevitably this has led to a growth in diversity within student cohorts.The case study described in this paper illustrates strategies based on informed learning design for educating diverse student cohorts in an online program offered by Swinburne University of Technology. The case, an open-access...

Highlights from the First Ever Demographic Study of Solar Physics, Space Physics, and Upper Atmospheric Physics

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Moldwin, M.; Morrow, C. A.; White, S. C.; Ivie, R.

2014-12-01

Members of the Education & Workforce Working Group and the American Institute of Physics (AIP) conducted the first ever National Demographic Survey of working professionals for the 2012 National Academy of Sciences Solar and Space Physics Decadal Survey to learn about the demographics of this sub-field of space science. The instrument contained questions for participants on: the type of workplace; basic demographic information regarding gender and minority status, educational pathways (discipline of undergrad degree, field of their PhD), how their undergraduate and graduate student researchers are funded, participation in NSF and NASA funded spaceflight missions and suborbital programs, and barriers to career advancement. Using contact data bases from AGU, the American Astronomical Society's Solar Physics Division (AAS-SPD), attendees of NOAA's Space Weather Week and proposal submissions to NSF's Atmospheric, Geospace Science Division, the AIP's Statistical Research Center cross correlated and culled these data bases resulting in 2776 unique email addresses of US based working professionals. The survey received 1305 responses (51%) and generated 125 pages of single space answers to a number of open-ended questions. This talk will summarize the highlights of this first-ever demographic survey including findings extracted from the open-ended responses regarding barriers to career advancement which showed significant gender differences.

Student Attitudes toward Information Systems Graduate Program Design and Delivery

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Thouin, Mark F.; Hefley, William E.; Raghunathan, Srinivasan

2018-01-01

This study examines student preferences regarding graduate management information systems (MIS) education. One hundred and eighty four graduate students responded to a survey exploring student attitudes towards degree program content, delivery format, and peer group interaction. Study results indicate that students prefer a program with an even…

Information empowerment: predeparture resource training for students in global health.

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Rana, Gurpreet K

2014-04-01

The Taubman Health Sciences Library (THL) collaborates with health sciences schools to provide information skills instruction for students preparing for international experiences. THL enhances students' global health learning through predeparture instruction for students who are involved in global health research, clinical internships, and international collaborations. This includes teaching international literature searching skills, providing country-specific data sources, building awareness of relevant mobile resources, and encouraging investigation of international news. Information skills empower creation of stronger global partnerships. Use of information resources has enhanced international research and training experiences, built lifelong learning foundations, and contributed to the university's global engagement. THL continues to assess predeparture instruction.

Making the informal formal: An examination of why and how teachers and students leverage experiences in informal learning environments

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Schneider, Barbara P.

This study was an effort to understand the impact of informal learning environments (museums, aquaria, nature centers, and outdoor education programs) on school groups by developing a picture of why and how teachers and their students leverage experiences in these settings. This work relied on the self-reported visions for science education of formal and informal teachers as a means of creating a portrait or profile of the teacher visitor thus providing a new way to assess the quality of informal visits based on vision elements. Multi-level, year long case studies at six school sites and their partnering informal centers that included multiple interviews, observations (250 hours) of both school based and field trip activities, as well as focus group interviews with students two months past their field trip experience comprised the bulk of data collection activities. In addition to this more intensive work with case study teachers data was gathered from a broader group of participants through surveys (n = 396) and one-time classroom teacher interviews (n = 36) in an effort to validate or confirm case study findings. I discovered that central to informal and formal teachers' visions was a view of education as empowerment. I explored such goals as empowering students to conceive of themselves and their worlds differently, empowering students by sharing responsibility for what and how they learn, and empowering students by creating environments where everyone can contribute meaningfully. Much of what classroom teachers did to leverage the informal experience in supporting their visions of education related to these goals. For example teachers used shared experiences in informal settings as a way for their students to gain better access to and understanding of the classroom curriculum thereby increasing student participation and allowing more students to be successful. They also changed their approach to content by basing the classroom curriculum on students' interests

ACADEMIC MOTIVATION FOR BUSINESS INFORMATION SYSTEMS STUDENTS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Catalin Maican

2015-05-01

Full Text Available Academic Motivation Scale (AMS was applied to Business Information Systems students for finding out their reasons and motives for enrolling this academic field, for undergraduate and postgraduate academic cycles. The students were presented the AMS scale translated in Romanian, together with other questionnaires. The first part of the paper makes a short introduction to AMS, the second describes its objectives, while the third presents the results.

Handling Internet-Based Health Information: Improving Health Information Web Site Literacy Among Undergraduate Nursing Students.

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Wang, Weiwen; Sun, Ran; Mulvehill, Alice M; Gilson, Courtney C; Huang, Linda L

2017-02-01

Patient care problems arise when health care consumers and professionals find health information on the Internet because that information is often inaccurate. To mitigate this problem, nurses can develop Web literacy and share that skill with health care consumers. This study evaluated a Web-literacy intervention for undergraduate nursing students to find reliable Web-based health information. A pre- and postsurvey queried undergraduate nursing students in an informatics course; the intervention comprised lecture, in-class practice, and assignments about health Web site evaluation tools. Data were analyzed using Wilcoxon and ANOVA signed-rank tests. Pre-intervention, 75.9% of participants reported using Web sites to obtain health information. Postintervention, 87.9% displayed confidence in using an evaluation tool. Both the ability to critique health Web sites (p = .005) and confidence in finding reliable Internet-based health information (p = .058) increased. Web-literacy education guides nursing students to find, evaluate, and use reliable Web sites, which improves their ability to deliver safer patient care. [J Nurs Educ. 2017;56(2):110-114.]. Copyright 2017, SLACK Incorporated.

Associations of learning style with cultural values and demographics in nursing students in Iran and Malaysia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Abdolghani Abdollahimohammad

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Purpose: The goal of the current study was to identify associations between the learning style of nursing students and their cultural values and demographic characteristics. Methods: A non-probability purposive sampling method was used to gather data from two populations. All 156 participants were female, Muslim, and full-time degree students. Data were collected from April to June 2010 using two reliable and validated questionnaires: the Learning Style Scales and the Values Survey Module 2008 (VSM 08. A simple linear regression was run for each predictor before conducting multiple linear regression analysis. The forward selection method was used for variable selection. P-values ≤0.05 and ≤0.1 were considered to indicate significance and marginal significance, respectively. Moreover, multi-group confirmatory factor analysis was performed to determine the invariance of the Farsi and English versions of the VSM 08. Results: The perceptive learning style was found to have a significant negative relationship with the power distance and monumentalism indices of the VSM 08. Moreover, a significant negative association was observed between the solitary learning style and the power distance index. However, no significant association was found between the analytic, competitive, and imaginative learning styles and cultural values (P>0.05. Likewise, no significant associations were observed between learning style, including the perceptive, solitary, analytic, competitive, and imaginative learning styles, and year of study or age (P>0.05. Conclusion: Students who reported low values on the power distance and monumentalism indices are more likely to prefer perceptive and solitary learning styles. Within each group of students in our study sample from the same school the year of study and age did not show any significant associations with learning style.

Predictors of at-risk intoxication in a university field setting: social anxiety, demographics, and intentions.

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Smith, Ryan C; Bowdring, Molly A; Geller, E Scott

2015-01-01

The determinants of alcohol consumption among university students were investigated in a downtown field setting with blood alcohol content (BAC) as the dependent variable. In total, 521 participants completed a brief survey and had their BAC assessed during April 2013. Between 10:00 pm and 2:00 am, teams of researchers recruited passersby at 3 heavy-drinking locations near a university campus. Before the BAC assessment, participants completed a questionnaire regarding their drinking intentions, drinking group, and social anxiety. The average BAC of drinking students was 0.107 g/dL, which was 0.033 g/dL higher than their intended BAC. Males and members of a Greek-life organization consumed significantly more alcohol than their demographic counterparts. A significant positive curvilinear relationship was observed between social anxiety and BAC. University students achieve high levels of intoxication, often exceeding their intended BAC. Social anxiety may be an informative predictor of alcohol consumption in this setting.

School District Policymaking Responses to Demographic Change in New Immigrant Destinations

OpenAIRE

Turner, Erica Owyang

2011-01-01

Since the early 1990s, immigrants from Latin America and Asia have been arriving in parts of the United States that have had little recent experience with immigration. How school district leaders respond to these demographic changes has significant consequences for students, families and communities. Yet, there is little research on why and how school district leaders are coming to enact some policies, and not others, in response to their changing demographics. This study examines policymakin...

The effect of background music on the perception of personality and demographics.

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Lastinger, Daniel L

2011-01-01

This study seeks to discover stereotypes people may have about different music genres and if these stereotypes are projected onto an individual. Also, the study investigates if music therapy students are more or less biased than non-music majors in this regard. Subjects (N=388) were comprised of student members of the American Music Therapy Association (N=182) and students from a college in the southeastern United States who were not music majors (N=206). Subjects were asked to listen to a recording and complete a short survey. Subjects assigned to the control condition heard only a person reading a script. Subjects assigned to one of the four experimental conditions heard the same recording mixed with background music and ambient crowd noise, intended to simulate a live performance. Subjects were asked to rate the person in the recording on personality descriptors and predict demographic information in the survey. Many of the survey responses were significantly affected by the genre of music. For example, it was shown that when in the presence of rap or country music, all subjects rated the personality of the person in the recording significantly more negative than when in the presence of classical, jazz, or no music. There were no significant differences between the groups for any variable or condition when comparing survey responses between college students and AMTA student members.

Applied information system-based in enhancing students' understanding towards higher order thinking (HOTS)

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Hua, Ang Kean; Ping, Owi Wei

2017-05-01

The application of information and communications technology (ICT) had become more important in our daily life, especially in educational field. Teachers are encouraged to use information system-based in teaching Mathematical courses. Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS) approach is unable to explain using chalk and talk methods. It needs students to analyze, evaluate, and create by their own natural abilities. The aim of this research study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the application information system-based in enhance the students understanding about HOTS question. Mixed-methods or quantitative and qualitative approach was applied in collecting data, which involve only the standard five students and the teachers in Sabak Bernam, Selangor. Pra-postests was held before and after using information system-based in teaching to evaluate the students' understanding. The result from post-test indicates significant improvement which proves that the use of information system based able to enhance students' understanding about HOTS question and solve it. There were several factor influenced the students such as students' attitude, teachers attraction, school facilities, and computer approach. Teachers play an important role in attracting students to learn. Therefore, the school should provide a conducive learning environment and good facilities for students to learn so that they are able to access more information and always exposed to new knowledge. As conclusion, information system-based are able to enhance students understanding the need of HOTS questions and solve it.

Finding foundations: A model for information literacy assessment of first-year students

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zoe Fisher

2017-08-01

Full Text Available In Brief This article presents a case study in establishing an information literacy instruction and assessment program for first-year university students at the University of Colorado Denver. Rather than presenting assessment data, we document the process in which our department engaged with the student learning assessment cycle, with the intention of allowing other information literacy professionals to see how we established an instruction program for first-year English Composition. We include a description of in-class exercises, rubrics, and the procedures we followed in order to assess the foundational information literacy skills of first-year students on our campus. This assessment was not conducted to demonstrate what students learned from librarians (thereby illustrating the value of library instruction. Rather, we assessed student learning to ascertain the information literacy skills students bring with them into a first-year English Composition course.

Student Borrowing in America: Metrics, Demographics, Default Aversion Strategies

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Kesterman, Frank

2006-01-01

The use of Cohort Default Rate (CDR) as the primary measure of student loan defaults among undergraduates was investigated. The study used data extracted from the National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS), quantitative analysis of Likert-scale survey responses from 153 student financial aid professionals on proposed changes to present metrics and…

Self-efficacy and self-esteem in third-year pharmacy students.

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Yorra, Mark L

2014-09-15

To identify the experiential and demographic factors affecting the self-efficacy and self-esteem of third-year pharmacy (P3) students. A 25-item survey that included the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale and the General Self-Efficacy Scale, as well as types and length of pharmacy practice experiences and demographic information was administered to doctor of pharmacy (PharmD) students from 5 schools of pharmacy in New England at the completion of their P3 year. The survey response rate was approximately 50% of the total target population (399/820). Students with a grade point average (GPA)≥3.0 demonstrated a higher significant effect from unpaid introductory pharmacy practice experiences (IPPEs) on their self-efficacy scores (pself-esteem (pself-esteem. Self-efficacy and self-esteem are two important factors in pharmacy practice. Colleges and schools of pharmacy should ensure that students complete enough practice experiences, beyond the minimum of 300 IPPE hours, as one way to improve their self-efficacy and self-esteem.

Emerging Information Literacy and Research-Method Competencies in Urban Community College Psychology Students

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Wolfe, Kate S.

2015-01-01

This article details an assignment developed to teach students at urban community colleges information-literacy skills. This annotated bibliography assignment introduces students to library research skills, helps increase information literacy in beginning college students, and helps psychology students learn research methodology crucial in…

Efficacy of integrating information literacy education into a women's health course on information literacy for RN-BSN students.

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Ku, Ya-Lie; Sheu, Sheila; Kuo, Shih-Ming

2007-03-01

Information literacy, essential to evidences-based nursing, can promote nurses' capability for life-long learning. Nursing education should strive to employ information literacy education in nursing curricula to improve information literacy abilities among nursing students. This study explored the effectiveness of information literacy education by comparing information literacy skills among a group of RN-BSN (Registered Nurse to Bachelors of Science in Nursing) students who received information literacy education with a group that did not. This quasi-experimental study was conducted during a women's health issues course taught between March and June 2004. Content was presented to the 32 RN-BSN students enrolled in this course, which also taught skills on searching and screening, integrating, analyzing, applying, and presenting information. At the beginning and end of the program, 75 RN-BSN student self-evaluated on a 10 point Likert scale their attained skills in searching and screening, integrating, analyzing, applying, and presenting information. Results identified no significant differences between the experimental (n = 32) and control groups (n = 43) in terms of age, marital status, job title, work unit, years of work experience, and information literacy skills as measured at the beginning of the semester. At the end of the semester during which content was taught, the information literacy of the experimental group in all categories, with the exception of information presentation, was significantly improved as compared to that of the control group. Results were especially significant in terms of integrating, analyzing, and applying skill categories. It is hoped that in the future nursing students will apply enhanced information literacy to address and resolve patients' health problems in clinical settings.

School climate: perceptual differences between students, parents, and school staff

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Ramsey, Christine M.; Spira, Adam P.; Parisi, Jeanine M.; Rebok, George W.

2016-01-01

Research suggests that school climate can have a great impact on student, teacher, and school outcomes. However, it is often assessed as a summary measure, without taking into account multiple perspectives (student, teacher, parent) or examining subdimensions within the broader construct. In this study, we assessed school climate from the perspective of students, staff, and parents within a large, urban school district using multilevel modeling techniques to examine within- and between-school variance. After adjusting for school-level demographic characteristics, students reported worse perceptions of safety and connectedness compared to both parent and staff ratings (all p climate ratings within a school. Understanding how perceptions differ between informants can inform interventions to improve perceptions and prevent adverse outcomes. PMID:28642631

Student Perceptions in Teaching Principles of Management Information Systems

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Rob, Mohammad A.; Etnyre, Vance

2015-01-01

Teaching concepts of information systems to general business students through a course such as management information systems (MIS) can be challenging in today's fast-changing environment of information technology (IT). Such a course must provide not only an understanding of the development, applications, and management of information systems, but…

Differences in Food and Beverage Marketing Policies and Practices in US School Districts, by Demographic Characteristics of School Districts, 2012.

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Merlo, Caitlin L; Michael, Shannon; Brener, Nancy D; Coffield, Edward; Kingsley, Beverly S; Zytnick, Deena; Blanck, Heidi

2016-12-15

Foods and beverages marketed in schools are typically of poor nutritional value. School districts may adopt policies and practices to restrict marketing of unhealthful foods and to promote healthful choices. Students' exposure to marketing practices differ by school demographics, but these differences have not yet been examined by district characteristics. We analyzed data from the 2012 School Health Policies and Practices Study to examine how food and beverage marketing and promotion policies and practices varied by district characteristics such as metropolitan status, size, and percentage of non-Hispanic white students. Most practices varied significantly by district size: a higher percentage of large districts than small or medium-sized districts restricted marketing of unhealthful foods and promoted healthful options. Compared with districts whose student populations were majority (>50%) non-Hispanic white, a higher percentage of districts whose student populations were minority non-Hispanic white (≤50% non-Hispanic white) prohibited advertising of soft drinks in school buildings and on school grounds, made school meal menus available to students, and provided families with information on school nutrition programs. Compared with suburban and rural districts, a higher percentage of urban districts prohibited the sale of soft drinks on school grounds and used several practices to promote healthful options. Preliminary findings showing significant associations between district demographics and marketing policies and practices can be used to help states direct resources, training, and technical assistance to address food and beverage marketing and promotion to districts most in need of improvement.

The Battle River Project: school division implementation of the health-promoting schools approach: assessment for learning: using student health and school capacity measures to inform action and direct policy in a local school district.

Science.gov (United States)

Gleddie, Douglas L; Hobin, Erin P

2011-03-01

The Battle River Project (BRP) is a school division-level intervention in rural Alberta, Canada, built upon the health-promoting schools approach to health promotion. Using self-reported school and student-level data from administrators and students, the central aim of the BRP is to examine: 'How can the school environment and health behaviours (healthy eating, physical activity and mental wellness) of children and youth be improved when a health-promoting schools model, the Ever Active Schools program, is implemented with school division support?' Evidence used to inform school level changes included students' demographic, behavioral, and psychosocial variables linked to school environment data, comprised of school demographics and administrator-assessed quality of policies, facilities, and programs related to physical activity. Each participating school and the division were provided with a tailored report of their schools' results to reflect, plan and implement for positive health behavior change. The main lesson learned was that sharing school-specific evidence can operate as a catalyst for embedding health promoting policy and practices within the school and division culture.

Adolescent Health in Hong Kong: Disturbing Socio-Demographic Correlates

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Kwan, Y. K.; Ip, W. C.

2009-01-01

Relationships between self-assessed health status and socio-demographic variables were examined among 4,502 Chinese adolescent secondary school students in Hong Kong, a modern society with traditional Chinese ethno-cultural origin. Health status was self-rated in four aspects: overall health, physical health, mental health, and health effects on…

The Whole Student: Cognition, Emotion, and Information Literacy

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Matteson, Miriam L.

2014-01-01

Information literacy skill acquisition is a form of learning that is influenced by cognitive, emotional, and social processes. This research studied how two emotional constructs (emotional intelligence and dispositional affect) and two cognitive constructs (motivation and coping skills) interacted with students' information literacy scores. Two…

GIS in the Classroom: Using Geographic Information Systems in Social Studies and Environmental Science. [with CD-ROM].

Science.gov (United States)

Alibrandi, Marsha

Geographic Information Systems (GIS) is a computer application for urban planning, weather reporting, and geological and demographic studies. This book takes teachers and students to the cutting edge of teaching social studies and environmental education using GIS. Students can use GIS as a tool to explore, question, integrate, analyze, interpret,…

Understanding Students' Transition to High School: Demographic Variation and the Role of Supportive Relationships.

