Open Educational Resources (OER) and Textbooks: Opportunities for Academic Libraries

Librarians have a role in working with faculty to provide low-cost alternatives to textbooks. Open educational resources (OER) are an alternative to textbooks in college courses, but there can be barriers to using OER. Are students successful in OER courses? Do faculty see librarians as collaborators in designing courses using OER? What are some alternatives to OER that libraries and library consortia can take advantage of to make college more affordable for students? The following articles address these issues, and the work of the following authors can benefit all types of academic librarians as they contemplate their role in the OER world.     

Evaluating the impact of a coach development intervention for improving coaching practices in junior football (soccer): The “MASTER” pilot study

ABSTRACT

The aim of this pilot study was to evaluate the impact of a novel coach development intervention (MASTER) on coaching practices of football coaches. The study involved six coaches (of 10–12 year old) from one representative football club (Australia February–July 2017). The 15-week multi-component intervention included a face-to-face workshop, ongoing mentoring, modelled training sessions, peer assessments and group discussions. MASTER is underpinned by positive coaching and game-based coaching practices and aimed to educate coaches on how to implement and operationalise a number of evidence-based coaching elements. At each of baseline and immediate post-intervention coaches were filmed three times and evaluated using a modified version of the Coach Analysis Intervention System. Using linear mixed model analysis, significant changes were observed for time spent performing playing-form activities [+15.4% (95% CI 6.01–24.79)(t(15) = 3.5, P = 0.003], with significant changes in the type of interventions undertaken and the nature of feedback given to athletes. Program feasibility was examined using measures of recruitment, retention, adherence and satisfaction. Results indicate program feasibility and high coach evaluation ratings. MASTER demonstrated effectiveness for improving coaching practices of football coaches during training sessions. Further large-scale trials will build evidence for the utility of MASTER for guiding coaching practices in football and other sporting codes.     

苹果与谷歌的竞争日趋个人化

3年前,谷歌首席执行官埃里克·施密特与苹果创始人之一史蒂芬·乔布斯携手合作,并帮助后者开发出了具有划时代意义的产品——iPhoneo那似乎是一段美好友谊的开始。     

Performance score variation between days at Australian national and Olympic women's artistic gymnastics competition

We determined the inter-day variability in elite-standard women's artistic gymnastics competition scores. National (50 gymnasts for up to three days) and Olympic (24 gymnasts for up to five days) competition scores published in the public domain ('Giant poster pull-out', 2010 ; Gymnastics Australia, 2008 ) were evaluated using three statistical measures. Analyses of the inter-day differences in the mean scores as a percentage (MDiff%), coefficient of variation percentages for the mean score across both days (CV%), and Pearson correlation coefficients for the inter-day score (r) were interpreted using thresholds from trivial to large. National-class gymnasts' two-day performance variation was trivial for vault, small for floor and beam, and moderate for bars. When senior gymnasts competed for a third day the performance variation increased to moderate for vault. Across five days of Olympic competition there were trivial (e.g. CV%: vault = 0.8) to small (e.g. CV%: bars = 2.0) variations in performances between days on all apparatus. Olympians' performance score consistency is superior to senior, national-class competitors. The performance score consistency required for gymnasts who aspire to participate at the Olympics as a top-24 competitor is better than 3%.     

Repeat participation as a function of program attractiveness,socializing opportunities,loyalty and the sportscape across three sport facility contexts

Effects of sport facility services of program attractiveness, socializing opportunities customer loyalty, and the sportscape on frequency of participation at three different types of sport facilities; special purpose – health and fitness centers, single-purpose – tennis, golf or swim pool amenities, and multi-use – gymnasia were examined. The purpose of the study was to identify differences between, and effects on, participation at different types of participant sport facilities due to service quality. Data were collected on a sample of 1199 participants from a mid-sized east coast Australian city. Linear restrictions testing determined that the three sport facility types were significantly different in the ways in which the constructs affect repeat participation. The sportscape has the most impact on participation frequency at fitness facilities, and minimal impact on participation at multi-sport facilities. Implications for retaining customers at each facility type are discussed.