Digital Commons Network^™

The Middle Landscape Of The Private College: A Bicentennial Perspective, George W. Geib

George W. Geib

America's Private Colleges and Universities have entered the bicentennial year expressing deep concern for their individual and collective futures. They seem constantly engaged in a search for new students and additional financial contributors; they darkly aver that they may be forced to close forever if their search fails; and they point to the dozens of others campuses that passed from the scene in the last decade as proof of the urgency of their case. To some observers these forebodings of doom may appear, like the associated press reports about Mark Twain's demise, greatly exaggerated. But the immediacy and intensity with …

“Stick With Yourselves; It’S What’S Normal”: The Intergroup Racial Attitudes Of Senior, White, Fraternity Men, Demetri L. Morgan, Hilary B. Zimmerman, Tanner N. Terrell, Beth A. Marcotte

Demetri L. Morgan, Ph.D.

Substantive cross-racial interaction on college campuses has been known to have positive effects on student learning and development (Chang, Astin, & Kim, 2004). However, literature shows that students from different minoritized racial groups often remain separated from majority White groups, such as fraternities, thus prohibiting each group to realize the benefits such interaction could offer (Sidanius, Laar, Levin, & Sinclair, 2004). Utilizing focus group methods, this study investigated the racial attitudes of 20 senior, White, Interfraternity Council men in order to better show how the fraternity culture and experience influence the racial attitudes of members. This study found four themes …

Connecting To Get Things Done: A Conceptual Model Of The Process Used To Respond To Bias Incidents, Lucy A. Lepeau, Demetri L. Morgan, Hilary B. Zimmerman, J.T. Snipes, Beth A. Marcotte

Demetri L. Morgan, Ph.D.

In this study, we interviewed victims of bias incidents and members of a bias response team to investigate the process the team used to respond to incidents. Incidents included acts of sexism, homophobia, and racism on a large, predominantly White research university in the Midwest. Data were analyzed using a 4-stage coding process. The emergent model focused on the way the bias response team members connected to students, other team members, and colleagues from across campus to respond to the bias incidents. Important tensions that team members navigate also became evident and are depicted in the model. Findings from this …

Creating Sustainable Education Projects In Roatan, Honduras Through Continuous Process Improvement, Arjan Raven, Adriane B. Randolph, Shelli Heil

Adriane B. Randolph

The investigators worked together with permanent residents of Roatán, Honduras on sustainable initiatives to help improve the island’s troubled educational programs. Our initiatives focused on increasing the number of students eligible and likely to attend a university. Using a methodology based in continuous process improvement, we developed tutoring programs, college preparation workshops, long-term plans for a local school, and solicited involvement by an island educational coalition. Lessons learned from these initiatives may be used to expand other efforts on the island and can be generalized to other programs in Central America.

Personality And Programming, Amy B. Woszczynski, Tracy C. Guthrie, Sherri Shade

Sherri Shade

Information systems students continue to struggle to successfully complete computer programming classes. Learning how to program is difficult, and failure and attrition rates in college level programming classes remain at an unacceptably high rate. Since many IS students take a programming course as part of their program of study, IS educators should better understand why IS students tend to achieve low success rates in programming courses and what can be done to improve success rates. Little research to date has addressed potential reasons for student failure in programming principles courses. Many educators simply assume that high failure rates are acceptable …

Information Security Governance For The Non-Security Business Executive, Michael E. Whitman, Herbert J. Mattord

Herbert J. Mattord

Information security is a critical aspect of information systems usage in current organizations. Often relegated to the IT staff, it is in fact the responsibility of senior management to assure the secure use and operation of information assets. Most managers recognize that governance is the responsibility of executive management. The primary objective of governance can be achieved when the members of an organization know what to do, how it should be done, as well as who should do it. The focus on governance has expanded to include information systems and information security. This article offers value to the executive by …

Debating P. C. On Pc, Marjorie M. Shultz

Marjorie M. Shultz

No abstract provided.