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Benner, Aprile D; Boyle, Alaina E; Bakhtiari, Farin

2017-10-01

The transition to high school is disruptive for many adolescents, yet little is known about the supportive relational processes that might attenuate the challenges students face as they move from middle to high school, particularly for students from more diverse backgrounds. Identifying potential buffers that protect youth across this critical educational transition is important for informing more effective support services for youth. In this study, we investigated how personal characteristics (gender, nativity, parent education level) and changes in support from family, friends, and school influenced changes in socioemotional adjustment and academic outcomes across the transition from middle to high school. The data were drawn from 252 students (50% females, 85% Latina/o). The results revealed declines in students' grades and increases in depressive symptoms and feelings of loneliness across the high school transition, with key variation by student nativity and gender. Additionally, stable/increasing friend support and school belonging were both linked to less socioemotional disruptions as students moved from middle to high school. Increasing/stable school belonging was also linked to increases in school engagement across the high school transition. These findings suggest that when high school transitions disrupt supportive relationships with important others in adolescents' lives, adolescents' socioemotional well-being and, to a lesser extent, their academic engagement are also compromised. Thus, in designing transition support activities, particularly for schools serving more low-income and race/ethnic minority youth, such efforts should strive to acclimate new high school students by providing inclusive, caring environments and positive connections with educators and peers.

Affective Experiences of International and Home Students during the Information Search Process

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Haley, Adele Nicole; Clough, Paul

2017-01-01

An increasing number of students are studying abroad requiring that they interact with information in languages other than their mother tongue. The UK in particular has seen a large growth in international students within Higher Education. These nonnative English speaking students present a distinct user group for university information services,…

Impact of demographic changes on higher education institutions : Llithuania in a global context

OpenAIRE

Grebliauskas, Artūras; Leskauskaitė, Aušra

2012-01-01

The present article raises the following problematic questions: how have higher education institutions prepared themselves for facing challenges coming from the environment modified by demographic changes? What new strategic directions in higher education institutions operation are determined by a steadily-decreasing number of students? This research purposes: firstly, to inquire into the impact of demographic changes on higher education institutions activities, and, secondly, to determine ho...

Random demographic household surveys in highly mobile pastoral communities in Chad.

Science.gov (United States)

Weibel, Daniel; Béchir, Mahamat; Hattendorf, Jan; Bonfoh, Bassirou; Zinsstag, Jakob; Schelling, Esther

2011-05-01

Reliable demographic data is a central requirement for health planning and management, and for the implementation of adequate interventions. This study addresses the lack of demographic data on mobile pastoral communities in the Sahel. A total of 1081 Arab, Fulani and Gorane women and 2541 children (1336 boys and 1205 girls) were interviewed and registered by a biometric fingerprint scanner in five repeated random transect demographic and health surveys conducted from March 2007 to January 2008 in the Lake Chad region in Chad. Important determinants for the planning and implementation of household surveys among mobile pastoral communities include: environmental factors; availability of women for interviews; difficulties in defining "own" children; the need for information-education-communication campaigns; and informed consent of husbands in typically patriarchal societies. Due to their high mobility, only 5% (56/1081) of registered women were encountered twice. Therefore, it was not possible to establish a demographic and health cohort. Prospective demographic and health cohorts are the most accurate method to assess child mortality and other demographic indices. However, their feasibility in a highly mobile pastoral setting remains to be shown. Future interdisciplinary scientific efforts need to target innovative methods, tools and approaches to include marginalized communities in operational health and demographic surveillance systems.

Information and strategic Internet skills of secondary students: A performance test

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Deursen, Alexander Johannes Aloysius Maria; van Diepen, S.

2013-01-01

In this study, the information and strategic Internet skills of Dutch secondary students were measured in a performance test. Participating students were asked to complete assignments on the Internet. The findings reveal that the levels of both information and strategic Internet skills have much

Debunking the Librarian "Gene": Designing Online Information Literacy Instruction for Incoming Library Science Students

Science.gov (United States)

Lamb, Annette

2017-01-01

Information workers are not born information fluent. Like other students, incoming library science students enter graduate programs with a broad range of information and technology skills. The aim of this study was to determine if systematically designed online tutorials would be effective in preparing university students with information literacy…

Demographic and health surveillance of mobile pastoralists in Chad: integration of biometric fingerprint identification into a geographical information system.

Science.gov (United States)

Weibel, Daniel; Schelling, Esther; Bonfoh, Bassirou; Utzinger, Jürg; Hattendorf, Jan; Abdoulaye, Mahamat; Madjiade, Toguina; Zinsstag, Jakob

2008-11-01

There is a pressing need for baseline demographic and health-related data to plan, implement and evaluate health interventions in developing countries, and to monitor progress towards international development goals. However, mobile pastoralists, i.e. people who depend on a livestock production system and follow their herds as they move, remain marginalized from rural development plans and interventions. The fact that mobile people are hard to reach and stay in contact with is a plausible reason why they are underrepresented in national censuses and/or alternative sequential sample survey systems. We present a proof-of-concept of monitoring highly mobile, pastoral people by recording demographic and health-related data from 933 women and 2020 children and establishing a biometric identification system (BIS) based on the registration and identification of digital fingerprints. Although only 22 women, representing 2.4% of the total registered women, were encountered twice in the four survey rounds, the approach implemented is shown to be feasible. The BIS described here is linked to a geographical information system to facilitate the creation of the first health and demographic surveillance system in a mobile, pastoralist setting. Our ultimate goal is to implement and monitor interventions with the "one health" concept, thus integrating and improving human, animal and ecosystem health.

Demographic and health surveillance of mobile pastoralists in Chad: integration of biometric fingerprint identification into a geographical information system

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Daniel Weibel

2008-11-01

Full Text Available There is a pressing need for baseline demographic and health-related data to plan, implement and evaluate health interventions in developing countries, and to monitor progress towards international development goals. However, mobile pastoralists, i.e. people who depend on a livestock production system and follow their herds as they move, remain marginalized from rural development plans and interventions. The fact that mobile people are hard to reach and stay in contact with is a plausible reason why they are underrepresented in national censuses and/or alternative sequential sample survey systems. We present a proof-of-concept of monitoring highly mobile, pastoral people by recording demographic and health-related data from 933 women and 2020 children and establishing a biometric identification system (BIS based on the registration and identification of digital fingerprints. Although only 22 women, representing 2.4% of the total registered women, were encountered twice in the four survey rounds, the approach implemented is shown to be feasible. The BIS described here is linked to a geographical information system to facilitate the creation of the first health and demographic surveillance system in a mobile, pastoralist setting. Our ultimate goal is to implement and monitor interventions with the “one health” concept, thus integrating and improving human, animal and ecosystem health.

Majoring in Information Systems: Reasons Why Students Select (or Not) Information Systems as a Major

Science.gov (United States)

Snyder, Johnny; Slauson, Gayla Jo

2014-01-01

Filling the pipeline for information systems workers is critical in the information era. Projected growth rates for jobs requiring information systems expertise are significantly higher than the projected growth rates for other jobs. Why then do relatively few students choose to major in information systems? This paper reviews survey results from…

The information needs of occupational therapy students: a case study.

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Morgan-Daniel, Jane; Preston, Hugh

2017-06-01

This article summarises a case study on the information needs of Masters level Occupational Therapy 5 (OT) students at one English university. A mixed methods questionnaire was used to explore motivators for information-seeking, preferred information resources and barriers inhibiting the satisfaction of information needs. Thirteen recommendations for practice were formulated, focusing on how information professionals can best facilitate OT students' learning and evidence-based research skills in preparation for clinical practice. The study was completed by Jane Morgan-Daniel, who received a Distinction for her work from Aberystwyth University, where she graduated with an MSC in Information and Library Studies in December 2016. She has written this article together with her dissertation supervisor, Hugh Preston. A. M. © 2017 Health Libraries Group.

Analysis of University Organizational Culture Perceptions and Demographic Variables as Predictors of Perceived Stress

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Mustafa KESEN

2015-06-01

Full Text Available It has been seen that it is inevitable for individuals to be exposed to stress in their student lives as in their work lives. The aim of this study is to measure perceived stress levels of university students in the university organizational culture setting. To this end, it is investigated the relationship between perceived stress levels of university students and university organizational culture perceptions. By using questionnaire method it is measured that the perceptions of organizational culture in different stress levels and it is analyzed that the differences in students' perceived stress levels according to socio-demographic variables. The population of the study is comprised of randomly chosen 286 students who receive training at Bayburt University Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences. According to the results, it has been found that there is a significant difference between students' perceived stress and gender. While the students stating that they experience low level of stress give maximum points to the variable of adaptation to change, other students expressing that they are exposed high level of stress give minimum score to the variable of cooperation. Besides, it has been found that different demographic variables by various combinations have different effects on perceived stress and university organizational culture.

Visualising the invisible: a network approach to reveal the informal social side of student learning.

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Hommes, J; Rienties, B; de Grave, W; Bos, G; Schuwirth, L; Scherpbier, A

2012-12-01

World-wide, universities in health sciences have transformed their curriculum to include collaborative learning and facilitate the students' learning process. Interaction has been acknowledged to be the synergistic element in this learning context. However, students spend the majority of their time outside their classroom and interaction does not stop outside the classroom. Therefore we studied how informal social interaction influences student learning. Moreover, to explore what really matters in the students learning process, a model was tested how the generally known important constructs-prior performance, motivation and social integration-relate to informal social interaction and student learning. 301 undergraduate medical students participated in this cross-sectional quantitative study. Informal social interaction was assessed using self-reported surveys following the network approach. Students' individual motivation, social integration and prior performance were assessed by the Academic Motivation Scale, the College Adaption Questionnaire and students' GPA respectively. A factual knowledge test represented student' learning. All social networks were positively associated with student learning significantly: friendships (β = 0.11), providing information to other students (β = 0.16), receiving information from other students (β = 0.25). Structural equation modelling revealed a model in which social networks increased student learning (r = 0.43), followed by prior performance (r = 0.31). In contrast to prior literature, students' academic motivation and social integration were not associated with students' learning. Students' informal social interaction is strongly associated with students' learning. These findings underline the need to change our focus from the formal context (classroom) to the informal context to optimize student learning and deliver modern medics.

Students' access usage and awareness of electronic information ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Students' access usage and awareness of electronic information resources at the University College Hospital, University of Ibadan, Nigeria. RA Ojo, SO Akande. Abstract. No Abstract. Lagos Journal of Library and Information Science Vol. 3(1) 2005: 16-24. Full Text: EMAIL FULL TEXT EMAIL FULL TEXT · DOWNLOAD ...

Selecting and Using Information Sources: Source Preferences and Information Pathways of Israeli Library and Information Science Students

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Bronstein, Jenny

2010-01-01

Introduction: The study investigated the source preference criteria of library and information science students for their academic and personal information needs. Method: The empirical study was based on two methods of data collection. Eighteen participants wrote a personal diary for four months in which they recorded search episodes and answered…

Patterns of Information Seeking Behaviour of Law Students in Digital Environment: A Study

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Das, Rajesh Kumar

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Nowadays the enormous growth of modern information communication technologies and its massive use have influenced information users all over the world. Such a digital environment has drastically changed the information seeking patterns of information users of every community. These also tend law students to use various legal information sources and services in digital environments while seeking information. But there have been few empirical user studies on the aspect of digital information seeking behaviours of law students in either law or library and information science literatures. This paper aims to draw out patterns of information seeking behavior of students of law in digital environments at the University of Dhaka. A stratified random sample survey was conducted for this study. The results show that students prefer the electronic format of information rather than printed format. Major e-resources used by them and the influential factors of use were also identified in this study. This study also identified some crucial problems for seeking information and provides suggestions for the development of electronic legal information systems.

A Case Study of Periodical Use by Library and Information Science Students

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Ivins, Tammy

2013-01-01

There is a lack of information in the literature about the sources used for research by modern Master of Library and Information Science students in the United States, and so the objective of this project is to understand the use of periodical articles by these students. Specifically: do articles play a major role in student research, how current…

Distance Students and Online Research: Promoting Information Literacy through Media Literacy

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Van de Vord, Rebecca

2010-01-01

Today's college students, particularly distance students, are increasingly dependent on the Web for their research needs. At the same time they lack the critical thinking skills required to successfully evaluate the actual credibility of online information, a critical aspect of information literacy. Furthermore, rather than access the online…

Tacit Information Literacies in Beginning College Students: Research Pedagogy in Geography

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Bauch, Nicholas; Sheldon, Christina

2014-01-01

Whereas instruction on how to conduct original research can build on beginning college students' tacit information literacies, the explicit articulation of existing processes for information gathering is rarely elicited by instructors prior to students' submission of a final research paper. In this essay, authors Nicholas Bauch and Christina…

The Effect of Students' Perceptions of Internet Information Quality on Their Use of Internet Information in Inquiry-Based Learning

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Pow, Jacky; Li, Sandy C.

2015-01-01

In Web 2.0 environments, the quality of published information can vary significantly and much of the information on the Internet is unproven. This unverified information hinders rather than facilitates student learning, especially among undergraduate students who depend heavily on Internet resources for their studies. Currently, we do not have…

Informing Instruction of Students with Autism in Public School Settings

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Kuo, Nai-Cheng

2016-01-01

The number of applied behavior analysis (ABA) classrooms for students with autism is increasing in K-12 public schools. To inform instruction of students with autism in public school settings, this study examined the relation between performance on mastery learning assessments and standardized achievement tests for students with autism spectrum…

Using Twitter data for demographic research

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Dilek Yildiz

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Background: Social media data is a promising source of social science data. However, deriving the demographic characteristics of users and dealing with the nonrandom, nonrepresentative populations from which they are drawn represent challenges for social scientists. Objective: Given the growing use of social media data in social science research, this paper asks two questions: 1 To what extent are findings obtained with social media data generalizable to broader populations, and 2 what is the best practice for estimating demographic information from Twitter data? Methods: Our analyses use information gathered from 979,992 geo-located Tweets sent by 22,356 unique users in South East England between 23 June and 4 July 2014. We estimate demographic characteristics of the Twitter users with the crowd-sourcing platform CrowdFlower and the image-recognition software Face++. To evaluate bias in the data, we run a series of log-linear models with offsets and calibrate the nonrepresentative sample of Twitter users with mid-year population estimates for South East England. Results: CrowdFlower proves to be more accurate than Face++ for the measurement of age, whereas both tools are highly reliable for measuring the sex of Twitter users. The calibration exercise allows bias correction in the age-, sex-, and location-specific population counts obtained from the Twitter population by augmenting Twitter data with mid-year population estimates. Contribution: The paper proposes best practices for estimating Twitter users' basic demographic characteristics and a calibration method to address the selection bias in the Twitter population, allowing researchers to generalize findings based on Twitter to the general population.

Details from the Dashboard: Charter School Race/Ethnicity Demographics

Science.gov (United States)

National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, 2012

2012-01-01

This "Details from the Dashboard" report examines race/ethnicity breakouts for public charter schools and traditional public schools at the state and the school district level. The data in this report indicate that in the large majority of states, the race/ethnicity student demographics of charter schools are almost identical to those of the…

Informing Educational Psychology Training with Students' Community Engagement Experiences

Science.gov (United States)

Ebersohn, Liesel; Bender, C. J. Gerda; Carvalho-Malekane, Wendy M.

2010-01-01

The purpose of this article was to describe students' experiences of community engagement in an Educational Psychology practicum in order to inform relevant educational psychology training literature with experiences of students' community engagement. Experiential learning served as our theoretical framework and we employed an instrumental case…

Student Affairs and Information Technology: Collaborating in the Cloud

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Barbatis, Peter Reyes

2014-01-01

Student affairs and information technology have opportunities to partner in order to increase student satisfaction and retention rates and to assist institutions to comply with federal educational regulations. This chapter contains four examples of emerging best practices and future initiatives including: (a) the admissions pipeline, (b)…

Access to electronic information resources by students of federal ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The paper discusses access to electronic information resources by students of Federal Colleges of Education in Eha-Amufu and Umunze. Descriptive survey design was used to investigate sample of 526 students. Sampling technique used was a Multi sampling technique. Data for the study were generated using ...

Internet Use for Health Information among College Students.

Science.gov (United States)

Escoffery, Cam; Miner, Kathleen R.; Adame, Daniel D.; Butler, Susan; McCormick, Laura; Mendell, Elizabeth

2005-01-01

Use of the Internet to retrieve health information is increasingly common. The authors surveyed 743 undergraduate students at 2 academic institutions to examine their Internet use, health-seeking behaviors, and attitudes related to the use of the Internet to obtain health information. Fifty-three percent of the respondents indicated that they…

Information literacy in science writing: how students find, identify, and use scientific literature

Science.gov (United States)

Klucevsek, Kristin M.; Brungard, Allison B.

2016-11-01

For undergraduate students to achieve science literacy, they must first develop information literacy skils. These skills align with Information Literacy Standards and include determining appropriate databases, distinguishing among resource types, and citing resources ethically. To effectively improve information literacy and science literacy, we must identify how students interact with authentic scientific texts. In this case study, we addressed this aim by embedding a science librarian into a science writing course, where students wrote a literature review on a research topic of their choice. Library instruction was further integrated through the use of an online guide and outside assistance. To evaluate the evolution of information literacy in our students and provide evidence of student practices, we used task-scaffolded writing assessments, a reflection, and surveys. We found that students improved their ability and confidence in finding research articles using discipline-specific databases as well as their ability to distinguish primary from secondary research articles. We also identified ways students improperly used and cited resources in their writing assignments. While our results reveal a better understanding of how students find and approach scientific research articles, additional research is needed to develop effective strategies to improve long-term information literacy in the sciences.

Serbian demographers on demography

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Rašević Mirjana

2013-01-01

ageing were singled out the most as significant for examining in the immediate future. The inclusion of Stanovništvo on the Science Citation Information Journal List and expanding the circle of authors were the basic recommendations of the respondents regarding better quality of the journal. All interviewed experts mentioned various kinds of knowledge and characteristics necessary for demographers to posses in order to be successful. Contrary to the homogeneous opinion that a demographer should be a superior-researcher, a wide range of responses were given to the question regarding selecting the best indicator for determining the successfulness of researchers in the study of population. As many as eight out of ten interviewed experts believe population ageing is the greatest population challenge which Serbia is facing. However, a low level of consensus appeared among the demographers as regards the range of the political response. Namely, five experts declared they were pessimists in view of the possibilities for mitigating the challenge they singled out. On the contrary, five interviewed experts expressed optimism, as they believe in the economic development of Serbia, the possibilities of institutional adjustments to demographic changes, and/or in man and his rationality. Conclusion: Demographers in Serbia highly appreciate the discipline they belong to. At the same time they are strict critics and have high expectations in all matters dealing with demography. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. III 47006: Istraživanje demografskih fenomena u funkciji javnih politika u Srbiji

Self-Reported Non-Celiac Wheat Sensitivity in High School Students: Demographic and Clinical Characteristics

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Antonio Carroccio

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Background: Non-Celiac Wheat Sensitivity (NCWS has recently been included among the gluten-related disorders. As no biomarkers of this disease exist, its frequency has been estimated based on self-reported symptoms, but to date no data are available about self-reported NCWS in teenagers. Aim: To explore the prevalence of self-reported NCWS in a group of high school students and to study their demographic and clinical characteristics. Methods: The study was performed between April 2015 and January 2016 in two high schools of a coastal town in the south of Sicily (Italy. A total of 555 students (mean age 17 years, 191 male, 364 female completed a modified validated questionnaire for self-reported NCWS. The subjects who self-reported NCWS were then compared with all the others. Results: Seven individuals (1.26% had an established diagnosis of CD. The prevalence of self-reported NCWS was 12.2%, and 2.9% were following a gluten-free diet (GFD. Only 15 out of 68 (23% NCWS self-reporters had consulted a doctor for this problem and only nine (14% had undergone serological tests for celiac disease. The NCWS self-reporters very often had IBS symptoms (44%. Conclusions: Self-reported NCWS was found to be common in teenagers, with a frequency of 12.2%; the frequency of GFD use was 2.9%, which was much higher than the percentage of known CD in the same population (1.26%. A greater awareness of the possible implications on the part of the subjects involved, and a more thorough medical approach to the study of self-reported wheat-induced symptoms are required.

