scholarly journals Library requirements of Masters of Art (Creative Writing) students : is the class library of the International Institute of Modern Letters meeting their information needs?

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Samantha April Callaghan
Keyword(s):  
Creative Writing ◽  
Information Needs ◽  
Teaching Staff ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
International Institute ◽  
Exploratory Research ◽  
Class Library ◽  
Library Anxiety ◽  
Reading Material ◽  
Master Of Arts

<p>To investigate whether the Class Library of the International Institute of Modern Letters was meeting the information needs of the students in the Master of Arts (Creative Writing) an exploratory research approach was used. A sequential mixed methodology study comprised of a questionnaire, with both quantitative and qualitative content, to canvass student responses as well as interviews with the Institute's students, its teaching staff, and the Collection Development Librarian of the Victoria University of Wellington Central Library. The findings showed that students made significant use of the Class Library, often in preference to the University Library. This usage was based on factors such as collection quality, proximity to the Institute, accessibility of the collection and the availability of reading material.   Library anxiety experienced when using the Central Library is another probable factor. Based on these findings, it was recommended that the Institute retain the Class Library as an autonomous collection and not integrate it into the collection of the Victoria University of Wellington Central Library.</p>

scholarly journals Library requirements of Masters of Art (Creative Writing) students : is the class library of the International Institute of Modern Letters meeting their information needs?

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Samantha April Callaghan
Keyword(s):  
Creative Writing ◽  
Information Needs ◽  
Teaching Staff ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
International Institute ◽  
Exploratory Research ◽  
Class Library ◽  
Library Anxiety ◽  
Reading Material ◽  
Master Of Arts

<p>To investigate whether the Class Library of the International Institute of Modern Letters was meeting the information needs of the students in the Master of Arts (Creative Writing) an exploratory research approach was used. A sequential mixed methodology study comprised of a questionnaire, with both quantitative and qualitative content, to canvass student responses as well as interviews with the Institute's students, its teaching staff, and the Collection Development Librarian of the Victoria University of Wellington Central Library. The findings showed that students made significant use of the Class Library, often in preference to the University Library. This usage was based on factors such as collection quality, proximity to the Institute, accessibility of the collection and the availability of reading material.   Library anxiety experienced when using the Central Library is another probable factor. Based on these findings, it was recommended that the Institute retain the Class Library as an autonomous collection and not integrate it into the collection of the Victoria University of Wellington Central Library.</p>

scholarly journals Attitudes of nursing faculty members toward technology and e-learning in Lebanon

BMC Nursing ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rona Nsouli ◽  
Dimitrios Vlachopoulos
Keyword(s):  
Nursing Education ◽  
Nursing Faculty ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Faculty Members ◽  
Teaching Staff ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Daily Work ◽  
Nursing Curricula ◽  
Positive Attitudes ◽  
Nursing Faculty Members

Abstract Background Our transition to an “information society” means that Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has become integral to our lives. ICT has also become an essential aspect of medical institutions and healthcare settings. Healthcare professionals, especially nurses are required to use ICT in their daily work. In Lebanon, however, due to political factors, many universities have not introduced technology or any form of ICT in their curricula. Institutions of higher education do use technology in various ways, however, successful incorporation of ICT in education requires acceptance by instructors who are expected to use ICT in teaching practices. Although international findings reveal that ICT should be used in nursing education, some faculty members experience difficulty integrating it. Method A mixed methodological research approach was used to investigate the attitudes of nursing teaching staff toward the use of ICT in nursing education. Results Our findings revealed three categories of faculty with differing attitudes to the use of ICT in teaching and learning: pioneers, faculty members who have developed positive attitudes toward ICT usage; followers, faculty members with neutral attitudes; and resisters, faculty members with negative attitudes. Conclusions Identification of the nursing faculty members’ attitude toward ICT and the challenges faced by them contributes to the integration of ICT into nursing curricula and further development of educational practices.

Stakeholder views on sustainability in an urban destination context: an inclusive path to destination competitiveness

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Gaurav Panse ◽  
Alan Fyall ◽  
Sergio Alvarez
Keyword(s):  
Urban Tourism ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Exploratory Research ◽  
Tourism Destination ◽  
Urban Settings ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Cultural Sustainability ◽  
Mass Tourism ◽  
Destination Competitiveness ◽  
Development Goals

