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Charting an Open Future
No full text[In the absence of an abstract, the opening is presented.]
Here at LRTS, we are excited to mark the conclusion of our third year as a fully open access (OA) journal. The editors feel honored to be able to showcase top-tier research and new developments in best practice within the field of library technical services, brought directly to our readers without paywalls or embargoes and without article fees for our authors. Nonetheless, making content OA is one matter; sustainability for open publishing is another matter altogether. That sustainability for LRTS has been top of mind since we followed the lead of our ALA Core sister journals, Information Technology and Libraries (ITAL) and Library Leadership & Management (LL&M), becoming a fully OA publication in 2023. Since that time, the editorial teams of all three journals have worked closely with Core leadership to devise methods to sustain our commitment to openness. In doing so, we’ve sought out the support of the library community, looking to proven methods being used in the still nascent area of open publishing. It’s now easier than ever for libraries to help sustain the continued excellence and availability of LRTS and the other Core journals to readers worldwide. In partnering with major subscription agents that most libraries already work with—EBSCO and Harrassowitz—libraries can provide continuing support and keep our publications open. Libraries can simply select the “ALA/Core Division Open Access Journals” collection through their agent, and for the annual cost of $300, they can ensure that the high-quality content published in these journals continues to be freely available to all
Beyond the Grade: Validity in Global Virtual Team Peer Evaluation
No full textThis study examines how peer evaluation functions in global virtual teams, a setting that reflects the collaborative demands of contemporary international business education. The authors tested whether peer evaluation subscales, total peer-report score, and various indicators of team diversity predict team performance, assessed by instructors in a sample of 2,012 students from 445 X-Culture teams. The variables that were good predictors of team performance included the quality of team communication, work ethic, technical competence, generation of ideas, peer engagement, and peer writing skills. Less predictive of performance were leadership and effort ratings. In addition, students\u27 self-ratings (i.e., peer ratings) were, at least in part, consistently higher than instructor ratings, creating a fairness issue if professors use peer rating to assign grades.
Furthermore, gender composition influenced performance outcomes and evaluation characteristics, building on previous findings. Few studies have directly compared peer evaluations and instructor evaluations in large international teams or examined the role of demographic composition in the validity of peer evaluations and instructor evaluations in cross-border collaborative contexts.
These results illustrate the strengths and weaknesses of peer review: peers assess and capture forms of collaboration educators cannot discern, but people must structure, calibrate, and monitor peer assessment to ensure fairness. Peers assess to aid accountability, to give students feedback literacy, and to prepare students for evaluative processes in workplaces around the world with appropriate criteria and instructor support. Future researchers should explore the role of culture and longitudinal patterns in the accuracy of peer-assessment results
Parent & Family Newsletter, March 2025
No full textParent and Family Newsletterhttps://ir.library.illinoisstate.edu/pafn/1005/thumbnail.jp
Parent & Family Newsletter, April 2025
No full textParent and Family Newsletterhttps://ir.library.illinoisstate.edu/pafn/1006/thumbnail.jp
An Active Learning Simulation for Teaching Hadoop in an Undergraduate Business Curriculum
No full textThis paper shows the effectiveness of an experiential learning activity for teaching core Hadoop concepts to undergraduate business students across all majors (Finance, Marketing, etc.). The complexity of Hadoop, with its distributed computing model and deep technical requirements, presents significant challenges in educational settings. The simulation was developed for an introductory course in a Business Intelligence & Analytics (BI&A) curriculum and adapted for use in a Database Management (DB) course. Results show significantly higher performance on questions centered on the topic in an online test preparation game with a total of 236 students in 11 different offerings of the course. This simulation provides an engaging, technically accurate model for how different Hadoop core concepts provide data services in a large, distributed database environment. To determine effectiveness, we used an online game-based learning platform (Kahoot!) to conduct timed quizzes. Over 11 games with a total of 236 players, students answered three questions focused on the core Hadoop concepts with an average correct rate of 79.05%, which was substantially higher compared to 54.04% for other questions covering the full Big Data & Hadoop module. This suggests the simulation helps students absorb the concepts represented in the activity with greater ease
The Effects of Hunger, Starvation, and Famine on Certain Eating Habits: A Cross-Cultural Study
