Reflections as near‐peer facilitators of an inquiry project for undergraduate anatomy: Successes and challenges from a term of trial‐and‐error

Near‐peer facilitators (senior students serving as facilitators to their more junior peers) bring a unique student‐based perspective to teaching. With fewer years of teaching experience however, students who become involved in a facilitator role typically develop related skills quickly through a process of trial‐and‐error within the classroom. The aim of this paper is to report on the authors' own experiences and reflections as student near‐peer facilitators for an inquiry‐based project in an undergraduate anatomy course. Three areas of the facilitator experience are explored: (1) offering adequate guidance as facilitators of inquiry, (2) motivating students to engage in the inquiry process, and (3) fostering creativity in learning. A practical framework for providing guidance to students is discussed which offers facilitators a scaffold for asking questions and assisting students through the inquiry process. Considerations for stimulating intrinsic motivations toward inquiry learning are made, paying attention to ways in which facilitators might influence feelings of motivation towards learning. Also, the role of creativity in inquiry learning is explored by highlighting the actions facilitators can take to foster a creative learning environment. Finally, recommendations are made for the development of formalized training programs that aid near‐peer facilitators in the acquisition of facilitation skills before entering into a process of trial‐and‐error within the classroom. Anat Sci Educ. 7: 64–70. © 2013 American Association of Anatomists.     

Students teach sex education: introducing alternative conceptions of sexuality

In this paper, we describe an exercise that challenges hetero-normative and sexist notions of sexuality, allowing students to envision alternative models. Research shows how active learning eases student anxiety over challenging or threatening material. After reading Jessica Fields' Risky Lessons and Waskul, Vannini, and Weisen's article entitled ‘Women and Their Clitoris’, students designed a sex education curriculum that challenges conventional methods. Beyond critiquing existing sex education models, this exercise provides a space for students to reflect on their own sex education experiences, develop their own ideas for teaching about sex and become comfortable discussing sex and sexuality with their peers. All but one of the students reported finding the activity enjoyable or interesting. More than half of students reported change in their views about sex and sex education as a result of the activity.     

Roving Librarian: The Suitability of Tablets in Providing Personalized Help Outside of the Traditional Library

Emanating from the ground-breaking Library Impact Data Project, the aim of the Roving Librarian project first initiated in 2011 was to offer personalized help outside of the traditional library to library non-users in social or academic settings using Android and the iPad tablets. It was thought that the portability and flexibility of these devices would allow staff to reach students and help them at their point of need. To test out this premise, an action study was carried out to examine the use of tablets and their suitability in facilitating the roving librarian project as well as evaluate roving as a vehicle for teaching information literacy on the move. Data was collected through peer observation, individual reflections, and a questionnaire conducted with subject librarians to find out more regarding their usage of the tablet and to ascertain whether they have found it conducive in roving. The project demonstrated that the affordances of both devices enabled librarians to provide personalized mobile help to students whilst building stronger relationships and arguably having the type of conversations about library resources and facilities that would not have happened if staff had stayed within the physical library building.     

Understanding capacity through the processes and outcomes of interorganizational relationships in nonprofit community sport organizations

Engaging in relationships with other organizations is one way for nonprofit community sport organizations (CSOs) to acquire needed resources, knowledge, and other social benefits while achieving important public purposes and building community cohesion. This study explored the processes and outcomes of interorganizational relationships in CSOs through semi-structured interviews with presidents of these organizations (N = 20). The findings revealed key relationship processes including trust, consistency, balance, and engagement as well as specific management skills. The findings also revealed that relationships impacted CSOs through enabling improvements to program/service quality and operations, and enhancing community presence. The study contributes to the interorganizational relationship literature and our understanding of how relationships advance organizational goals in this small nonprofit context.     

Determination of football pitch locations from video footage and official pitch markings

The ability to determine a specific location on a football (soccer) pitch from television footage would provide a cost-effective method of obtaining competition-specific information on many professional and international teams. This study presents the accuracy and reliability of a new method of calculating ball location from simulated television coverage and known pitch markings. The coordinates of 99 markers of known location on a football pitch were digitized from video. An intersection point was determined from the equations of two lines that form pitch markings and the relationship from this point to other known pitch coordinates was calculated using a curve-fitting based method. Average error between known and reconstructed measures was 0.21 m for pitch width and 0.11 m for pitch length from a view simulating television coverage. Inter- and intra-rater reliability analyses showed researchers could consistently reconstruct pitch locations to within less than half a metre. The accuracy and reliability of this method will be sufficient for most practical uses in an applied sport environment, although the level of accuracy required will depend on the specific application. This method could be applied to other sports to determine specific locations on a pitch or court or to improve current competition analysis systems.     

A Survey of Opinions and Attitudes Toward Exercise Following a 12-month Maintenance Exercise Program for People with COPD

Purpose

To determine the opinions and attitudes toward exercise in people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) who had completed a randomised controlled trial of 12-months maintenance exercise.

Methods

Participants were eligible for recruitment to the maintenance exercise study if they had COPD and had completed an 8-week pulmonary rehabilitation program. They were randomized into an Intervention Group (IG) that consisted of once weekly, supervised hospital-based maintenance exercise plus home exercise for 12 months or a Control Group that undertook unsupervised home maintenance exercise for 12 months. At the end of the 12 months, participants completed a survey consisting of 23 questions using a visual analogue scale (VAS) of 100 mm.

Results

Forty-eight participants completed the 12 month study and 36 participants (75%) completed the survey [IG mean (SD): age 65 (8) years, FEV₁ 58 (20) % predicted; CG: age 66 (8) years, FEV₁ 67 (17) % predicted]. No between group difference was found for the importance of exercise, the benefits of the program or the importance of support from the physiotherapist. However, the IG reported exercising more regularly, having more enjoyment of being involved in the maintenance exercise program, greater benefit in general well-being, and better physical fitness.

Conclusions

At the completion of the 12 month exercise study, the survey results showed that all participants reported positive attitudes towards both supervised and unsupervised maintenance exercise programs, with the IG reporting greater benefits.Key Words: COPD, survey, maintenance exercise program