Impact of Information Communication Technology (ICT) on Professional Development and Educational Needs of Library Professionals in the Universities of Kerala

The shift from print to digital information has a high impact on all components of the academic library system in India especially the users, services and the staff. Though information is considered as an important resource, the use of ICT tools to collect and disseminate information has been in a slow pace in majority of the University libraries This may be due to various factors like insufficient funds, inadequate staff trained in handling computers and software packages, administrative concerns etc. In Kerala, automation has been initiated in almost all University libraries using library automation software and is under different stages of completion. There are not much studies conducted about the effects of information communication technologies on the professional activities of library professionals in the universities in Kerala. It is important to evaluate whether progress in ICT has had any impact on the library profession in these highest educational institutions. The aim of the study is to assess whether the developments in information communication technologies have any influence on the library professionals’ professional development, and the need for further education and training in the profession and evaluate their skills in handling developments in ICT. The total population of the study is 252 including the permanently employed professional library staff in central libraries and departmental libraries in the main campuses of the universities under study. This is almost a census study of the defined population of users. The questionnaire method was adopted for collection of data for this study, supplemented by interviews of Librarians to gather additional information. Library Professionals have a positive approach towards ICT applications and services in Libraries, but majority do not have the opportunities to develop their skills and competencies in their work environment. To develop competitive personnel in a technologically advanced world, high priority must be given to develop competence in ICT applications, library management and soft skills in library professionals, by the University administrators and Library associations. Library science schools and teaching departments across the country have to take significant steps to revise library science curriculum, and incorporate significant changes to achieve the demands and challenges of library science profession.

Vocational Higher Secondary Education in Kerala: A Status Study of Students, Pass Outs and Training Components

This study analyses the socio-economic backgrounds and entrepreneurial profiles of the students and pass outs of the Vocational Higher Secondary Education in Kerala and the academic achievements of the Vocational Higher Secondary students and pass outs in Kerala in terms of their performance in the examinations. The study also analyses the quality and availability of the various training and support facilities of the Vocational Higher Secondary Schools in Kerala, nature and rate of employment and higher studies among the pass outs of the Vocational Higher Secondary Education in Kerala and the awareness of students, pass outs, teachers and principals regarding the goals and objectives, mode of implementation, apprenticeship training and higher study and employment opportunities of the programme of the Vocational Higher Secondary Education in Kerala.

A generalization of Student’s t-distribution from the viewpoint of special functions

Student’s t-distribution has found various applications in mathematical statistics. One of the main properties of the t-distribution is to converge to the normal distribution as the number of samples tends to infinity. In this paper, by using a Cauchy integral we introduce a generalization of the t-distribution function with four free parameters and show that it converges to the normal distribution again. We provide a comprehensive treatment of mathematical properties of this new distribution. Moreover, since the Fisher F-distribution has a close relationship with the t-distribution, we also introduce a generalization of the F-distribution and prove that it converges to the chi-square distribution as the number of samples tends to infinity. Finally some particular sub-cases of these distributions are considered.

