Distance education in an era of eLearning: challenges and opportunities for a campus‐focused institution

The growth of eLearning technologies has blurred the boundaries of educational modes to a point where distance education programs can be offered without drawing particular notice on campus. The experience of distance education staff working in campus‐focused universities and their perceptions of their chances of successfully planning and teaching by distance should inform evaluation of a university’s quality framework. In this case study, we report on the experience of distance educators at an Australian campus‐focused university. We identify organisational structure and culture as critical success factors for quality in distance education, with technology a, perhaps surprisingly, minor consideration. While the eLearning era has opened the door to a distance education cottage industry, eLearning strategy has failed to comprehensively prepare the way for the issues unique to distance education. The paper recommends that campus‐focused universities must protect their reputation by systematically assuring the quality of their (inevitable) distance offerings.     

Swedish PE teachers struggle with assessment in a criterion-referenced grading system

In the field of education, the international trend is to turn to criterion-referenced grading in the hope of achieving accountable and consistent grades. Despite a national criterion-referenced grading system emphasising knowledge as the only base for grading, Swedish physical education (PE) grades have been shown to value non-knowledge factors, such as students’ characteristics and behaviour. In 2011, a new national curriculum was implemented which attempts to deal with the problem by prescribing specific knowledge requirements with a clear progression as the only basis for different grades. The aim of the present study is to explore the impact of the new knowledge requirements on what teachers consider important when assigning grades. It is also to discuss what non-knowledge-related aspects (if any) teachers continue to look for and why these seem to remain resilient to the reform. The Repertory Grid technique was employed to interview the teachers before (2009) and after the implementation (2013). During the interviews, the grading of 45 students was discussed, which generated 125 constructs. After the implementation, there was a near doubling of knowledge constructs, half as many motivation constructs and an almost total elimination of constructs based on confidence and social skills. While motivational factors were still considered valuable for the award of a higher grade, clear criteria seemed to be important, but too limited for the teachers’ needs. In order to understand the persistence of motivational factors, we discuss the results in relation to Bernstein’s interrelated message systems of curriculum, pedagogy and assessment. We emphasise the need to discuss how valid grades can be achieved and, at the same time, give value to the regulative discourse in order to realise the overarching national goals of values and norms in education and PE.     

Video Enhanced Reflective Practice (VERP): supporting the development of trainee educational psychologists’ consultation and peer supervision skills

This article aims to seek trainee educational psychologists’ (TEPs) views about their experiences of using Video Enhanced Reflective Practice (VERP) to support their professional development, with a particular focus on consultation and peer supervision skills for the VERP guider. Participants engaged in three cycles of VERP, reflecting upon their practice using video clips of themselves. An action research design was implemented and views from trainee EPs and the Video Interaction Guidance (VIG) supervisor were sought, using semi-structured interviews. Hybrid Thematic Analysis was used in order to analyse the data. Findings suggest that VERP was generally a positive experience for trainees and their experiences highlighted the impact of observing themselves in practice, as opposed to retrospective reflection. Trainee EPs selected factors to consider within a ‘shared review’ and reflected on their experiences of being filmed, the strengths and the challenges of which are considered.     

Can alcohol sponsorship be diluted by health messaging?

Concerns surround the association between alcohol advertising and alcohol consumption amongst audiences. Research has examined the link in broadcast sports, yet limited attention is directed towards newer media. This paper examines whether there is a link between alcohol sponsorship in sports games and alcohol brand recall, recognition and choice, and whether in-game health messages moderate this association. Simulated games designed specifically for this study are used to observe whether in-game alcohol sponsorship combined with embedded health messages affect the player’s brand awareness. Findings highlight the influence of in-game alcohol sponsorship placement on brand awareness, yet embedded health messages do not impact consumer behaviours. This research provides evidence suggesting regulations in games may be warranted and further examination of health messaging in sponsor brand placement necessary.     

