Bragging rights for having the best library-science program in the United States and Canada — if a market-research-firm survey limited to 75 universities confers bragging rights — belongs to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Illinois’s Graduate School of Library and Information Science got the most votes in Research and Markets’ annual survey of academic libraries. The company, which is based in Ireland, asked survey participants to list the top five academic library-science programs in North America, on the basis of scholarly output and effectiveness in preparing professional librarians for practice.
After the Illinois school, the University of Michigan and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill tied for second place.
In addition to the reputation of teaching programs, the survey asked some questions about libraries themselves. How much do libraries spend to get online access to books, journals, and other content? The libraries in the survey averaged $456,238. Major research universities spent a lot more, however. They averaged nearly $3.5-million.—Josh Fischman
7 Responses to The Best Academic Library Program in the U.S. and Canada Is …
juneparsons - April 10, 2012 at 1:24 pm
Robert- I’m still checking on the SIG.
Robert Talbert - April 10, 2012 at 7:54 pm
OK. I wonder if that question merits its own SIG or would more appropriately be something for an existing SIG to discuss or study. Anyway, wrong comment thread. :)
dmarshak - April 11, 2012 at 11:12 am
Were the students told the correct answer after the first test?
wlgoffe - April 11, 2012 at 11:42 am
A great paper to bring to the attention of your readers. Thanks!
5768 - April 11, 2012 at 3:42 pm
Will the “effect” last until it’s time four weeks hence for the exam?
Here’s my follow-on study, asking slightly different questions:
What were there to be added an element of accountability for having answered correctly the _first_ time? (Let’s call it an “incentive” amongst ourselves).
In other words, would grade points tied to a correct first click have have had some salutary effect on the percentage of first-time correct-reponders? And what effect would points subtracted for an incorrect response have (many may remember there was a day and age when multiple choice exams contained just such a ‘penalty’ for mere ‘guessing’).
Similarly, would knowing there is a to be a quiz on the reading assignment the coming class period induce (cause) an effect better than students thinking there would be but lecture that period? Toward higher or lower scores? Toward better attendance or worse? I hope we all know the answers to these questions.
PS. If you are thinking of changing your teaching method to a more accountability-type style, don’t do it mid-semester. Student helplessness is a learned phenomenon, and you may have a revolt on your hands. Accountability is a function of day-one implementation. Moreover, it is best fostered within a collective culture, be it department, university, or, better, nation.
Robert Talbert - April 12, 2012 at 9:28 am
Students were told the correct answer after the second vote on the first question.
Robert Talbert - April 12, 2012 at 9:30 am
Many instructors using PI do not attach grade penalties to incorrect answers on in-class clicker questions, but then put a large number of clicker-like multiple choice questions on timed exams. So the in-class clicker questions constitute risk-free formative assessment — and questions just like them are used summatively later on. In my own experience, this provides enough incentive for students to TRY to get the question right the first time without making them afraid to be wrong.