The dynamics of connecting universities,non-governmental organizations and community members by means of academic projects directed at people in need

In this article we discuss an action research experience that took place from 2002 to 2015. We analyze the inception and progress of several project-based learning-centered academic courses that were aimed at developing the project management skills of graduate and undergraduate students. The experience involved approximately 1800 students from two universities and 40 community partners. The students developed real-life projects on behalf of institutions and non-governmental organizations located in the area that help people in need; we refer to these agencies as ‘community partners.’ We analyze the development of the course from a systemic perspective, making use of causal loop diagrams in order to understand the main driving dynamics. We discuss the results achieved by these projects and the benefits brought to the community partners. We also present testimony from the community partners themselves. We conclude by presenting the lessons we learned over the years we have been running this course.     

Government research evaluations and academic freedom: a UK and Australian comparison

Performance management systems have been an inevitable consequence of the development of government research evaluations (GREs) of university research, and have also inevitably affected the working life of academics. The aim of this paper is to track the development of GREs over the past 25 years, by critically evaluating their adoption in the UK and Australian higher education sector and their contribution to the commodification of academic labour, and to highlight the resultant tensions between GREs and academic freedom. The paper employs a literature-based analysis, relying on publicly available policy documents and academic studies over the period 1985–2010. GREs are a global phenomenon emanating from new public management reforms and while assessments of university research have been welcomed, they have attracted critique based on their design, the manner in which they have been applied, and the unintended consequences of their implementation on academic freedom in particular. Consistent with international research on the impact of GREs, Australian research assessments appear to be undoing the academic freedom that is central to successful research. Further empirical research on the impact of GREs on academics is urgently needed.     

Immigrant girls as caregivers to younger siblings: a transnational feminist analysis

This article employs a transnational feminist lens to examine the experiences of racialised immigrant girls who provide care for their younger siblings. The article draws on findings from a participatory action research study in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada to examine the role that immigrant girls’ caregiving practices play in transnational families’ social, economic, and cultural survival. It argues that greater attention should be given to the diverse and complex contexts, consequences, costs, and contributions of immigrant girls’ caregiving labour.     

This is what I’m doing and why: Methodological reflections on a naturalistic think-aloud study of interactive information behaviour

Many user-centred studies of electronic information resources include a think-aloud element – where users are asked to verbalise their thoughts, interface actions and sometimes their feelings whilst using these resources to help them complete one or more information tasks. These studies are usually conducted with the purpose of identifying usability issues related to the resource(s) used or understanding aspects of users’ information behaviour. However, few of these studies present detailed accounts of how their think-aloud data was collected and analysed or provide detailed reflection on methodological decisions made. In this article, we discuss and reflect on the methodology used when planning and conducting a think-aloud study of lawyers’ interactive information behaviour. Our discussion is framed by Blandford et al.’s PRET A Rapporter (‘ready to report’) framework – a framework that can be used to plan, conduct and describe user-centred studies of electronic information resource use from an information work perspective.     

Managing the Progressive Publishing Company During Market and Technology Transitions

As new media technologies and platforms emerge and take hold in our society, traditional publishers are wondering: What’s in this new content climate for me? The simple answer is: a lot. The digital world, mobile content delivery mechanisms and the public’s increasing comfort—even preference for—a media menu from which they can pick and choose what they want and how they want to receive it, brings exciting and potentially lucrative opportunities. For publishers who understand how to leverage their brand and create authentic, identifiable value in the eyes of the customer, risk can be reduced and new revenue streams built. Here are four best practices to position your publishing company for growth.     

Inspiratory muscle warm-up and inspiratory muscle training: separate and combined effects on intermittent running to exhaustion

In the present study, we examined the independent and combined effects of an inspiratory muscle warm-up and inspiratory muscle training on intermittent running to exhaustion. Twelve males were recruited to undertake four experimental trials. Two trials (Trials 1 and 2) preceded either a 4-week training period of 1 × 30 breaths twice daily at 50% (experimental group) or 15% (control group) maximal inspiratory mouth pressure (PImax). A further two trials (Trials 3 and 4) were performed after the 4 weeks. Trials 2 and 4 were preceded by a warm-up: 2 × 30 breaths at 40% PImax. Pre-training PImax and distance covered increased (P < 0.05) similarly between groups after the warm-up (~11% and ~5-7% PImax and distance covered, respectively). After training, PImax increased by 20 ± 6.1% (P < 0.01; d = 3.6) and 26.7 ± 6.3% (P < 0.01; d = 3.1) when training and warm-up were combined in the experimental group. Distance covered increased after training in the experimental group by 12 ± 4.9% (P < 0.01; d = 3.6) and 14.9 ± 4.5% (P < 0.01; d = 2.3) when training and warm-up interventions were combined. In conclusion, inspiratory muscle training and inspiratory muscle warm-up can both increase running distance independently, but the greatest increase is observed when they are combined.     

Medical and health informatics services during and after the COVID‐19 pandemic should be virtual,tailored, responsive and interactive: a case study in Belgium

This is part of a new series in this regular feature regarding trends in the provision of information by health science libraries. By sharing expertise and drawing together relevant trends the series intends to serve as a road map for both health science librarians and health informatics professionals. This article shows how a medical and biomedical research library changed practices, and reassessed user needs for the COVID‐19 emergency. Discusses changes to online education (and collaborative working) to provide user‐friendly services, researcher support tailored to need and re‐visioning library space. J.M.     

Supporting resilience in early years classrooms: the role of the teacher

It is an accepted fact that resilience is a multifaceted phenomenon which has been proven to affect the learning, growth and development of individuals. A child’s formative years are a time when resilience needs to be promoted so they can cope with the challenges of life. This paper reports some of the findings of an Australian Research Council-funded longitudinal study which investigated resilience in the context of significant transitions in the lives of children and young adults. This study explored the conditions and characteristics of resilience, looking at the educational, health, work-related or leisure interventions that support and foster resilience. Outlined in this paper are findings from the early years cohort of the study involving teachers’ pedagogy informing the practical approaches and strategies that promote and protect resilience in young children. It is argued that teachers working with young children need to be mindful of using enabling strategies in which their practice works purposively with the school environment and the building of relationships.     

Vocational Students Experiences with Assessment in Workplace Learning

Vocational education, as part of the Norwegian upper secondary education, includes both school-based learning and workplace learning. While school-based learning is characterized by formal structures and guided by aims in the curricula, workplace learning is often informal, incidental and directed by the daily work-tasks. Assessment in workplace learning is mainly formative and different stakeholders are involved in the assessment; namely students, teachers and workplace instructors. However, the guidelines for assessment are vague and call for a close cooperation between the stakeholders. This is demanding and has resulted in a variety of assessment practices. The study presented in this article is a qualitative study of students’ experiences with assessment in workplace learning periods in their first year in vocational education. The aim of the study is to give voice to students` experiences with assessment and illuminate how assessment supports their learning processes. Data was collected through focus group interviews with two groups of students in the Programme for Health and Social Care. The main findings indicate different assessment cultures in school and workplaces. This is expressed through the students’ perceptions of assessment, assessment criteria, tools for assessment and vocational knowledge. It is recommended that an open dialogue about the discontinuity in assessment between schools and workplaces is one of several measures necessary to bridge the gap between the stakeholders.