Digital humanities degrees and supplemental credentials in Information Schools (iSchools)

The digital humanities (DH) is an emerging field of teaching and research that invites modern technologies to address traditional humanities questions while simultaneously making space for humanistic critiques of those technologies. A natural relationship exists between DH and the field of information studies (the iField), particularly surrounding their common focus on the interface between humans and computers, as well as subfields such as the organization of information, libraries and archives, data preservation, and information in society. Thus, we propose that iField programs in universities should take an active role in DH education. We are particularly interested in programs that are officially Information Schools (iSchools), members of the international iSchools Organization. Our research began as part of a DH curriculum committee convened by the iSchools Organization. To support iSchool engagement in DH education, we have inventoried and analyzed the degrees and supplemental credentials offered by DH education programs throughout the world. Our study deployed multiple data collection methods, which included conducting both ad hoc and comprehensive website surveys, querying an online DH catalog, and inviting members of the iSchools Organization to participate in an online questionnaire. This work has revealed several common patterns for the current structure of DH programs, including the various types of degrees or supplemental credentials offered. We observe that iSchools have a significant opportunity to become more engaged in DH education and we suggest several possible approaches based on our research.

Enhancing the Pipeline of Pathologists in the United States

The shortage of pathologists in the United States has been a topic of discussion for the past 2 decades. At the 2014 Association of Pathology Chairs (APC)/Program Directors Section (PRODS) meeting, a Pipeline Subcommittee (PSC) of the APC Advocacy Committee was formed with the charge of investigating ways to increase the number of highly qualified United States Medical Graduates entering into pathology. Several online surveys were developed to identify the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats to recruitment into pathology. Two general pipeline surveys were completed; one was issued in 2014 and is discussed in this article. In 2018, the Medical Education Working Group surveyed the Undergraduate Medical Education Directors Section on the state of undergraduate medical education for pathology; pipeline issues are included in this article from the 2018 survey. Medical schools that reported 2% to 5% or more of their graduates going into pathology were compared with schools where less than 1% went into pathology. About one-third of schools producing more pathology residents had Post-Sophomore Pathology Fellowships. Schools that had a faculty member on the curriculum committee that felt they had little or no control were more likely to have fewer graduates going into pathology. Schools having students view an autopsy as a requirement of graduation were more likely to produce graduates going into pathology. However, none of these characteristics achieved statistical significance. Continued incorporation of best practices for exposure of pathology as a medical specialty as well as outreach to students will be necessary for the future pipeline.

Matching Accounting Curricula with Market Demands: A Study on the University of Rajshahi in Bangladesh

The study strived to explore whether the accounting curricula of the University of Rajshahi fit the needs of both domestic and foreign job markets. To accomplish this purpose, we prepared five sets of Likert-type structured questionnaires and administered them to stakeholders viz faculties, students, alumni, non-academic staff, and employers. The Higher Education Quality Enhancement Program (HEQEP) of the University Grants Commission of Bangladesh provided the questionnaires. The study found a notable gap between the courses and content covered in the accounting curricula and the skills acquired by the graduates as well their skills and needs of the job market. The Department of Accounting and Information Systems of the University developed the accounting curricula without any participation of its stakeholders and professional body members. Faculties designed curricula, but it was just routine work. Recently it has mandatory to include a member from alumni, employers, and professionals in the curriculum committee. But they have very little freedom to exercise their rights and give inputs to a curriculum to meet the needs of the job market. Moreover, the prevailing lecture-based teaching-learning pedagogy and exam-based assessment practiced by universities expand the gap. The study recommends proper representation of stakeholders in the curricula Committee and designing market-led forward-looking curricula for accounting programs giving emphasis on information technology and taking into account the demands of the prevailing and prospective job markets.

Decolonisation Versus Hegemony: Making History Compulsory in Basic Education

This study investigates the possibility of making History a compulsory subject up to Grade 10 in South African schools. At present, History is part of the Social Sciences learning area taught from Grade 4 to Grade 9. History is not a compulsory subject from Grade 10. In a quest to promote social cohesion and unity in the South African society that was fragmented along racial and ethnic lines, the democratic government has sought to introduce History as a compulsory subject as it is seen as a tool to unite the nation and to promote decolonisation, nation-building and social cohesion. The study reported on in this article was an anti-positivist study based on a literature review. The researchers found that there was a general consensus among scholars and politicians that History should be made a compulsory subject. Yet they also found that there were those who were sceptical about its introduction as a compulsory subject for they feared the intention might be to use it as a political tool and that it might discourage those who intended studying it. Therefore, the researchers recommend that in order to pave the way for making History a compulsory subject at schools, a democratic curriculum committee should be established to design a History curriculum that accommodates all the population groups in the country. Furthermore, the public should be given the opportunity to participate by giving their input into the proposed curriculum.