A Study of a Comprehensive Career Services System in Chinese Universities

Since 1999, with the adoption of expansion policy in higher education by the Chinese government, enrollment and graduate numbers have been increasing at an unprecedented speed. Accustomed to a system in which university graduates were placed, many students are not trained in “selling themselves”, which exacerbates the situation leading to a skyrocketing unemployment rate among new graduates. The idea of emphasizing career services comes with increasing employment pressure among university graduates in recent years. The 1998 “Higher Education Act” made it a legislative requirement. Thereafter, the Ministry of Education issued a series of documents in order to promote the development of career services. All higher education institutions are required to set up special career service centers and to set a ratio of 1:500 between career staff and the total number of students. Related career management courses, especially career planning classes, are required to be clearly included as specific modules into the teaching plan with a requirement of no less than 38 sessions in one semester at all universities. Developing career services in higher education has thus become a hot issue. One of the more notable trends in higher education in recent years has been the transformation of university career service centers from merely being the coordinators of on-campus placement into full service centers for international career development. The traditional core of career services in higher education had been built around guidance, information and placements (Watts, 1997). This core was still in place, but the role of higher education career services has changed considerably in recent years and the nature of each part is being transformed (Watts, 1997). Most services are undertaking a range of additional activities, and the career guidance issue is emphasized much more than before. Career management courses, especially career planning classes, are given special focus in developing career services in the Chinese case. This links career services clearly and directly with the course provision function. In China, most career service centers are engaging in the transformation period from a “management-oriented” organization to a “service-oriented” organization. Besides guidance services, information services and placement activities, there is a need to blend them together with the new additional teaching function, which follows the general trend as regulated by the government. The role of career services has been expanding and this has brought more challenges to its development in Chinese higher education. Chinese universities still remain in the period of exploration and establishment in developing their own career services. In the face of the new situation, it is very important and meaningful to explore and establish a comprehensive career services system to address student needs in the universities. A key part in developing this system is the introduction of career courses and delivering related career management skills to the students. So there is the need to restructure the career service sectors within the Chinese universities in general. The career service centers will operate as a hub and function as a spoke in the wheel of this model system, providing support and information to staff located in individual teaching departments who are responsible for the delivery of career education, information, advice and guidance. The career service centers will also provide training and career planning classes. The purpose of establishing a comprehensive career services system is to provide a strong base for student career development. The students can prepare themselves well in psychology, ideology and ability before employment with the assistance of effective career services. To conclude, according to the different characteristics and needs of students, there will be appropriate services and guidance in different stages and different ways. In other words, related career services and career guidance activities would be started for newly enrolled freshmen and continue throughout their whole university process. For the operation of a comprehensive services system, there is a need for strong support by the government in the form of macro-control and policy guarantee, but support by the government in the form of macro-control and policy guarantee, but also a need for close cooperation with the academic administration and faculties to be actively involved in career planning and employment programs. As an integral function within the universities, career services must develop and maintain productive relationships with relevant campus offices and key stakeholders both within the universities and externally.

Inside the competences evaluation, the stress tolerance of students. An empirical study based on conservation of resources theory

Competence development is considered a preventive strategy of burnout. At an organizational context some competences could be linked as precursors or consequences. In self-assessment of competence development, students perceive stress tolerance as a priority competence to ameliorate. Moreover employers and recruitment consultants agree that this is a new authentic challenge for organizations. The main reasons of this result are debated, this study should consider the importance of competence development from a holistic point of view. In addition it considers the exploration of the relationship between stress tolerance and competence development, according to Conservation Resources (COR) theory (Hobfoll 1988, 1989, 1998, 2004) where the resource loss is considered the principal component in the stress process

A Vision of Students Today (2007)

Video produced by Martin Wesch with his students in their Digital Ethnography Class at Kansas State University. Looks at way in which students experience Higher Education. Further information can be found at http://mediatedcultures.net/ksudigg/ You may particularly want to look at a response "A Vision of Professors Today (by Sandra)" http://mediatedcultures.net/ksudigg/?p=125

Evaluation of strategic knowledge of students through authentic tasks of writingin science classroom

The difficulties at evaluating strategic knowledge have been connected to the use of deconxetualized tests that, at the end, do not involve the use of this knowledge. For this reason, an interest in developing authentic writing tasks that offer advantages for these kinds of evaluation have arisen. Throughout this research, authentic writing tasks were developed in a natural sciences class, with the purpose of evaluating the students' strategic knowledge. Different instruments were used to collect data, e.g. Interviews, questionnaires, a self-inform, as well as three samples of writing by the students, with the objective of analyzing the changes that occurred between one and the others, as well as to determine the decisions that students made in order to complete the assigned tasks successfully. An authentic writing task gives great opportunities to evaluate strategic knowledge. These tasks lead students to arrange their knowledge about the topic in hand, organize and adapt it to fit the objectives and the audience, also, it allows them to control and adjust their decisions on the task. This last stage became the perfect opportunity to take notes on the knowledge and regulation of cognitive processes that the students brought into play, as well as to evaluating their understanding of writing and the demands given on the different discursive genres. As a result, the students showed different degrees of strategic knowledge in the task. The students who showed a better strategic knowledge trust in their structural abilities know about discursive genres and have a good performance in basic linguistic abilities. The students who showed weak strategic knowledge distrust their writing skills, seem extremely worried about organizing the content of their texts, fail when checking their writings, and overlook or are unaware of the basic requirements of the discursive genre they are asked to exemplify. It appears that the previous knowledge and experiences at writing the students have been exposed to may affect the strategic knowledge shown when writing in this subject. 