Purpose Mass tourism in urban settings has proven to be economically significant in many parts of the world. To date, however, the academic debate on sustainable tourism has focused primarily on the ecological and socio-cultural sustainability of tourism in rural and coastal, rather than urban, settings. This paper aims to review the emerging debate on sustainable urban tourism, its complexities and challenges, and questions how urban destinations that are striving to become sustainable cities, can leverage benefit from the implementation of sustainable policies and practices to achieve tourism ‘destination’ competitiveness. Design/methodology/approach The paper uses a qualitative, exploratory research approach using in-depth interviews to seek responses from key stakeholders on their views and experiences of sustainability in the context of an urban destination. Thematic analysis is used to analyze and present the findings. Findings This study concludes that destinations need to be viewed in their broader regional context. Rather than be viewed solely as destinations that are ‘kind to the environment,’ sustainable urban destinations need to demonstrate a deeper commitment to all stakeholder groups, and especially local residents, to provide a fair and desirable ecosystem for achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Originality/value This paper reflects on the potential relationship between ‘urban sustainability’ and the ‘destination competitiveness’ of an urban tourism destination. This then will provide the platform for sustainability to truly contribute to future destination competitiveness.

scholarly journals A qualitative approach in determining the patient-centered information and supportive care needs of cancer patients in Singapore

BMJ Open ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. e034178
Author(s):  
Gek Phin Chua ◽  
Hiang Khoon Tan
Keyword(s):  
Supportive Care ◽  
Cancer Patients ◽  
Quantitative Study ◽  
Information Needs ◽  
Supportive Care Needs ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Detailed Knowledge ◽  
Care Needs ◽  
Treatment Unit ◽  
Ambulatory Treatment

ObjectivesTo qualitatively interpret the information and supportive care needs perceived by cancer patients undergoing treatment in order to get a deeper appreciation of patients’ needs and concerns. The intended outcome is to provide baseline knowledge for improving patient-centred strategies to better meet the information and supportive needs of patients.DesignA qualitative research approach, based on conventional content analysis, was used throughout the research process. The three open-ended questions obtained from a previous quantitative study guided the researchers to explore the information and supportive care needs of patients. Data from patients’ responses were analysed and coded in themes.Participants and settingPatients attending the Ambulatory Treatment Unit of the National Cancer Centre Singapore were invited to participate in the study. We determined from these subjects the type of information that cancer patients need, and to measure the extent to which these information needs are met by measuring patients’ level of satisfaction. Included in the quantitative study were three open-ended questions designed to gain a deeper understanding of their needs and concerns. All subjects were aged 21 years and above and able to understand and communicate in English/Mandarin. They were also aware of their diagnosis, they were not cognitively impaired and were not at the end-of-life situation.ResultsA variety of information and supportive care needs were identified, and three specific areas of concerns were identified: (1) psychosocial and supportive care needs, (2) information needs and (3) information delivery by professionals.ConclusionThe information and supportive care needs expressed were consistent with issues of cancer patients undergoing treatment. The strategies to improve patients’ coping abilities through patient-centred care are discussed. Further studies assessing the barriers of information provision by healthcare professionals should provide more detailed knowledge about unmet information needs.

scholarly journals Can Pedagogical Innovations Be Sustainable? One Evaluation Outlook for Research Developed in PortugueseHigher Education

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (11) ◽  
pp. 725
Author(s):  
Cecília Guerra ◽  
Nilza Costa
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Academic Success ◽  
Teaching Staff ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Research Results ◽  
Societal Challenges ◽  
Academic Practices ◽  
Pedagogical Innovations ◽  
Portuguese Higher Education ◽  
Key Participants

Across higher education, teachers have been inspiring themselves (and others) to apply pedagogical innovations grounded in a unifying intention: to prepare students for labour markets and societal challenges. Research-based education has been funded to promote pedagogical innovations with valuable impact on the students' academic success and/or the teachers' academic growth. However, there is still few documented research-based evidence that highlight how long-lasting and/or how embedded are the pedagogical innovations in academic practices, particularly when the funding period comes to an end. The purpose of this article is to discuss the extent to which funded national research-based education projects, developed in public Portuguese higher education institutions (universities and polytechnic institutes), have considered the sustainability of research results (e.g., pedagogical innovations), after funding ends. Based on a qualitative research approach, data collection included: document analysis of 39 projects’ materials and conceptions collected with 9 coordinators and 17 key participants from selected projects, through interviews and questionnaires, respectively. Content analysis of data collected showed that there are key factors that contribute to enhance and/or limit the sustainability of research results (e.g., funding and institutional support to maintain innovation). Results and recommendations are put forward to inform educational policies, funding agencies and involved actors (e.g., institution leaders, researchers, and teaching staff) to increase the sustainability of research results.

scholarly journals GENRE APPROACH IN CREATIVE WRITING PEDAGOGY IN ENGLISH IN UPPER PRIMARY CLASSES IN KENYA

2021 ◽  
pp. 90-99
Author(s):  
Sophie Ahono Maninji
Keyword(s):  
Creative Writing ◽  
Primary Schools ◽  
Language Skills ◽  
Writing Pedagogy ◽  
Exploratory Research ◽  
Ministry Of Education ◽  
Validity And Reliability ◽  
Creative Writing Pedagogy ◽  
Inappropriate Use ◽  
Pedagogical Approaches

