A Systematic Examination of Member Turnover and Online Community Health

A key characteristic of online communities is the fast turnover of their membership. Because online communities rely on voluntary member contribution to survive and succeed, member turnover can have important implications on the resource availability and the health of a community. However, empirical research on the effects of member turnover in online communities is rare. Most research assumes that slower turnover and higher retention are positively associated with community outcomes, without directly testing that assumption. A few studies have challenged this view and suggested that turnover can be beneficial in certain conditions. In this study, we contribute to the understanding of member turnover in online communities by systematically examining the relationship between member turnover and multiple dimensions of community health. The results will offer practical implications to online community managers on whether and when to retain member in their communities

Health literacy education: the impact of synchronous instruction

Purpose This article examines the integration of librarian-led health literacy instruction into an undergraduate course, focusing specifically on how the method of instruction impacts learning outcomes and self-reported confidence levels in completing a course assignment. Undergraduate students struggle to critically evaluate online health information in an increasingly diffuse information landscape. Assessing the success of different instructional techniques aimed at building these abilities can guide pedagogical choices and provide new opportunities to increase health literacy skills in a variety of library user populations. Design/methodology/approach A quasi-experimental research design with pre- and post-tests and a participant survey was used to compare one-shot information literacy instruction techniques in two hybrid sections of a kinesiology course. One class received a traditional, face-to-face librarian-led session and the other a synchronous online instructional session through web conferencing. Findings There were no significant differences in student learning between the in-person and online groups. Students in both conditions demonstrated an extremely significant increase from pre-test to post-test scores, suggesting that librarian-led instruction in either format can lead to substantial learning of online health literacy skills. Survey results showed no significant differences in confidence levels following instruction and suggest both methods of instruction provide a positive learning experience for students. Originality/value This study provides evidence that synchronous online instruction can be as effective as face-to-face instruction in teaching students to evaluate health-related information resources. These findings are valuable for librarians in a variety of settings who are considering providing health literacy education in an online environment.0090-732

Credence Services: Content, credibility, and usefulness of online reviews

Credence products are those whose quality is difficult or impossible for consumers to assess, even after consuming the product (Darby & Karni, 1973). For example, it is difficult to assess the technical skill and knowledge of a physician even after a visit. This research is focused on the content, structure and consumer perceptions of online reviews for credence services. We start by examining how the content and structure of real online reviews of credence services systematically differs from those of experience services (Nelson, 1970). We find that online reviews of credence services are more likely to contain unsupported claims than reviews of experience services. We experimentally examine consumer perceptions of reviews, varying both their structure and content. Consumers rationally discount the credibility of credence claims when presented with short, simple reviews but we expect more complex argument structure and inclusion of experience attributes in the review to attenuate this effect

Maintaining Quality While Expanding Our Reach: Using Online Information Literacy Tutorials in the Sciences and Health Sciences

Objective – This article aims to assess student achievement of higher-order information literacy learning outcomes from online tutorials as compared to in-person instruction in science and health science courses. Methods – Information literacy instruction via online tutorials or an in-person one-shot session was implemented in multiple sections of a biology (n=100) and a kinesiology course (n=54). After instruction, students in both instructional environments completed an identical library assignment to measure the achievement of higher-order learning outcomes and an anonymous student survey to measure the student experience of instruction. Results – The data collected from library assignments revealed no statistically significant differences between the two instructional groups in total assignment scores or scores on specific questions related to higher-order learning outcomes. Student survey results indicated the student experience is comparable between instruction groups in terms of clarity of instruction, student confidence in completing the course assignment after library instruction, and comfort in asking a librarian for help after instruction. Conclusions – This study demonstrates that it is possible to replace one-shot information literacy instruction sessions with asynchronous online tutorials with no significant reduction in student learning in undergraduate science and health science courses. Replacing in-person instruction with online tutorials will allow librarians at this university to reach a greater number of students and maintain contact with certain courses that are transitioning to completely online environments. While the creation of online tutorials is initially time-intensive, over time implementing online instruction could free up librarian time to allow for the strategic integration of information literacy instruction into other courses. Additional time savings could be realized by incorporating auto-grading into the online tutorials.Matlin, Talitha, & Tricia Lantzy. "Maintaining Quality While Expanding Our Reach: Using Online Information Literacy Tutorials in the Sciences and Health Sciences." Evidence Based Library and Information Practice [Online], 12.3 (2017): 95-113. Web. 20 Sep. 20171715-720

