Children's Experiences of Bullying Victimization and the Influence on Their Subjective Well-Being: A Multinational Comparison

The study used data from the second wave of the Children's Worlds Survey to explore the relation between children's experiences of bullying victimization (physical and psychological) and their subjective well-being (SWB) across three age groups (8, 10, and 12) and 15 global geographical regions. The sample consists of 47,029 children randomly selected from 15 countries. Data were analyzed using structural equation modeling and multigroup confirmatory factor analysis. The results show appropriate fit structure for the overall model, and that the combined influence of physical and psychological bullying made a significant contribution to SWB across age groups and geographical regions. The findings are interpreted using Cummins's (1995) Homeostasis Theory of SWB.     

Young Adult Use of Ebooks: An Analysis of Public Library Services and Resources

An online survey distributed to librarians at public libraries across North America established some interesting trends in public librarians’ perceptions of ebooks and teens. Some of the findings of this study are that teen library users strongly prefer to read print books for their recreational reading and show very little interest in ebooks or ebook programs offered by public libraries. Survey respondents indicate that teen library users remain largely unaware of or disinterested in the advantages of ebooks in providing them a convenient, private, and customizable recreational reading experience. Even when public librarians offer ebook programs for teens through school outreach, these programs tend to focus on the titles in the collection and the download process, rather than the specific benefits of ebook reading. More active promotion of these advantages could potentially appeal to teens, especially to non-library users and reluctant readers.     

The effects of baseball bat mass properties on swing mechanics,ground reaction forces,and swing timing

Swing trajectory and ground reaction forces (GRF) of 30 collegiate baseball batters hitting a pitched ball were compared between a standard bat, a bat with extra weight about its barrel, and a bat with extra weight in its handle. It was hypothesised that when compared to a standard bat, only a handle-weighted bat would produce equivalent bat kinematics. It was also hypothesised that hitters would not produce equivalent GRFs for each weighted bat, but would maintain equivalent timing when compared to a standard bat. Data were collected utilising a 500 Hz motion capture system and 1,000 Hz force plate system. Data between bats were considered equivalent when the 95% confidence interval of the difference was contained entirely within ±5% of the standard bat mean value. The handle-weighted bat had equivalent kinematics, whereas the barrel-weighted bat did not. Both weighted bats had equivalent peak GRF variables. Neither weighted bat maintained equivalence in the timing of bat kinematics and some peak GRFs. The ability to maintain swing kinematics with a handle-weighted bat may have implications for swing training and warm-up. However, altered timings of kinematics and kinetics require further research to understand the implications on returning to a conventionally weighted bat.     

Academic Integrity in Electronic Universities of the New Millennium: a Practitioner's Perspective

Drawing upon its experience as a pioneer of open and distance learning in the management education field, the Open University Business School of the United Kingdom has now extended its system of student communication and support to include the use of computer‐mediated conferencing as a mass teaching tool. After outlining the method of supported open learning practiced by this Business School, the article describes the use of computer‐mediated conferencing in the graduate entry course to the MBA programme, a course that attracts some 1,500 managers each year from across Europe. The article then summarizes two years of student evaluation of their use of computer‐mediated conferencing as a learning support medium. The article concludes with a discussion of the implications of student reactions to computer‐mediated conferencing for the future effective use of information and communications technologies (ICT) in management education.     

Re-engaging disengaged pupils in physical education: an appreciative inquiry perspective

Many children and young people enjoy physical education (PE), yet many do not, and subsequently become disengaged from PE. Previous research that has explored pupil disengagement from PE has focused on what teachers should do to re-engage their pupils, or has encouraged dis-engaged pupils to create a curriculum that they perceive to be socially and culturally relevant. While this research is extremely important, it does not highlight enough what teachers bring to the teaching and learning process. An alternative approach to understanding (dis)engagement in PE is to start by asking both teachers and pupils: what is currently working, why is it working, and what could be in the future? This ‘appreciative inquiry’ (AI) approach is underpinned by the belief that everyone and everything has strengths that can be developed, and that those strengths should be the starting point for change. Consequently, in establishing the use of AI as an important means of understanding and potentially enhancing PE pedagogy, this research sought to understand the successful teaching strategies developed by PE teachers to re-engage disengaged pupils. Importantly, in recognising the value of understanding pupil experiences we also explored and shared the success stories of the ‘re-engaged’ pupils. Finally, in extending the research in this area, we examined the impact that teacher engagement in the AI process had on their professional learning. As the teachers engaged in the AI process, they discussed, listened to (each other and their pupils), reflected and shared their success stories. This, in turn, appears to have encouraged them to re-articulate and re-enact their practice and learning within the context of a more positive future. They designed (and in some cases, co-design with their pupils) meaningful and empowering PE programmes for their ‘disengaged’ pupils and have subsequently made a commitment to future professional learning and inquiry.     

Comparison of kinematics in skilled and unskilled arms of the same recreational baseball players

We examined mechanisms of coordination that enable skilled recreational baseball players to make fast overarm throws with their skilled arm and which are absent or rudimentary in their unskilled arm. Arm segment angular kinematics in three dimensions at 1000 Hz were recorded with the search-coil technique from the arms of eight individuals who on one occasion threw with their skilled right arm and on another with their unskilled left arm. Compared with their unskilled arm, the skilled arm had: a larger angular deceleration of the upper arm in space in the forward horizontal direction; a larger shoulder internal rotation velocity at ball release (unskilled arms had a negative velocity); a period of elbow extension deceleration before ball release; and an increase in wrist velocity with an increase in ball speed. It is suggested that some of these differences in arm kinematics occur because of differences between the skilled and unskilled arms in their ability to control interaction torques (the passive torque at one joint due to motion at adjacent joints). It is proposed that one reason unskilled individuals cannot throw fast is that, unlike their skilled counterparts, they have not developed the coordination mechanisms to effectively exploit interaction torques.