Outdoor play environments for infants and toddlers

Every adult is aware that babies enjoy playing. Even before an infant is able to grasp an object, brightly colored toys are suspended in a crib or held for him to enjoy. Once the baby is able to crawl, stand, and walk, the opportunities to explore the environment and play are expanded. While we are familiar with indoor play areas for infants and toddlers in homes, churches, or caregiving centers, only recently has there been significant interest in the design of outdoor play environments. Because more children are being placed in caregiving settings in the early months after birth, awareness of the need for infant-toddler playgrounds has led to the construction of playscapes for children two years and younger.Sue C. Wortham is an Associate Professor at the University of Texas, at San Antonio.     

Aerobic fitness and running performance of male and female recreational runners

The purpose of the present study was to assess fitness and running performance in a group of recreational runners (men, n = 18; women, n = 13). 'Fitness' was determined on the basis of their physiological and metabolic responses during maximal and submaximal exercise. There were strong correlations between VO2 max and treadmill running speeds equivalent to blood lactate concentrations of 2 mmol l-1 (V-2 mM) or 4 mmol l-1 (V-4 mM), 'relative running economy' and 5 km times (r = -0.84), but modest and non-significant correlations between muscle fibre composition and running performance. The results of the submaximal exercise tests suggested that the female runners were as well trained as the male runners. However, the men still recorded faster 5 km times (19.20 +/- 1.97 min vs 20.97 +/- 1.70 min; P less than 0.05). Therefore the of the present study suggest that the faster performance times recorded by the men were best explained by their higher VO2 max values, rather than their training status per se.     

Effective e-learning for health professionals and students--barriers and their solutions. A systematic review of the literature--findings from the HeXL project

Introduction: In 2003/4 the Information Management Research Institute, Northumbria University, conducted a research project to identify the barriers to e‐learning for health professionals and students. The project also established possible ways to overcome these barriers. The North of England Workforce Development Confederation funded the project. Methodology: The project comprised a systematic review of the literature on barriers to and solutions/critical success factors for e‐learning in the health field. Fifty‐seven references were suitable for analysis. This review was supplemented by a questionnaire survey of learners and an interview study of learning providers to ensure that data identified from the literature were grounded in reality. Results: The main barriers are: requirement for change; costs; poorly designed packages; inadequate technology; lack of skills; need for a component of face‐to‐face teaching; time intensive nature of e‐learning; computer anxiety. A range of solutions can solve these barriers. The main solutions are: standardization; strategies; funding; integration of e‐learning into the curriculum; blended teaching; user friendly packages; access to technology; skills training; support; employers paying e‐learning costs; dedicated work time for e‐learning. Conclusions: The authors argue that librarians can play an important role in e‐learning: providing support and support materials; teaching information skills; managing and providing access to online information resources; producing their own e‐learning packages; assisting in the development of other packages.