No full textThis paper examines the impact of starvation and famine on certain eating habits. These include commensal relations within households, dispositions towards eating with strangers and modes of appetite expression. It tests the proposition that much of the variation seen in these aspects of eating behavior worldwide can be explained by societal experiences with hunger. The study analyzes data from 124 societies and finds significant associations between episodes of food insufficiency and non-inclusive, uncongenial eating practices. This research contributes to the understanding of how food supply and nutritional circumstances shape cultural arrangements and offers insights into the broader implications of food scarcity on human relations
Positive Youth Development for Youth Living in Structurally Diverse Families
No full textResearch on family structure diversity and youth well-being has largely aligned with deficit orientations, emphasizing that living in structurally diverse families is a potential risk-factor for youth well-being and development. In this article, I advocate for increased strengths-based scholarship on youth living in structurally diverse families by centering this research with positive youth development (PYD) frameworks. Broadly, PYD frameworks orient scholars toward viewing youth holistically, attending to positive indicators of well-being as well as how youth capacities and experiences intersect with family and community resources to promote flourishing and thriving. Approaching family structure diversity and youth well-being from a PYD perspective provides an important counter to the deficit perspective that dominates research on youth living in structurally diverse families. I review models of PYD and provide specific guidance for how family scientists can incorporate PYD outcomes and processes into family structure scholarship
Illinois State University Founding Celebration Old Main Bell Ringing Ceremony program, February 20, 2025
No full textProgram for annual event celebrating the founding of Illinois State Normal University on February 18, 1857.https://ir.library.illinoisstate.edu/founding-celebration/1066/thumbnail.jp
Stress and Behavior in Beef Calves During Weaning
No full textAnimal welfare in commercial livestock operations has been an increasing topic of concern. It is well known that stress can have significant behavioral and physiological repercussions. It is especially important in commercial operations to reduce stress, as animal efficiency is the leading priority. In an effort to reduce stress on animals and improve welfare in livestock operations, several studies have evaluated common husbandry practices. One of the most widely studied practices is weaning, which encapsulates the process of removing the young from the dam. Several studies have evaluated the effects of weaning on beef cattle through a variety of behavioral and physiological parameters. The majority of these studies have looked at the behavioral effects of these methods and some studies have evaluated the physiological effects. Some of the studies evaluating physiological stress have utilized invasive methods, that could further contribute to animal stress. Heart rate variability is an increasingly popular measure of stress, that provides insight on the balance of the autonomic nervous system. It is a non-invasive method that has been utilized to assess stress in many livestock species, including cattle.In an effort to reduce weaning stress, several studies have evaluated the utilization of alternative weaning methods in comparison to traditional weaning. Common alternatives include the nose-flap method, multi-step weaning, and fence-line weaning. Several studies have looked at both the short-term and long-term effects of these weaning methods.The aim of this study was to further evaluate how alternative weaning methods impact physiological stress on beef calves, by specifically utilizing heart rate variability as a non-invasive measure of stress. Additionally, calf efficiency over time was evaluated to determine if weaning method had lasting effects
Building Student-Teacher Relational Trust Through the Promotion of Student Voice Initiatives
No full textThis Dissertation in Practice investigated how student voice initiatives can strengthen student–teacher relational trust within an urban Pre-kindergarten through eighth grade (PreK-8) school serving a predominantly Black student population. Grounded in Khalifa’s (2018) Culturally Responsive School Leadership framework, the study implemented a 90-day cycle of inquiry focused on a three-part pathway intervention: the establishment of a Student Voice Committee, professional development on culturally responsive practices, and Student Consultation for School Change. A convergent mixed methods design was employed, combining two administrations of the 5Essentials Survey with pre- and post-intervention interviews of students and teachers. Findings revealed disparities between student and teacher perceptions of student voice, while also demonstrating that intentional structures for amplifying student voice can foster stronger relationships, enhance equity, and inform culturally responsive school improvement practices. The study contributes to the literature by highlighting the potential of student voice as a lever for building relational trust and promoting equitable school reform