Beyond the Rhetoric: A framework for evaluating improvements to the student experience

A framework is described to assist institutions in evaluating the extent to which activities described as “quality improvements” or “quality enhancements” are likely to directly improve the student experience. The framework classifies ways of improving the student experience into “coaching improvements”, “umpiring improvements”, and “facilities improvements”, while also considering the location of improvements along a “risk avoidance—quality assurance—quality enhancement” continuum. The utility of this framework is explored through case studies of sector‐wide initiatives in Scotland and Australia. If used to stimulate internal discussion, the framework can help institutions to better balance their efforts to improve the student experience.     

Social and emotional learning in the classroom: promoting mental health and academic success

Numerous studies conducted in different countries have focused on empirical research and literature reviews on prevalence, consequences, and strategies relative to cyberbullying; however, there is a lack of research regarding cyberbullying from a cross-cultural perspective. This article reviews recent research on cyberbullying and presents information on prevention and intervention from an international perspective.     

BROADCAST TELEVISION AS A CAUSE OF AGGRESSION? RECENT FINDINGS FROM A NATURALISTIC STUDY

This sub‐study is part of a longitudinal naturalistic investigation monitoring the social behaviour of young children (3‐8‐year‐olds) before and after the arrival of broadcast television in St Helena, South Atlantic.

Children's free‐play behaviour in first school playgrounds was videotaped in 1994 (pre‐tv), and in 1995 and 1996 (post‐tv), and then coded and analysed by trained observers. Findings showed no significant differences in children's behaviour either across the availability of broadcast television (i.e. CNN) or with the addition of further channels (CNN plus others).     

Towards flexible learning for adult learners in professional contexts: an activity-focused course design

This article argues for a flexible model of learning for adults which allows them to make choices and contextualise their learning in a manner appropriate to their own professional practice whilst also developing as a member of a learning community. It presents a design based around online ‘learning activities’ which draws on ideas of constructivism, collaborative learning and reflective practice. The model was developed for adult learning in Higher Education, and has been adapted and extended to a number of different programmes. Implementation of the model for the Teaching Qualification (Further Education) has been the subject of an interpretative evaluation using a multiple methods approach. Learners' experiences of this programme together with issues associated with the application of the model to other programmes are discussed.     

Expert Workshop Assesses the Significance of Birth Location on Maternal and Infant Outcomes

On March 6–7, 2013, some of the greatest minds in research and the provision of maternity care came together for a workshop on “Research Issues in the Assessment of Birth Settings,” hosted by the prestigious Institute of Medicine (IOM) and sponsored by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.     

The Effect of Clickers in University Science Courses

In four studies on the use of student response systems, clickers, we sought to understand whether the use of clickers would impact students’ attitudes toward the use of technology for instruction and achievement on examinations. While the results varied some by study, overall, the results revealed no significant changes in the already positive student attitude toward the use of instructional technology. In all four studies, the majority of the students reported that they learned more when clickers were used in class. The use of clickers did not serve as useful predictor of student achievement in science classes. The findings of this study are similar to others which suggest that some classroom technologies (like clickers) may not necessarily have a direct connection with student achievement, despite positive student feedback regarding their experience using these technologies. Further studies are needed to better understand the true nature of the relationship between these technologies and classroom outcomes.     

Learning,Testing, and the Evaluation of Learning Environments in Medicine: Global Performance Assessment in Medical Education

Changes in the profession of medicine are creating the demand for a substantive reexamination of current practices in medical education. Many of the major issues in addressing this challenge are structural and political rather than scientific; here we address one critical scientific issue that will be important to (though not by itself adequate for) guiding such changes. The factor we address is the development of a global performance assessment: a standardized mechanism to assess individual skills and abilities that can be used to evaluate alternative educational interventions. We discuss the issues involved in developing such a system, and describe a set of principles for defining desired outcomes and developing assessment tools, including (a) wide clinical scope, (b) direct relationship to actual clinical performance, (c) reliability and repeatability, and (d) non-longitudinal measurement. We discuss the role of simulation, reflective practice, and portfolios of work in developing such a system, and argue that whatever form such metrics take, a system of global performance assessment will develop from close collaboration between clinicians and educators with innovative ways of thinking about performance and expertise.     

Acute cardiovascular responses to interval exercise: A systematic review and meta-analysis

ABSTRACT

Interval exercise training is increasingly recommended to improve health and fitness; however, it is not known if cardiovascular risk is different from continuous exercise protocols. This systematic review with meta-analyses assessed the effect of a single bout of interval exercise on cardiovascular responses that indicate risk of cardiac fibrillation and infarction compared to continuous exercise. Electronic databases Medline, CINAHL, Embase, Scopus and Cochrane were searched. Key inclusion criteria were: (1) intervals of the same intensity and duration followed by a recovery period and (2) reporting at least one of blood pressure, heart rate variability, arterial stiffness or function. Cochrane Risk of Bias tool and GRADE approach were used. Meta-analyses found that systolic blood pressure responses to interval exercise did not differ from responses to continuous exercise immediately (MD 8 mmHg [95% CI ?32, 47], p = 0.71) or at 60 min following exercise (MD 0 mmHg [95% CI ?2, 1], p = 0.79). However, reductions in diastolic blood pressure and flow-mediated dilation with interval exercise were observed 10–15 min post-exercise. The available evidence indicates that interval exercise does not convey higher cardiovascular risk than continuous exercise. Further investigation is required to establish the safety of interval exercise for clinical populations.