Academic Librarians' Perspective on AI

 Many academic librarians believe context matters when artificial intelligence (AI) tools such as ChatGPT are used by students and faculty to assist with their work, according to a recent study. While only eight percent of respondents said that they believe it is cheating when students use AI products for research—compared with 49 percent who said it was not—42 percent said that it was “somewhat” cheating.

AI in Higher Education: The Librarians’ Perspectives. (2023, March). Helper Systems.

https://www.helpersystems.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/HS-AI-Survey-Whitepaper-3-7-22.pdf

Funding Cuts for Higher Education Affects Middle Class

This report examines how state disinvestment in public higher education over the past two decades has shifted costs to students and their families. Such disinvestment has occurred alongside rapidly rising enrollments and demographic shifts that are yielding more economically, racially, and ethnically diverse student bodies. As a result students and their families now pay—or borrow—a lot more for a college degree or are getting priced out of an education that has become a requirement for getting a decent job and entering the middle class. This study traces trends in the size and composition of the young adult population and analyzes patterns in state support for public higher education over the past two decades. Trends in tuition and financial aid are also examined and policy recommendations are presented for ways to renew America’s commitment to nurturing a strong and inclusive middle class through investments in public higher education.

Quinterno, J. (2012). The great cost shift: How higher education cuts undermine the future middle class. New York, NY: Demos. http://www.demos.org/sites/default/files/publications/TheGreatCostShift_Demos_0.pdf

Online Courses and Technology in Education

This year’s NMC Horizon Report identifies massively open online courses (MOOCs) and tablet computing as technologies expected to enter mainstream use in the first horizon of one year or less. Games and gamification and learning analytics are seen in the second horizon of two to three years; 3D printing and wearable technology are seen emerging in the third horizon of four to five years. Six emerging technologies are identified across three adoption horizons over the next one to five years, as well as key trends and challenges expected to continue over the same period, giving campus leaders and practitioners a valuable guide for strategic technology planning.

The New Media Consortium (2013). NMC horizon report – 2013 higher education edition. Austin, TX: The New Media Consortium. https://www.nmc.org/system/files/pubs/1359993875/2013-horizon-report-HE.pdf

Analysis of Literature on Libraries and Education

Produced by the Association of College and Research (ACRL), this research investigates how libraries can increase student learning and success and effectively communicate their value to higher education stakeholders. This report demonstrates how libraries are now measuring library contributions to student learning and success, and recommends where more research is needed in areas critical to the higher education sector such as accreditation, student retention, and academic achievement. Findings from analysis of selected literature in this report also show that they mainly focus on the themes of collaboration, teaching and learning, and library service. Researchers, practitioners, and students should use the research questions as a catalyst for the study of college and university student learning and success.

 Connaway, L. S., Harvey, W., Kitzie, V., & Mikitish, S. Academic Library Impact: Improving practice and essential area to research. Chicago, IL: Association of College and Research Libraries. http://www.ala.org/acrl/sites/ala.org.acrl/files/content/publications/whitepapers/academiclib.pdf