Boredom in the lecture theatre: An investigation into the contributors,moderators and outcomes of boredom amongst university students

Student boredom within the school system has been widely studied and shown to be linked to various negative consequences such as diminished academic achievement, school dissatisfaction and truancy. However, little attention has been given to the issue of boredom within higher education and the current study aims to redress this balance. Two hundred and eleven university students completed questionnaires aimed at assessing contributors, moderators and consequences of their boredom. Results reveal that 59% of students find their lectures boring half the time and 30% find most or all of their lectures to be boring. The consequences of being bored included students missing future lectures and there was also a significant association between level of boredom and grade point average. The most important teaching factor contributing to student boredom is the use of PowerPoint slides, whilst the personality trait Boredom Proneness was the most important factor moderating the experience of boredom. Implications for future research and for teaching staff are outlined.     

Alternative schools for troublesome secondary students

Results of a field experiment indicate that a certain kind of secondary school program reduced the disruptive behavior and improved the scholastic performance of students who were about to be suspended or expelled from their conventional schools. The research indicates that the program was demonstrably effective only with those students who were not at the outset extremely depressed and anxious. The essential characteristics of the program are described. The findings document the social psychological processes by which the program achieved its goals. Implications are drawn for a typology of delinquency; causes of delinquent and disruptive behavior; stigmatization; the possibility of an educational program being effective without the direct involvement of disruptive students' families or friends; and for some recurring questions regarding the design of alternative educational programs.     

Perceptual-cognitive expertise in sport: a meta-analysis

Research focusing on perceptual-cognitive skill in sport is abundant. However, the existing qualitative syntheses of this research lack the quantitative detail necessary to determine the magnitude of differences between groups of varying levels of skills, thereby limiting the theoretical and practical contribution of this body of literature. We present a meta-analytic review focusing on perceptual-cognitive skill in sport (N = 42 studies, 388 effect sizes) with the primary aim of quantifying expertise differences. Effects were calculated for a variety of dependent measures (i.e., response accuracy, response time, number of visual fixations, visual fixation duration, and quiet eye period) using point-biserial correlation. Results indicated that experts are better than nonexperts in picking up perceptual cues, as revealed by measures of response accuracy and response time. Systematic differences in visual search behaviors were also observed, with experts using fewer fixations of longer duration, including prolonged quiet eye periods, compared with non-experts. Several factors (e.g., sport type, research paradigm employed, and stimulus presentation modality) significantly moderated the relationship between level of expertise and perceptual-cognitive skill. Practical and theoretical implications are presented and suggestions for empirical work are provided.     

Transitioning Online Reference Staffing Models: Assessing and Balancing Needs of Patrons and Practitioners

ABSTRACT

As staffing models evolve for academic library service points, online chat reference services require strategic analysis to improve efficiency and effectiveness. This paper will examine the perception of chat reference before and after staffing changes from faculty librarians, staff, and graduate assistants to non-MLIS library professionals and graduate assistants at Florida State University’s a large, public research university library. Our survey explores satisfaction levels and perception of both patrons and library personnel before and after the staffing change.

Our analysis of 197 patron survey results determined that patrons are equally satisfied with non-librarian provision of chat reference services and found chat interactions to be comparable in quality and timeliness to chats staffed by librarians. Our research into staffer survey results revealed a slight decrease in satisfaction with operation of the service, notably in terms of confidence after the staffing transition even though this was not reflected in the patron satisfaction levels. This assessment indicates that library workers are equally as competent in staffing chat reference services as librarians from patron perspectives. As academic libraries continue to measure the value of staffing service desks with librarians, this study will provide relevant insight into how patrons and staffers are affected by changes in staffing models.     

Performance in a social context: Date rape versus date right

This investigation examined performance of texts as a method of modifying sexual attitudes and assertiveness in a dating context in order to prevent date rape or unwanted sexual aggression. The study focused on the impact of three training modalities (live performance, performance plus discussion, and discussion) and aggressive sexual experience on sexual attitudes and assertive behavior. Results suggest that live performance alone and live performance plus discussion have the capacity to modify sexual attitudes and increase awareness of the issues.     

The Boss

妈妈生病了,爸爸出门给她买果汁。哥哥、妹妹和我会为妈妈做什么呢?It was Sunday morning. Mum was sick* in bed." Mum needs someorange juice," Dad said." I’ll go to the store and get some for her. Begood while I’m gone(不在)."*" Dad is gone," said my big brother." Now I’m the boss."" I want to文∕Becky Mann     

The Effects of Muscular Fatigue on the Kinetics of Sprint Running

Abstract

In order to compare the kinematic and kinetic effects of fatigue on the mechanics of sprint running, 15 male subjects were filmed in the saggital plane while performing a short (50 meter) maximal exertion sprint and a long (400 meter) fatiguing sprint. The short sprint was filmed at 40 meters, while the long sprint was filmed at 40 and 380 meters. The films were reduced utilizing a digitizer coupled to a computer terminal. Analysis results were generated via a human motion analysis program. Kinematic and kinetic results were entered into the statistical analysis as differences between non-fatigued and fatigued values. Initially, quality of the performance (measured by the change in horizontal velocity of the body center of gravity) was statistically related to change in the kinetic variable of integrated muscle moment at each of the body joints. The kinetic variables found to be significant were then statistically compared to logically related changes in kinematic variables (temporally adjacent or concurrent). Changes in the generated moments about the hip and knee during ground contact were found to be related to the quality of the performer. Kinematic changes related to the significant moment changes indicated that, while the better sprinter (smaller velocity loss) closely maintained the kinetic and kinematic patterns, the poorer sprinter (larger velocity loss) inefficiently deviated in both areas. The lack of significance between the changes in upper limb moments and change in average velocity indicated that productive arm effort does not affect the level of performance in the fatigued condition.