Video killed the multiple-choice quiz: capturing pharmacy students’ literature searching skills using a screencast video assignment

Background: In a flipped, required first-year drug information course, students were taught the systematic approach to answering drug information questions, commonly utilized resources, and literature searching. As co-coordinator, a librarian taught three weeks of the course focused on mobile applications, development of literature searching skills, and practicing in PubMed. Course assignments were redesigned in 2019 based on assessment best practices and replaced weekly multiple-choice quizzes used in prior iterations of the course.Case Presentation: Following two weeks of literature searching instruction, students were assigned a drug information question that would serve as the impetus for the search they conducted. Students (n=66) had one week to practice and record a screencast video of their search in PubMed. Students narrated their video with an explanation of the actions being performed and were assessed using a twenty-point rubric created by the course coordinator and librarian. The librarian also created general feedback videos for each question by recording screencasts while performing the literature searches and clarifying troublesome aspects for students. The librarian spent about twenty-four hours grading and six hours writing scripts, recording, and editing feedback videos.Conclusion: Most students performed well on the assignment and few experienced technical difficulties. Instructors will use this assignment and feedback method in the future. Screencast videos proved an innovative way to assess student knowledge and to provide feedback on literature searching assignments. This method is transferrable to any medical education setting and could be used across all health professions to improve information literacy skills.

Comparative Conceptual Analysis in a Legal Translation Classroom: Where Do the Pitfalls Lie

It is a well-acknowledged fact in legal translation studies that when searching for terminological equivalents, translators should make use of comparative conceptual analysis (e.g. Sandrini 1996; Chromá 2014; Engberg 2015). Thus, legal translation trainees should be equipped with the necessary tools to carry out such analysis, but the question remains: are they? This paper is a follow-up to a study published in 2017 (Klabal, Knap-Dlouhá and Kubánek 2017), where modified think aloud protocols were used to explore the following research question: to what degree are university students doing a course in legal and economic translation able to apply the methods of comparative conceptual analysis to translation of terms not accounted for sufficiently in legal dictionaries or terms with no straightforward equivalents. The results showed that major issues involve non-linearity of the analysis carried out and insufficient use of the resources available. The present study involves a different group of 29 BA students of the same course two years later, who were assigned the same task. As the retrospective protocols fail to simulate real-life conditions, this study uses screen recording and keystroke logging to track the processes leading to the identification of the conceptual equivalent in a more detailed and less subject-dependent manner. The results suggest that the steps most challenging for students include identification of relevant (essential) features defining the source and target language concepts, comparison of these features and selection, or creation, of an equivalent term reflecting the results of the analysis. Students also frequently show Google-driven searching, which influences the order of the steps performed in their analyses and the sources used. To address these challenges, translation training should include a range of tailor-made exercises focusing on the critical steps of the analysis as well as on improving web searching skills.

Evidence‐searching capability among health care professionals: a comparative study

Background Evidence-based practice is among core competencies of health care professionals (HCPs). However, the levels of evidence-searching capability may differ among various disciplines of HCPs as they receive different education and trainings for various durations in medical schools and teaching hospitals. Methods This study aimed to compare the evidence-searching capability among different disciplines of HCPs and identify which aspects need to be reinforced. From a teaching hospital, we recruited 80 HCPs of various disciplines and compared their evidence-searching capability by using a validated scale. To examine if sex and education levels affect evidence-searching capability, we performed a multiple linear regression analysis with collinearity diagnostics. Results Physicians and pharmacists performed significantly better than other disciplines in the seven formative assessment items and the summative item (all P < 0.05). No collinearity was detected between discipline and age nor level of education. Except for the 2nd formative assessment item (correlation coefficient 0.24 ± 0.12, P = 0.04), participant’s levels of education did not affect evidence-searching capability. Age was associated with lower evidence-searching capability in five formative and the summative assessment items. Conclusions We found a better evidence-searching capability among physicians and pharmacists than other HCPs who may require more training on evidence-searching skills. Also, evidence-searching skills training should be provided to HCPs irrespective of age and education levels.

