NU Scholarly Work (Open Access)
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This collection contains open access scholarly work from National University faculty and staff.
Please visit the NU Institutional Repository website to explore our FAQs, learn how to submit, and more. If you have any questions or concerns, please email the Institutional Repository librarian, Tammy Ivins.
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Recent Submissions
Item Developing Core Competencies for Reference Staff(2024) Thompson, Laura; Diermier, Jamie; Fox, Lauren; Johnson, Stephanie; Ivins, TammyA poster presentation for the California Academic Reference Librarians Discussion Interest Group-South (CARLDIG-S)Item Continuous Improvement in the Face of Change Evaluating and Enhancing Library Webinars at an Online University(2024-11) Bezet, Amanda; Ivins, Tammy Our project had two specific goals. First, we wanted to minimize the cognitive load needed to understand the format and purposes of our webinars. In the wake of National University and Northcentral University's recent merger, our students were bombarded with a vast number of new resources and updated information. It was therefore essential that our library services (including webinars) were intuitive and easy to understand. Our second goal was to ensure an effective return on investment of librarian time by identifying both less-attended and highly popular webinars in the wake of an increased, post-merger student population. We conducted a quantitative analysis of webinar attendance data over the previous year. Data collection involved collating and correcting data from two Libcal systems, due to the recent merger of two library systems. Attendance data was then averaged and correlated with the audience, time of day, and day of the week. The results were then color-coded to support rapid interpretation of the results. The quantitative analysis was augmented with a qualitative assessment of librarian feedback and published literature to contextualize attendance data, interpret meaning, and extrapolate best practices. From our research, we generated a list of best practices for webinar titles, descriptions, branding, and tags. We also were able to identify several under-attended webinars suitable to be retired from their current live webinar format, as well as some highly popular webinars that should be offered more often. Through the internal assessment process, we also identified our webinars as an opportunity for continuous review and improvement.Item Reducing Student Prejudice in Diversity-Infused Core Psychology Classes(2010) Hussey, HeatherThe current quasi-experimental study compared two sections of a course, one that included diversity content and one that did not. The authors obtained pretest and posttest data on students’ attitudes toward a number of different minority groups and on their levels of course content knowledge. The authors also examined two questions: first, whether exposure to diversity would reduce prejudice, and second, whether inclusion of diversity content would reduce the amount of core course content learned by students. At posttest, significant differences were found in terms of positive attitude change; infusing diversity into course content did not affect content knowledgeItem Let’s Work Together: Developing a Shared Instructional Identity(2023) Ivins, Tammy; Crowe, StephanieThe development of a shared instructional identity at our library involved a collaborative effort among research and instructional team leaders, instruction librarians, and teaching faculty. We took advantage of a time of change and growth at our institution to systematically reimagine our expectations and practices, solidifying a multipronged approach to information literacy instruction that involved experimentation and risk-taking, partnerships across campus, and buy-in from instruction librarians and teaching faculty alike.Item Vampire Literature: Perpetuating and Challenging Stereotypes(2024-05-01) Bedford, LaurieVampire literature, like any form of literature, can both perpetuate and challenge stereotypes related to marginalized communities. How literature is interpreted can depend upon the specific text, the author's intentions, and the context in which the story is told. The perpetuation of stereotypes can also contribute to institutionalized discrimination and cultural traditions that further marginalize certain groups (Hilton and von Hippel). While the intent of vampire literature may not be to reinforce stereotypes, there are instances where certain works have contributed to such perpetuation. Therefore, it is important to decontextualize content in order to facilitate discourse that uncovers diverse interpretations.