Perceptions of two television cartoons: Powerpuff girls and Johnny Bravo

“Powerpuff Girls” (PPG) and “Johnny Bravo” (JB) are two recent additions to cartoon programming on the Cartoon Network. In Study 1 over three‐fourths of 187 elementary school children indicated that they had watched JB and PPG. These children perceived PPG to be significantly more aggressive than JB. In Study 2 two trained, independent raters scored JB, compared to PPG, as more likely to make appearance‐enhancing actions and more likely to use come‐ons while the PPG were more aggressive and more likely to giggle/laugh. Johnny was more likely to be the recipient of aggressive behaviors, rather than be aggressive himself.     

Trade Book Collections to Support Teaching Economics Undergraduates: Notes,Suggestions, and Bibliography

The popular economics genre has become a promising tool for the development of information literacy and critical thinking skills in relation to the fundamental principles of economics to undergraduates. This article discusses how a popular economics collection can support faculty teaching economics classes. A bibliographic discussion describes trends in this genre and demonstrates how a few representative examples of this genre may enhance a traditional economics curriculum. Recommendations for librarians supporting economics teaching faculty are discussed. Finally, a thematically organized appendix includes a selected bibliography of titles published between 1918 and 2012.     

From the (Academic) middle to the top: an evaluation of the AVID/TOPS college access program

Abstract

Despite overall increases in college-going, college enrollment rates remain inequitable. Many programs attempt to address these persistent racial/ethnic and social class disparities in college attendance by intervening in the high school curriculum. Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) is among the longest standing and prevalent of these college access programs. In this paper, we present findings from a multi-year evaluation and cost analysis of the AVID/TOPS program – an enhanced AVID model – in place in Madison Metropolitan School District (Wisconsin). Taken together, the evaluation’s findings characterize AVID/TOPS as a promising program model that is associated with an increased likelihood for college readiness and matriculation, particularly for student groups underrepresented in higher education. We also report on the resources and costs required to implement the program, and show that the program’s benefits appear to exceed its costs.     

Factors associated with physical activity referral completion and health outcomes

Abstract

Participant socio-demographic characteristics and referral reason were investigated in relation to completion and health outcomes in a Primary Care Physical Activity Referral Scheme using a prospective population-based longitudinal design. Participants (n = 1735) were recruited over a 2-year period. A three-stage binary logistic regression analysis identified the factors associated with the outcomes of completion (model 1), body mass reduction (model 2) and blood pressure reduction (model 3). Participant's age, gender, ethnicity, occupation and referral reason were the independent variables for model 1, with the variables of completion added in model 2 and completion and body mass reduction added in model 3. Logistic regression analysis revealed that increasing age is associated with the likelihood of completion (Odds Ratio, OR = 1.019; Confidence Interval, CI = 1.008–1.030; P = 0.001). Participants with a pulmonary condition are less likely to complete (OR = 0.546; CI = 0.346–0.860; P < 0.01) compared to those referred for cardiovascular conditions. For ethnicity, in comparison to the white category, patients in the mixed category are significantly more likely to achieve a reduction in body mass (OR = 3.991; CI = 1.191–13.373; P < 0.05). Those who complete are more likely to achieve a reduction in body mass (OR = 3.541; CI = 2.721–4.608; P < 0.001). When compared to the unemployed category, the skilled manual category had an increased likelihood of achieving a reduction in blood pressure (OR = 1.875; CI = 1.044–3.227; P < 0.05). Participants who completed also demonstrated an increased likelihood of a reduction in blood pressure (OR = 1.680; CI = 1.250–2.003; P < 0.001). Furthermore, those participants who achieved a reduction in body mass had an increased likelihood of achieving a reduction in blood pressure (OR = 1.292; CI = 1.008–1.641; P < 0.05). Completion is associated with health outcomes of reduced body mass and blood pressure.     

Reading skill components and impairments in middle school struggling readers

This study investigated how measures of decoding, fluency, and comprehension in middle school students overlap with one another, whether the pattern of overlap differs between struggling and typical readers, and the relative frequency of different types of reading difficulties. The 1,748 sixth, seventh, and eighth grade students were oversampled for struggling readers (n = 1,025) on the basis of the state reading comprehension proficiency measure. Multigroup confirmatory factor analyses showed partial invariance among struggling and typical readers (with differential loadings for fluency and for comprehension), and strict invariance for decoding and a combined fluency/comprehension factor. Among these struggling readers, most (85 %) also had weaknesses on nationally standardized measures, particularly in comprehension; however, most of these also had difficulties in decoding or fluency. These results show that the number of students with a specific comprehension problem is lower than recent consensus reports estimate and that the relation of different reading components varies according to struggling versus proficient readers.     

Situating the ‘beyond’: adventure-learning and Indigenous cultural competence

In 2010, an Indigenous Elder from the Wiradjuri nation and a group of academics from Charles Sturt University travelled to Menindee, a small locality on the edge of the Australian outback. They were embarked upon an ‘adventure-learning’ research journey to study ways of learning by creating a community of practice with an Elder from the Ngyampa/Barkandji nation. This article first explores the implications of this innovative approach to transformative learning for professional development and for teaching and learning practice. It then reflects on the significance of location for pedagogic approaches aimed at closing the education gap between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Australians in universities.     

Increased fruit and vegetable intake among older adults participating in Kentucky’s congregate meal site program

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study was to determine if the amount and variety of fruits and vegetables consumed increased among community-dwelling older adults participating in Kentucky’s congregate meal site program following a series of five nutrition education lessons. A convenience sample of older adults attending senior centers (n = 35)—two intervention (n = 19) and two control (n = 16) centers—participated in this quasi-experimental pilot study. Following the intervention there was a significant increase in actual fruit and vegetable intake in the intervention group (p < .05) as assessed by platewaste measurements of the congregate lunch meal. In addition, from pre- to post-intervention, a trend towards increased self-reported intake in the variety of fruit and vegetables was observed among the intervention group. As well, a significant increase in the number of days intervention participants self-reported consuming at least 4.5 cups of fruits and vegetables in the last 7 days (2.44 ± 2.09 days to 4.28 ± 1.99 days (p = .004)) was observed; and knowledge pertaining to phytochemicals increased (p < .05). The phytochemical index (PI) score of the lunch meal, taking into account that the older adults' consumption of meal components, including phytochemical-rich foods, was 26.9. Overall, study results indicated that a short theory-based nutrition education program offered to community-dwelling older adults was linked to an increase in fruit and vegetable consumption and phytochemical knowledge.     

A structural model of algebra achievement: computational fluency and spatial visualisation as mediators of the effect of working memory on algebra achievement

The goal of this study was to develop and evaluate a structural model of the relations among cognitive abilities and arithmetic skills and college students’ algebra achievement. The model of algebra achievement was compared to a model of performance on the Scholastic Assessment in Mathematics (SAT‐M) to determine whether the pattern of relations is similar for different types of higher level maths achievement. Structural equation modelling was used to test the effects of working memory, 3D spatial ability, and computational fluency on both types of higher order maths achievement. Computational fluency had the strongest effect on algebra achievement, with 3D spatial ability and working memory showing moderate effects. In contrast, 3D spatial ability had a stronger effect on SAT‐M scores than did computational fluency. Computational fluency and 3D spatial ability completely mediated the effect of working memory for both algebra and SAT‐M achievement.