Awareness of Career Prospects in Librarianship and Students’ Preparedness in Library Schools in South-East Nigeria

The paper focused on Awareness of Career Prospects in librarianship and students‟ preparedness in library schools, South- East Nigeria. Descriptive survey research design method was adopted in this study. A total population of 552 respondents covering only final year students of the Library and Information Science Department of library schools in South-East was used for this study, to which 112 were randomly selected. Data was collected by means of a questionnaire and handbook for undergraduate programmes from 2012 to 2019 in each university where Library and Information Science is offered. Findings showed that information networking, software package, and library automation are taught by ESUT, IMSU, NAU, and ABSU only. While literature searching skills is not taught by any of the universities understudied, Introduction to ICT & Internet in Library and information services courses are taught by ESUT, IMSU and NAU. In addition, Electronic publishing and IT tools and computer application are taught only in MOUAU. It was also revealed that students are aware of the following information outlets: libraries, schools, archives, banks, media houses, museums, education and training institutions for information personnel, among others. Results indicated that SIWES and school coursework were the major events put in place in preparing students for a career in librarianship. Recommendations were made based on the findings. Keywords: Awareness, Career prospects, Librarianship, Library schools

WEB-BASED RESOURCES AND WEB SEARCHING SKILLS FOR TRANSLATORS WITH A SPECIFIC FOCUS ON THE POLISH-ENGLISH LANGUAGE PAIR

In the modern technology-driven translation market, using the available tools and resources seems to be more of a requirement than an option. This view is shared by translation scholars, who incorporate information competence in their translation competence models, translation educators and students, and professional translators. The theoretical background of the paper is based on the conceptual framework used by the author is her longitudinal study into the development of information competence in undergraduate translation students. The paper contains a collection of web-based resources for translators and shows the ways in which they can develop their web searching skills. Keywords: information competence, translator training, web-based resources, web searching.

Can you teach research in 10 minutes? Embedding information literacy micro-sessions in module programmes

This case study discusses the inception and continued delivery of 10-minute micro research skills sessions within two entrepreneurship modules at Coventry University London. The case study starts with an explanation of how and why the project was developed. Its rationale was underpinned by both established, current bite-sized learning research, and established psychological and neural evidence. This paper describes how these practices are used in the workplace to promote continuous professional development and disseminate company information for training purposes. Discussing both the delivery and skills content, this paper explains the methods used by the Information and Skills Development Specialist (ISDS) in each 10-minute session to engage students and embed database searching skills in to their routine study practices. It also explains how this practice has been adopted by students and how the skills have been embedded to enhance their final business pitches at the end of their modules.

Educational interventions to improve literature searching skills in the health sciences: a scoping review

Objective: The authors reviewed educational interventions for improving literature searching skills in the health sciences.Methods: We performed a scoping review of experimental and quasi-experimental studies published in English and German, irrespective of publication year. Targeted outcomes were objectively measurable literature searching skills (e.g., quality of search strategy, study retrieval, precision). The search methods consisted of searching databases (CINAHL, Embase, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, Web of Science), tracking citations, free web searching, and contacting experts. Two reviewers performed screening and data extraction. To evaluate the completeness of reporting, the Template for Intervention Description and Replication (TIDieR) was applied.Results: We included 6 controlled trials and 8 pre-post trials from the 8,484 references that we screened. Study participants were students in various health professions and physicians. The educational formats of the interventions varied. Outcomes clustered into 2 categories: (1) developing search strategies (e.g., identifying search concepts, selecting databases, applying Boolean operators) and (2) database searching skills (e.g., searching PubMed, MEDLINE, or CINAHL). In addition to baseline and post-intervention measurement, 5 studies reported follow-up. Almost all studies adequately described their intervention procedures and delivery but did not provide access to the educational material. The expertise of the intervention facilitators was described in only 3 studies.Conclusions: The results showed a wide range of study populations, interventions, and outcomes. Studies often lacked information about educational material and facilitators’ expertise. Further research should focus on intervention effectiveness using controlled study designs and long-term follow-up. To ensure transparency, replication, and comparability, studies should rigorously describe their intervention. This article has been approved for the Medical Library Association’s Independent Reading Program.

