This article explores the issue of teaching youth to use computers in the instructional environment. It particularly talks about web-assisted learning for children.

This paper reports the core findings of an international study that examined the perceptions of LIS community towards knowledge management inclusion in the LIS education. Taking the perspectives of members of international LIS communities, we try to identify the rationale for a paradigm shift in library education towards knowledge management. We also explore the perceptions of LIS community towards the nature and content of knowledge management program in the LIS education which best meets the challenges of the knowledge management work environment.

This research reports the findings from a survey that examined the differences in communication between students who used Instant Messenger (IM) services and those who did not in the same asynchronous distance education Web-based course. It was found that students who used IM services found it easier to communicate, felt a stronger sense of community, and had more venues for informal and social communication about not only class material, but also information about the school and their common degree program. In traditional classroom buildings, the common spaces such as hallways provide the venue for this informal communication; IM services can enhance the distance education environment by providing the â virtual hallwaysâ for students and instructors to meet.

The use of computers within the electronic environment has led to rapid and dynamic changes in the way governments and businesses operate. One of the significant outcomes of computerization is that managing electronic records now relies on IT and it needs to be integrated into the business processes of an organization. Therefore electronic records management (ERM) not only requires the involvement of key players in recordkeeping, such as records managers and archivists, but also IT personnel and administrators under a common shared responsibility to establish a credible electronic records management programme. According to McLeod, Hare and Johare (2004) managing records in the electronic environment is not only a major challenge but also increasingly a strategic issue for organizations in both the public and private sectors. They suggested that “a key factor in meeting both the challenge and addressing the strategic management is the provision of education and/or training for employees and potential employees (i.e students). In particular, providing this at the appropriate level of detail and in the appropriate areas of the subject, commensurate with roles and responsibilities so that these people can discharge, both effectively and efficiently, their responsibilities for managing records in the electronic environment”. Within this context, this paper examines the education and training opportunities on ERM worldwide and in Asia.

We are finding ourselves in a rapidly growing and complex digital environment which has in turn increased our dependency on information. But there is increasing evidence that our information skills are not keeping pace in any systematic fashion. We all need help to sharpen the techniques and skills to manage information. Present paper is an attempt to present the current status of information literacy and the emerging roles of libraries and schools of LIS education in augmenting the information literacy campaign.

A descriptive analysis of the histories of the Institute of Professional Librarians of Ontario (1960â 1976) reveals not only the circumstances surrounding the creation, growth, and decline of this singular expression of the professionalization of librarianship but also foregrounds the ways in which the historical narration of the profession must look beyond the traditional delineation of intrinsic traits in order to circumscribe librarianship more adequately. To that end, consideration is given to one important factor, the Royal Commission Inquiry into Civil Rights (1964-71). It is evident that historical recovery of this sort is crucial to the profession's self-understanding as it negotiates its contemporary stance with respect to both librarians and the publics that they serve.

The long-running REU-program is tacitly intended to increase retention and provide "an important educational experience" for undergraduates, particularly women, minorities and underrepresented groups. This longitudinal, two-stage study was designed to explore the ways in which REUs acted as educational experiences for 51 women in the field of astronomy, in an attempt to develop a theory of experience related to the REU. Stage-1 consisted of an ex post facto analysis of data collected over 8 years, including multiple interviews with each participant during their REU, annual open-ended alumni surveys, faculty interviews, and extensive field notes. All data were analyzed using a theoretical framework of continuity and interaction, in a search for transformative experiences. Four findings emerged, related to developing understandings of the nature of professional scientific work, the scientific process, the culture of academia, and an understanding of the "self." Analysis provided an initial theory that was used to design the Stage-2 interview protocol. In Stage-2, over 10 hours of interviews were conducted with 8 participants selected for their potential to disconfirm the initial theory. Results indicate that the REU provided a limited impact in terms of participants' knowledge of professional astronomy as a largely computer-based endeavor. The REU did not provide a substantive educational experience related to the nature of scientific work, the scientific process, the culture of academia, participants' conceptions about themselves as situated in science, or other aspects of the "self." Instead, the data suggests that these women began the REU with pre-existing and remarkably strong conceptions in these areas, and that the REU did not functional to alter those states. These conceptions were frequently associated with other mentors/scientist interactions, from middle school into the undergraduate years. Instructors and family members also served as crucial forces in shaping highly developed, stable science identities. Sustained relationships with mentors were particularly transformational. These findings motivate an ongoing research agenda of long-term mentoring relationships for women in the sciences, at a variety of stages and across multiple disciplines.

<p>Digital games are marketed, mass-produced, and consumed by an increasing number of people and the game industry is only expected to grow. In response, post-secondary institutions in the United Kingdom (UK) and the United States (US) have started to create game degree programs. Though curriculum theorists provide insight into the process of creating a new program, no formal research contextualizes curriculum planning for game degree programs. </p><p> The purpose of this research was to explore these processes when planning undergraduate game degree programs. The research methodology included an explanatory mixed-methods approach, using a quantitative survey of participants in the UK and the US, followed by an interview of several participants selected on the basis of their institution's demographics. The study provides insight into the curriculum planning process, including factors that influence the final program content, and a list of recommendations for educators, trade associations, and the games industry to improve game degree programs. </p>

<p> Since their origin in 1925, standards for elementary school library programs have outlined role expectations for the school librarian. As the passage of time introduced new technologies into the world of education, these standards were reviewed and revised. After each revision, the standards, which were later referred to as guidelines, reflected an updated view on the school librarian's position with additional responsibilities listed in the form of roles. Researchers have explored perceptions of educator groups regarding these roles, to determine if they were accepted by the members of the school community (Church, 2008; Dorrell &amp; Lawson, 1995; Gustafson, 1982; Kaplan, 2006; McCracken, 2001; Mohajerin &amp; Smith, 1981; Person, 1993; Roach, 1989; Schon, Helmstadter, &amp; Robinson, 1991; Scott, 1986; Shannon, 1996; Shelton, 2002). Repeatedly, findings indicated disagreement among the educator groups and an overall lack of support of these roles from teachers, administrators, and even school librarians themselves, in some cases. If a lack of support for the fulfillment of these roles exists, the school library program cannot develop to its full potential. Consequently, the school librarian cannot fully contribute to student achievement, and a valuable resource is wasted. This study explored perceptions held by educators at the elementary level on the roles of the school librarian, in light of the latest revision to the guidelines (American Association of School Librarians, 2009) which added the role of leader to the list of expectations for school librarians, to determine if a lack of support for the fulfillment of these roles persists.</p>

<p> Saint Anne's Middle School is a Catholic, bilingual, bicultural, middle school for girls that participates in the Milwaukee Parental School Choice Program. This case study explored reading and language arts as experienced in the school through the lens of a school library media specialist. The students&rsquo; social, emotional, and intellectual needs appeared to be met at the school for the most part. The school also exhibited best practices for teaching reading at the middle school level to bilingual students. However, to improve reading, the school would want to consider changing the school&rsquo;s focus from reading comprehension to reading engagement so that students become lifelong readers. In addition, as schools begin to roll out the new educational framework known as the Common Core, which will change how librarians and teachers present reading, and standardized tests assess reading, it is essential that more time be dedicated to exploring point-of-view in informational texts. Finally, because the students tend to score lower on vocabulary than comprehension in reading assessments, increasing the use of free-reading books to introduce vocabulary may provide further opportunities for students to improve on standardized test scores while teaching a valuable lifelong skill. In sum, even a strong school can improve on reading and language arts instruction, and this project shows ways that teachers and librarians can change their thinking to be ready to implement Common Core and still achieve reading engagement.</p>