Chinese Graduate Students and the Canadian Academic Library: A User Study at the University of Windsor

This paper presents a pilot study that examined the information seeking behaviors of Chinese graduate students at the University of Windsor. Findings on current Chinese students' perceptions, expectations, and use of library services are highlighted including implications for academic libraries to meet international students' information needs.     

Effects of consecutive days of match play on technical performance in tennis

Elite tennis is characterised by repeated bouts of up to 5-set match play, yet little is known about the technical requirements of shots played. This study therefore investigated technical performance changes over consecutive days of prolonged, simulated tennis match play. A total of 7 well-trained men tennis players performed 4 consecutive days of competitive 4-h match play. Matches were notated to determine between-day changes in groundstroke and serve performance, as well as point and match durations. Changes ≥75% likely to exceed the smallest important effect size (0.2) were considered meaningful and represented as effect size ± 90% confidence interval. Effective playing time reduced on days 3 and 4, alongside likely increases in “stretch” groundstrokes over the 4 days (mean effect size ± 90% confidence interval; 0.57 ± 0.38) and “stretch” backhand returns on days 2 and 3 (0.39 ± 0.54 and 0.67 ± 0.55). Relative unforced errors increased on day 4 (vs. day 2; 0.36 ± 0.22) and second-serve winning percentage reduced after day 1 (?0.47 ± 0.50). Further, a likely increase in emotional outbursts characterised day 3 (vs. day 2; 0.73 ± 0.57). Consecutive-day match play impairs hitting accuracy, stroke positioning and emotional responses; an understanding of which prepares players for elite-standard tennis tournament play.     

A Sport Education Fitness Season’s Impact on Students’ Fitness Levels,Knowledge, and In-Class Physical Activity

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which a sport education season of fitness could provide students with recommended levels of in-class moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) while also increasing students’ fitness knowledge and fitness achievement. Method: One hundred and sixty-six 5th-grade students (76 boys, 90 girls) participated in a 20-lesson season called “CrossFit Challenge” during a 4-week period. The Progressive Aerobic Cardiovascular Endurance Run, push-ups, and curl-ups tests of the FITNESSGRAM® were used to assess fitness at pretest and posttest, while fitness knowledge was assessed through a validated, grade-appropriate test of health-related fitness knowledge (HRF). Physical activity was measured with Actigraph GT3X triaxial accelerometers. Results: Results indicated a significant time effect for all fitness tests and the knowledge test. Across the entire season, the students spent an average of 54.5% of lesson time engaged in MVPA, irrespective of the type of lesson (instruction, free practice, or competition). Conclusions: The results suggest that configuring the key principles of sport education within a unit of fitness is an efficient model for providing students with the opportunity to improve fitness skill and HRF knowledge while attaining recommended levels of MVPA.     

A Maximal Graded Exercise Test to Accurately Predict VO2max in 18–65-Year-Old Adults

The purpose of this study was to develop an age-generalized regression model to predict maximal oxygen uptake (VO_2max) based on a maximal treadmill graded exercise test (GXT; George, 1996) George, J. D. 1996. Alternative approach to maximal exercise testing and VO_2max prediction in college students. Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport, 67: 452–457. [Taylor & Francis Online], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]. Participants (N?=?100), ages 18–65 years, reached a maximal level of exertion (mean?±?standard deviation [SD]; maximal heart rate [HR_max]?=?185.2?±?12.4 beats per minute (bpm); maximal respiratory exchange ratio [RER_max]?=?1.18?±?0.05; maximal rating of perceived exertion (RPE_max)?=?19.1?±?0.7) during the GXT to assess VO_2max (mean?±?SD; 40.24?±?9.11 mL·kg^?1·min^?1). Multiple linear regression generated the following prediction equation (R?=?.94, standard error of estimate [SEE]?=?3.18 mL·kg^?1·min^?1, %SEE?=?7.9): VO_2max (mL·kg^?1·min^?1)?=?13.160?+?(3.314 × gender; females?=?0, males?=?1) ? (.131 × age) ? (.334 × body mass index (BMI))?+?(5.177 × treadmill speed; mph)?+?(1.315 × treadmill grade; %). Cross validation using predicted residual sum of squares (PRESS) statistics revealed minimal shrinkage (R_p ?=?.93 and SEE _p ?=?3.40 mL·kg^?1·min^?1); consequently, this model should provide acceptable accuracy when it is applied to independent samples of comparable adults. Standardized β-weights indicate that treadmill speed (.583) was the most effective at predicting VO_2max followed by treadmill grade (.356), age (?.197), gender (.183), and BMI (?.148). This study provides a relatively accurate regression model to predict VO_2max in relatively fit men and women, ages 18–65 years, based on maximal exercise (treadmill speed and grade), biometric (BMI), and demographic (age and gender) data.     