On the Development of College Student Information Management System

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Jin Anjiang

2015-01-01

Full Text Available currently there exist severe fragmentation, different development standards, lack of sufficient support and other problems in the development of college student information management system. Therefore accelerating the development of student information management system is of necessity to improve universities’ management and administration efficiency. From the perspective of customers’ demands, the system should be designed and developed on the basis of Web Service by adopting B/S structure and SQL Server technology so as to coordinate applicability, security, compatibility, stability, maintainability and other non-functional demands.

Random demographic household surveys in highly mobile pastoral communities in Chad

Science.gov (United States)

Béchir, Mahamat; Hattendorf, Jan; Bonfoh, Bassirou; Zinsstag, Jakob; Schelling, Esther

2011-01-01

Abstract Problem Reliable demographic data is a central requirement for health planning and management, and for the implementation of adequate interventions. This study addresses the lack of demographic data on mobile pastoral communities in the Sahel. Approach A total of 1081 Arab, Fulani and Gorane women and 2541 children (1336 boys and 1205 girls) were interviewed and registered by a biometric fingerprint scanner in five repeated random transect demographic and health surveys conducted from March 2007 to January 2008 in the Lake Chad region in Chad. Local setting Important determinants for the planning and implementation of household surveys among mobile pastoral communities include: environmental factors; availability of women for interviews; difficulties in defining “own” children; the need for information-education-communication campaigns; and informed consent of husbands in typically patriarchal societies. Relevant changes Due to their high mobility, only 5% (56/1081) of registered women were encountered twice. Therefore, it was not possible to establish a demographic and health cohort. Lessons learnt Prospective demographic and health cohorts are the most accurate method to assess child mortality and other demographic indices. However, their feasibility in a highly mobile pastoral setting remains to be shown. Future interdisciplinary scientific efforts need to target innovative methods, tools and approaches to include marginalized communities in operational health and demographic surveillance systems. PMID:21556307

How Students Learn: Information Processing, Intellectual Development and Confrontation

Science.gov (United States)

Entwistle, Noel

1975-01-01

A model derived from information processing theory is described, which helps to explain the complex verbal learning of students and suggests implications for lecturing techniques. Other factors affecting learning, which are not covered by the model, are discussed in relationship to it: student's intellectual development and effects of individual…

Impacting Student Perceptions about Careers in Information Systems

Science.gov (United States)

Walstrom, Kent A.; Schambach, Thomas P.

2012-01-01

A shortage of graduates prepared to fill the available jobs in Information Systems remains. Previous studies have verified the shortage and attempted to explain why students do not major in Information Technology related fields. Since prior studies identified lack of awareness regarding the discipline as a major reason in ignoring the major, the…

Fourth and fifth grade Latino(a) students making meaning of scientific informational texts

Science.gov (United States)

Croce, Keri-Anne

Using a socio-psycholinguistic perspective of literacy and a social-semiotic analysis of texts, this study investigates how six students made meaning of informational texts. The students came to school from a variety of English and Spanish language backgrounds. The research question being asked was 'How do Latino(a) fourth and fifth grade students make meaning of English informational texts?' Miscue analysis was used as a tool to investigate how students who have been labeled non-struggling readers by their classroom teacher and are from various language backgrounds approached five informational texts. In order to investigate students' responses to the nature of informational texts, this dissertation draws on commonly occurring structures within texts. Primary data collected included read alouds and retellings of five texts, retrospective miscue analysis, and interviews with six participant students. Two of these participants are discussed within this dissertation. Secondary data included classroom observations and teacher interviews. This study proposes that non-native speakers may use scientific concept placeholders as they transact with informational texts. The use of scientific concept placeholders by a reader indicates that the reader is engaged in the meaning making process and possesses evolving scientific knowledge about a phenomenon. The findings suggest that Latino(a) students' understandings of English informational texts is influenced not only by a student's language development but also (1) the nature of the text; (2) the reading strategies that a student uses, such as the use of placeholders; (3) the influence of the researcher during the aided retelling. This study contributes methodological tools to assess English language learners' reading. The conclusions presented within this study also support the idea that students from a variety of language backgrounds slightly altered their reliance on certain cuing systems as they encountered various sub

Demographic Profiling--A Determination of Academic Performance in a Postgraduate Diploma in Marketing Management

Science.gov (United States)

Beneke, J.; Beeming, C.

2011-01-01

This article analyses the direct effect of demographic variables on academic outcomes. The study concludes that ethnic group plays a pivotal role in determining the academic performance of students registered for the Postgraduate Diploma in Marketing Management at the University of Cape Town. White students (presumed to emanate from a privileged…

A Survey of Current Computer Information Science (CIS) Students.

Science.gov (United States)

Los Rios Community Coll. District, Sacramento, CA. Office of Institutional Research.

This document is a survey designed to be completed by current students of Computer Information Science (CIS) in the Los Rios Community College District (LRCCD), which consists of three community colleges: American River College, Cosumnes River College, and Sacramento City College. The students are asked about their educational goals and how…

Exploring Factors that Influence Students' Behaviors in Information Security

Science.gov (United States)

Yoon, Cheolho; Hwang, Jae-Won; Kim, Rosemary

2012-01-01

Due to the ever-increasing use of the Internet, information security has become a critical issue in society. This is especially the case for young adults who have different attitudes towards information security practices. In this research, we examine factors that motivate college students' information security behaviors. Based on the concept of…

Greek students' knowledge and sources of information regarding sex education.

Science.gov (United States)

Matziou, V; Perdikaris, P; Petsios, K; Gymnopoulou, E; Galanis, P; Brokalaki, H

2009-09-01

Human sexuality is a complex part of life and is considered a multidimensional phenomenon. Therefore there is an increased need for adequate and comprehensive sex education, especially for teenagers and young adults. The main aim of the study was to evaluate the level of students' sexual knowledge, as well as to identify their sources of information regarding sexual life and reproduction. A cross-sectional study using a designed self-report questionnaire was performed. The study population consisted of 936 students who were attending 10 high schools and four medical schools in Attica. Data were collected after obtaining permission from the Pedagogic Institute of the Greek Ministry of Education. The main sources of students' sexual information about reproduction were friends (29.1%) and parents (24.0%), whereas school was reported by 14.3% of them. The preferred sources of information, according to students' perceptions, were sex education specialists (65.6%), followed by school (39.1%), parents (32.2%) and friends (27.7%). The importance of school, peer and parent support upon adolescents' sexual life was revealed by the results of the study. Students' knowledge level on sex topics is not satisfactory and therefore there is a need for sex education specialists and special courses regarding sex education in Greek schools.

Social Networking among Library and Information Science Undergraduate Students

Science.gov (United States)

Alakpodia, Onome Norah

2015-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine social networking use among Library and Information Science students of the Delta State University, Abraka. In this study, students completed a questionnaire which assessed their familiarity with social networking sites, the purpose for which they use social networking site and their most preferred sites to…

Grades as Information

Science.gov (United States)

Grant, Darren

2007-01-01

We determine how much observed student performance in microeconomics principles can be attributed, inferentially, to three kinds of student academic "productivity," the instructor, demographics, and unmeasurables. The empirical approach utilizes an ordered probit model that relates student performance in micro to grades in prior…

Self-Efficacy and Self-Esteem in Third-Year Pharmacy Students

Science.gov (United States)

2014-01-01

Objective. To identify the experiential and demographic factors affecting the self-efficacy and self-esteem of third-year pharmacy (P3) students. Methods. A 25-item survey that included the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale and the General Self-Efficacy Scale, as well as types and length of pharmacy practice experiences and demographic information was administered to doctor of pharmacy (PharmD) students from 5 schools of pharmacy in New England at the completion of their P3 year. Results. The survey response rate was approximately 50% of the total target population (399/820). Students with a grade point average (GPA)≥3.0 demonstrated a higher significant effect from unpaid introductory pharmacy practice experiences (IPPEs) on their self-efficacy scores (pself-esteem (pself-esteem. Conclusion. Self-efficacy and self-esteem are two important factors in pharmacy practice. Colleges and schools of pharmacy should ensure that students complete enough practice experiences, beyond the minimum of 300 IPPE hours, as one way to improve their self-efficacy and self-esteem. PMID:25258439

Information Literacy Advocates: developing student skills through a peer support approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Curtis, Ruth

2016-12-01

Since 2013/2014, an Information Literacy Advocates (ILA) scheme has been running at the University of Nottingham as an extracurricular module on the Nottingham Advantage Award programme. The Information Literacy Advocates scheme, which recruits medicine and health sciences students in their second year or above, aims to facilitate development of information literacy skills and confidence, as well as communication, organisation and teamwork, through the provision of peer support. Previous research indicates peer assistance effectively enhances such skills and is valued by fellow students who welcome the opportunity to approach more experienced students for help. This article, written by guest writer Ruth Curtis from the University of Nottingham, provides an overview of administering the ILA scheme and explores its impact on the Information Literacy Advocates, peers and librarians, and discusses future developments for taking the scheme forward. H. S. © 2016 Health Libraries Group.

Medical students' online learning technology needs.

Science.gov (United States)

Han, Heeyoung; Nelson, Erica; Wetter, Nathan

2014-02-01

This study investigated medical students' online learning technology needs at a medical school. The study aimed to provide evidence-based guidance for technology selection and online learning design in medical education. The authors developed a 120-item survey in collaboration with the New Technology in Medical Education (NTIME) committee at the Southern Illinois University School of Medicine (SIUSOM). Overall, 123 of 290 medical students (42%) at the medical school participated in the survey. The survey focused on five major areas: students' hardware and software use; perception of educational technology (ET) in general; online behaviours; perception of ET use at the school; and demographic information. Students perceived multimedia tools, scheduling tools, communication tools, collaborative authoring tools, learning management systems and electronic health records useful educational technologies for their learning. They did not consider social networking tools useful for their learning, despite their frequent use. Third-year students were less satisfied with current technology integration in the curriculum, information sharing and collaborative learning than other years. Students in clerkships perceived mobile devices as useful for their learning. Students using a mobile device (i.e. a smartphone) go online, text message, visit social networking sites and are online during classes more frequently than non-users. Medical students' ET needs differ between preclinical and clinical years. Technology supporting ubiquitous mobile learning and health information technology (HIT) systems at hospitals and out-patient clinics can be integrated into clerkship curricula. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Information technology industry certification's impact on undergraduate student perception of instructor effectiveness

Science.gov (United States)

Andersson, David L.

The field of Computer Information Systems (CIS) or Information Technology (IT) is experiencing rapid change. A 2003 study analyzing the IT degree programs and those of competing disciplines at 10 post-secondary institutions concluded that information technology programs are perceived differently from information systems and computer science programs and are significantly less focused on both math and pure science subjects. In Information Technology programs, voluntary professional certifications, generally known in the Information Technology field as "IT" certifications, are used as indicators of professional skill. A descriptive study noting one subject group's responses to items that were nearly identical except for IT certification information was done to investigate undergraduate CIS/IT student perceptions of IT industry certified instructors. The subject group was comprised of undergraduate CIS/IT students from a regionally accredited private institution and a public institution. The methodology was descriptive, based on a previous model by Dr. McKillip, Professor of Psychology, Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, utilizing a web-based survey instrument with a Likert scale, providing for voluntary anonymous responses outside the classroom over a ten day window. The results indicated that IT certification affected student perceptions of instructor effectiveness, teaching methodology, and student engagement in the class, and to a lesser degree, instructor technical qualifications. The implications suggest that additional research on this topic is merited. Although the study was not designed to examine the precise cause and effect, an important implication is that students may be motivated to attend classes taught by instructors they view as more confident and effective and that teachers with IT industry certification can better engage their students.

Investigate the relation between the media literacy and information literacy of students of communication science and information science and knowledge

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Elham Esmaeil Pounaki

2017-03-01

Full Text Available The new millennium is called Information Age, in which information and communication technologies have been developed. The transfer from industrial society to information society has changed the form and level of education and information from those of the past times. In the past, literacy meant the ability of reading and writing, but today the meaning of literacy has been changed through the time and such a type of literacy is not enough to meet people’s needs in the industrial society of the 21st century. Today’s life requires media and information literacy especially for the students, whose duty is to research and who have a significant role in the development of their country from any perspective. This research aims to study the relation between the media literacy and information literacy of the students of the fields of communication science and information science and knowledge. This is an applied research in terms of its objective and uses a survey-correlation method. The statistical population of this research consists of the postgraduate students studying in the fields of study of information science and knowledge and communication science at Tehran University and Allameh Tabatabai University. The data required for this research were collected by a researcher-made questionnaire. The reliability of the questionnaire has been evaluated by Cronbach’s Alpha, which was equal to 0.936. The data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistic methods. The results showed that the level of media literacy and information literacy of students is desirable. There is a significant relationship between the economic status of students and their media literacy. However, the social status of students was directly related to their "ability to communicate" variable of media literacy. Also the Pearson correlation test showed a significant relationship between the variables of media literacy and information literacy.

Informal Mentoring for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Students

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Mulcahy, Molly; Dalton, Sarah; Kolbert, Jered; Crothers, Laura

2016-01-01

The authors identified the process that 10 lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) high school students used to establish an informal adult-mentor relationship with a school personnel member. Five major themes emerged: (a) how LGBT students determined whether this person would be a safe mentor, (b) a listing of the important qualities of…

Engineers as Information Processors: A Survey of US Aerospace Engineering Faculty and Students.

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Holland, Maurita Peterson; And Others

1991-01-01

Reports on survey results from 275 faculty and 640 students, predominantly in the aerospace engineering field, concerning their behaviors about the appropriation and dissemination of information. Indicates that, as information processors, aerospace faculty and students are "information naive." Raises questions about the efficacy of…

The Research on Informal Learning Model of College Students Based on SNS and Case Study

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Lu, Peng; Cong, Xiao; Bi, Fangyan; Zhou, Dongdai

2017-03-01

With the rapid development of network technology, informal learning based on online become the main way for college students to learn a variety of subject knowledge. The favor to the SNS community of students and the characteristics of SNS itself provide a good opportunity for the informal learning of college students. This research first analyzes the related research of the informal learning and SNS, next, discusses the characteristics of informal learning and theoretical basis. Then, it proposed an informal learning model of college students based on SNS according to the support role of SNS to the informal learning of students. Finally, according to the theoretical model and the principles proposed in this study, using the Elgg and related tools which is the open source SNS program to achieve the informal learning community. This research is trying to overcome issues such as the lack of social realism, interactivity, resource transfer mode in the current network informal learning communities, so as to provide a new way of informal learning for college students.

Student chapters: effective dissemination networks for informal optics and photonics education

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Fabian, Dirk; Vermeulen, Nathalie; Van Overmeire, Sara

2009-06-01

Professional societies sponsor student chapters in order to foster scholarship and training in photonics at the college and graduate level, but they are also an excellent resource for disseminating photonics knowledge to pre-college students and teachers. Starting in 2006, we tracked the involvement of SPIE student chapter volunteers in informal pre-college education settings. Chapter students reached 2800, 4900 and 11800 pre-college students respectively from 2006-2008 with some form of informal instruction in optics and photonics. As a case study, the EduKit, a self-contained instruction module featuring refractive and diffractive micro-optics developed by the European Network of Excellence on Micro-Optics (NEMO), was disseminated through student chapters in Argentina, Belgium, Canada, China, Colombia, India, Latvia, Mexico, Peru, Russia, Singapore, South Africa, and the United States. We tracked the movement of this material through the network, up to the student-teacher feedback stage. The student chapter network provided rapid dissemination of the material, translation of the material into the local language, and leveraged existing chapter contacts in schools to provide an audience. We describe the student chapter network and its impact on the development of the EduKit teaching module.

Socio-economic and demographic factors related to HIV status in urban informal settlements in the Eastern Cape, South Africa.

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Steenkamp, Liana; Venter, Danie; Walsh, Corinna; Dana, Pelisa

2014-09-01

The prevalence of HIV&AIDS is embedded in social and economic inequity and the relationship between social determinants and HIV incidence is well established. The aim of this study was to determine which socio-economic and demographic factors are related to HIV status in the age group 18 to 49 years in informal settlements in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. This cross-sectional study was conducted in 3 informal settlements (n = 752) during March 2013 within the Nelson Mandela Bay and Buffalo City districts. A proportional cluster sample was selected and stratified by area and formal plot/squatter households in open areas. Respondents who volunteered to participate had to provide informed written consent before trained, bilingual peer educators interviewed them and completed the structured questionnaire. HIV status was determined and information on demographic and socio-economic variables was included in the bivariate analysis. The prevalence of HIV was higher, at 17.3%, than the 2011 estimated national prevalence among the general population in South Africa. The level of education (χ(2) = 5.50, df = 1, p < 0.05), geographical site (χ(2) = 7.41, df = 2, p < 0.05), gender (χ(2) = 33.10, df = 1, p < 0.0005), household food insecurity (χ(2) = 4.77, df = 1, p < 0.05), cooking with cast iron pots (χ(2) = 15.0, df = 3, p < 0.05) and availability of perceived 'wealth' indicators like mobile telephones and refrigerators (χ(2) = 9.67, df = 2, p < 0.05) were significantly associated with HIV-status. No significant associations could be demonstrated between household income, the number of people living in the household and the availability of electricity/water and HIV status. As the observed levels of HIV prevalence underlined gender bias and failure to graduate from high school, future interventions should focus on HIV prevention in female schoolchildren. However, HIV infection is also prevalent among wealthier individuals in informal settlements, which indicates that

International Students Using Online Information Resources to Learn: Complex Experience and Learning Needs

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Hughes, Hilary

2013-01-01

This paper reports the findings of a qualitative study that investigated 25 international students' use of online information resources for study purposes at two Australian universities. Using an expanded critical incident approach, the study viewed international students through an information literacy lens, as information-using learners. The…

Information Seeking Behavior & Information Resources Management:Mental Process Selecting Subjects & Identifying Information Needs Case study: Graduate Students in Women seminaries of Shiraz of Academic year 1393- 1394(

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Zohre Eftekhar

2016-08-01

Full Text Available The aim of this research is Information Resources Management: Mental Process Selecting Subjects &  Identifying Information Needs. The research method used in this study is a Quantitative method. Sampling is purposeful. This means that it includes graduate Students in Women seminaries of Shiraz who have information-seeking experience and are able to express their views and information needs. The sample was selected according to the random sampling method with Cochran formula from 710 students. According to this sampling method there is 241 Graduate Students included in 1392-1393 seminaries year of  Women seminaries of Shiraz. This is a survey research Which has been carried out by employing a questionnaire and SPSS for windows to analyze data. The results showed that students for selecting subjects,  identifying information needs used methods and media such as Prying Mind, reviewing of information resources, Consulting with subject specialists.