Mediators Of Weight Loss In The 'Healthy Dads, Healthy Kids' Pilot Study For Overweight Fathers, David R. Lubans, Philip J. Morgan, Clare E. Collins, Anthony D. Okely, Tracy Burrows, Robin Callister

A. D. Okely

Background: A poor understanding of the specific lifestyle behaviors that result in weight loss has hindered the development of effective interventions. The aim of this paper was to identify potential behavioral mediators of weight loss in the Healthy Dads, Healthy Kids (HDHK) intervention for overweight fathers. Findings: The three-month intervention was evaluated in a randomized controlled trial and conducted in Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia. Baseline, three month (immediate post-intervention) and six month assessments were conducted. Recruitment and follow-up occurred between October 2008 and May 2009. The study sample included 53 overweight/obese men [mean (± SD) age = 40.6(± 97.1) …

Nsw Schools Fitness And Physical Activity Survey, Michael Booth, P Macaskill, L Mclellan, P Phongsavan, Anthony D. Okely, John W. Patterson, Jan Wright, Adrian Bauman, Louise Baur

A. D. Okely

No abstract provided.

The Nutrition And Enjoyable Activity For Teen Girls (Neat Girls) Randomized Controlled Trial For Adolescent Girls From Disadvantaged Secondary Schools: Rationale, Study Protocol And Baseline Results, David R. Lubans, Philip J. Morgan, Deborah Dewar, Clare E. Collins, Ronald C. Plotnikoff, Anthony D. Okely, Marijka Batterham, Tara Finn, Robin Callister

A. D. Okely

Background: Child and adolescent obesity predisposes individuals to an increased risk of morbidity and mortality from a range of lifestyle diseases. Although there is some evidence to suggest that rates of pediatric obesity have leveled off in recent years, this has not been the case among youth from low socioeconomic backgrounds. The purpose of this paper is to report the rationale, study design and baseline findings of a school-based obesity prevention program for low-active adolescent girls from disadvantaged secondary schools. Methods/Design: The Nutrition and Enjoyable Activity for Teen Girls (NEAT Girls) intervention will be evaluated using a group randomized controlled …

The Impact Of Child And Adolescent Obesity Treatment Interventions On Physical Activity: A Systematic Review, Dylan P. Cliff, Anthony D. Okely, Philip Morgan, Rachel A. Jones, Julie R. Steele

A. D. Okely

Efforts to treat obesity in childhood and adolescence would benefit from a greater understanding of evidence-based strategies to modify physical activity behaviour. A systematic review was conducted to examine the impact of child and adolescent obesity treatment interventions on physical activity. Studies included were randomized controlled trials or controlled trials, with overweight and obese youth (aged < 18 years), which reported statistical analysis of free-living physical activity at pretreatment and post-treatment. Two independent reviewers assessed each study for methodological quality. Seventeen child and three adolescent studies were retrieved, half of which were conducted in the USA. Studies were characterized by small …

Relationships Between Fundamental Movement Skills And Objectively Measured Physical Activity In Pre-School Children, Dylan P. Cliff, Anthony D. Okely, Lief Smith, Kim Mckeen

A. D. Okely

Gender differences in cross-sectional relationships between fundamental movement skill (FMS) subdomains (locomotor skills, object-control skills) and physical activity were examined in preschool children. Forty-six 3- to 5-year-olds (25 boys) had their FMS video assessed (Test of Gross Motor Development II) and their physical activity objectively monitored (Actigraph 7164 accelerometers). Among boys, object-control skills were associated with physical activity and explained 16.9% (p = .024) and 13.7% (p = .049) of the variance in percent of time in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and total physical activity, respectively, after controlling for age, SES and z-BMI. Locomotor skills were inversely associated with physical …