Writing can be used to measure learning of the other three language skills and written materials be used for reference in future. Creative writing (CW) is the production of texts which have an aesthetic rather than a purely informative, instrumental or pragmatic purpose. It is a personal writing where the purpose is to express thoughts, feeling and emotions in an imaginative, unique, and sometimes poetic way. Of all the four language skills, creative writing is a high order skill that calls for molding through appropriate pedagogical approaches. In Kenya, English is both an examinable subject and a language of instruction. CW accounts for 40% of the total score in English subject. However, over 62% of learners fail to achieve writing competence at the end of primary course. Primary schools in Vihiga County have persistently underperformed in CW with more than (70%) of Class 8 learners scoring below the average mean mark. Despite this underperformance, only a few studies on CW pedagogy are available. CW studies conducted in Kenya have established that 60 % of teachers find it difficult to teach CW while 75% of learners find it boring. These have implications for pedagogy and students’ writing enthusiasm. The objective of this study was to explore the use genre pedagogic approach and its effectiveness in the development of CW skills. Archer’s theory of reflexivity which views writing as internal and external conversations was used. The study used qualitative exploratory research design and the study was conducted in Vihiga County. The data collection tools were Lesson Observation Schedule and Interview Schedule whose validity and reliability were tested through triangulation. From Class 6-8, 30 lessons in 10 purposively selected schools were observed and 30 teachers whose lessons had been observed were interviewed. Data were analyzed thematically through transcription, coding and identification of themes. The key finding was: inappropriate use of genre approach due to teachers’ knowledge gaps on CW pedagogical approaches. The study recommended that teachers of English use genre approaches appropriately in CW pedagogy and the Ministry of Education to in-service teachers of English on CW approaches. The results are useful to teachers of English and Teacher Training Institutions. KEY WORDS: Approaches, Genre Approach Creative Writing and Upper Primary Learners.

scholarly journals 'Sado' - A novel and Expressions of creativity and rhetorical allience: Ni-Vanuatu women's voices

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mikaela Nyman
Keyword(s):  
Women Writers ◽  
Creative Writing ◽  
Oral History ◽  
Public Space ◽  
Meaning Making ◽  
Local Context ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Women's Voices ◽  
Main Research ◽  
Three Generations

This PhD thesis in creative writing explores women’s marginalised or under-represented public voices in Vanuatu, focusing on literary writing. The thesis is in two parts and uses the dual lenses of fiction and critical thinking to explore the factors that define women’s realities and circumscribe the avenues for their voices to be heard and for their creative work to be published. The creative component is the main research element and consists of a novel, Sado,set in Vanuatu. The critical component addresses the invisibility of Ni-Vanuatu women writers and the ways in which they have attempted to overcome and challenge existing social and traditional power structures that silence women. The critical enquiry includes oral history interviews with three generations of Ni-Vanuatu women writers. This thesis is practice-led and uses an applied research approach, rather than a theoretical approach. The novel dramatises and articulates the moral and ethical dilemmas,regarding women’s place in society and the challenges posed by customary traditions rooted in a specific place for an increasingly mobile and urban population. The ethos guiding this project is to hold the space for Ni-Vanuatu women writers to tell their own stories.The thesis sits within the inter-disciplinary frameworks of Pacific Studies and Cultural Studies. It draws on Pacific literature and uses feminist theory and methodology,in combination with articulation and oral history methods,to examine the enabling and constraining factors, the actions, motivation and themes of three generations of Ni-Vanuatu writers, established and emerging, and the alliances they are attempting to forge. The thesis finds, firstly, that gendered norms, certain policies and aspects of customary traditions that use the male position as a default have contributed to limiting the public space for Ni-Vanuatu women’s voices to be heard and given due recognition. It furthermore finds that colonial language policies, particularly in education, have contributed to a reluctance to consider Bislama an appropriate literary vehicle. Finally,literary efforts in Vanuatu continue to be hampered by the absence of a community of writers, supportive institutions, publishing outlets, editorial support and a lack of finance for self-publishing work in printed form. An exploration of the significance of the poetry and non-fiction of two published Ni-Vanuatu writers, Grace Mera Molisa and Mildred Sope, anchors this research project historically. A creative writing workshop and oral history conversations constitute an extension of my research methodology into decolonising methods of research embedded in indigenous knowledge and local context. They likewise provide a generative and more collaborative form of meaning-making. In the spirit of Lisa King’s ideas on rhetorical sovereignty and rhetorical alliance, I explore various opportunities to generate more published writing from Vanuatu in collaboration with Ni-Vanuatu writers.