Communication and information-seeking behavior of PhD students in physicists and astronomy

OpenAIRE

Jamali, Hamid R.

2006-01-01

As a part of a wider doctoral research, this paper deals with the communication and information-seeking behavior of research (PhD) students in physics and astronomy. Based on a qualitative case study of PhD students in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at University College London, this study seeks to derive behavioral patterns in information-seeking activities of PhD students. The study aims to investigate the intradisciplinary differences in information-seeking activities of physicist...

Effectiveness of reference services in providing students' information ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Data collected was analysed using descriptive statistics. ... The study recommends among other things: Effort should be geared toward recruiting ... information technologies facilities such computers and internet facilities such that students can ...

The Effects of Using Geography Information Systems in Social Studies on Students Attitudes about Information Technology: Case of Ankara

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Nihat ŞİMŞEK

2011-12-01

Full Text Available The motivation and attention of students in the classroom are on the increase of using different methods. Like other lectures, in social studies using computers and information technologies is one of the methods that keeps the interest of students alive and increases participation of them. This study, aiming at measuring attitudes of 6th grade students to information technologies is conducted by using qualitative and quasi-experimental methods. The sample of this study is comprised by students of Cizmeci Elementary School, located in Ankara Kecioren. 33 students were chosen for experimental group and 35 students were chosen for control group, comprising a total of 68 students. As a result of the study, a significant difference between total computer attitude scale points of the pre and post-tests in both experimental and control groups was determined

Evaluation of e-learning course, Information Literacy, for medical students

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Kratochvíl Jiří

2013-01-01

The main purpose of this article is to describe and to evaluate the results of evaluation of the e-learning course, Information Literacy, which is taught by the librarians at the Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University. In the article the results are discussed to inform about the librarians' experience with tutoring the course. The survey covers the medical students who enrolled on the course between autumn 2008 and autumn 2010. The students were requested to fill the questionnaire designed i...

Chemical Information Literacy: pK[subscript a] Values--Where Do Students Go Wrong?

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Flynn, Alison B.; Amellal, Delphine G.

2016-01-01

Chemical information literacy is an essential skillset for navigating, evaluating, and using the wealth of print and online information. Accordingly, efforts are underway to improve students' acquisition and mastery of this skillset. However, less is known about students' abilities related to finding and using chemical information to solve…

Impact of the digital divide on information literacy training in a higher education context

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Segarani Naidoo; Jaya Raju

2012-01-01

This paper reports on a master’s study undertaken to investigate the impact of the digital divide on information literacy(IL) training of Extended Curriculum Programme (ECP) students at the Durban University of Technology (DUT). Since1994 the demographics of higher education institutions in South Africa have changed. Today these institutions compriseheterogeneous groups of students, by race, economic background, digital background, etc. and consequently with differentlevels of literacy, infor...

Forming Information Competence of Technical Students in Context-Based Teaching

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G A Kruchinina

2011-12-01

Full Text Available The article considers the concept of information competence of technical students. The description of stages of forming structural components of information competence in context-based training is submitted. The results of the experiment on forming information competence of future metallurgists are given.

The perspectives and experiences of African American students in an informal science program

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Bulls, Domonique L.

Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields are the fastest growing sectors of the economy, nationally and globally. In order for the United States (U.S.) to maintain its competitiveness, it is important to address STEM experiences at the precollege level. In early years, science education serves as a foundation and pipeline for students to pursue STEM in college and beyond. Alternative approaches to instruction in formal classrooms have been introduced to engage more students in science. One alternative is informal science education. Informal science education is an avenue used to promote science education literacy. Because it is less regulated than science teaching in formal classroom settings, it allows for the incorporation of culture into science instruction. Culturally relevant science teaching is one way to relate science to African American students, a population that continually underperforms in K-12 science education. This study explores the science perspectives and experiences of African American middle school students participating in an informal science program. The research is framed by the tenets of culturally relevant pedagogy and shaped by the following questions: (1) What specific aspects of the Carver Program make it unique to African American students? (2) How is culturally relevant pedagogy incorporated into the informal science program? (3) How does the incorporation of culturally relevant pedagogy into the informal science program influence African American students' perceptions about science? The findings to the previously stated questions add to the limited research on African American students in informal science learning environments and contribute to the growing research on culturally relevant science. This study is unique in that it explores the cultural components of an informal science program.

Undergraduate Student Nurses' Use of Information and Communication Technology in Their Education.

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Honey, Michelle

2018-01-01

Students expect to use technology in their study just as they use technology in other aspects of their life. Technology is embedded in the day-to-day work of nursing, and therefore needs to be integrated in education to prepare students to assume professional roles and develop skills for lifelong learning. A quantitative descriptive study, using an anonymous survey, explored how undergraduate student nurses from one New Zealand school of nursing, access information and communication technologies for their learning. In total 226 completed questionnaires were returned (75%). Nearly all students (96%) have smart phones, all students have a computer and 99% use the university learning management system daily or several times a week. The search engine most commonly used to find information for assignments was Google Scholar (91%), with only 78% using subject specific academic databases. Implications from this study include the need for charging stations and further education on information searching.

Exploring the potential for internet-based interventions for treatment of overweight and obesity in college students.

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Schwartz, Jennifer; Richardson, Chris G

2015-12-01

To assess the use of internet-enabled technology for seeking health information and resources in overweight/obese college students. College students (N = 706) in Vancouver, Canada surveyed in April 2012. An online survey assessed socio-demographics, health behaviors, and use of internet-enabled technology. Eating habits, dieting and/or exercising to lose weight, and weight satisfaction differed by weight status (all p obese participants, 48% reported they would use online student health resources. When seeking general health information, 91% would use websites; 45% would use online videos; and 75% trusted information from government or health organizations. Overweight/obesity is prevalent among college students. The majority of overweight/obese students reported trying to lose weight and would use the internet for health information, especially if a website is associated with a health organization. The internet is a cost-effective channel for screening coupled with the delivery of tailored, evidence-based interventions for college students. © The Author(s) 2014.

Predictors of student success in entry-level science courses

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Singh, Mamta K.

Although the educational evaluation process is useful and valuable and is supported by the Higher Education Act, a strong research base for program evaluation of college entry-level science courses is still lacking. Studies in science disciplines such as, biology, chemistry, and physics have addressed various affective and demographic factors and their relationships to student achievement. However, the literature contains little information that specifically addresses student biology content knowledge skills (basics and higher order thinking skills) and identifies factors that affect students' success in entry-level college science courses. These gate-keeping courses require detailed evaluation if the goal of an institution is to increase students' performance and success in these courses. These factors are, in fact, a stepping stone for increasing the number of graduates in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) majors. The present study measured students' biology content knowledge and investigated students' performance and success in college biology, chemistry, and physics entry-level courses. Seven variables---gender, ethnicity, high school Grade Point Average (GPA), high school science, college major, school financial aid support, and work hours were used as independent variables and course final performance as a dichotomous dependent variable. The sample comprised voluntary student participants in entry-level science courses. The study attempted to explore eight research questions. Content knowledge assessments, demographic information analysis, multiple regression analysis, and binary logistic regression analysis were used to address research questions. The results suggested that high school GPA was a consistently good predictor of students' performance and success in entry-level science courses. Additionally, high school chemistry was a significant predictor variable for student success in entry-level biology and chemistry courses

Information behaviour of graduate students: a qualitative user study

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Gorazd Vodeb

2004-01-01

Full Text Available The article presents a qualitative user study exploring information behaviour of graduate students. The study is conceptually based on Brenda Dervin’s Sense-Making Methodology. The information behaviour is conceptualised as a process. The author conducted 13 interviews using the time-line micro moment interview technique. Data were transcribed and then condensed using the ATLAS/ti program for qualitative analysis. The basic approach to the analysis was to compare the moments of sense making instances within the situation of the same actor and also a comparison of moments across situations of different actors. The characteristics of actors’ situations was described. The most intensive information activity of graduate students was found during the completion of their studies. The proposed model consisted of three successive types of gaps: topic selection gap, topic ignorance gap and literature collecting gap. The article also presents findings about the process of writing and information habits.

Effectiveness of training intervention to improve medical student's information literacy skills.

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Abdekhoda, Mohammadhiwa; Dehnad, Afsaneh; Yousefi, Mahmood

2016-12-01

This study aimed to assess the efficiency of delivering a 4-month course of "effective literature search" among medical postgraduate students for improving information literacy skills. This was a cross-sectional study in which 90 postgraduate students were randomly selected and participated in 12 training sessions. Effective search strategies were presented and the students' attitude and competency concerning online search were measured by a pre- and post-questionnaires and skill tests. Data were analyzed by SPSS version 16 using t-test. There was a significant improvement (p=0.00), in student's attitude. The mean (standard deviation [SD]) was 2.9 (0.8) before intervention versus the mean (SD) 3.9 (0.7) after intervention. Students' familiarity with medical resources and databases improved significantly. The data showed a significant increase (p=0.03), in students' competency score concerning search strategy design and conducting a search. The mean (SD) was 2.04 (0.7) before intervention versus the mean (SD) 3.07 (0.8) after intervention. Also, students' ability in applying search and meta search engine improved significantly. This study clearly acknowledges that the training intervention provides considerable opportunity to improve medical student's information literacy skills.

Addressing Information Literacy through Student-Centered Learning

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Bond, Paul

2016-01-01

This case study describes several courses that resulted from a teaching partnership between an instructional technologist/professor and a librarian that evolved over several semesters, and the information literacy implications of the course formats. In order to increase student engagement, active learning and inquiry-based learning techniques were…

APPROACHES TO STANDARDIZATION OF STUDENTS INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION COMPETENCE DEVELOPMENT: THE POLISH EXPERIENCE

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Mariya P. Leshchenko

2014-09-01

Full Text Available In the article foreign, in particular, the Polish experience of diagnostic of students information and communication competencies is characterized. Foreign scientists focuse their modern searches on identifying students skills of using the Internet. Standards defined by Polish researchers are multifunctional and enable the determination of the cognitive, appraisal, creative and social students skills to function in the network. Structure of seven standards (literate and successful information search, critical evaluation of information, creation, transformation and presentation of information content, legal principles of creation and distribution of information content, empathy and imagemaking, security and privacy; participation in the online communities, their components and related parameters are characterized. General results of Polish scientists researches are presented.

Effect of Providing Information on Students' Knowledge and Concerns about Hydraulic Fracking.

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Burger, Joanna; Nakata, Kimi; Liang, Laura; Pittfield, Taryn; Jeitner, Christian

2015-01-01

Governmental agencies, regulators, health professionals, and the public are faced with understanding and responding to new development practices and conditions in their local and regional environment. While hydraulic fracking (fracking) for shale gas has been practiced for over 50 years in some states, it is a relatively recent event in the northeastern United States. Providing environmental health information to the public about fracking requires understanding both the knowledge base and the perceptions of the public. The knowledge, perceptions, and concerns of college students about fracking were examined. Students were interviewed at Rutgers University in New Jersey, a state without any fracking, although fracking occurs in nearby Pennsylvania. Objectives were to determine (1) knowledge about fracking, (2) rating of concerns, (3) trusted information sources, (4) importance of fracking relative to other energy sources, and (5) the effect of a 15-min lecture and discussion on these aspects. On the second survey, students improved on their knowledge (except the components used for fracking), and their ratings changed for some concerns, perceived benefits, and trusted information sources. There was no change in support for further development of natural gas, but support for solar, wind, and wave energy decreased. Data suggest that students' knowledge and perceptions change with exposure to information, but many of these changes were due to students using the Internet to look up information immediately after the initial survey and lecture. Class discussions indicated a general lack of trust for several information sources available on the Web.

Flipped versus Traditional Classroom Information Literacy Sessions: Student Perceptions and Cognitions

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Torstein Låg

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Teaching effectively with limited classroom time is a challenge for information literacy teachers. In the flipped classroom (FC teaching model, information transmission teaching is delivered outside of class, freeing up class time for learning activities. I adopted the FC model in sessions that were previously taught using a traditional classroom (TC model. The aim of this paper is to evaluate the FC model's relative impact on (1 student perceptions of usefulness and quality, and (2 student cognitions about the IL sessions. Responses to evaluation forms from the TC model (N = 65, were compared to those from FC model (N = 78. Students judged usefulness and quality on two 4-point rating scales. Student cognitions were elicited with an open-ended question asking for suggestions for improvement and other comments. Responses to the latter were coded by an assistant blind to the conditions. Ratings were near ceiling and similar for both conditions. Responses to the open-ended question revealed interesting trends. Students in the FC condition provided wordier comments, were more concerned with what they themselves did and could do, and with the subject matter of the session. Students in the TC condition were more concerned with how information was presented to them. Results indicate that the FC teaching model is a viable alternative for IL sessions, and that it may encourage students to engage more with IL and their own learning process.

A survey of the use of electronic scientific information resources among medical and dental students

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Aarnio Matti

2006-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background To evaluate medical and dental students' utilization of electronic information resources. Methods A web survey sent to 837 students (49.9% responded. Results Twenty-four per cent of medical students and ninteen per cent of dental students searched MEDLINE 2+ times/month for study purposes, and thiry-two per cent and twenty-four per cent respectively for research. Full-text articles were used 2+ times/month by thirty-three per cent of medical and ten per cent of dental students. Twelve per cent of respondents never utilized either MEDLINE or full-text articles. In multivariate models, the information-searching skills among students were significantly associated with use of MEDLINE and full-text articles. Conclusion Use of electronic resources differs among students. Forty percent were non-users of full-text articles. Information-searching skills are correlated with the use of electronic resources, but the level of basic PC skills plays not a major role in using these resources. The student data shows that adequate training in information-searching skills will increase the use of electronic information resources.

Validation of the Mobile Information Software Evaluation Tool (MISET) With Nursing Students.

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Secco, M Loretta; Furlong, Karen E; Doyle, Glynda; Bailey, Judy

2016-07-01

This study evaluated the Mobile Information Software Evaluation Tool (MISET) with a sample of Canadian undergraduate nursing students (N = 240). Psychometric analyses determined how well the MISET assessed the extent that nursing students find mobile device-based information resources useful and supportive of learning in the clinical and classroom settings. The MISET has a valid three-factor structure with high explained variance (74.7%). Internal consistency reliabilities were high for the MISET total (.90) and three subscales: Usefulness/Helpfulness, Information Literacy Support, and Use of Evidence-Based Sources (.87 to .94). Construct validity evidence included significantly higher mean total MISET, Helpfulness/Usefulness, and Information Literacy Support scores for senior students and those with higher computer competence. The MISET is a promising tool to evaluate mobile information technologies and information literacy support; however, longitudinal assessment of changes in scores over time would determine scale sensitivity and responsiveness. [J Nurs Educ. 2016;55(7):385-390.]. Copyright 2016, SLACK Incorporated.

Happiness Among College Students: A Cross-Sectional Web-Based Study Among Iranian Medical Students

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Lesani

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Background During the recent decades, happiness and psychological wellbeing have been among the most attractive issues for researchers in the fields of social sciences and health. Medical and paramedical students in comparison with other college students are less happy due to work circumstance in hospital and special education. Objectives The aim of the present study was to evaluate happiness among college students of Qazvin University of Medical Sciences in terms of socio-demographic variables. Materials and Methods In this cross-sectional web-based study, all the students of Qazvin University of Medical Sciences in Iran who had course classes were invited to participate in the study and 541 students filled out the web-based questionnaire including questions for measuring happiness oxford happiness questionnaire (OHQ, health status, stress experience in the past six months, cigarette and hookah smoking, physical activity rapid assessment of physical activity (RAPA, as well as socio-economic and demographic information. Results The mean happiness score was 114.59 ± 18.31. Socio-economic status, physical activity, and experience of stress in the last 6 months were related to the happiness score (P = 0.009, P < 0.001, P < 0.001, respectively. However, gender, cigarette smoking, hookah smoking and body mass index were not significantly correlated with happiness. Conclusions The findings of the present study show that a happiness score among our sample study was slightly low and people with high happiness scores had a healthier lifestyle, i.e. more physical activity and less tobacco smoking. College students should be encouraged to do regular exercise as a way to increase the happiness level.

Preferred Information Sources of High School Students for Community Colleges and Universities

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Goff, Brent; Patino, Vanessa; Jackson, Gary

2004-01-01

To effectively communicate with potential students, it is important to utilize their preferred information sources. Survey data were gathered from 716 high school students who planned to attend college. There were communication source differences based on race and intent to attend two-year vs. four-year institutions. Important information sources…

Assessment of Student Outcomes in Undergraduate Health Information Administration Programs

OpenAIRE

Smith, Jody

2006-01-01

The purpose of this research was to a) determine what assessment methods are being used in undergraduate health information administration programs to assess student learning and the usefulness of those methods, b) determine to what extent programs have incorporated good student learning assessment practices. Programs use a variety of assessment tools to measure student learning; the most useful include assessments by the professional practice supervisor, course tests, assignments, presentati...

Open Access in Higher Education–Strategies for Engaging Diverse Student Cohorts

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Luisa Signor

2014-07-01

Full Text Available With growth in online education, students gain tertiary qualifications through a mode more suited to their demographics such as work and life balance, learning styles and geographical accessibility. Inevitably this has led to a growth in diversity within student cohorts.The case study described in this paper illustrates strategies based on informed learning design for educating diverse student cohorts in an online program offered by Swinburne University of Technology. The case, an open-access, undergraduate information systems program, attracts mature age students studying while balancing employment and family commitments. The program’s open-access facet is the ‘no entry requirements’ such as prerequisite studies. Hence, many students enter the program via non-traditional pathways bringing significant differences in experience and consequent skill bases. The program’s innovative pedagogy encourages students to engage via active learning with tailored assessments, interactive communication via discussion boards and facilitated real-time sessions and formative feedback which include audio components.

'We have the internet in our hands': Bangladeshi college students' use of ICTs for health information.

