Troy A. Swanson, Tish Hayes, Jennifer Kolan, Kelly Hand and Susan Miller
The purpose of this study is go better understand website usability by community college students. The usability study team sought data that would help to guide in a website…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is go better understand website usability by community college students. The usability study team sought data that would help to guide in a website redesign.
Design/methodology/approach
Librarians led students through sessions that followed the usability testing approach defined by Nielsen (2012) which emphasizes the ease of use of the Web interface. This study compared the results from the existing library website and a prototype website.
Findings
The study’s findings emphasized the need for balance between the variety of services and content that the website provides. This is especially true given that so many community college students are underprepared for college-level courses.
Research limitations/implications
The study was limited by available time and the clinical nature of the usability session.
Practical implications
The study results underscore the significant challenge facing library website designers. The various online services exist in pockets that are only partially integrated and, therefore, require students to make decisions and predictive judgments as they navigate the site.
Originality/value
Overall, this study emphasized the need for balance between the variety of services and content that the website provides.
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– The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impacts of serious teacher misbehaviour (TMB) in schools from the perspective of headteachers, a largely un-researched area.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impacts of serious teacher misbehaviour (TMB) in schools from the perspective of headteachers, a largely un-researched area.
Design/methodology/approach
Data were collected via the documentary analysis of misconduct cases from the Teaching Agency and semi-structured interviews with five headteachers who had managed serious cases.
Findings
The research suggests four primary impacts of serious TMB, affecting other teachers, students, the reputation of the school and headteachers themselves. The paper concludes by suggesting a fifth impact affecting public trust in the teaching profession.
Practical implications
Although rare, serious TMB can be highly damaging. Furthermore, the findings suggest that it is almost impossible to predict and so this paper suggests a “map” of the impacts helping headteachers to manage and contain it when/if the worst does happen.
Originality/value
Empirical studies of the impacts of serious organisational behaviour are scarce; empirical studies of serious organisational behaviour in schools are non-existent and so this paper addresses that gap.
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Key drivers that influence space design in today's higher education environment are technology, changing demographics, increased focus on student engagement, and carbon footprint…
Abstract
Key drivers that influence space design in today's higher education environment are technology, changing demographics, increased focus on student engagement, and carbon footprint. Just as important, but not typically on the list, is the growing population of students with Learning Disabilities (LD) for which the physical environment plays an increasingly important role in successful learning outcomes. The research goal was to examine the role of “place” as a component of academic success for those students with LD. Methodology included both literature review and the development of a case study analysis of three post-secondary institutions in the United States. The universities were chosen based on the size of the university, the campus setting, and the mission of the Disabilities Services team. The conclusion of the research surfaced three specific components of the physical environment that hold an increased value for a student with LD. These components are wayfinding, formal learning spaces, and disability services spaces. The key to integrating a sense of place with the needs of students with LD is moving beyond meeting the minimum standards of the legal mandates and bridging the principles of universal design to the built environment.
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Rosemary Harrison, Susan Miller and Anthony Gibson
The second part of a two‐part article, the first part of whichdescribed the clinical directors′ management devel‐opment programmedesigned and run during 1991‐93 by the Northern…
Abstract
The second part of a two‐part article, the first part of which described the clinical directors′ management devel‐opment programme designed and run during 1991‐93 by the Northern Health Authority and Durham University Business School. Focuses on the second, action learning, period of the course. Describes the action learning model used in the programme, includes a member′s description of his set′s experiences, and draws conclusions about the programme′s reception and achievements.
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Rosemary Harrison and Susan Miller
Describes a three‐year collaborative initiative between NorthernRegional Health Authority and Durham University Business School whichseeks to help 24 clinical directors, already…
Abstract
Describes a three‐year collaborative initiative between Northern Regional Health Authority and Durham University Business School which seeks to help 24 clinical directors, already heavily burdened with professional responsibilities, to assume quickly and perform effectively in new strategic management roles. The programme, one of half‐a‐dozen such joint projects across the UK, all different in design, won substantial funding from the NHS Management Executive and is being nationally evaluated by Middlesex Business School.
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Discusses the nature of strategic decision making in organizations.Explores the process of implementation and poses questions about how toevaluate decision success. Discusses…
Abstract
Discusses the nature of strategic decision making in organizations. Explores the process of implementation and poses questions about how to evaluate decision success. Discusses links between decisions and corporate strategies and emphasizes the importance for organizational members of being party to the more covert political activity in organizations. “Who decides corporate strategy?” – concludes that women may be excluded from this most critical of activities, by being placed too low in the hierarchy to sanction strategic decisions, and by not making use of the more subtle ways of influencing strategy.
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It's not enough to simply acquire alternative and small‐press materials. They must also be made easily accessible to library users by means of accurate, intelligible, and thorough…