The importance of cohesion and enjoyment for the fitness improvement of 8–10-year-old children participating in a team and individual sport school-based physical activity intervention

This study investigates the enjoyment and cohesion of school children participating in a school-based high-intensity physical activity (PA) intervention. Both enjoyment and cohesion have been found to be important factors for adherence to regular physical and sport activity, an important outcome of PA interventions. The sample consisted of 300 pupils (mean age: 9.3 years; 52.7% female) assigned to a team sport intervention, an individual sport intervention, or a control group for 10 months. The Physical Activity Enjoyment Scale and Youth Sport Environment Questionnaire were used to measure enjoyment and cohesion. The Yo-Yo IR1C test determined fitness improvements. Results showed that enjoyment and cohesion (social) measured at the beginning of the intervention significantly predict fitness improvements achieved after 10 months. No differing developmental effects over time could be found in the intervention groups with regard to cohesion and enjoyment when comparing them to the control group. However, enjoyment and cohesion (social) significantly decreased in the groups that performed individual sports. Team sports seem to be more advantageous for the development of enjoyment and cohesion, which are both factors that positively impact the health outcomes of the intervention.     

The effect of ball impact location on racket and forearm joint angle changes for one-handed tennis backhand groundstrokes

Recreational tennis players tend to have higher incidence of tennis elbow, and this has been hypothesised to be related to one-handed backhand technique and off-centre ball impacts on the racket face. This study aimed to investigate for a range of participants the effect of off-longitudinal axis and off-lateral axis ball–racket impact locations on racket and forearm joint angle changes immediately following impact in one-handed tennis backhand groundstrokes. Three-dimensional racket and wrist angular kinematic data were recorded for 14 university tennis players each performing 30 “flat” one-handed backhand groundstrokes. Off-longitudinal axis ball–racket impact locations explained over 70% of the variation in racket rotation about the longitudinal axis and wrist flexion/extension angles during the 30 ms immediately following impact. Off-lateral axis ball–racket impact locations had a less clear cut influence on racket and forearm rotations. Specifically off-longitudinal impacts below the longitudinal axis forced the wrist into flexion for all participants with there being between 11° and 32° of forced wrist flexion for an off-longitudinal axis impact that was 1 ball diameter away from the midline. This study has confirmed that off-longitudinal impacts below the longitudinal axis contribute to forced wrist flexion and eccentric stretch of the wrist extensors and there can be large differences in the amount of forced wrist flexion from individual to individual and between strokes with different impact locations.     

Modeling Retention at a Large Public University: Can At-Risk Students Be Identified Early Enough to Treat?

We examine the extent to which readily available data at a large public university can be used to a priori identify at-risk students who may benefit from targeted retention efforts. Although it is possible to identify such students, there remains an inevitable tradeoff in any resource allocation between not treating the students who are likely to exit without treatment and treating students who are likely not to exit in the absence of the treatment. At-risk students are found to remain at risk throughout their college career. Moreover, conditional on exiting the institution, the degree to which the student was at risk is predictive of whether the student subsequently re-enrolls elsewhere and the type of institution at which this re-enrollment occurs. In this context, we discuss how retention policies relate to insuring the initial match is appropriate, recognizing that some attrition can be in keeping with the broad social interest.     

Writing Like a Scientist: Exploring Elementary Teachers’ Understandings and Practices of Writing in Science

This qualitative study examined the connections between elementary teachers’ conceptions of how scientists use writing and how the teachers used writing during science lessons. Data collected included lesson observations, interviews, handouts to students, and curriculum resources. The findings revealed that teachers in this study thought scientists write for several purposes: the presentation of data, observations, experiences, procedures, and facts. The teachers used writing tasks that mirrored this with their students. The teachers also had a limited definition of creativity in writing, and when they had students write creatively in science it was to add in fictional elements. Implications of this study include providing teachers with better models for how and why scientists write, including these models in more inquiry-based science lessons, and directly relating concepts of nature of science to elementary science writing.     

Perceived learning,critical elements and lasting impacts on university-based wilderness educational expeditions

This study examined participants’ perceptions of learning, critical elements, and lasting impacts of their wilderness expeditions. Fifty-seven students, who completed a for-credit wilderness canoe expedition between 1993 and 2007 at the Augustana Campus, University of Alberta, participated in the investigation. Perceived learning most commonly related to nature and place appreciation, outdoor skills, group living, and self-awareness. Critical elements for learning were the experiential approach, group living, and nature and place immersion. In terms of lasting impacts of the expedition, perceived learning had changed since the expedition for 88% of students, especially in the areas of self-awareness, group living, and greater appreciation of the experience, due to reflection and the passage of time. Furthermore, the expedition had a lasting impact on students’ personal and professional lives, especially related to life experience, nature appreciation, confidence, and skill development. The findings support the notion that wilderness educational expeditions can provide significant and long-lasting learning (uniquely in the area of nature and place appreciation). Finally, because of the nature of educational expeditions, they lend themselves to the implementation of sound experiential pedagogical practices that promote active, engaged, and relevant learning.     

Other Foreign/International

Michael Balfour's Propaganda in War 1939-1945: Organizations, Policies and Publics in Britain and Germany (London and Boston: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1979---$37.50)

Glen Fisher's American Communication in a Global Society (Norwood, N.J.: Ablex Publishing, 1979---$17.50)

Studies of Broadcasting (NHK Theoretical Research Centre, Radio & TV Culture Research Institute, Nippon Hoso Kyokai, 2-1-1, Atago, Minato-ku, Tokyo 105, Japan---apparently free on request, especially if you have some research of interest to exchange)

Eighteenth Report by the International Telecommunication Union on Telecommunication and the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (Geneva: ITU, 1979---5 swiss france, paper)

Robert N. Pierce's Keeping the Flame: Media and Government in Latin America (New York: Hastings House, 1979---$14.50/7.95)

Godwin C. Chu and Francis I.K. Hsu, eds. Moving a Mountain: 'Cultural Change in China (Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press, 1979--- $16.00)

Intergovernmental Conference on Communication Policies in Asia and Oceania (Paris: Unesco, 1979---limited distribution [whatever that means in practice] with no price given, paper)

Miriam Williford, Source Directory: Assistance to Third World Broaecasters (Ford Foundation, P.O. Box 559, Naugatuck, Conn. 06770---$5.95, loose-leaf binder)     

Book Reviews

This article is a presentation and analysis of the 2012 budget narrative of the King County (Washington) Library System, the winner of LJ/Cengage's 2011 Library of the Year Award. The author's narrative analyzes both the language and character of this important budget document, demonstrating its place in the appropriate library function of building its relationship with its various constituencies.     

Omnigraphics Reference Books: A Review

This article reports the results of a survey conducted in 2015 of librarians who work for small town and rural public libraries throughout the United States. Questions were asked about personnel statistics, budget, community involvement, programs, technology, managerial challenges, and how to solve the organization’s problems. The purpose of this research was to ascertain if conditions have improved for libraries in areas of low population and what managerial challenges these librarians faced. The survey found that financial conditions had improved or will improve in the future and that the most challenging managerial issue was staffing.