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Waldman, Linda; Ahmed, Tanvir; Scott, Nigel; Akter, Shahinoor; Standing, Hilary; Rasheed, Sabrina

2018-03-20

Information and Communications Technologies (ICTs) which enable people to access, use and promote health information through digital technology, promise important health systems innovations which can challenge gatekeepers' control of information, through processes of disintermediation. College students, in pursuit of sexual and reproductive health (SRH) information, are particularly affected by gatekeeping as strong social and cultural norms restrict their access to information and services. This paper examines mobile phone usage for obtaining health information in Mirzapur, Bangladesh. It contrasts college students' usage with that of the general population, asks whether students are using digital technologies for health information in innovative ways, and examines how gender affects this. This study relies on two surveys: a 2013-2014 General Survey that randomly sampled 854 households drawn from the general population and a 2015 Student Survey that randomly sampled 436 students from two Mirzapur colleges. Select focus group discussions and in-depth interviews were undertaken with students. Icddr,b's Ethical Review Board granted ethical clearance. The data show that Mirzapur's college students are economically relatively well positioned, more likely to own mobile and smart phones, and more aware of the internet than the general population. They are interested in health information and use phones and computers to access information. Moreover, they use digital technology to share previously-discreet information, adding value to that information and bypassing former gatekeepers. But access to health information is not entirely unfettered, affecting male and female students differently, and powerful gatekeepers, both old and new, can still control sources of information. Personal searches for SRH and the resultant online information shared through discrete, personal face-to-face discussions has some potential to challenge social norms. This is particularly so for

Effect of Demographic Factors on E-Learning Effectiveness in a Higher Learning Institution in Malaysia

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Islam, Md. Aminul; Rahim, Noor Asliza Abdul; Liang, Tan Chee; Momtaz, Hasina

2011-01-01

This research attempted to find out the effect of demographic factors on the effectiveness of the e-learning system in a higher learning Institution. The students from this institution were randomly selected in order to evaluate the effectiveness of learning system in student's learning process. The primary data source is the questionnaires that…

Internet addiction and its determinants among medical students.

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Chaudhari, Bhushan; Menon, Preethi; Saldanha, Daniel; Tewari, Abhinav; Bhattacharya, Labhanya

2015-01-01

Exponential use of internet has resulted in internet addiction in recent times. Students are particularly at risk because of their unique personal, social, and academic needs. The study was designed to evaluate the prevalence of internet addiction and its determinants among medical students. A cross-sectional study was conducted in 282 medical students with the help of semi-structured questionnaire consisting of questions related to demographic information, information related to internet use, and Young's internet addiction test. We found prevalence of internet addiction among medical students to be 58.87% (mild - 51.42%, moderate -7.45%) and significantly associated factors with internet addiction being male gender, staying in private accommodation, lesser age of first internet use, using mobile for internet access, higher expenditure on internet, staying online for longer time, and using internet for social networking, online videos, and watching website with sexual content. Medical students are vulnerable for internet addiction and efforts should be taken to increase awareness and prevent the problem of internet addiction in them.

Internet addiction and its determinants among medical students

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Bhushan Chaudhari

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Background: Exponential use of internet has resulted in internet addiction in recent times. Students are particularly at risk because of their unique personal, social, and academic needs. Objectives: The study was designed to evaluate the prevalence of internet addiction and its determinants among medical students. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in 282 medical students with the help of semi-structured questionnaire consisting of questions related to demographic information, information related to internet use, and Young's internet addiction test. Results: We found prevalence of internet addiction among medical students to be 58.87% (mild – 51.42%, moderate –7.45% and significantly associated factors with internet addiction being male gender, staying in private accommodation, lesser age of first internet use, using mobile for internet access, higher expenditure on internet, staying online for longer time, and using internet for social networking, online videos, and watching website with sexual content. Conclusion: Medical students are vulnerable for internet addiction and efforts should be taken to increase awareness and prevent the problem of internet addiction in them.

Information technologies in education of medical students at the university of sarajevo.

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Masic, Izet; Karcic, Emina; Hodzic, Ajla; Mulic, Smaila

2014-08-01

Information and communication technology have brought about many changes in medical education and practice, especially in the field of diagnostics. During the academic year 2013/2014, at Faculty of Medicine, University of Sarajevo, students in the final year of the study were subjected to examination which aim was to determine how medical students in Bosnia and Herzegovina subjectively assessing their skills for using computers, have gained insight into the nature of Information Technology's (IT) education and possessive knowledge. The survey was conducted voluntary by anonymous questionnaire consisting of 27 questions, divided into five categories, which are collecting facts about student's: sex, age, year of entry, computer skills, possessing the same, the use of the Internet, the method of obtaining currently knowledge and recommendations of students in order to improve their IT training. According to the given parameters, indicate an obvious difference in the level of knowledge, use and practical application of Information Technology's knowledge among students of the Bologna process to the students educated under the old system in favor of the first ones. Based on a comparison of similar studies conducted in Croatia, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Denmark, it was observed that the level of knowledge of students of the Medical Faculty in Sarajevo was of equal height or greater than in these countries.

The re-identification risk of Canadians from longitudinal demographics

Science.gov (United States)

2011-01-01

Background The public is less willing to allow their personal health information to be disclosed for research purposes if they do not trust researchers and how researchers manage their data. However, the public is more comfortable with their data being used for research if the risk of re-identification is low. There are few studies on the risk of re-identification of Canadians from their basic demographics, and no studies on their risk from their longitudinal data. Our objective was to estimate the risk of re-identification from the basic cross-sectional and longitudinal demographics of Canadians. Methods Uniqueness is a common measure of re-identification risk. Demographic data on a 25% random sample of the population of Montreal were analyzed to estimate population uniqueness on postal code, date of birth, and gender as well as their generalizations, for periods ranging from 1 year to 11 years. Results Almost 98% of the population was unique on full postal code, date of birth and gender: these three variables are effectively a unique identifier for Montrealers. Uniqueness increased for longitudinal data. Considerable generalization was required to reach acceptably low uniqueness levels, especially for longitudinal data. Detailed guidelines and disclosure policies on how to ensure that the re-identification risk is low are provided. Conclusions A large percentage of Montreal residents are unique on basic demographics. For non-longitudinal data sets, the three character postal code, gender, and month/year of birth represent sufficiently low re-identification risk. Data custodians need to generalize their demographic information further for longitudinal data sets. PMID:21696636

Student profiling on university co-curriculum activities using data visualization tools

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Jamil, Jastini Mohd.; Shaharanee, Izwan Nizal Mohd

2017-11-01

Co-curricular activities are playing a vital role in the development of a holistic student. Co-curriculum can be described as an extension of the formal learning experiences in a course or academic program. There are many co-curriculum activities such as students' participation in sports, volunteerism, leadership, entrepreneurship, uniform body, student council, and other social events. The number of student involves in co-curriculum activities are large, thus creating an enormous volume of data including their demographic facts, academic performance and co-curriculum types. The task for discovering and analyzing these information becomes increasingly difficult and hard to comprehend. Data visualization offer a better ways in handling with large volume of information. The need for an understanding of these various co-curriculum activities and their effect towards student performance are essential. Visualizing these information can help related stakeholders to become aware of hidden and interesting information from large amount of data drowning in their student data. The main objective of this study is to provide a clearer understanding of the different trends hidden in the student co-curriculum activities data with related to their activities and academic performances. The data visualization software was used to help visualize the data extracted from the database.

High School Student Information Access and Engineering Design Performance

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Mentzer, Nathan

2014-01-01

Developing solutions to engineering design problems requires access to information. Research has shown that appropriately accessing and using information in the design process improves solution quality. This quasi-experimental study provides two groups of high school students with a design problem in a three hour design experience. One group has…

Identifying developmental features in students' clinical reasoning to inform teaching.

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Pinnock, Ralph; Anakin, Megan; Lawrence, Julie; Chignell, Helen; Wilkinson, Tim

2018-04-27

There is increasing evidence that students at different levels of training may benefit from different methods of learning clinical reasoning. Two of the common methods of teaching are the "whole - case" format and the "serial cue" approach. There is little empirical evidence to guide teachers as to which method to use and when to introduce them. We observed 23 students from different stages of training to examine how they were taking a history and how they were thinking whilst doing this. Each student interviewed a simulated patient who presented with a straightforward and a complex presentation. We inferred how students were reasoning from how they took a history and how they described their thinking while doing this. Early in their training students can only take a generic history. Only later in training are they able to take a focused history, remember the information they have gathered, use it to seek further specific information, compare and contrast possibilities and analyze their data as they are collecting it. Early in their training students are unable to analyze data during history taking. When they have started developing illness scripts, they are able to benefit from the "serial cue" approach of teaching clinical reasoning.

American Student Attitudes toward Foreign Students before and during an International Crisis.

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Matross, Ronald; And Others

1982-01-01

Surveyed domestic students' attitudes toward foreign students before and after the seizure of the U.S. hostages in Iran. Results showed most students did not change their attitudes toward foreign students, but did show increased support for funding international exchange programs. Attitudes were related to demographic characteristics and political…

Personal and socio-demographic characteristics as correlates of value orientations and interests of students in Vojvodina

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Gajić Olivera

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Social transition and changes in the cultural context inevitably impose the need of redefining the value systems which are particularly reflected through the differences of the multicultural framework such as, for example, Vojvodina. The paper presents the results of a theoretical and empirical study of students’ interests and value orientations. The results are viewed through the prism of influence of respondents’ individual and socio-demographic characteristics. Non-experimental causal method was used to study the correlation between variable groups. Interviewing was the research technique. The instrument for data collection was the questionnaire constructed for the purposes of the research. The study was conducted during the school year 2007/08 in Novi Sad, on the sample of 480 respondents - students of the University of Novi Sad, aged 19 to 24. Gender was studied in the group of personal (individual, constitutional features and it proved out to be a significant correlate of certain interests: sport, cultural and creative, as well as relational values (nourishing harmonious family relations, marriage, parenthood, partnership, feeling of belonging et al.. In the group of socio-demographic characteristics (structural forms of the family, financial status, social background, socio-cultural space: rural-urban it was established that social background correlates with interest in sport activities, educational and artistic interests, while variables social background and place of residence correlate with social life and social relations as dominant value orientations. Research results provide pedagogical implications for educational work with youth aimed at developing the values connected with constructive activities and encouragement of proactive orientation with respect to one’s own surroundings and existence, as well as the guidelines for introducing new contents into the existing curricula, in accordance with the expressed values and

Informed Strangers: Witnessing and Responding to Unethical Care as Student Nurses

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Joyce Engel

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Nursing students occupy a unique perspective in clinical settings because they are informed, through education, about how patient care ought to happen. Given the brevity of placements and their “visiting status” in clinical sites, students are less invested in the ethos of specific sites. Subsequently, their perspectives of quality care are informed by what should happen, which might differ from that of nurses and patients. The purpose of this study was to identify predominant themes in patient care, as experienced by students, and the influence that these observations have on the development of their ethical reasoning. Using a qualitative descriptive approach in which 27 nursing student papers and three follow-up in-depth interviews were analyzed, three main themes emerged: Good employee, poor nurse; damaged care; and negotiating the gap. The analysis of the ethical situations in these papers suggests that students sometimes observe care that lacks concern for the dignity, autonomy, and safety of patients. For these student nurses, this tension led to uncertainty about patient care and their eventual profession.

Information and Communication Technology Literacy among Student-Teachers in Universities in Nigeria

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Daramola, Florence Olutunu; Yusuf, Mudasiru Olalere; Oyelekan, Oloyede Solomon

2015-01-01

The use of information and communication technology (ICT) in the school system is becoming increasingly prominent. This study was conducted to find out the information and communication technology literacy levels among student-teachers in the universities in North-Central Nigeria. The study involved a total of 638 student-teachers out of which 360…

Information literacy: are final-year medical radiation science students on the pathway to success?

Science.gov (United States)

Thompson, Nadine; Lewis, Sarah; Brennan, Patrick; Robinson, John

2010-01-01

It is necessary for Medical Radiation Science (MRS) students to become information literate in order to interact with and thrive in the professional health care arena. All health care professionals require information literacy (IL) skills to be independent learners and critical thinkers. To achieve this, effective search and evaluation methods must be cultivated in students. Twenty-eight final year MRS students participated in a 30-minute digitally recorded interview regarding their knowledge of information sources, where they locate information, and how they evaluate these sources. Constant comparative analysis via grounded theory was used to thematise the data. A conceptual framework was developed demonstrating the link between the key concepts of convenience, confidence and competence. The impact of the internet on the IL skills of students has been profound, due mainly to convenience. Most students had little confidence in their IL skills, however there were still some students who were confident with their skills and were competent who still preferred to access information sources that were convenient because there was nothing preventing them from doing so. By identifying problem areas, educators can redesign curricula around the strengths and weaknesses of students' IL skills, thus promoting lifelong learning and using electronic based learning to its full potential.

Differences in Food and Beverage Marketing Policies and Practices in US School Districts, by Demographic Characteristics of School Districts, 2012

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Michael, Shannon; Brener, Nancy D.; Coffield, Edward; Kingsley, Beverly S.; Zytnick, Deena; Blanck, Heidi

2016-01-01

Introduction Foods and beverages marketed in schools are typically of poor nutritional value. School districts may adopt policies and practices to restrict marketing of unhealthful foods and to promote healthful choices. Students’ exposure to marketing practices differ by school demographics, but these differences have not yet been examined by district characteristics. Methods We analyzed data from the 2012 School Health Policies and Practices Study to examine how food and beverage marketing and promotion policies and practices varied by district characteristics such as metropolitan status, size, and percentage of non-Hispanic white students. Results Most practices varied significantly by district size: a higher percentage of large districts than small or medium-sized districts restricted marketing of unhealthful foods and promoted healthful options. Compared with districts whose student populations were majority (>50%) non-Hispanic white, a higher percentage of districts whose student populations were minority non-Hispanic white (≤50% non-Hispanic white) prohibited advertising of soft drinks in school buildings and on school grounds, made school meal menus available to students, and provided families with information on school nutrition programs. Compared with suburban and rural districts, a higher percentage of urban districts prohibited the sale of soft drinks on school grounds and used several practices to promote healthful options. Conclusion Preliminary findings showing significant associations between district demographics and marketing policies and practices can be used to help states direct resources, training, and technical assistance to address food and beverage marketing and promotion to districts most in need of improvement. PMID:27978408

Using Twitter for Demographic and Social Science Research: Tools for Data Collection and Processing.

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McCormick, Tyler H; Lee, Hedwig; Cesare, Nina; Shojaie, Ali; Spiro, Emma S

2017-08-01

Despite recent and growing interest in using Twitter to examine human behavior and attitudes, there is still significant room for growth regarding the ability to leverage Twitter data for social science research. In particular, gleaning demographic information about Twitter users-a key component of much social science research-remains a challenge. This article develops an accurate and reliable data processing approach for social science researchers interested in using Twitter data to examine behaviors and attitudes, as well as the demographic characteristics of the populations expressing or engaging in them. Using information gathered from Twitter users who state an intention to not vote in the 2012 presidential election, we describe and evaluate a method for processing data to retrieve demographic information reported by users that is not encoded as text (e.g., details of images) and evaluate the reliability of these techniques. We end by assessing the challenges of this data collection strategy and discussing how large-scale social media data may benefit demographic researchers.

Secondary students' use of social and natural world information in a land use decision context

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Kumler, Laura M.

Many societal problems, including land use issues, are complex integrated human-ecological challenges that require an understanding of social and natural world connections. This dissertation investigates how secondary students perceive the social and natural world dimensions of land use, how they might act to support sustainable land use, and how Kaplan and Kaplan's (2008) Reasonable Person Model can inform teaching approaches to prepare students for such complex decisions and action-taking. The dissertation argues that subject compartmentalization in high schools adversely impacts students' abilities to use and to integrate information from various subjects to make a land use decision. Nine secondary science and social studies teachers and their students (n=500) participated in a quasi-experiment using pre- and posttests with treatment and comparison groups to gauge students' requests for social versus natural world information to make land use decisions. Students' self-reported actions and knowledge of actions to support sustainable land use were also measured. Additional data included classroom observations, teacher logs and interviews, and 52 student interviews. Results indicated that students requested social world over natural world information and preferred to consult with social scientists and stakeholders over natural scientists. Results also suggested that experiencing an integrated curriculum increased students' requests for natural world information relevant to the land use decision. Interestingly, this effect occurred even among social studies students whose teachers reported putting scant emphasis on the natural world curriculum content. Moreover, the type of course in which students experienced the curriculum predicted student information use. Finally, students were found to have a limited repertoire of land use actions and knowledge of actions and generally reported undertaking and thinking of individual actions such as recycling or trash pick

Baccalaureate Nursing Students' Abilities in Critically Identifying and Evaluating the Quality of Online Health Information.

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Theron, Maggie; Redmond, Anne; Borycki, Elizabeth M

2017-01-01

Both the Internet and social media have become important tools that patients and health professionals, including health professional students, use to obtain information and support their decision-making surrounding health care. Students in the health sciences require increased competence to select, appraise, and use online sources to adequately educate and support patients and advocate for patient needs and best practices. The purpose of this study was to ascertain if second year nursing students have the ability to critically identify and evaluate the quality of online health information through comparisons between student and expert assessments of selected online health information postings using an adapted Trust in Online Health Information scale. Interviews with experts provided understanding of how experts applied the selected criteria and what experts recommend for implementing nursing informatics literacy in curriculums. The difference between student and expert assessments of the quality of the online information is on average close to 40%. Themes from the interviews highlighted several possible factors that may influence informatics competency levels in students, specifically regarding the critical appraisal of the quality of online health information.

A case study for teaching information literacy skills.

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Kingsley, Karla V; Kingsley, Karl

2009-01-29

The Internet has changed contemporary workplace skills, resulting in a need for proficiency with specific digital, online and web-based technologies within the fields of medicine, dentistry and public health. Although younger students, generally under 30 years of age, may appear inherently comfortable with the use of technology-intensive environments and digital or online search methods, competence in information literacy among these students may be lacking. This project involved the design and assessment of a research-based assignment to help first-year, graduate-level health science students to develop and integrate information literacy skills with clinical relevance. One cohort of dental students (n = 78) was evaluated for this project and the results demonstrate that although all students were able to provide the correct response from the content-specific, or technology-independent, portion of the assignment, more than half (54%) were unable to demonstrate competence with a web-based, technology-dependent section of this assignment. No correlation was found between any demographic variable measured (gender, age, or race). More evidence is emerging that demonstrates the need for developing curricula that integrates new knowledge and current evidence-based practices and technologies, traditionally isolated from graduate and health-care curricula, that can enhance biomedical and clinical training for students. This study provides evidence, critical for the evaluation of new practices, which can promote and facilitate the integration of information literacy into the curriculum.

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES IN EDUCATION OF MEDICAL STUDENTS

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О В Полякова

2015-12-01

Full Text Available In article research about introduction of information materials in the form of the computer program is given to pedagogical process of students pediatricians. The concept of the program consists in systematization of medicines in a multilevel format for the purpose of a multilateral choice of medicines in the conditions of modern pharmacotherapy.

Analysis of a Student-Centered, Self-Paced Pedagogy Style for Teaching Information Systems Courses

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Sharon Paranto

2006-12-01

Full Text Available The entry-level skills for students enrolling in a college-level information systems course can vary widely. This paper analyzes the impact of a "student-centered" pedagogy model, in which students use a self-paced approach for learning the material in an introductory information systems course, with pre-assigned dates for lectures and for assignment/exam deadlines. This new paradigm was implemented in several sections of an introductory information systems course over a two-semester time span. Under the new model, tutorial-style textbooks were used to help students master the material, all other materials were available online, and all exams were given using a hands-on, task-oriented online testing package, which included a multiple-choice/true-false component to test student understanding of the conceptual portion of the course. An anonymous student survey was used to gain student perceptions of the level of learning that took place under the new paradigm, as well as to measure student satisfaction with the course design, and a pre-/post-test was used to provide a measure of student learning.

