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Communication and collaboration with faculty are increasingly important in the development of both curriculum-integrated and stand-alone "just in time" library tutorials. In the final developmental stages of the Evidence-Based Practice online tutorials, faculty members were asked to provide input during structured faculty feedback sessions. These sessions aimed to gather feedback on tutorial structure, discipline-specific content, integrating the tutorial with class curriculum, and best marketing practices. The results demonstrate that involving faculty in the assessment of tutorials is a beneficial way to improve and promote tutorials. Another important outcome was learning more about the interests of the faculty and related curriculum.

ABSTRACT To discover how a newly developed library mobile website performed across a variety of devices, the authors used a hybrid field and laboratory methodology to conduct a usability test [...]

Despite a focus on applied social work research, there is a gap in research-informed practice and practice-informed research. This article presents the findings of an exploration study of tenured-track and non-tenured track faculty in CSWE accredited Social Work programs and their perceptions of practice-informed research and research-informed practice. Data were collected in two phases via electronic survey and a second phase of brief interviews. Forty-two participants completed the survey and seven interviews were conducted. This study found that there are clear tensions between the time it takes to engage the community and how that impacts the tenure and promotion process. Participants discussed strategies used to promote more community engaged research but overall, the environment of the traditional academic institution does not always foster this role, instead, social work scholars fold themselves into traditional research and dissemination methods that inhibit community-engagement and innovation in the development of social work programs and practices. Future research is needed in understanding how nontraditional disseminations methods impact and/or invite more collaboration between practitioners and scholars. Additionally, a wide-scale evaluation of the impact of promotion and tenure on the development of social work programs and practices is needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In applied research disciplines like social work, there is a clear disconnect between the production and dissemination of research and the access and use of research in practice. This research/practice divide is particularly problematic for practitioners required to work within evidence-based or research-informed frameworks. To explore this issue, we conducted a nationwide survey and qualitative interviews with social work faculty regarding their research dissemination attitudes and practices, especially to non-academic audiences. The survey and interviews provide data on faculty dissemination methods, attitudes toward gold and green open access and promotion and tenure considerations. Results demonstrate that faculty are primarily engaged with traditional publishing models and much less engaged with dissemination to non-academic audiences. Faculty are skeptical of open access journals, avoid article processing charges and are only minimally engaged with institutional repositories. Faculty are conflicted regarding the dissemination of their research, especially in the context of promotion and tenure. Shifting dissemination outside of non-academic audiences would require increased confidence in open access, support for the creation of practitioner-focused materials and prioritizing the impact of research on practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the context of rapid change in social work practice related to policy, research findings, and theoretical developments, faculty are challenged to prepare students to engage in lifelong learning, a concept that has not been well-articulated in social work education. This article reports on an exploratory study of students,' social workers,' and field instructors' perspectives and experiences of lifelong learning. Based on focus group discussions, findings reveal the multi-faceted nature of lifelong learning, the personal characteristics and motivations of lifelong learners, and the roles of social work faculty and workplace environments in supporting learning. Implications address the roles of instructors and social work programs in giving students and social workers tools and opportunities to engage in continuous learning and professional growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While the digital divide has decreased, those who are still unable to access and use information and communication technologies are left further behind. An effective digital literacy program helps underserved populations gain needed skills and alleviate the demand placed on public library staff. This case study presents findings on a digital literacy learning model that utilizes a self-paced online platform and in-person volunteer tutors. The researchers found that the learner/tutor relationship is an essential part of the learning process, and that tutors develop a variety of strategies for helping learners. The researchers also identify aspects of effective program implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]