Computer Literacy, User Education and Online Searching Skills: Predictors for Undergraduates’ Use of E-Resources in Al-Hikmah University

This study examined how computer literacy, user education and online searching skills could assist undergraduate students at Al-Hikmah University to benefit from the e-resources of the libraries. The study adopted the survey design method using the Raosoft online sample size calculator with a 17% precision level and a 95% confidence level. In all, 185 undergraduate students were sampled for the study. A simple random sampling technique was used to arrive at the sample. Data was collected using a questionnaire and the data was subsequently analysed using SPSS version 21.0. The study discovered a significant relationship between computer literacy skills and the use of electronic resources among the undergraduates in the study. It was discovered that there was no significant relationship between undergraduates’ perception of user education and the use of electronic resources. A significant relationship was also discovered between online searching skills and the use of electronic resources among the students, while computer literacy, user education and online searching skills had a joint effect on the use of e-resources among the students. The study revealed that the majority of the respondents (74.1%) rated insufficient ICT (information and communications technology) infrastructure as the main hindrance to undergraduates’ usage of e-resources, followed by a lack of support to use the e-resources (71.8%); slow internet connectivity (69.1%) was rated third; the high cost of access to databases (68.0%) was rated fourth; power outages and restricted access to e-resources received the same rating (64.7%) while low computer literacy skills (56.9%) received the lowest rating. Similarly, it was concluded that computer literacy, user education and online searching skills influence the usage of e-resources among undergraduates at Al-Hikmah University. The study recommended that facilitators of user education should ensure that students are well tutored and equipped with relevant computer literacy and online searching skills. In order to eliminate the factors inhibiting the usage of e-resources among undergraduates at Al-Hikmah University, management of the university and the library should ensure that challenges facing the undergraduates in the use of e-resources are addressed.

Searchaton: a gamified, team-based on-site teaching format for literature searching for medical students

The Medical Faculty and the University Medical Library of the University of Basel jointly developed a new learning unit called Searchaton. This learning unit aimed at providing knowledge for the point-of-care literature search in everyday clinical practice. To make this as practical and customer-oriented as possible, the faculty and library interacted closely with medical experts. During the Searchaton, the task was to translate a patient case into a clinical question and to find an answer to that question. The format combined collaborative working and gamification with an aspect of time pressure to better reflect everyday clinical situations. The participants benefited greatly from the intensive support and were able to assess their searching skills in the context of evidence-based clinical decision-making.

Organic Learning in Undergraduate Library Instruction

Organic learning engages undergraduates in discovering new knowledge based on prior learning through variety of guided activities that stimulate inquiry-based learning and critical thinking in the research process. Some activities include searching, browsing, accessing, gathering, evaluating, assessing, reflecting, organizing, linking, and synthesizing. Learning how to access information by using a variety of search strategies as well as delivery platforms such as Google, discovery, individual databases, and the internet can be overwhelming and challenging. When students discover how to search and access desired sources through a variety of explicitly designed information literacy instructions with clearly defined learning outcomes, they take ownership of developing their learning and research skills. Through organic learning, they experience lightbulb moments, asking questions, discussing topics, and then searching again for more information. Organic learning unconsciously involves students in self-education, engaging them in the research process without pressuring them to practice redundant, rote exercises. Often undergraduates encounter difficulty in conceptualizing the research process as complex and multi-faceted. The authors argue that organic learning strategies to activate prior learning that builds advanced searching skills and increase new scholarly knowledge.