SOCIAL POLICY AND DEMOGRAPHIC SITUATION OF THE LIPETSK REGION

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S. A. Pavlova

2017-01-01

Full Text Available In 2016–2018 are carried out actions of the second stage of a demographic policy of the Russian Federation for the period till 2025. During the look-ahead period it is supposed to develop and pass the federal law provided by articles 133 and 421 Labor codes of the Russian Federation by which the order of finishing of the minimum wage rate till the size of a living wage of able-bodied population of subjects will be established. In the Law of the Russian Federation from April, 19th, 1991 N 1032-1 “changes will be passed About population employment in the Russian Federation”, providing entering of specifications into an order and terms of payment of the unemployment benefits directed on an exception of abusing’s at reception of the unemployment benefit, and also essentially increasing the size of the given grant for separate categories of citizens. In the Law of the Russian Federation “changes will be passed About population employment in the Russian Federation” regarding an establishment of powers of enforcement authorities of subjects of the Russian Federation, employers on placing of the information on conditions of attraction of citizens for realization of labor activity with a view of perfection of an information portal “Work in Russia” and to filling by its trustworthy information. In state and the level subjectsof programs join problems and actions which urged to improve a demographic situation. Federal and regional programs of social and economic development join the questions connected with revealing of problem directions. On the basis of the received information perspective lines of activity and actions for management of a situation are developed. In subject’s programs of social and economic development are developed and take root. The accepted programs allow to reveal in due time demographic tendencies during the current period and to react by means of acceptance of administrative decisions. On the levelsubject’sit is

NASA/DOD Aerospace Knowledge Diffusion Research Project. Report 26: The technical communication practices of aerospace engineering students: Results of the phase 3 AIAA National Student Survey

Science.gov (United States)

Pinelli, Thomas E.; Hecht, Laura M.; Barclay, Rebecca O.; Kennedy, John M.

1994-01-01

This report describes similarities and differences between undergraduate and graduate engineering students in the context of two general aspects of the educational experience. First, we explore the extent to which students differ regarding the factors that lead to the choice of becoming an engineer, current satisfaction with that choice, and career-related goals and objectives. Second, we look at the technical communication practices, habits, and training of aerospace engineering students. The reported data were obtained from a survey of student members of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA). The survey was undertaken as a phase 3 activity of the NASA/DoD Aerospace Knowledge Diffusion Research Project. Data are reported for the following categories: student demographics; skill importance, skill training, and skill helpfulness; collaborative writing; computer and information technology use and importance; use of electronic networks; use and importance of libraries and library services; use and importance of information sources and products; use of foreign language technical reports; and foreign language (reading and speaking) skills.

Role of Student Affairs in International Student Transition and Success

OpenAIRE

Christina W. Yao; Chrystal A. George Mwangi

2017-01-01

International student mobility has grown significantly in recent years, with over 4.1 million students in 2013 who studied abroad around the world (Institute of International Education [IIE], 2016). With the changes in student demographics and increased mobility, student affairs professionals are in a unique role to support international student transition and success. Unfortunately, current research and practice in higher education tends to place a high level of respo...

Relationship between students’ motivation and their socio-demographic characteristics

OpenAIRE

Vesna Cigan

2014-01-01

This article presents the results of research on the relationship between indicators of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation in students attending higher education institutions, and their socio-demographic characteristics: the type of upper secondary education completed, secondary education grade point average, year of study, gender, and parents’ education.  The research was conducted in March 2012, through a survey questionnaire administered to a sample of 604 respondents. The questionnai...

Evaluation of information ethical issues among undergraduate students: An exploratory study

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Liezel Cilliers

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Background: Higher education is increasingly making use of information and communication technology (ICT to deliver educational services. Young adults at higher educational institutions are also making use of ICTs in their daily lives but are not taught how to do so ethically. Software piracy, plagiarism and cheating, while making use of ICTs, are the most common ethical dilemmas that will face digital natives. Objective: The purpose of this article was to investigate information ethics of young adults at a higher education institution in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. Method: This study made use of a positive, quantitative survey approach. A closed-ended questionnaire was distributed to a group of 312 first-year students, who had registered for a computer literacy class. A response rate of 69.2% was recorded, resulting in 216 students participating in the study. The results were analysed using descriptive and inferential (t-tests statistics in SPSS V22. Results: The results indicated that plagiarism is a problem among first-year students, and elements of authorship should be included in the curriculum. Students understood what software piracy was but did not think it was wrong to copy software from the Internet. Finally, the students understood that cheating, while making use of technology, is wrong and should be avoided. Conclusion: The recommendation of the study then is that information ethics must be included in the undergraduate curriculum in order to prepare students to deal with these ethical problems.

An Investigation of Factors Affecting Utilization of Information Technology (IT by Agricultural Students

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Masoud Rezaei

2012-03-01

Full Text Available The present study was carried out with the aim of investigating factors affecting utilization of information technology by students of agriculture. A survey approach was used in this study and a questionnaire was developed to gather the data. The study population was postgraduate students (MS and PhD of economic and agricultural development faculty in Tehran University who were selected by applying random sampling technique. Sample size for students was 61 persons. Data was analyzed by using SPSS/WIN software. The results of the research indicated that there was a positive significant relationship between using of information technology by students and their age, average, prior experience, information technology skills, innovativeness, perceived ease of use, attitude and self-efficacy. The relationship between computer anxiety and using of IT was negative. Stepwise Regression Analysis showed that innovativeness and attitude predict 53.2 percent of variations of IT use by students.

Investigating the Information Needs of University Students in Foundational Foreign Language Courses

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Glenna Westwood

2012-06-01

Full Text Available This investigation seeks to address two issues: first, to discover if there is evidence that university students in foundational language courses need information resources to support their language learning and second, if such evidence exists, what the specific information resource needs might be and how important those resources are to students’ language learning. After engaging in a year of foreign language study, the author used the evidence gathered to develop and conduct a survey of the user needs of language students at the Self Access Centre (CAADI of the University of Guanajuato, Mexico. Results of the survey supported the personal learning experiences of the author. Over 80% of students surveyed reported using the information resources in the CAADI at least once a week with general grammar books, course text books and films being reported as the most important resources. This investigation provides a starting point for research in to the collection development practices of academic libraries supporting the learning of foreign languages. By examining the information needs of one population, evidence has been provided that these students do indeed need information resources to support their language learning. The study suggests specific resource types that could be important for these users.

Informal science participation positively affects the communication and pedagogical skills of university physics students

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Hinko, Kathleen; Finkelstein, Noah

2013-04-01

Many undergraduate and graduate physics students choose to participate in an informal science program at the University of Colorado Boulder (Partnerships for Informal Science Education in the Community (PISEC)). They coach elementary and middle school students in inquiry-based physics activities during weekly, afterschool sessions. Observations from the afterschool sessions, field notes from the students, and pre/post surveys are collected. University students are also pre/post- videotaped explaining a textbook passage on a physics concept to an imagined audience for the Communications in Everyday Language assessment (CELA). We present findings from these data that indicate informal experiences improve the communication and pedagogical skills of the university student as well as positively influence their self-efficacy as scientific communicators and teachers.

Understanding the information and resource needs of UK health and social care placement students.

Science.gov (United States)

Callaghan, Lynne; Doherty, Alan; Lea, Susan J; Webster, Daniel

2008-12-01

Students on health and social care degree programmes spend 50% of their time on practice placements. Because of the diversity of settings and the need to evidence their work, it is vital to understand the information and resource needs of placement students. The aim of this investigation was to understand the needs of placement students in terms of accessing resources whilst they are in the field in order to inform a guide to meet these needs. Focus groups were conducted with students on midwifery, social work and post-registration health professions degree programmes on three different sites across the region. Data were analysed using Thematic Content Analysis. Three themes emerged from the data: inequality, user education needs and students' solutions and strategies. It is essential to speak to placement students in order to understand their needs in terms of accessing and using library resources. The timing and content of information skills training is key to meeting student needs while on placement.

Do Demographic Characteristics Make Differences? Demographic Characteristics as Moderators in the Associations between Only Child Status and Cognitive/Non-cognitive Outcomes in China

OpenAIRE

Liu, Ning; Chen, Yiting; Yang, Xiangdong; Hu, Yi

2017-01-01

Different family compositions and sizes may affect child development through the different modes of interaction between family members. Previous studies have compared only children with non-only children in cognitive/non-cognitive outcomes. However, relatively little research has systematically investigated the potential moderators among them. Using a large and representative sample of Chinese students (Grades 7?8; N = 5,752), this study examines the roles of demographic characteristics, such...

Socio- Demographic Characteristics and Career Choice of Private Secondary School Students

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Maria Ramona S. Braza

2015-11-01

Full Text Available This study determined the career choice of the high school students of the different private institutions in San Jose, Batangas as a basis for developing a career program guide to help the students in choosing their career.The descriptive method was used the study with the questionnaire and standardized test as the main data gathering instruments. Parents, students and teachers served as respondents of the study. The study revealed that most preferred career of the respondents is the academic track particularly the Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM strand. The proposed program guide formulated focused on how to help the students decide on their future career. When properly given, it will benefit the students. The researchers recommended that the proposed career program guide that has been formulated may be shown to school heads for their suggestions; the students should be provided with effective orientation on what career is really all about. This could be done by the school guidance counselor or by the teachers and parents as well and there must be a close–up tie among the guidance personnel, teachers, students, and parents to promote a better understanding of the factors which influence the career choice of the students.

A Program for Introducing Information Literacy to Commercial Art and Design Students

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David A. Walczak

2010-03-01

Full Text Available 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

Caffeinated-beverage consumption and its association with socio-demographic characteristics and self-perceived academic stress in first and second year students at the University of Puerto Rico Medical Sciences Campus (UPR-MSC).

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Ríos, Josué L; Betancourt, Jesmari; Pagán, Ideliz; Fabián, Carla; Cruz, Sonia Y; González, Anaisa M; González, Michael J; Rivera-Soto, Winna T; Palacios, Cristina

2013-06-01

To determine the association between caffeinated-beverage consumption, self-perceived academic load, and self-perceived stress levels in first and second year students at UPR-MSC. A descriptive epidemiological study was performed using a self-administered anonymous questionnaire given to a representative stratified sample of 275 students. Questions included information regarding socio-demographic characteristics, academic load and stress indicators, and caffeinated-beverage consumption. Chi2 was used to assess the associations between these variables. Most participants were women (68%), aged 21-30 years (88%), with low annual household incomes (43%). Most perceived their academic loads as being heavy (68%), and most perceived their academic stress levels as being moderate (37%). Academic load was significantly correlated with stress level (pstress, and many (49%) reported that these beverages were useful for coping with stress. Energy drinks, in particular, were consumed more often by men compared to women (pstress or load. Consuming caffeinated beverages is a popular practice among participants in this sample, with soft drinks and coffee being the ones that are the most frequently consumed. No associations were found between the consumption of caffeinated beverages and academic stress or load.

Student demographics as a predictor of use of an educational ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Erna Kinsey

The medium of instruction is English, which for many of the. African students is .... reasons for choosing not to use it varied and are listed in Figure 4, with some people ..... grams will further disadvantage under-prepared students, as defined by.

Mental health problems in a regional population of Australian adolescents: association with socio-demographic characteristics

OpenAIRE

Dray, Julia; Bowman, Jenny; Freund, Megan; Campbell, Elizabeth; Hodder, Rebecca K.; Lecathelinais, Christophe; Wiggers, John

2016-01-01

Background Population level data regarding the general mental health status, and the socio-demographic factors associated with the mental health status of adolescents in Australia aged 12?16?years is limited. This study assessed prevalence of mental health problems in a regional population of Australian students in Grades 7?10, and investigated associations between mental health problems and socio-demographic factors. Methods A web-based survey was conducted in 21 secondary schools located in...

Determining Advanced and Basic Financial Literacy Relations and Overconfidence, and Informative Social Media Association of University Students in Turkey

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Karaa, Ibrahim E.; Kugu, Tayfun D.

2016-01-01

The purposes of the paper are, first, to investigate financial literacy in university students and to determine the relationship between basic and advanced financial literacy; second, to present a positive association between social media usage and financial literacy; third, to examine demographic factors consistent with previous studies; and,…

Beyond Financial Need: Predictors of Student Loans and Student Loan Attitudes

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Norvilitis, Jill M.; Bat, Meghan J.

2016-01-01

Although public concern about student loan debt has been increasing, little research has examined predictors of debt beyond financial need or demographic factors. The present study explored the role of several psychological and attitudinal variables in student loan debt among 189 college students. Results indicate that loan initiative and loan…

Effects of demographic factors and information sources on United States consumer perceptions of animal welfare.

Science.gov (United States)

McKendree, M G S; Croney, C C; Widmar, N J O

2014-07-01

As consumers have become more interested in understanding how their food is produced, scrutiny and criticism have increased regarding intensified food animal production methods. Resolution of public concerns about animal agricultural practices depends on understanding the myriad factors that provide the basis for concerns. An online survey of 798 U.S. households was conducted to investigate relationships between household characteristics (demographics, geographic location, and experiences) and level of concern for animal welfare as well as sources used to obtain information on the subject. Because recent media attention has focused on animal care practices used in the U.S. swine industry, respondents were also asked specific questions pertaining to their perceptions of pig management practices and welfare issues and their corresponding pork purchasing behavior. Respondents reporting higher levels of concern about animal welfare were more frequently female, younger, and self-reported members of the Democratic Party. Fourteen percent of respondents reported reduction in pork consumption because of animal welfare concerns with an average reduction of 56%. Over half of the respondents (56%) did not have a primary source for animal welfare information; those who identified a primary information source most commonly used information provided by animal protection organizations, the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). Midwest participants were significantly, at the 5% significance level, less concerned about domestic livestock animal welfare and more frequently reported not having a source for animal welfare information than those from other regions of the United States. Overall, the U.S. livestock and poultry industries and other organizations affiliated with animal agriculture appear to be less used public sources of information on animal welfare than popular animal protection organizations. Improved

The Relationship between Intellectual Intelligence and Emotional Intelligence and some Demographic variables among Students of the Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, Ilam University of Medical Sciences in 2014

OpenAIRE

Hamed Tavan; Sajjad Tavan; Zahra Ahmadi; Fatemeh Zandnia

2015-01-01

Background and Objective: There is a relationship between emotional intelligence and spiritual intelligence. Therefore, this study was aimed to investigate the relationship between intellectual intelligence and emotional intelligence and some demographic variables among students of Nursing and Midwifery Faculty, Ilam University of Medical Sciences. Methods: Using a cross-correlation method of study, the standard 24-item questionnaire for spiritual intelligence and the standard 90-item que...

Facebook for Health Promotion: Female College Students' Perspectives on Sharing HPV Vaccine Information Through Facebook.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Ni; Tsark, JoAnn; Campo, Shelly; Teti, Michelle

2015-04-01

Facebook, a social network site, has been widely used among young adults. However, its potential to be used as a health promotion medium has not been fully examined. This study explored Facebook's potential for sharing human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine information among female college students in Hawai'i. Culturally tailored flyers and handouts were developed and distributed at one large university in Hawai'i to recruit female college students between the age of 18 and 26 having an active Facebook account. Three focus group meetings were conducted to gather student perspectives about how information about HPV vaccine may be best shared via Facebook. We found that students believed Facebook is a good awareness tool but they needed more knowledge about the HPV vaccine to feel comfortable sharing the information. Participants preferred forwarding information to chatting about HPV. Some participants expressed concern that their Facebook friends would think the HPV vaccine information they forwarded on Facebook is spam. Participants suggested prefacing the posted HPV vaccine information with a personal note in their own words to make the message more interesting and relevant to their Facebook friends. Future interventions using Facebook to promote HPV vaccine could provide students with HPV vaccine information from credible sources and ask students to attach personal testimonials or endorsements while forwarding the information on Facebook.

Information Retrieval Strategies of Millennial Undergraduate Students in Web and Library Database Searches

Science.gov (United States)

Porter, Brandi

2009-01-01

Millennial students make up a large portion of undergraduate students attending colleges and universities, and they have a variety of online resources available to them to complete academically related information searches, primarily Web based and library-based online information retrieval systems. The content, ease of use, and required search…

Gender differences in students' utilization of electronic information ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The study determined gender differences among students in the utilization of electronic information resources in Ramat Library, University of Maiduguri. One objective,with corresponding hypotheses guided the study. The survey research method was used. The population for the study comprised 13,995 (thirteen thousand, ...

Interregional migration of youths in Russia: a comprehensive analysis of demographic statistics

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kashnitsky, I.; Mkrtchyan, N.; Leshukov, O.V.

2016-01-01

Not dissimilar to many other countries, migration in Russia has a pronounced age-dependent pattern with the peak intensity at the age when people obtain higher and professional education. In this paper, we analyze migration intensity at student age (17–21) using three sources of demographic data

Entrepreneurship Education: How Psychological, Demographic and Behavioural Factors Predict the Entrepreneurial Intention

Science.gov (United States)

Marques, Carla S.; Ferreira, Joao J.; Gomes, Daniela N.; Rodrigues, Ricardo Gouveia

2012-01-01

Purpose: Based on the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB), the purpose of this paper is to approach entrepreneurial intention (EI) and the factors preceding the founding of EI among secondary students, both studying general academic and specific professional programs, and thereby establish causal relationships between psychological, demographic and…

Development of Student Information Management System based on Cloud Computing Platform

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ibrahim A. ALAMERI

2017-10-01

Full Text Available The management and provision of information about the educational process is an essential part of effective management of the educational process in the institutes of higher education. In this paper the requirements of a reliable student management system are analyzed, formed a use-case model of student information management system, designed and implemented the architecture of the application. Regarding the implementation process, modern approaches were used to develop and deploy a reliable online application in cloud computing environments specifically.

Predicting Digital Informal Learning: An Empirical Study among Chinese University Students

Science.gov (United States)

He, Tao; Zhu, Chang; Questier, Frederik

2018-01-01

Although the adoption of digital technology has gained considerable attention in higher education, currently research mainly focuses on implementation in formal learning contexts. Investigating what factors influence students' digital informal learning is still unclear and limited. To understand better university students' digital informal…

Demographic Factors, Personality and Entrepreneurial Inclination: A Study among Indian University Students

Science.gov (United States)

Chaudhary, Richa

2017-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to investigate the influence of demographic, social and personal dispositional factors on determining the entrepreneurial inclination. Specifically, the author examined the role of gender, age, stream of study, family business background and six psychological traits of locus of control, tolerance for…

Information Anxiety and African-American Students in a Graduate Education Program

Science.gov (United States)

Katopol, Patricia Fields

2012-01-01

Library anxiety has been cited as one factor affecting academic performance, but library use is only part of obtaining information for academic needs. This paper expands the concept of library anxiety to "information anxiety" by an examination of the information behavior of black graduate students when using a variety of information resources,…

Patent Information Use in Engineering Technology Design: An Analysis of Student Work

Science.gov (United States)

Phillips, Margaret; Zwicky, Dave

2017-01-01

How might engineering technology students make use of patent information in the engineering design process? Librarians analyzed team project reports and personal reflections created by students in an undergraduate mechanical engineering technology design course, revealing that the students used patents to consider the patentability of their ideas,…

The Effects of Maternal Employment on the Attitudes, Work Expectations, and Self-Esteem of Urban and Suburban Middle School Students.

