Assessing the contribution of collections of case studies to academic development in higher education

The purpose of this article is to provide a critical review of the motivating factors, processes and outcomes pertaining to learning‐centred curriculum reform in higher education. A case study example is provided from the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of British Columbia. Although academic units on university campuses tend to present many unique contextual challenges, and are at different stages in curriculum re‐design, useful lessons can be learned across settings without “re‐inventing the wheel,” or falling into similar implementation problems. A flexible framework, guiding principles and strategic approach to developing and implementing learning‐centred curricula are provided to assist academic developers. Curricular reform has implications for learning communities, planning, assessment and programming in higher education.     

Constitution

An ecological theory of health communication is offered that addresses how communications about health interdependently work together to influence health and/or health‐related behaviors. To explain how a multitude of variables work together in a synergistic manner, the present work borrows heavily from chaos theory. The use of chaos theory concepts represents a significant paradigm shift from previous, more reductionist, health communication perspectives. The present work (a) provides a definition of health communication, (b) offers an overall health communication framework, (c) introduces relevant chaos theory concepts into the health communication literature, and (d) illustrates how chaos theory concepts can be applied to the field of health communication in order to explain health‐related behavior. Specific operationalization procedures are suggested to test the theoretical ideas outlined.     

The intersection of environmental and sustainability education,and character education: An instrumental case study

Although fostering values is promoted within environmental and sustainability education (ESE) and a shift in values is seen as essential for a sustainable future, recent international findings indicate that this aspect of ESE is being neglected. Previous research has shown there to be common ground between ESE and the field of character education (CE), a form of values education. Bringing together these two strands of theory and practice has the potential to be fruitful in terms of strengthening current, and introducing new, practices in both fields, particularly through drawing on existing evidence-based strategies within CE to inform ESE. While there has been some work in this regard, this has been almost exclusively theoretical and there has been little research regarding the practice of such integration. This paper details an instrumental case study exploring an existing case of where ESE and CE come together in practice. A study was conducted at a Scottish, independent, all-ages, holistic education-oriented school, exploring how ESE is carried out. Data were gathered via teacher interviews, school observations, field notes and document analysis. Thematic analysis revealed four themes: the school as a sustainable organism; holistic learning; fostering a connectedness with nature; and nurturing the whole person. The data were then analysed from a CE perspective revealing multiple points of ESE–CE intersection, e.g. school climate/ethos, role-modelling and service-learning. The findings reveal commonalities between ESE and CE and provide examples of integrated ESE–CE practice, demonstrating potential for collaboration or shared ESE–CE practice. Avenues for further research are suggested.     

Using iPads for the social communication and emotional regulation of autistic pupils: an exploration of key stakeholders' perspectives and practices

Little research has focused on the implementation of iPad practices in real contexts and the identification of relevant challenges and enablers. This work explored practices relating to using iPads for autistic pupils' social communication (SC) and emotional regulation (ER) based on key stakeholders' perspectives. It employed two case studies undertaken in two primary schools located in the United Kingdom's West Midlands. The data were gathered by interviewing practitioners and parents and analyzing the schools' computing policies. The outcomes varied from iPads being used as multimodal learning tools, to teachers focusing on SC and ER, and parents mainly on recreation and ER. The findings were evaluated using Abbott's concept of e-inclusion (2007), considering the impact of the relationship between technology, individuals and context on iPad use in situ. Issues are highlighted around pedagogy and teaching methods, offering insights into what drives teachers to make decisions regarding technology use.     

Assessing how students value learning communication skills in an undergraduate anatomy and physiology course

Students, particularly those in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) and healthcare-related programs, should develop proficient interpersonal skills, including communication. To help students develop effective communication skills, instructors need to consider the value students give to learning these skills. The Student Attitudes Toward Communication Skills Survey (SATCSS) was developed to measure how undergraduate students value learning communication skills based on Expectancy-Value Theory across three modes of communication (verbal, written, non-verbal). The survey was given to students interested in healthcare professions and enrolled in an undergraduate anatomy and physiology (A&P) course (n = 233) at a Midwest research active university. The survey showed evidence of validity, measuring two components: (1) “Value to Profession” (attainment and utility value) and (2) “Value to Self” (intrinsic value and cost). There was a significant difference in sub-scores among the four task values such that students thought that learning communication skills was important and relevant (high attainment and utility value) but not interesting (low intrinsic value) and costly. Students with high total scores valued communication skills across all four task values. As total value scores decreased, it was first due to students finding learning communication skills to be time prohibitive and then a lack of interest in learning communication skills. Based on these results, it is recommended that instructors incorporate communication skills training into content that is already part of their A&P course to reduce time concerns. Additional recommendations include using reflective activities and humor to increase student interest.     

Red shirt colour is associated with long-term team success in English football

Abstract

The colour of sportswear has been shown to influence the outcome of bouts for several different combat sports. The generality of these effects, and whether they extend to collaborative forms of contests (team sports), is uncertain. Since 1947, English football teams wearing red shirts have been champions more often than expected on the basis of the proportion of clubs playing in red. To investigate whether this indicates an enhancement of long-term performance in red-wearing teams, we analysed the relative league positions of teams wearing different hues. Across all league divisions, red teams had the best home record, with significant differences in both percentage of maximum points achieved and mean position in the home league table. The effects were not due simply to a difference between teams playing in a colour and those playing in a predominantly white uniform, as the latter performed better than teams in yellow hues. No significant differences were found for performance in matches away from home, when teams commonly do not wear their “home” colours. A matched-pairs analysis of red and non-red wearing teams in eight English cities shows significantly better performance of red teams over a 55-year period. These effects on long-term success have consequences for colour selection in team sports, confirm that wearing red enhances performance in a variety of competitive contexts, and provide further impetus for studies of the mechanisms underlying these effects.     

Effects of caffeine on time trial performance in sedentary men

Abstract

It is not known if ergogenic effects of caffeine ingestion in athletic groups occur in the sedentary. To investigate this, we used a counterbalanced, double-blind, crossover design to examine the effects of caffeine ingestion (6 mg · kg^?1 body-mass) on exercise performance, substrate utilisation and perceived exertion during 30 minutes of self-paced stationary cycling in sedentary men. Participants performed two trials, one week apart, after ingestion of either caffeine or placebo one hour before exercise. Participants were instructed to cycle as quickly as they could during each trial. External work (J · kg^?1) after caffeine ingestion was greater than after placebo (P = 0.001, effect size [ES] = 0.3). Further, heart rate, oxygen uptake and energy expenditure during exercise were greater after caffeine ingestion (P = 0.031, ES = 0.4; P = 0.009, ES = 0.3 and P = 0.018, ES = 0.3; respectively), whereas ratings of perceived exertion and respiratory exchange ratio values did not differ between trials (P = 0.877, ES = 0.1; P = 0.760, ES = 0.1; respectively). The ability to do more exercise after caffeine ingestion, without an accompanying increase in effort sensation, could motivate sedentary men to participate in exercise more often and so reduce adverse effects of inactivity on health.     

Space Science: the View from European School Students

Research in Science Education - Gender imbalance in the physical sciences and engineering is a longstanding and well-documented concern within science education, industry, and policy. The current...