Book reviews

Clinical sports medicine, Robert C. Cantu, (ed.), The Collamore Press, Lexington, Massachusetts, Toronto, 1984. 219 pp, £19.95 (hb), ISBN 0 669 06842 X

Sports injuries, a self‐help guide, Vivian Grisogono, John Murray Ltd, London, 1984. 293 pp, £7.95 (hb), ISBN 0 7195 4111 5

Athletes’ guide to mental training, Robert N. Nideffer, Human Kinetics, Champaign, Illinois (distributed in the UK by Eddington Hook & Co.) 1985. vii +156 pp, $9.95 (pb), ISBN 0 931250 96 X

Scientific foundations of coaching, R.R. Pate, B. McClenaghan and R. Rotella, Saunders College Publishing, Philadelphia, 1984. xii + 344 pp, £21.95(hb), ISBN 0 03 057961 9

Mathematics in sport, M. Stewart Townend, Ellis Horwood, Chichester, 1984. 202 pp (hb), ISBN 0 85312 717 4

Frontiers of exercise biology, ’Big Ten Body of Knowledge’ symposium series, Vol. 13 K.T. Borer, D.W. Edington and T.P. White (eds), Human Kinetics Publishers Inc., Champaign, Illinois, (distributed in the UK by Edington Hook & Co.), 1983. vii + 295 pp, $31.95(hb), ISBN 0 931250 49 8

The knee, Philippe Segal and Marcel Jacob, Wolfe Medical Publications, Frome, Somerset, 1984. 143 pp (hb), £15, ISBN 2 224 00887 2

Psychological foundations of sport, J.M. Silva and R.S. Weinberg (eds), Human Kinetics, Champaign, Illinois, (distributed in the UK by Eddington Hook & Co), 1984. xxiv + 528 pp, £22.50 (hb), ISBN 0 93 1250 59 5

Physical activity and the social sciences, W. Neil Widmeyer, Mouvement Publications Inc., Ithaca, 1983. 472 pp, £9.00 (pb), ISBN 0 932392 13 X     

Changes in energy availability across the season in Division I female soccer players

Abstract

Low energy availability [(energy intake – exercise expenditure)/kg lean body mass], a component of the Female Athlete Triad, has been associated with menstrual disturbances and low bone mass. No studies have examined the energy availability of athletes across a season. The purpose of this study was to assess the prevalence of, and what contributes to, low energy availability in Division I female soccer players across a season. Nineteen participants aged 18–21 years (mean [Vdot]O_2max: 57.0 ± 1.0 mL · kg^?1 · min^?1) were studied during the pre, mid, and post season. Mean energy availability was overall lowest at mid season, and lower at mid than post season (35.2 ± 3.7 vs. 44.5 ± 3.7 kcal · kg^?1 lean body mass, P = 0.009). Low energy availability (<30 kcal · kg^?1 lean body mass) was observed in 5/19 (26.3%), 5/15 (33.3%), and 2/17 (11.8%) of participants during the pre, mid, and post season. Dietary energy intake was lower mid (P = 0.008) and post season (P = 0.022) than it was pre season (pre: 2794 ± 233 kcal · day^?1; mid: 2208 ± 156 kcal · day^?1; post: 2161 ± 143 kcal · day^?1). Exercise energy expenditure decreased significantly (P ≤ 0.001) over time (pre: 819 ± 57 kcal · day^?1; mid: 642 ± 26 kcal · day^?1; post: 159 ± 28 kcal · day^?1). Low energy availability was due to lower dietary energy intake at lunch during pre season (P = 0.014) and during lunch and dinner during mid season (P ≤ 0.030). Energy availability was inversely related to body dissatisfaction (r = ?0.62, P = 0.017) and drive for thinness (r = ?0.55, P = 0.041) during mid season. Although most Division I female soccer players are not at risk for low energy availability, a concerning proportion exhibited low energy availability at pre or mid season. Further studies are needed to explore strategies to prevent and monitor low energy availability in these athletes.