Science.gov (United States)

Kinelski, Kristin; Markowitz, Jessie; Chambliss, Catherine

This study investigated the effects of maternal employment on beliefs and attitudes of suburban and urban middle school students in addition to their comparative levels of self-esteem. A 5-part survey, including demographic information, beliefs about consequences of maternal employment of children; information about the mother's work status;…

Teaching Chemistry Students How To Use Patent Databases and Glean Patent Information

Science.gov (United States)

MacMillan, Margy; Shaw, Lawton

2008-07-01

Patent literature is an important source of chemical information that is often neglected by chemical educators. This paper describes an effort to teach chemistry students how to use patent databases to search for information on applied chemical technology related to the manufacture of industrial and specialty chemicals. Students in a second-year-level organic chemistry class were shown how to search patent literature as part of a group research paper assignment that involved determining the feasibility of starting an industrial chemical operation to manufacture a given industrial chemical. Students who were assigned high value or specialty chemicals were most likely to cite patent literature in their final papers. Students who were assigned plastics or bulk commodity chemicals were less likely to cite patents. It is suggested that students made choices about the usefulness of patent literature and that patents were most useful when current patents existed and provided the patent owner a competitive advantage. For plastics or commodity chemicals, manufacturing technologies tend to be mature and are well described by more accessible information sources. Suggestions are made for effective introduction of patent literature instruction into upper-level chemistry courses.

Motivation, Critical Thinking and Academic Verification of High School Students' Information-seeking Behavior

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Z Hidayat

2017-06-01

Full Text Available High school students have known as Gen Y or Z and their media using can be understand on their information-seeking behavior. This research’s purposes were: 1 to analyze the students’ motivation; 2 to analyze the critical thinking and academic verification; 3 to analyze the information-seeking behavior. This study used quantitative approach through survey among 1125 respondents in nine clusters, i.e. Central, East, North, West, and South of Jakarta, Tangerang, Bekasi, Depok, and Bogor. Schools sampling based on "the best schools rank" by the government, while respondents have taken by accidental in each school. Construct of questionnaire included measurement of motivation, critical thinking and academic verification, and the information-seeking behavior at all. The results showed that the motivations of the use of Internet were dominated by habit to interact and be entertained while on the academic needs are still relatively small but increasing significantly. Students’ self-efficacy, performance and achievement goals tend to be high motives, however the science learning value, and learning environment stimulation were average low motives. High school students indicated that they think critically about the various things that become content primarily in social media but less critical of the academic information subjects. Unfortunately, high school students did not conducted academic verification on the data and information but students tend to do plagiarism. Key words: Student motivation, critical thinking, academic verification, information-seeking behavior, digital generation.

Informal Reasoning Fallacy and Critical Thinking Dispositions: A Univariate Study of Demographic Characteristics among Malaysian Undergraduates

Science.gov (United States)

Ramasamy, Shamala

2011-01-01

A component in the study of critical thinking which needs to be addressed is informal reasoning fallacy. It is a type of mental trickery which is able to self-deceive undergraduates and public at large. In order to practice good critical thinking, one has to detect and get rid of these fallacies. However, students have to be disposed in detecting…

Examination of the Relationship between Demographic Characteristics of the Family and the Language Development of Children

Science.gov (United States)

Akçay, Ahmet

2017-01-01

The aim of this study is to determine the relationship between the demographic characteristics and the language development of children. In the research, a "Personal Information Form" consisting of 14 items containing information about the demographic structure of the family was used and a "Language Development Checklist"…

Modeling the Temporal Nature of Human Behavior for Demographics Prediction

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Felbo, Bjarke; Sundsøy, Pål; Pentland, Alex

2017-01-01

Mobile phone metadata is increasingly used for humanitarian purposes in developing countries as traditional data is scarce. Basic demographic information is however often absent from mobile phone datasets, limiting the operational impact of the datasets. For these reasons, there has been a growing...... interest in predicting demographic information from mobile phone metadata. Previous work focused on creating increasingly advanced features to be modeled with standard machine learning algorithms. We here instead model the raw mobile phone metadata directly using deep learning, exploiting the temporal...... on both age and gender prediction using only the temporal modality in mobile metadata. We finally validate our method on low activity users and evaluate the modeling assumptions....

Theoretical Model of Development of Information Competence among Students Enrolled in Elective Courses

Science.gov (United States)

Zhumasheva, Anara; Zhumabaeva, Zaida; Sakenov, Janat; Vedilina, Yelena; Zhaxylykova, Nuriya; Sekenova, Balkumis

2016-01-01

The current study focuses on the research topic of creating a theoretical model of development of information competence among students enrolled in elective courses. In order to examine specific features of the theoretical model of development of information competence among students enrolled in elective courses, we performed an analysis of…

Student Development of Information Literacy Skills during Problem-Based Organic Chemistry Laboratory Experiments

Science.gov (United States)

Shultz, Ginger V.; Li, Ye

2016-01-01

Problem-based learning methods support student learning of content as well as scientific skills. In the course of problem-based learning, students seek outside information related to the problem, and therefore, information literacy skills are practiced when problem-based learning is used. This work describes a mixed-methods approach to investigate…

Student Learning and Performance in Information Systems Courses: The Role of Academic Motivation

Science.gov (United States)

Herath, Tejaswini C.

2015-01-01

Despite the need for information technology knowledge in the business world today, enrollments in information systems (IS) courses have been consistently declining. Student performance in lower level IS courses and student assumptions about the level of difficulty of the courses seem to be reasons for lower enrollments. To understand how student…

Track and Connect: Enhancing student retention and success at the University of Sydney. A Practice Report

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sophia Barnes

2015-03-01

Full Text Available In 2012, staff in Student Support Services at The University of Sydney piloted an early intervention program to increase first year student engagement and retention. Founded in best-practice, evidence-based research, the Track and Connect program was developed in response to a study into first year undergraduate student attrition by the University’s Planning and Information Office, in consultation with Counselling and Psychological Services. Track and Connect provides tailored advice and support to students identified as at risk of withdrawal from a key first-year subject by demographic markers and on-time data. Trained senior peers contact these students and provide information, encouragement and service referrals at key decision points throughout the semester. This report outlines the program’s development, implementation and early outcomes, and identifies areas for refinement and expansion.

Factor analysis of sources of information on organ donation and transplantation in journalism students.

Science.gov (United States)

Martínez-Alarcón, L; Ríos, A; Ramis, G; López-Navas, A; Febrero, B; Ramírez, P; Parrilla, P

2013-01-01

Journalists and the information they disseminate are essential to promote health and organ donation and transplantation (ODT). The attitude of journalism students toward ODT could influence public opinion and help promote this treatment option. The aim of this study was to determine the media through which journalism students receive information on ODT and to analyze the association between the sources of information and psychosocial variables. We surveyed journalism students (n = 129) recruited in compulsory classes. A validated psychosocial questionnaire (self-administered, anonymous) about ODT was used. Student t test and χ(2) test were applied. Questionnaire completion rate was 98% (n = 126). The medium with the greatest incidence on students was television (TV), followed by press and magazines/books. In the factor analysis to determine the impact of the information by its source, the first factor was talks with friends and family; the second was shared by hoardings/publicity posters, health professionals, and college/school; and the third was TV and radio. In the factor analysis between information sources and psychosocial variables, the associations were between information about organ donation transmitted by friends and family and having spoken about ODT with them; by TV, radio, and hoardings and not having spoken in the family; and by TV/radio and the father's and mother's opinion about ODT. The medium with the greatest incidence on students is TV, and the medium with the greatest impact on broadcasting information was conversations with friends, family, and health professionals. This could be useful for society, because they should be provided with clear and concise information. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Teachers' Perceptions of Students' Challenging Behavior and the Impact of Teacher Demographics

Science.gov (United States)

Alter, Peter; Walker, Ja'Nina; Landers, Eric

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study is to update the research regarding perceptions of specific challenging behaviors that teachers find to be most prevalent and/or problematic. This study analyzes the role of teacher demographics (gender, race, grade level, and years of experience) on their perceptions of specifically defined challenging behaviors. After…

Entrepreneurial Health Informatics for Computer Science and Information Systems Students

Science.gov (United States)

Lawler, James; Joseph, Anthony; Narula, Stuti

2014-01-01

Corporate entrepreneurship is a critical area of curricula for computer science and information systems students. Few institutions of computer science and information systems have entrepreneurship in the curricula however. This paper presents entrepreneurial health informatics as a course in a concentration of Technology Entrepreneurship at a…

Ice Cream Seminars for Graduate Students: Imparting Chemical Information Literacy

Science.gov (United States)

Garritano, Jeremy R.

2007-01-01

This article provides information on a chemical information literacy program designed primarily for new graduate students. The full implementation of this program is discussed, including defining its purpose, topics covered, content presented, methods of marketing, and evaluation. The result is a series of voluntary seminars given biweekly…

A Comparison of Nursing and Teacher Education Students' Information Literacy Learning: Results from Norway, 2016

Science.gov (United States)

Nierenberg, Ellen

2017-01-01

This study measures first-year undergraduate students' self-assessments and learning outcomes in information literacy skills in their first months of higher education in Norway. Comparisons are made between nursing students and teacher education students. Surveys were conducted before the library's information literacy course and after both…

An Investigation into the Relationship among Psychiatric, Demographic and Socio-Economic Variables with Bayesian Network Modeling

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Gunal Bilek

2018-03-01

Full Text Available The aim of this paper is to investigate the factors influencing the Beck Depression Inventory score, the Beck Hopelessness Scale score and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem score and the relationships among the psychiatric, demographic and socio-economic variables with Bayesian network modeling. The data of 823 university students consist of 21 continuous and discrete relevant psychiatric, demographic and socio-economic variables. After the discretization of the continuous variables by two approaches, two Bayesian networks models are constructed using the b n l e a r n package in R, and the results are presented via figures and probabilities. One of the most significant results is that in the first Bayesian network model, the gender of the students influences the level of depression, with female students being more depressive. In the second model, social activity directly influences the level of depression. In each model, depression influences both the level of hopelessness and self-esteem in students; additionally, as the level of depression increases, the level of hopelessness increases, but the level of self-esteem drops.

The role of demographics in students' selection of higher education institutions

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M. Wiese

2010-12-01

Full Text Available Purpose: To investigate the choice factors students consider when selecting a higher education institution, with a focus on the differences between gender and language groups. Problem investigated: The educational landscape has seen several changes, such as stronger competition between institutions for both student enrolments and government funding. These market challenges have led to an interest in students' institution selection processes as it has implications for the way higher education institutions (HEIs manage their marketing and recruitment strategies. The research objective of this study was to identify the most important choice factors of prospective South African students. It also aimed to determine if any gender and language differences exist with regard to students' institution selection processes. Methodology: A convenience sample of 1 241 respondents was drawn, representing six South African universities. A self-administrated questionnaire was used to collect the data. Questions from the ASQ (Admitted Student Questionnaire and CIRP (The Cooperative Institutional Research Programme were used and adapted to the South African context after pilot testing. Hypotheses were analysed using the multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA test with Wilks' lambda as the test statistic. Findings/Implications: Irrespective of gender or language, the most important choice factor for respondents was the quality of teaching at HEIs. The findings showed that males and females differ according to the selection of certain choice factors which suggest that HEIs can consider recruitment strategies for each gender group. Significant differences between the language groups were found for 17 of the 23 choice factors, signalling that different language groups make decisions based on different choice factors. African language-speaking students have, amongst other, indicated that the multiculturalism of the institution is a very important choice factor for

The evaluation of a digital information literacy program

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Anne Sieberhagen

2012-10-01

Full Text Available The article reports on the evaluation of a digital information literacy program (DILP to determine the program’s effectiveness in enhancing students’ digital information literacy skills. The DILP was originally designed and developed for the South African student, as member of Generation Y, but was adapted after identifying the demographics and characteristics of Generation Z.  This information was incorporated in the existing DILP, therefore making the DILP applicable to and useful for both Generations Y and Z. New learning technologies were identified and incorporated in the DILP to enhance students’ learning experience. An analysis of reported research indicated that there is a lack in the evaluation of programs to determine their effectiveness in enhancing the digital information literacy skills of students by using an outcomes assessment instrument. The development of an outcomes assessment instrument, which is based on internationally benchmarked information literacy competency standards and their outcomes, are presented. Evidence is provided of the effectiveness of the program in order to prove its worth as an instructional program.  Recommendations are made on how digital information literacy programs may be improved to be more effective in enhancing students’ digital information literacy skills

Demographic-Based Content Analysis of Web-Based Health-Related Social Media.

Science.gov (United States)

Sadah, Shouq A; Shahbazi, Moloud; Wiley, Matthew T; Hristidis, Vagelis

2016-06-13

An increasing number of patients from diverse demographic groups share and search for health-related information on Web-based social media. However, little is known about the content of the posted information with respect to the users' demographics. The aims of this study were to analyze the content of Web-based health-related social media based on users' demographics to identify which health topics are discussed in which social media by which demographic groups and to help guide educational and research activities. We analyze 3 different types of health-related social media: (1) general Web-based social networks Twitter and Google+; (2) drug review websites; and (3) health Web forums, with a total of about 6 million users and 20 million posts. We analyzed the content of these posts based on the demographic group of their authors, in terms of sentiment and emotion, top distinctive terms, and top medical concepts. The results of this study are: (1) Pregnancy is the dominant topic for female users in drug review websites and health Web forums, whereas for male users, it is cardiac problems, HIV, and back pain, but this is not the case for Twitter; (2) younger users (0-17 years) mainly talk about attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and depression-related drugs, users aged 35-44 years discuss about multiple sclerosis (MS) drugs, and middle-aged users (45-64 years) talk about alcohol and smoking; (3) users from the Northeast United States talk about physical disorders, whereas users from the West United States talk about mental disorders and addictive behaviors; (4) Users with higher writing level express less anger in their posts. We studied the popular topics and the sentiment based on users' demographics in Web-based health-related social media. Our results provide valuable information, which can help create targeted and effective educational campaigns and guide experts to reach the right users on Web-based social chatter.

The Relationship between Ethical Decision Making and Ethical Reasoning in Information Technology Students

Science.gov (United States)

Woodward, Belle; Davis, Diane C.; Hodis, Flaviu A.

2007-01-01

This study examined undergraduate information technology (IT) students' (N = 122) level of ethical reasoning and decision making at a Midwestern university. The purpose was to determine whether IT students' level of ethical reasoning provided information about the degree of their ethical decision making. The Defining Issues Test-2 (DIT-2) was used…

Predicting Dropout Student: An Application of Data Mining Methods in an Online Education Program

Science.gov (United States)

Yukselturk, Erman; Ozekes, Serhat; Turel, Yalin Kilic

2014-01-01

This study examined the prediction of dropouts through data mining approaches in an online program. The subject of the study was selected from a total of 189 students who registered to the online Information Technologies Certificate Program in 2007-2009. The data was collected through online questionnaires (Demographic Survey, Online Technologies…

Students' Geocognition of Deep Time, Conceptualized in an Informal Educational Setting

Science.gov (United States)

Clary, Renee M.; Brzusek, Robert F.; Wandersee, James H.

2009-01-01

Students in a Landscape Architecture Design 1 course (N = 25) at a research university in the southern US developed design solutions implementing geologic time for an informal education site. Those students who employed abstract metaphors for their designs (n = 8) were more successful than students who proceeded with a linear design construct.…

Learning style and concept acquisition of community college students in introductory biology

Science.gov (United States)

Bobick, Sandra Burin

This study investigated the influence of learning style on concept acquisition within a sample of community college students in a general biology course. There are two subproblems within the larger problem: (1) the influence of demographic variables (age, gender, number of college credits, prior exposure to scientific information) on learning style, and (2) the correlations between prior scientific knowledge, learning style and student understanding of the concept of the gene. The sample included all students enrolled in an introductory general biology course during two consecutive semesters at an urban community college. Initial data was gathered during the first week of the semester, at which time students filled in a short questionnaire (age, gender, number of college credits, prior exposure to science information either through reading/visual sources or a prior biology course). Subjects were then given the Inventory of Learning Processes-Revised (ILP-R) which measures general preferences in five learning styles; Deep Learning; Elaborative Learning, Agentic Learning, Methodical Learning and Literal Memorization. Subjects were then given the Gene Conceptual Knowledge pretest: a 15 question objective section and an essay section. Subjects were exposed to specific concepts during lecture and laboratory exercises. At the last lab, students were given the Genetics Conceptual Knowledge Posttest. Pretest/posttest gains were correlated with demographic variables and learning styles were analyzed for significant correlations. Learning styles, as the independent variable in a simultaneous multiple regression, were significant predictors of results on the gene assessment tests, including pretest, posttest and gain. Of the learning styles, Deep Learning accounted for the greatest positive predictive value of pretest essay and pretest objective results. Literal Memorization was a significant negative predictor for posttest essay, essay gain and objective gain. Simultaneous

Effects of Demographic Factors, Body Mass Index, Alcohol Drinking ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

9.6) and in females, lower ... fill in a demographic self‑questionnaire that included information about age, gender, ..... of irritable bowel syndrome in young adult Malaysians: A survey .... the development of irritable bowel syndrome in adolescents:.

Predicting bicycle helmet stage-of-change among middle school, high school, and college cyclists from demographic, cognitive, and motivational variables.

Science.gov (United States)

Weiss, Jeffrey; Okun, Morris; Quay, Nancy

2004-09-01

To apply Prochaska's Transtheoretical model of behavior change to bicycle helmet use among middle school, high school, and college students. A battery of questionnaires was administered to cyclists in the seventh and ninth grades and to college students in Phoenix, Arizona (N=797). The battery included: (1) a question to determine respondent's stage of behavior change in Prochaska's Transtheoretical model; (2) items assessing the perceived pros and cons of helmet use; (3) a bicycle safety knowledge test; and (4) demographic information. Forty-three percent of the students were in "Precontemplation," 17% were in either "Contemplation" or "Preparation," 16% were in either "Action" or "Maintenance," and 24% were in the "Relapse" stage of change. Grade, Sex, Knowledge, Pros, and Cons, and the Grade by sex and the Grade by knowledge interactions were significant predictors of helmet use stages. Compared with students in Precontemplation, students in the Contemplation stage were disproportionately younger and had higher Pro scores, lower Con scores, and more knowledge (except in the ninth grade). The Transtheoretical model of behavior change is a viable theoretical framework for designing interventions aimed at increasing bicycle helmet use in children and adolescents.

Information Seeking Behaviour of Mathematicians: Scientists and Students

Science.gov (United States)

Sapa, Remigiusz; Krakowska, Monika; Janiak, Malgorzata

2014-01-01

Introduction: The paper presents original research designed to explore and compare selected aspects of the information seeking behaviour of mathematicians (scientists and students) on the Internet. Method: The data were gathered through a questionnaire distributed at the end of 2011 and in January 2012. Twenty-nine professional mathematicians and…

System of Information in Conceptual Maps for students of Computer Engineering.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lydia Rosa Ríos Rodríguez

2014-06-01

Full Text Available The university students, in their daily activities make some decisions which contribute in their professional formation; in many occasions they don't have the enough help to make it in the best way. The systems of information constitute an important alternative to take into consideration in these cases. This work refers to the experience of the department of Computer Engineering of the University of Sancti Spíritus José Martí Pérez (UNISS in the conception and creation of a system of information for the students of the career Computer Engineering on the discipline Artificial Intelligence which uses the conceptual maps as form of representing the information.