A School-Based Intervention To Promote Physical Activity Among Adolescent Girls: Rationale, Design, And Baseline Data From The Girls In Sport Group Randomised Controlled Trial, Anthony D. Okely, Wayne G. Cotton, David R. Lubans, Philip J. Morgan, Lauren M. Puglisi, Judy Miller, Jan Wright, Marijka Batterham, Louisa Peralta, Janine Perry

A. D. Okely

Background: Physical activity levels decline markedly among girls during adolescence. School-based interventions that are multi-component in nature, simultaneously targeting curricular, school environment and policy, and community links, are a promising approach for promoting physical activity. This report describes the rationale, design and baseline data from the Girls in Sport group randomised trial, which aims to prevent the decline in moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity (MVPA) among adolescent girls. Methods/design: A community-based participatory research approach and action learning framework are used with measurements at baseline and 18-month follow-up. Within each intervention school, a committee develops an action plan aimed at meeting the …

Directives Canadiennes En Matière D'Activité Physique Pour La Petite Enfance (Enfants Âgés De 0 À 4 Ans), Mark S. Tremblay, Allana G. Leblanc, Valerie Carson, Louise Choquette, Sarah Connor Gorber, Carrie Dillman, Mary Duggan, Mary Jane Gordon, Audrey Hicks, Ian Janssen, Michelle E. Kho, Amy E. Latimer-Cheung, Claire Leblanc, Kelly Murumets, Anthony D. Okely, John J. Reilly, John C. Spence, Jodie A. Stearns, Brian W. Timmons

A. D. Okely

La Société canadienne de physiologie de l’exercice (SCPE) en collaboration avec plusieurs partenaires, parties prenantes et chercheurs a élaboré de nouvelles Directives canadiennes en matière d’activité physique pour la petite enfance (enfants âgés de 0 à 4 ans). Ces directives nationales répondent à une demande pressante des praticiens en santé publique, en soins de santé, en pédiatrie et en condition physique désireux de promouvoir une vie active saine dès les premières années de la vie. L’élaboration complète des directives a respecté la Grille II d’évaluation de la qualité des recommandations pour la pratique clinique (AGREE) et la qualité des données …

Associations Between Insulin And Glucose Concentrations And Anthropometric Measures Of Fat Mass In Australian Adolescents, Elizabeth Denney-Wilson, Christopher T. Cowell, Anthony D. Okely, Louise L. Hardy, Robert Aitken, Timothy Dobbins

A. D. Okely

Background One of the most serious, yet common co-morbidities of obesity is insulin resistance, which if untreated may progress to type 2 diabetes. This paper describes the insulin and glucose concentration distributions, the prevalence of elevated insulin, the associations between insulin and body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) and fat mass index in a representative sample of Australian adolescents. Methods Cross-sectional population-based study of adolescent boys and girls (N = 496, mean age 15.3 years) attending schools in metropolitan Sydney, Australia. Fasting venous blood collected and analysed for insulin and glucose concentrations. Height, weight, waist circumference measured, …

The Hikcups Trial: A Multi-Site Randomized Controlled Trial Of A Combined Physical Activity Skill-Development And Dietary Modification Program In Overweight And Obese Children, Rachel A. Jones, Anthony D. Okely, Clare E. Collins, Philip J. Morgan, Julie R. Steele, Janet M. Warren, Louise A. Baur, Dylan P. Cliff, Tracy Burrows, Jane Cleary

A. D. Okely

BACKGROUND: Childhood obesity is one of the most pressing health issues of our time. Key health organizations have recommended research be conducted on the effectiveness of well-designed interventions to combat childhood obesity that can be translated into a variety of settings. This paper describes the design and methods used in the Hunter Illawarra Kids Challenge Using Parent Support (HIKCUPS) trial, an ongoing multi-site randomized controlled trial, in overweight/obese children comparing the efficacy of three interventions: 1) a parent-centered dietary modification program; 2) a child-centered physical activity skill-development program; and 3) a program combining both 1 and 2 above. METHODS/DESIGN: Each …

