Comforting Apprehensive Communicators: The Effects of Reappraisal and Distraction on Cortisol Levels Among Students in a Public Speaking Class

The aim of this study was to examine the effects of interpersonal communication as a source of comforting on the physiological stress associated with giving an in-class speech. Cortisol was used as an objective measure of stress reactivity, and the effects of distracting or reappraisal messages were examined. Salivary cortisol was collected from 42 students enrolled in an introductory public speaking course, in five intervals. The final collection showed that participants in the distraction condition experienced significantly less stress than participants in the control condition. The discussion highlights the importance of understanding the trajectory of decay to detect the stress-reducing benefits of comforting communication.     

Investigating the Unit of Study Approach as a Way to Teach Writing to Early Childhood Education Preservice Teachers

The purpose of this study was to better understand the learning opportunities within a university writing methods course centering on a unit of study experience. Specifically, we wanted to investigate what early childhood education preservice teachers (PSTs) learn about poetry and the writing process when engaged in a poetry unit of study. Our findings revealed that a unit of study format: (a) served as a vehicle to deconstruct and develop new genre awareness; (b) helped PSTs live process aspects of writing instruction; and (c) supported PSTs in developing genre-specific knowledge through the use of mentor texts.     

Children and Fitness: A Public Health Perspective

Abstract

The promotion of cardiorespiratory fitness through increased physical activity has become a national public health objective for both adults and children. Based on numerous small-scale studies it appears that children are highly fit but the population distribution is unknown due to the lack of rigorous population studies. Very little is known about the extent of children's physical activity; the available evidence does not support the hypothesis that children obtain sufficient activity to explain their generally high levels of fitness. Due to the lack of evidence of substantial carry-over effects of youth fitness to adult health and the likelihood of children's resistance to vigorous fitness routines, there is little reason to recommend an aerobic training focus in physical education. A focus on enjoyable moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) with carry-over value to adulthood is recommended. Physical education is an important vehicle for promoting physical activity by children; it appears, however, that children may obtain little MVPA during physical education class.     

Do student-centred learning activities improve learning outcomes on a BTEC Applied Science course in FE?

This article provides quantitative evidence on the effect on learning outcomes of contrasting teaching styles applied to a class of Level 3 final-year students on a BTEC Applied Science course within a further education college in the UK. Two topics within a unit were taught using either a student-centred or teacher-centric (instructional) approach. Learning outcomes were monitored via tests aimed at both surface and deeper learning. Analysis showed that there was no significant difference between instructional or student-centred modes of teaching with respect to surface learning outcomes. However, analysis showed that a significant difference (p = 0.025) had occurred in deeper learning outcomes between the two modes of teaching. Interestingly, in this study, deeper learning was significantly improved after instructional teaching as opposed to student-centred teaching. Possible reasons for this are discussed and related to the role of instruction in vocational science education within FE. Preferences for teaching style were also obtained from the students via a survey and this indicated that PowerPoints were considered helpful whereas practical work and research tasks were very helpful to their learning.     

Exploring the Evidence in Evidence-Based Acquisition

ABSTRACT

This article explores the University of Colorado (CU) Libraries’ experiences with evaluating a patron-driven (PDA) program with Kanopy and an evidence-based (EBA) program with Alexander Street for streaming videos. The article includes a thorough comparison of EBA and PDA models, workflows, and outcomes. Three separately administered libraries within the CU system support campuses of different budgets, student and faculty demographics, programs, and exposure to streaming collections. Lessons in implementing and assessing streaming videos at each library and across the consortia are shared along with details on how to implement similar analysis at other libraries.