The impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic on physical activity in U.S. children

BackgroundDaily moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) is vital to the physical, mental, and social well-being of children. Early restrictions during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic included the closure of schools and physical activity (PA) amenities across the US. This study aimed to examine the impact of the pandemic on the PA and play behavior of U.S. children and to provide evidence-based recommendations to improve their PA.MethodsA cross-sectional, online, parent-reported survey was conducted of children aged 3–18 years between April and June 2020 to assess light PA and MVPA using a modified Godin Leisure-Time Exercise Questionnaire. Additional items included family/child socioeconomic demographics, child adaptability to the pandemic, and community access. The survey was shared through social media and snowball sampling distribution.ResultsAnalysis of 1310 surveys indicated child PA scores declined significantly during the pandemic (from 56.6 to 44.6, max 119, p < 0.001). Specifically, MVPA score decreased (from 46.7 to 34.7, max 98, p < 0.001) while light PA remained the same. Age-based changes were seen in the quantity, variety, and intensity of PA, with the lowest pandemic-related impact seen in preschoolers and the highest in high schoolers (–4.7 vs. –17.2, p < 0.001). Community-based peer PA decreased across all age groups.ConclusionThis study shows decreased PA levels in U.S. children, according to parent reporting, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Recommendations for community leaders, educators, and parents to improve PA in children are provided. With continued spread of COVID-19, these results and recommendations may be imperative to the physical well-being of U.S. children.     

SENCos Sharing Questions and Solutions: How to Make a More Convenient Phone Call

Klaus Wedell, a project consultant, and members of the Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCo) Project at the National Council for Educational Technology (NCET), Chris Stevens (Manager for Special Needs), Terry Waller (Senior Project Officer) and Lydia Matheson (Information Officer) report on the initial findings of the Project.     

Impact of changing health care economics on Michigan hospital libraries: report of a survey

In an attempt to determine how efforts to contain the soaring cost of U.S. health care in the 1980s have affected the size and stature of Michigan hospital libraries, a survey was sent out in April 1988 to 156 hospitals across the state. Fifteen of the 97 responding institutions did not maintain libraries during the survey period and were subsequently excluded from the study. Total FTEs in the 82 responding libraries decreased by 6.1%. In the 69 libraries reporting budget data, materials budgets increased, but by less than 7% a year. Eighteen of the 82 libraries had positions reclassified, with 12 (14.6%) assigned downgrades. The trend toward reduced size and perceived value of hospital libraries that emerged from the survey points to the need for regular collection of comprehensive hospital library statistics to assist hospital librarians in effective direction of their profession's course.     

The Effect of Drag-and-Drop Item Features on Test-Taker Performance and Response Strategies

Computer-based educational assessments often include items that involve drag-and-drop responses. There are different ways that drag-and-drop items can be laid out and different choices that test developers can make when designing these items. Currently, these decisions are based on experts’ professional judgments and design constraints, rather than empirical research, which might threaten the validity of interpretations of test outcomes. To this end, we investigated the effect of drag-and-drop item features on test-taker performance and response strategies with a cognition-centered approach. Four hundred and seventy-six adult participants solved content-equivalent drag-and-drop mathematics items under five design variants. Results showed that: (a) test takers’ performance and response strategies were affected by the experimental manipulations, and (b) test takers mostly used cognitively efficient response strategies regardless of the manipulated item features. Implications of the findings are provided to support test developers’ design decisions.