It Starts with Us: Exploring Inclusive Pedagogies through Relational Learning Approaches among Library Workers

Chapter 43 the Vol. 2 of Exploring Inclusive & Equitable Pedagogies: Creating Space for All Learners.978-0-8389-3854-

Involuntary online learners and the CSUSM library: How the pandemic closures affected students' library research

As a result of the coronavirus pandemic, college students across the United States temporarily became online learners regardless of their learning modality preferences. Academic libraries and the student support they offer also went entirely online for extended periods. This was certainly the case for the CSUSM University Library, which was closed to the public for over 17 months. How did this involuntary online environment affect students' library research? Using qualitative survey data, this study explores the impact of the closures on students' perceived helpfulness of librarian-led instruction, motivation to conduct research, barriers experienced, and preferred online help-seeking methods. What was learned about our students through this data and the implications of the results will be shared. There will also be an interactive portion of the presentation giving participants time to reflect and share how the physical library closure impacted their own work in the library

Protecting Children in Cyberspace: A Higher Education Case Study

The Internet provides students with a multitude of resources for learning, communicating, and entertainment. Children should develop skills to identify not only good information but biases, misinformation, and safety and security threats. All children should understand how to protect themselves online, their personal information when engaging with others online, and the potential consequences of their actions in online information sharing through social networking sites, e-mail, gaming, and instant messaging to name a few. To this end, the Virginia Department of Education, Office of Educational Technology produced Guidelines and Resources for Internet Safety in Schools (October 10, 2006) which requires all K-12 schools to integrate an Internet safety component into each school division’s instructional program. This case study reviewed the collaboration efforts of one higher education institution’s effectiveness in assisting the middle school education community in Rockingham County and Harrisonburg City schools through a community partnership with the Virginia Department of Education’s Office of Educational Technology, James Madison University (JMU), and the Harrisonburg City and Rockingham County school districts. This collaboration centered on whether higher education (with JMU serving as a subject matter expert in information security education), and its K-12 resource Cyber Citizenship for Kids Guide, could lead a grassroots community-centered campaign for Internet safety and provide a solution which met the requirements of these Guidelines and Resources for Internet Safety in Schools as outlined by the Commonwealth for their K-12 community. To achieve this end, middle school teachers, school administrators, instructional technology resource teachers (ITRT), counselors, resource officers, school media specialists, JMU staff, and Virginia Department of Education’s Office of Educational Technology staff participated in a combination of surveys, interview questionnaires, and telephone and personal interviews. This research determined that this community partnership on cyber safety education between higher education and K-12 institutions in Rockingham County and Harrisonburg was perceived by stakeholders as feasible and effective. Several aspects of this county-wide community partnership effort to enhance K-12 cyber safety awareness can serve as a credible statewide model in providing Internet safety education to K-12 throughout the Commonwealth

You Won't Believe This Story! Narratology and Corporate Learning

Across the globe, companies spend more than 350 billion annually on training for their employees. Employees welcome such an investment, and list learning opportunities and professional development as key desired benefits in the workplace. Despite this investment in training and its perceived value, both employers and employees have often been left disappointed by the results of such efforts. Employers continue to remark that employees are not properly skilled for their current and future roles and employees frequently rate their provided training as ineffective and forgettable. While there are many variables at play in training effectiveness, this research focuses on one potential avenue to address this long-standing issue: the use of narrative and story within training materials for the corporate employee. Given prior research on how story can be encoded in our long-term memory and how story can be successfully utilized for behavior change, this option is explored as an avenue to increase retention and training transfer in corporate settings. In order to fully explore this potential option, the researcher is embarking on cross-disciplinary discovery with narrative experts in the fields of law, medicine, and psychology to understand how narrative and story are utilized in learning and people development. These insights will be utilized to form a prototype storytelling framework as an instructional methodology for corporate training initiatives