A MIRCENS’ Network to Safeguard Nature's Invisible Assets

The effect of age on the way that children aged 7–16 years classify food was examined in a cross‐section of Welsh school children. Primary school children were interviewed and invited to classify photographs of food into groups. Secondary school children undertook a similar task using cards on which were written the names of foods. Although by 7 years of age children had well‐established food classification strategies, there are considerable differences between those used by older and younger children. A time of particular change was seen in the use of classification labels during the first year of senior school with children aged 11–12. Potential implications of the findings for the design and implementation of nutrition education programmes are considered.     

The impact of the mass media on source commitment

The purpose of this study was to explore the role of the mass media in creating source commitment. The results showed that the type of source commitment studied in the experiment was not significantly affected by the preparation and transmission of mass media messages.     

Superhighway or Road to Nowhere? Children's Relationships with Digital Technology

This article offers a critical overview of the cultural and educational benefits and dangers of digital media for young people. It argues that public debates on this issue have veered from utopian hype to moral panic. In contrast, the author argues for a more measured account of how young people appropriate such technologies in the context of their everyday lives. The article goes on to provide brief accounts of the author's previous research on children's engagement with computer games, and on their creative uses of multimedia in the home, which illustrate this approach. The article concludes with some broad principles which might guide future policy in this field.     

CASE MANAGERS FOR SENIORS: EDUCATIONAL NEEDS AND OPPORTUNITIES

Case management is widely recognized as an important component of an effective model for delivering health and social services in the community. In Canada, case management is increasingly being adopted as a method of providing long‐term services to older clients. Professionals working in community‐based, long‐term care require training specific to their roles as case managers for seniors. Gerontology educators can respond to case managers’ learning needs by developing and providing innovative programs. This article reports on an assessment of the training needs of health and social service personnel who perform case management functions on a long‐term basis with elderly clients in Canada, the extent and type of case management training currently provided by Canadian agencies, and an outline of curriculum options designed to address case manager training needs.     

Book review

The following book is reviewed.

Facilitating Reflective Learning in Higher Education ANNE BROCKBANK & IAN MCGILL (1998) Buckingham: Society for Research into Higher Education/Open University Press 256 pp., ISBN 0 335 19685 3 (pb) £22.50, ISBN 0335 19686 1 (hb) £65.00