Can return on investment in knowledge management initiatives in organizations be measured?

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Maayan Nakash ◽  
Dan Bouhnik
Keyword(s):  
Knowledge Management ◽  
Return On Investment ◽  
Objective Assessment ◽  
Business Environment ◽  
Performance Measure ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
High Status ◽  
Theory Approach ◽  
Exploratory Research ◽  
Content Type

PurposeThis paper focuses on the meanings attributed to the measurement of return on investment (ROI) in knowledge management (KM) initiatives in knowledge-intensive organizations. At the heart of this exploratory research is the introduction of a unique coherent perspective of discipline experts regarding the ROI metric, as part of their perception of assessing effectiveness in this field.Design/methodology/approachThe research begins with in-depth semi-structured personal interviews and continues with focus groups, as part of a qualitative research paradigm. The data were analyzed using a thematic analysis method, based on the grounded theory approach.FindingsThe findings provide empirical evidence regarding the significant challenges associated with the objective assessment of KM performance, which is deeply rooted in numerical-financial values. Despite the high status of ROI in the business environment, the authors find that decision-makers surprisingly avoid evaluating ROI for the most important resource of the organization, notwithstanding the immeasurable hopes that depend on this performance measure and the expectation of establishing the profitability of investment in organizational KM.Originality/valueThe uniqueness of this research is the adoption of the skeptical-critical research approach. For the first time, the authors interrogate the suitability and relevance of the general model of the ROI metric as a means of proving the value and contribution of well-managed knowledge to organizations. The authors call for adoption of a new integrative perspective for evaluating effectiveness, which will reflect the holistic set of KM in organizations.

scholarly journals Preoperative information needs of children

2016 ◽  
Vol 06 (02) ◽  
pp. 040-043
Author(s):  
Priya Reshma Aranha
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
Information Needs ◽  
Survey Design ◽  
Care Facility ◽  
Health Care Facility ◽  
Sampling Technique ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Study Results ◽  
Preoperative Information

AbstractInformation seeking and receiving is the universally accepted right of children. When the children gets hospitalized and preparing for a surgery, it's the responsibility of the health care professionals to provide them with adequate information. Before giving the information it is essential to know what the children really wants to know. The main purpose of the study was to assess preoperative information needs of children undergoing surgery. With the non experimental research approach, a descriptive survey design was used in the study which was conducted in a selected hospital Mangaluru. Using non probability purposive sampling technique, 100 children of age 6-18 years were selected as study participants. The tool used were – the baseline proforma and the children's desire for preoperative information scale. The study results showed that majority of the children wanted to know the information regarding all the major happenings in their pre, intra and post operative events. Thus the study concludes that a structured preoperative teaching programme can be developed by the health care facility for the children undergoing surgery.

Triggers and motivators of privacy protection behavior on Facebook

2019 ◽  
Vol 33 (1) ◽  
pp. 57-72 ◽  
Author(s):  
Linda Alkire ◽  
Johannes Pohlmann ◽  
Willy Barnett
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Privacy Protection ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Social Recognition ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Exploratory Research ◽  
User Privacy ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Area Of Interest ◽  
The Impact

Purpose Internet user privacy risks have been a topical subject with respect to consumers, corporations and governments. In line with the recent privacy scandals linked to social media, the aim of this study is to explore users’ privacy protection behaviors (PPB) on Facebook through the actions they take to protect their privacy, their underlying motives and the values behind these protective actions. Moreover, this study aims to address an unintended consequence of Facebook usage. Despite Facebook’s positive and uplifting goal of connecting people, consumers are forced to resort to specific behaviors to protect their privacy and well-being. Design/methodology/approach This study adopts an exploratory research approach by using a well-established qualitative technique: structured laddering interviews. In total, 20 in-depth personal interviews were conducted with the Millennials. Findings Results show that the process of privacy protection is initiated by experiences, uncertainty and literacy, rather than threats, which leads to concerns that trigger PPBs. The most common PPBs include: “Reflection,” “Avoidance,” “Intervention,” “Restriction,” “Control,” and “Restraint.” The underlying motives for the adoption of these strategies include: “Success,” “Security,” “Social Recognition,” “A World of Peace,” “Exclusivity of Self,” “Being in Control,” “Meaning” and “True Friendship”. Originality/value The present research adopts a transdisciplinary framework to help fill the gap regarding the interplay of PPBs on Facebook, the triggers of those behaviors and their underlying motives. It contributes to the service literature and practice as it provides insights into a growing area of interest, whereas more social media channels are being created and more services are using social media strategies to engage and interact with their customers. Finally, it addresses the growing need to consider the impact of technological services, including internet and social media, on consumers’ and societies’ well-being.

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