PENERAPAN PENDIDIKAN KARAKTER TERHADAP EFEKTIFITAS PENGGUNAAN KURIKULUM 2013 DALAM PERSEPEKTIF MORAL BANGSA DI SMA NURUL JANNAH NW AMPENAN

Tujuan penelitian ini untuk mengetahui penerapan pendidikan karakter terhadap efektifitas penggunan kurikulum 2013 dalam persepektif moral bangsa dan untuk mengetahui kendala yang dihadapi guru dalam penerapan kurikulum 2013. Penelitian ini merupakan penelitian kualitatif dengan pendekatan deskriptif. Teknik pengambilan sampel dengan menggunakan snowball sampling. Informan kunci dalam penelitian ini adalah kepala sekolah, waka kurikulum, wali kelas, guru dan siswa. Data penelitian diperoleh melalui tehnik observasi, wawancara dan dokumentasi. Data yang sudah terkumpul dianalisis melalui langkah reduksi data, penyajian data dan verifikasi. Hasil penelitian menunjukan bahwa (1) penerapan pendidikan karakter dalam penggunaan kurikulum 2013 sudah diterapkan secara efektif. Hal ini terlihat dari pengintegrasian pendidikan karakter oleh guru dalam setiap mata pelajaran. (2) dipandang dalam persepekif moral bangsa bahwa karakter yang dimilki siswa terindikasi sudah bermoral bangsa yang baik. Hal ini terbukti dari beberapa karakter yang diterapkan siswa dalam lingkungan sekolah seperti karakter religius, jujur, toleransi, peduli sosial, tanggung jawab, peduli lingkungan, bersahabat dan demokratis. (3) kendala yang dihadapi guru dalam penerapan pendidikan karakter yang utama adalah sarana dan prasarana dan minimnya waktu dalam kegiatan pembelajaran. Ini terlihat dari kurangnya sarana misalnya seperti LCD sebagai penunjang kegiatan pembelajaran dan ketidak tuntasan dalam penyampaian materi pembelajaran.The purpose of this study was to determine the application of character education to the effectiveness of the use of the 2013 curriculum in the nation's moral perspective and to find out the obstacles faced by teachers in the implementation of the 2013 curriculum. The sampling technique using snowball sampling. The key informants in this study were the principal, curriculum committee, homeroom teacher and students. The research data was obtained through observation, interview and documentation techniques. Data that has been collected is analyzed through data reduction steps, data presentation and verification. The results of the study show that (1) the application of character education in the use of the 2013 curriculum has been applied effectively. This can be seen from the integration of character education by teachers in each subject. (2) seen in the nation's moral perspective that the character possessed by students is indicated to have good moral values. This is evident from some of the characters applied by students in the school environment such as religious character, honesty, tolerance, social care, responsibility, caring, friendly and democratic. (3) constraints faced by teachers in implementing the main character education are facilities and infrastructure and the minimum time in learning activities. This can be seen from the lack of facilities such as LCD as supporting learning activities and incompleteness in the delivery of learning material.

Library instruction in medical education: a survey of current practices in the United States and Canada

Objective: The most recent survey on instruction practices in libraries affiliated with accredited medical institutions in the United States was conducted in 1996. The present study sought to update these data, while expanding to include Canadian libraries. Additional analysis was undertaken to test for statistically significant differences between library instruction in the United States and Canada and between libraries affiliated with highly ranked and unranked institutions.Methods: A twenty-eight-question survey was distributed to libraries affiliated with accredited US and Canadian medical schools to assess what and how often librarians teach, as well as how librarians are involved in the curriculum committee and if they are satisfied with their contact with students and faculty. Quantitative data were analyzed with SAS, R, and MedCalc.Results: Most of the seventy-three responding libraries provided instruction, both asynchronously and synchronously. Library instruction was most likely to be offered in two years of medical school, with year one seeing the most activity. Database use was the most frequently taught topic, and libraries reported a median of five librarians providing instruction, with larger staffs offering slightly more education sessions per year. Libraries associated with highly ranked schools were slightly more likely to offer sessions that were integrated into the medical school curriculum in year four and to offer sessions in more years overall.Conclusions: In US and Canadian libraries, regardless of the rank of the affiliated medical school, librarians’ provision of instruction in multiple formats on multiple topics is increasingly common.