The Amount of Media and Information Literacy Among Isfahan University of Medical Sciences' Students Using Iranian Media and Information Literacy Questionnaire (IMILQ).

Science.gov (United States)

Ashrafi-Rizi, Hasan; Ramezani, Amir; Koupaei, Hamed Aghajani; Kazempour, Zahra

2014-12-01

Media and Information literacy (MIL) enables people to interpret and make informed judgments as users of information and media, as well as to become skillful creators and producers of information and media messages in their own right. The purpose of this research was to determine the amount of Media and Information Literacy among Isfahan University of Medical Sciences' students using Iranian Media and Information Literacy Questionnaire (IMILQ). This is an applied analytical survey research in which the data were collected by a researcher made questionnaire, provided based on specialists' viewpoints and valid scientific works. Its validity and reliability were confirmed by Library and Information Sciences specialists and Cronbach's alpha (r=0.89) respectively. Statistical population consisted of all students in Isfahan University of Medical Sciences (6000 cases) and the samples were 361. Sampling method was random stratified sampling. Data were analyzed by descriptive and inferential statistics. The findings showed that the mean level of Media and Information Literacy among Isfahan University of Medical Sciences' students was 3.34±0.444 (higher than average). The highest mean was promotion of scientific degree with 3.84±0.975 and the lowest mean was difficulties in starting research with 2.50±1.08. There was significant difference between educational degree, college type and family's income and amount of Media and Information Literacy. The results showed that the students didn't have enough skills in starting the research, defining the research subject as well as confining the research subject. In general, all students and education practitioners should pay special attention to factors affecting in improving Media and Information Literacy as a main capability in using printed and electronic media.

Student Access to Information Technology and Perceptions of Future Opportunities in Two Small Labrador Communities

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Della Healey

2002-02-01

Full Text Available The potential of information technology is increasingly being recognized for the access it provides to educational and vocational opportunities. In Canada, many small schools in rural communities have taken advantage of information technologies to help overcome geographic isolation for students. This article is about students in two small and geographically isolated Labrador communities. Twenty senior students were found to have varying degrees of access to information technologies. Differences were found in their perceptions of the benefits of information technology for their educational and vocational futures.

Concepts of Information Literacy and Information Literacy Standards among Undergraduate Students in Public and Private Universities in the State of Kuwait

Science.gov (United States)

Al-Issa, Reham E.

2013-01-01

The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the experiences of undergraduate college students attending a public and a private university in the State of Kuwait to understand how they develop their understanding and valuing of information literacy and information literacy standards. Data from student and faculty interviews and student…

Effects of Brief Integrated Information Literacy Education Sessions on Undergraduate Engineering Students' Interdisciplinary Research

Science.gov (United States)

Talikka, Marja; Soukka, Risto; Eskelinen, Harri

2018-01-01

Engineering students often conduct information searches without sufficient consideration of the context of their research topic. This article discusses how development of a new information literacy (IL) mindset through instruction in integrated IL education affects students' understanding of research problems and formulation of information search…

A case study for teaching information literacy skills

Science.gov (United States)

Kingsley, Karla V; Kingsley, Karl

2009-01-01

Background The Internet has changed contemporary workplace skills, resulting in a need for proficiency with specific digital, online and web-based technologies within the fields of medicine, dentistry and public health. Although younger students, generally under 30 years of age, may appear inherently comfortable with the use of technology-intensive environments and digital or online search methods, competence in information literacy among these students may be lacking. Methods This project involved the design and assessment of a research-based assignment to help first-year, graduate-level health science students to develop and integrate information literacy skills with clinical relevance. Results One cohort of dental students (n = 78) was evaluated for this project and the results demonstrate that although all students were able to provide the correct response from the content-specific, or technology-independent, portion of the assignment, more than half (54%) were unable to demonstrate competence with a web-based, technology-dependent section of this assignment. No correlation was found between any demographic variable measured (gender, age, or race). Conclusion More evidence is emerging that demonstrates the need for developing curricula that integrates new knowledge and current evidence-based practices and technologies, traditionally isolated from graduate and health-care curricula, that can enhance biomedical and clinical training for students. This study provides evidence, critical for the evaluation of new practices, which can promote and facilitate the integration of information literacy into the curriculum. PMID:19178715

A case study for teaching information literacy skills

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Kingsley Karl

2009-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The Internet has changed contemporary workplace skills, resulting in a need for proficiency with specific digital, online and web-based technologies within the fields of medicine, dentistry and public health. Although younger students, generally under 30 years of age, may appear inherently comfortable with the use of technology-intensive environments and digital or online search methods, competence in information literacy among these students may be lacking. Methods This project involved the design and assessment of a research-based assignment to help first-year, graduate-level health science students to develop and integrate information literacy skills with clinical relevance. Results One cohort of dental students (n = 78 was evaluated for this project and the results demonstrate that although all students were able to provide the correct response from the content-specific, or technology-independent, portion of the assignment, more than half (54% were unable to demonstrate competence with a web-based, technology-dependent section of this assignment. No correlation was found between any demographic variable measured (gender, age, or race. Conclusion More evidence is emerging that demonstrates the need for developing curricula that integrates new knowledge and current evidence-based practices and technologies, traditionally isolated from graduate and health-care curricula, that can enhance biomedical and clinical training for students. This study provides evidence, critical for the evaluation of new practices, which can promote and facilitate the integration of information literacy into the curriculum.

Clinical and demographic correlates of unilateral spatial neglect ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Information on age, gender, stroke laterality, time after stroke and motor function assessed using modified motor assessment scale were also documented. Prevalence of USN was determined while differences in prevalence by demographic and clinical variables were analyzed using Chi-square and Mann Whitney U tests ...

Behaviour of medical students in seeking mental and physical health care: exploration and comparison with psychology students.

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Brimstone, Renee; Thistlethwaite, Jill E; Quirk, Frances

2007-01-01

Doctors are often reluctant to seek health care through the usual channels and tend to self-diagnose and prescribe. Medical students learn attitudes and values from clinician role models and may also adopt behaviour patterns that lead them to seek help for physical and mental health problems from informal sources. This study aimed to explore the behaviour of students in seeking health care for physical and mental health problems, comparing medical with psychology students, and to understand what barriers to conventional routes of seeking health care may affect this. We administered a questionnaire asking for demographic details and responses to 2 vignettes in which a student from the respondent's discipline was experiencing firstly symptoms of a mental health problem and secondly symptoms of a physical health problem. Data were analysed with spss and univariate anovas to examine differences between respondents. A total of 172 students at the psychology and medical schools at James Cook University in Australia participated. We identified a number of barriers affecting student behaviour in seeking help, which included worries about knowing the doctor they could consult at the university health centre or having future dealings with him or her, and cost of treatment. There were differences between the 2 groups of students. There are several barriers for both psychology and medical students to accessing appropriate professional mental health care. Medical students also experience barriers to attaining appropriate physical health care when needed. Psychology and medical students were more likely to seek advice informally from friends and/or family with regard to mental health care.

Districts' Responses to Demographic Change: Making Sense of Race, Class, and Immigration in Political and Organizational Context

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Turner, Erica O.

2015-01-01

Many U.S. public school systems now face three large demographic shifts: rising poverty, the growing number of students from immigrant families, and increasing populations of students of color. Yet, we know little about how district policymakers react to these important changes or indeed the factors that consistently shape their policymaking.…

Associations between demographic characteristics and physical activity practices in Nevada schools.

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Monnat, Shannon M; Lounsbery, Monica A F; McKenzie, Thomas L; Chandler, Raeven Faye

2017-02-01

Schools are important settings for not only providing and promoting children's physical activity (PA) but also for reducing PA disparities. We investigated associations between school-level demographic characteristics (racial/ethnic and socioeconomic composition, urban-rural status, and student-to-teacher ratio) and 16 PA-promoting practices in 347 Nevada public elementary, middle, and high schools in 2014. We found that low-cost and easy-to-implement practices are most prevalent. There is relative demographic equity in ten of 16 PA practices and significant differences in six PA practices in Nevada schools. Schools with comparatively larger percentages of Black students are the most disadvantaged, as they have the fewest PA-supportive practices in place. Higher percent black was associated with lower odds of providing classroom activity breaks (AOR=0.632, 95% CI=0.453-0.881) and bike racks (AOR=0.60, 95% CI=0.362-0.996), greater odds of withholding recess/PE for disciplinary reasons (AOR=1.377, 95% CI=1.006-1.885), and lower odds of having recess supervisors who are trained to promote PA (AOR=0.583, 95% CI=0.374-0.909). Schools with greater percentages of Hispanic students have lower odds of providing before-school PA programs (AOR=0.867, 95% CI=0.761-0.987), whereas schools with greater percentages of low-SES students have greater odds of providing after-school PA programs (AOR=1.135, 95% CI=1.016-1.268). Higher student-to-teacher ratio was also associated with greater odds of providing after-school PA programs (AOR=1.135, 95% CI=1.016-1.268). Urban-rural status was unrelated to all PA practices. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Informal Learning in Academic Student Organizations: An Exploratory Examination of Student-Faculty Interactions and the Relationship to Leadership

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Holzweiss, Peggy C.; Parrott, Kelli Peck; Cole, Bryan R.

2013-01-01

This exploratory study examined informal learning opportunities that exist within student organizations. The researchers specifically isolated academic organizations and the interactions between students and faculty that may occur in this context. Findings indicate that 81% of participants experienced interactions with faculty within the context…

How adult students in Information Studies use a scoring rubric for the development of their information literacy skills

NARCIS (Netherlands)

A.A.J. (Jos) van Helvoort

2012-01-01

The purpose of this article is to expand on a previous study on the development of a scoring rubric for information literacy1. The present paper examines how students at the Department of Information Services and Information Management, The Hague University, use the scoring rubric for their school

Informal Content and Student Note-Taking in Advanced Mathematics Classes

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Fukawa-Connelly, Timothy; Weber, Keith; Mejía-Ramos, Juan Pablo

2017-01-01

This study investigates 3 hypotheses about proof-based mathematics instruction: (a) that lectures include informal content (ways of thinking and reasoning about advanced mathematics that are not captured by formal symbolic statements), (b) that informal content is usually presented orally but not written on the board, and (c) that students do not…

Demographic characteristics in patients with short-gap and long-gap ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Further analysis of this topic is warranted ... Keywords: demographic characteristics, long-gap esophageal atresia, short-gap ... Thus, we conducted the present study to analyze the character- ..... this issue, providing fundamental information.

Information retrieval, critical appraisal and knowledge of evidence-based dentistry among Finnish dental students.

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Nieminen, P; Virtanen, J I

2017-11-01

One of the core skills of competent dentist is the ability to search and analyse high-quality evidence. Problems in understanding the basic aspects of knowledge-based information may impede its implementation into clinical practice. We examined how Finnish dental students acquire scientific information and how familiar they are with methods for evaluating scientific evidence related to clinical questions. All fifth-year dental students (n = 120) at the three universities in Finland received a self-administered questionnaire. The three most commonly used sources of information were colleagues, the commercial Health Gate Portal for dental practitioners and personal lecture notes. Although students rarely read scientific journals, they did find that they possess at least passable or even good skills in literature retrieval. Three questions related to the appraisal of evidence in dentistry revealed that students' knowledge of evidence-based dentistry was inadequate to critically evaluate clinical research findings. Most students seem to lack knowledge of key methodological evidence-based terms. The present curricula in dental schools fail to encourage the students to search and acquire knowledge wider than their patients themselves do. Universities have the responsibility to teach dentists various methods of critical appraisal to cope with scientific information. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Information Management Processes for Extraction of Student Dropout Indicators in Courses in Distance Mode

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Renata Maria Abrantes Baracho

2016-04-01

Full Text Available This research addresses the use of information management processes in order to extract student dropout indicators in distance mode courses. Distance education in Brazil aims to facilitate access to information. The MEC (Ministry of Education announced, in the second semester of 2013, that the main obstacles faced by institutions offering courses in this mode were students dropping out and the resistance of both educators and students to this mode. The research used a mixed methodology, qualitative and quantitative, to obtain student dropout indicators. The factors found and validated in this research were: the lack of interest from students, insufficient training in the use of the virtual learning environment for students, structural problems in the schools that were chosen to offer the course, students without e-mail, incoherent answers to activities to the course, lack of knowledge on the part of the student when using the computer tool. The scenario considered was a course offered in distance mode called Aluno Integrado (Integrated Student

HBCUs inform students and the community about cervical cancer.

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Green, Julian S; Williams, Deloris G; Scott, Dolores B; Madison, Shirley B; Comer, Kimberly D; Haynes, Joseph A

2009-12-01

In summary, HBCUs can no longer remain reactive, but must spearhead efforts to increase both the health of the student body, as well as the community at large. HBCUs should collaboratively initiate a "Call to Action", whereby policies and programs could be created to aid in the prevention of HPV and other STIs. To support this action, HBCUs could more actively pursue funding sources that support both universities and the communities in which they exist. Student orientation could be redefined to include short courses in STI awareness and prevention, and be communicated in a manner that is professional, yet engaging to students. Moreover, university departments which have an interest in the health of communities should supervise these efforts. The knowledge of university faculty members within departments of Nursing, Social Work, Public Health, Rehabilitation Counseling and Physical Education should extend beyond the classroom and into the community. Clark commented, "Perhaps course content across departments could be revised to encompass an increased focus on practice skills which support awareness and prevention efforts". Through employment, volunteerism and student internships, each of these disciplines have established relationships with the surrounding community and understand the associated critical needs. Such relationships provide the best environment for both the creation and implementation of services, and provide students with a model of how to "give back" to the community by utilizing their education. Campus health centers should be more prevention-driven beyond the distribution of condoms and pamphlets, to collaborate with local area high schools and community-based organizations to create an information network accessible to students and community residents. Additionally, health centers should promote the availability of HPV vaccination, which depending on state of residence and age, may be free or available at a discounted cost. According to Bynum

Information processing style used by Compulsory Secondary Education students

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Alfredo Campos

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Mental images are mental representations of people, objects and situations that are not present and are formed by using the imagination. Many studies have addressed this psychological ability, its typology and its involvement in the academic environment. Along these lines, the aim of our study was to assess the information processing style (verbal, object, spatial scales, and mental rotation that is commonly used by students from different specialties of Compulsory Secondary Education. To that end, two tests: The Mental Rotation Test (MRT and the Object-Spatial Imagery and Verbal Questionnaire (OSIVQ were administered to a sample of 126 Compulsory Secondary Education students. MRT assessed any significant difference in the ability to mentally rotate images depending on gender and specialty. Significant differences were found by specialty, showing that science students had better ability to mentally rotate images than humanities ones. Significant differences were found by gender and specialty in the OSIVQ. Men showed better spatial and verbal processing style than women, and humanities students excelled in object processing (in comparison to science students and in verbal processing (in comparison to science and art students.

Information Behavior and Japanese Students: How Can an Understanding of the Research Process Lead to Better Information Literacy?

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Ishimura, Yusuke

2013-01-01

Academic librarians are striving to better serve international students as this emerging population grows on university campuses. Past studies of international students generally focus on linguistic and cultural differences in relation to information literacy skills development. However, it is necessary to go beyond these factors to better serve…

Demographic correlates of children and adolescents with Autistic disorder

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Ayyoub Malek

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Comparison of the demographic characteristics of patients provides useful information to their identification. This study aimed to determine the demographic characteristics of children and adolescents with autistic disorder (AD. Methods: In this cross-sectional case-control study, 115 children and adolescents with AD were selected from Autism Society Rehabilitation Center in Tabriz, Iran, and 112 normal children and adolescents from the public schools, in 2014. The participants in both groups were matched regarding age and gender. Diagnosis of AD was performed using diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders-4th edition (DSM-IV criteria and clinical diagnostic interviews by two child and adolescent psychiatrists. The demographic information of children and adolescents and their parents were collected from the medical records of children and interviews with their mothers. Results: Most of the children with autism had second or higher birth order and had families with more than three members. Mothers of children with autism had significantly lower levels of education and were mostly housewives. Fathers of autistic children mostly had high school diploma and fewer had university education, and most of them were employed. However, there was no statistically significant difference between the AD group and the control group regarding the average height and weight of children and the residence (urban or rural and age of parents at childbirth.Conclusion: The demographic characteristics of the two groups of children and adolescents with AD and normal controls were different from each other regarding family size, birth order, parent occupation, and parent education variables.

Communication Skills of a Teacher and Its Role in the Development of the Students' Academic Success

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Khan, Alamgir; Khan, Salahuddin; Zia-Ul-Islam, Syed; Khan, Manzoor

2017-01-01

Basically the current study sought to assess the perception of students regarding the role of teacher communication skills in their academics success. Comprehensive questionnaire carrying information including social economic and demographic aspects of the study was designed by the researcher to achieve the set objectives. All those universities…

Demographic, Behavioural and Normative Risk Factors for Gambling Problems Amongst Sports Bettors.

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Hing, Nerilee; Russell, Alex M T; Vitartas, Peter; Lamont, Matthew

2016-06-01

Sports betting is growing exponentially, is heavily marketed and successfully targets young adult males. Associated gambling problems are increasing. Therefore, understanding risk factors for problem gambling amongst sports bettors is an increasingly important area of research to inform the appropriate design and targeting of public health and treatment interventions. This study aimed to identify demographic, behavioural and normative risk factors for gambling problems amongst sports bettors. An online survey of 639 Australian sports bettors using online, telephone and retail betting channels was conducted. Results indicated that vulnerable sports bettors for higher risk gambling are those who are young, male, single, educated, and employed full-time or a full-time student. Risk of problem gambling was also found to increase with greater frequency and expenditure on sports betting, greater diversity of gambling involvement, and with more impulsive responses to betting opportunities, including in-play live action betting. Normative influences from media advertising and from significant others were also associated with greater problem gambling risk. The results of this study can inform a suite of intervention, protection and treatment initiatives targeted especially at young male adults and adolescents that can help to limit the harm from this gambling form.

ASSESSING STUDENTS’ SATISFACTION WITH QUALITY OF SERVICE OF STUDENTS INFORMATION SYSTEM

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Suleiman AL KHATTAB

2011-01-01

Full Text Available With the increasing number of higher education institutions in Jordan,universities are competing to attract more students. To achieve this goal, theuniversities are competing to provide the students with all possiblesatisfaction means through providing efficient e-services. This papermeasures the satisfaction of the students at Al-Hussein Bin Talal University,Jordan, with the quality of e-services. It mainly concentrates on the students’satisfaction with the in-house developed Student Information System (SIS.To measure the satisfaction of the students, a questionnaire was developedand distributed to a sample of the university students. The questionnaireforms were collected and analyzed. The results of the questionnaire showedthat the students were satisfied by the transition to e-services and the SIShas a positive impact on the students’ satisfaction. The research alsoprovides the university with some suggestions to improve the SIS and,therefore, meet the demand of the students.