Kinematic and kinetic analyses of the toes in dance movements

Due to the significant amount of time dancers spend on the forefoot, loads on the metatarsophalangeal joints are likely high, yet vary between dance movements. The purpose of this study was to compare joint motion and net joint moments at the metatarsophalangeal joints during three different dance movements ranging in demands at the foot and ankle joints. Ten healthy, female dancers (27.6 ± 3.2 years; 56.3 ± 6.9 kg; 1.6 ± 0.1 m) with an average 21.7 ± 4.9 years of dance training performed relevés (rising up onto the toes), sautés (vertical bipedal jumps), and saut de chat leaps (split jumps involving both vertical and horizontal components). Metatarsophalangeal joint kinematics and kinetics in the sagittal plane were calculated. Total excursion and peak net joint moments during rising or push-off were compared between the three dance movements. Greater extension of the metatarsophalangeal joints was seen during relevés compared to sautés or saut de chat leaps, and the largest metatarsophalangeal net joint moments were seen during saut de chat leaps. The metatarsophalangeal joints frequently and repetitively manage external loads and substantial metatarsophalangeal extension during these three dance movements, which may contribute to the high rate of foot and ankle injuries in dancers.     

Accelerometer and self-reported measures of sedentary behaviour and associations with adiposity in UK youth

This study used accelerometer and self-report measures of overall sedentary time (ST) and screen time behaviours to examine their respective associations with adiposity among UK youth. Participants (Year groups 5, 8, and 10; n=292, 148 girls) wore the SenseWear Armband Mini accelerometer for eight days and completed the Youth Activity Profile, an online report tool designed to estimate physical activity and ST.Stature, body mass and waist circumference were measured to classify adiposity outcomes (overweight/obese and central obesity). One-way between groups ANOVA and adjusted linear, logistic and multinomial logistic regression analyses were conducted. There was a significant main effect of age on total ST across the whole week (F(2, 289)=41.64, p≤0.001). ST increased monotonically across Year 5 (581.09±107.81 min·dˉ¹), 8 (671.96±112.59 min·dˉ¹) and 10 (725.80±115.20 min·dˉ¹), and all pairwise comparisons were significant at p≤0.001. A steep age-related gradient to mobile phone use was present (p≤0.001). ST was positively associated with adiposity outcomes independent of moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity (MVPA; p≤0.001). Engaging in >3 hours of video gaming daily was positively associated with central obesity (OR=2.12, p≤0.05) but not after adjustment for MVPA. Results further demonstrate the importance of reducing overall ST to maintain healthy weight status among UK youth.     

Levels of social complexity and dimensions of peer experiences in youth sport

We assessed young adolescent female soccer players' perceptions of their peer group experiences. Data were collected via interviews with 34 girls from two youth soccer teams (M age = 13.0 years). Following inductive discovery analysis, data were subjected to an interpretive theoretical analysis guided by a model of peer experiences (Rubin, Bukowski, & Parker, 2006). Five categories of peer experiences were identified across three levels of social complexity. At the interaction level players integrated new members into the team and learned to interact with different types of people. At the relationship level players learned about managing peer conflict. At the group level a structure of leadership emerged and players learned to work together. Findings demonstrated interfaces between peer interactions, relationships, and group processes while also simplifying some apparently complex systems that characterized peer experiences on the teams studied.     

Sustainable Innovations: Bringing Digital Media and Emerging Technologies to the Classroom

Because traditional schools struggle to effectively understand, implement, and sustain digital learning initiatives, innovating with digital media in classrooms is a difficult endeavor. Practitioners need examples to better understand conditions necessary to move forward with digital media and learning (DML) in schools. This article provides examples and supports research proposing that context and culture matter when innovating in schools. Three classroom cases using Web 2.0, app development, and game design are discussed, offering educators a pathway to consider similar pedagogical and participatory approaches to foster learning. Classroom contexts, teachers' perspectives, district supports, technical requirements, and scalability are highlighted. The examples suggest innovative DML initiatives can flourish within schools when participants are mindful of context and when a participatory culture is supported (Jenkins, Clinton, Purushotma, Robison, & Weigel, 2006).     

The influence of sport goggles on visual target detection in female intercollegiate athletes

The aim of this study was to examine the effects of sport goggles on visual target detection in female intercollegiate athletes. Participants were randomly divided into three groups that varied in goggle use (G) or no goggle use (NG) over a total of three 1-min trials during a visual target detection task. The NG-NG-NG group did not wear goggles for any of the trials, whereas the NG-G-NG group wore goggles for the second trial only, and the G-NG-G group wore goggles for the first and third trials. The task consisted of illuminated targets arranged in five concentric rings from central to peripheral visual angles. The effects of sport goggles on response time to detect targets were most evident in the peripheral rings. Those who did not wear sport goggles showed improved performance from the first to second trials. This improvement was impaired, however, in those who wore sport goggles. Moreover, there was a reversal of the performance improvements achieved without goggles in those who wore goggles on the third trial. Together, these findings suggest the sport goggles not only impaired the expected initial performance but also impaired visual target detection after performance improvements were seen. These findings suggest sport goggles may impair detection of peripheral visual stimuli in athletes.     

Prospective Elementary Teachers’ Analysis of Children’s Science Talk in an Undergraduate Physics Course

We investigated how prospective teachers used physics content knowledge when analyzing the talk of elementary children during special activities in an undergraduate physics content course designed for prospective teachers. We found that prospective teachers used content knowledge to reflect on their own learning and to identify students’ science ideas and restate these ideas in scientific terms. Based on this research, we inferred that analyzing children’s ideas through videos provides a meaningful context for applying conceptual physics knowledge in physics courses. Activities that are embedded within a disciplinary curriculum, such as those studied here, may help prospective teachers learn to use disciplinary knowledge in exactly the type of activity in which their content knowledge will be most useful: listening to and interpreting children’s science ideas.