Correlates Of Sedentary Behaviours In Preschool Children: A Review, Trina Hinkley, Jo Salmon, Anthony D. Okely, Stewart G. Trost

A. D. Okely

Background: Sedentary behaviour has been linked with a number of health outcomes. Preschool-aged children spend significant proportions of their day engaged in sedentary behaviours. Research into the correlates of sedentary behaviours in the preschool population is an emerging field, with most research being published since 2002. Reviews on correlates of sedentary behaviours which include preschool children have previously been published; however, none have reported results specific to the preschool population. This paper reviews articles reporting on correlates of sedentary behaviour in preschool children published between 1993 and 2009. Methods: A literature search was undertaken to identify articles which examined correlates …

Influences On Consumption Of Soft Drinks And Fast Foods In Adolescents, Elizabeth Denney-Wilson, Anthony D. Okely, Louise Hardy, David Crawford, Timothy Dobbins

A. D. Okely

Soft drink and fast food are energy dense foodstuffs that are heavily marketed to adolescents, and are likely to be important in terms of risk of obesity. This study sought to examine the influences on soft drink and fast food consumption among adolescents as part of a cross-sectional survey of 2,719 adolescents (aged 11-16) from 93 randomly selected schools in New South Wales, Australia. Students provided information on soft drink and fast food consumption, and responded to statements examining influences over consumption. Over half of the boys and more than one third of the girls reported drinking soft drink daily, …

Proficiency Deficiency: Mastery Of Fundamental Movement Skills And Skill Components In Overweight And Obese Children, Dylan P. Cliff, Anthony D. Okely, Philip J. Morgan, Rachel A. Jones, Julie R. Steele, Louise A. Baur

A. D. Okely

No abstract provided.

Toward A Construct Definition Of Informed Consent Comprehension, Laura D. Buccini, Caroline Jones, Don Iverson, Peter Caputi

Don C. Iverson

Variation in how informed consent comprehension tests have been developed may be largely due to the absence of a standardized construct definition. Developing a construct definition would provide a standardized framework for determining how an instrument should be constructed, implemented, interpreted, and applied. Therefore, we utilized the Delphi consensus approach with an international expert panel (N = 19) to gather knowledge, opinions and eventually consensus for a construct definition. Expert consensus was achieved after three revision cycles. While acknowledging that there are limitations to this study, it nonetheless should be considered as a step toward standardization of a construct definition …

Through The Eyes Of Student Teachers: Successes And Challenges In Field Teaching Experiences, Tyler Ferber, Leah A. Nillas

Leah A. Nillas

“The most important aspect in the learning to teach process is the field experience, i.e., the opportunity to stand face to face with the challenges and demands of the teaching profession” (Caires & Almeida, 2007). This study presents the successes and challenges encountered by preservice teachers while conducting a semester long student teaching experience. This is a qualitative study with data collected using anonymous questionnaires and case-study interviews involving elementary and secondary preservice teachers. Challenges regarding classroom management, cooperating teacher interactions, and university demands emerged from the questionnaire and interview data. The interview data revealed a more in-depth perspective of …

The Effect Of Study Skills Training On United States Air Force Allied Health Students, John C. Griffith

John Griffith

An Effective Investment: Teaching Study Skills To Usaf Allied Health Professionals Prior To Extended Training, John C. Griffith

John Griffith

In the school of Aerospace Medicine, the average cost to train one student in the three month Aeromedical Apprentice course in 1998 was $12,500. In this course, students are trained to become medical technicians who are able to effectively support Air Force Flight Surgeons in emergency situations. Students who failed the course of study were eliminated from the program at a cost of thousands of taxpayer dollars with no realized gain by the government or the student. A recent study examined the effects of a study skills training intervention course on U.S. Air Force Aeromedical Apprentices with five main purposes. …