Preliminary population study of Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase (MTHFR) C677T polymorphism determination in a pilot group of students from the University of Rosario

 Introduction: the 5, 10-methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) is an essential enzyme in folate metabolism; their polymorphisms have been associated with heart disease risk increase, obstetric problems, neural tube defects in fetuses and cancer susceptibility. This gene has a single nucleotide polymorphism, a C-T change at nucleotide 677, which affects significantly its enzymatic activity. Objective: because of the biological importance of this enzyme and the Colombian population genetic heterogeneity characteristic, a study was performed to determine allele and genotype frequencies of MTHFR C677T polymorphism in healthy individuals, taking into account that in Colombia there are only studies that have involved case-control methodology. Methods: we analyzed this polymorphism trough the amplification of the DNA of a 206 students sample population. Additionally, Colombian overall frequencies were calculated, using data from healthy controls reported in other studies. Results: a Hardy-Weinberg disequilibri m was found in the sample tested. For the Colombian data, we found that the global population was in equilibrium. Conclusion: T allele population frequency seems to be under positive selection pressure, which is reflected in the population allele increase, despite its deleterious effect. A Spanish study reported similar results and identified folic acid supplementation on expectant mothers as a probably cause of this change. 

Meeting the social and emotional needs of gifted and talented children.

Este texto aborda la relación entre el desarrollo intelectual, social y emocional que es necesario para un alto rendimiento y la realización personal. De interés para padres, educadores y responsables de las políticas en materia de educación, trata sobre una variedad de temas, incluyendo el desarrollo curricular y proceso en las aulas; ampliación y enriquecimiento de programas; el papel de la familia; niños superdotados y talentosos con dislexia; estudiantes talentosos culturalmente diversos; estudiantes talentosos y capaces de comunidades socio-económicamente desfavorecidas. Hay bibliografía al final de cada capítulo.

Simple strategies that work! : helpful hints for all educators of students with Asperger syndrome, high-functioning autism, and relates disabilities.

Recurso que ofrece enfoques y estrategias que los profesores pueden utilizar para ayudar a sus estudiantes con síndrome de Asperger y autismo en el camino hacia el éxito. Analiza los problemas que pueden surgir en el aula de inclusión y cómo los educadores pueden hacer adaptaciones para atender a sus alumnos con autismo sin interferir en las rutinas del aula estándar. Incluye información sobre lo que puede causar ansiedad en el estudiante con estas discapacidades, los posibles incrementos en los problemas de comportamiento, y lo que el profesor puede hacer para ayudar. Cuenta con diez estrategias acompañadas de ejemplos y razones por las que son importantes usarlas.

Meeting the needs of your most able pupils : history.

Recurso para todos los profesores de historia que trabajan con alumnos de las etapas clave tres y cuatro (Key Stage 3 and 4). Su objetivo general es proporcionar un instrumento práctico que los jefes de departamento, coordinadores y profesores de niños superdotados y con talento pueden utilizar para desarrollar un planteamiento coherente para ayudar a sus alumnos más capaces. Ofrece una guía específica sobre: el reconocimiento de la alta capacidad y potencial, la planificación, la diferenciación y la ampliación / enriquecimiento de la historia, apoyo para los alumnos más capaces con necesidades educativas especiales (dislexia, TDAH, trastornos sensoriales); registro y evaluación; actividades fuera del aula (visitas, concursos, escuelas de verano, clases magistrales, enlaces con universidades, empresas y otras organizaciones). Contiene apéndices con recursos en línea que incluyen: planificación de lecciones y ejemplos de actividades; procedimientos departamentales y programas de acción; estrategias de identificación.

Meeting the needs of your most able pupils : science.

Recurso para todos los profesores de ciencias que trabajan con alumnos de las etapas clave tres y cuatro (Key Stage 3 and 4). Su objetivo es proporcionar un instrumento práctico que, los jefes de departamento, coordinadores y profesores de niños superdotados y con talento, pueden utilizar para desarrollar un planteamiento coherente para ayudar a sus alumnos más capaces. Ofrece una guía específica sobre: el reconocimiento de la alta capacidad y el potencial, la planificación, la diferenciación y la ampliación / enriquecimiento de la ciencia, apoyo para los alumnos más capaces con necesidades educativas especiales (dislexia, TDAH, trastornos sensoriales); registro y evaluación; actividades fuera del aula (visitas, concursos, escuelas de verano, clases magistrales, enlaces con universidades, empresas y otras organizaciones). Contiene apéndices con recursos en línea que incluyen: planificación de lecciones y ejemplos de actividades; procedimientos departamentales y programas de acción; y estrategias de identificación.

Meeting the needs of your most able pupils : physical education and sport.

Para los profesores de secundaria, los jefes de departamentos, coordinadores y asesores, el manual incluye: el reconocimiento de alta capacidad e inteligencias múltiples; planificación, diferenciación y extensión y enriquecimiento; habilidades del profesor para preguntar; apoyo a los alumnos más capaces con dificultades de aprendizaje; tarea; registro y evaluación; más allá del aula (visitas, residenciales, competiciones, cursos de verano, clases magistrales, enlaces con otras instituciones). Cuenta con apéndices y un CD con contactos útiles y recursos, planes de lecciones, hojas de enlace para los asistentes de enseñanza, actividades para la tarea y las hojas de control.

Projectos de tutorias em meio escolar

RESUMO: O combate ao insucesso e ao desajustamento de uma grande parte de alunos à realidade escolar fazem parte dos maiores desafios que a escola enfrenta nos dias de hoje. Assim sendo, a escola actual, que se deseja para todos, tem de estar receptiva à implementação de modalidades de apoio diversificadas, de modo a responder à crescente heterogeneidade cultural, social e ética dos seus alunos. O presente trabalho estuda a forma como dois agrupamentos de escolas dão corpo à legislação que regulamenta a figura do tutor nas escolas. A investigação utiliza como instrumentos de recolha de dados a análise documental e a entrevista semi-estruturada a tutores. Na análise documental, procedeu-se à identificação das referências e dos objectivos concebidos para esta forma de apoio, nos respectivos projectos educativos e regulamentos internos. Nas entrevistas aos tutores, abordam-se as percepções dos professores tutores e dos coordenadores dos projectos dos dois agrupamentos sobre a prática da tutoria, as suas vantagens, dificuldades e formas de implementação nas escolas. Partindo destes dados, deseja-se dar a conhecer a forma como duas escolas, tendo por base os normativos legais, desenvolvem projectos de tutorias, como resposta às necessidades crescentes de acompanhamento dos alunos.ABSTRACT: Fighting failure and non- adaptation to school of a large number of students can be considered the main challenge schools have to face today. Therefore, today’s school which is intended to be inclusive must be prepared to implement a diversity of support measures in order to meet the increasing cultural, social and ethical differences of students. The present study analyses the way how two different schools interpret and implement the legislation that regulates the role of a school tutor. As data survey tools the research uses documental analysis and semi-structured interview to school tutors. In the documental analysis the references and the objectives drawn by the two schools to implement tutoring were identified in the school projects and School Rules of Procedures. In the interviews we aimed to identify the tutors and Project Coordinators’ perception about their tutorship practices, advantages, problems and ways of implementation at school. From the obtained data we aim to report the way how the two schools, based upon legal procedures develop tutoring projects as a solution to the increasing needs of students guidance.