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Slides of the Port Robinson Bridge after a collision with the freighter Steelton, 1974
Full text linkPort Robinson is a small community in Thorold. A vertical lift bridge over the Welland Canal opened in 1931 to connect the east and west sides of the community. On August 25, 1974, the freighter Steelton collided with the bridge. It was damaged beyond repair and was not rebuilt. Instead, a small ferry service was organized, currently known as Bridge-It.Contains 22 slides of the wreckage of the Port Robinson Bridge over the Welland Canal after a collision with the freighter Steelton on August 25, 1974. There are also a few slides of the freighter
Speedrunners and Motivation: Self-Determination Theory Applied to a Speedrunning Community
Full text linkThis study aims to interrogate the relationship between speedrunners, their motivations, and their communities. Members of the Super Mario Bros 3 (SMB3) speedrunning community were interviewed to better understand their speedrunning motivations. Anonymous questionnaires and semi-structured interviews were conducted with seven speedrunners who were active on Speedrun.com and the SMB3 speedrunning Discord. The discussions helped build an understanding of speedrunners’ motivations and their relationships with speedrunning, traditional gaming, and their speedrunning communities. The interviews conducted were semi-structured, allowing participants to direct the conversation in open-ended ways.
Results were examined through the lens of Self-Determination Theory (SDT). SDT provides an important context for studying motivation in play, particularly for those gamers who choose to play games in ways unintended by their creators. This theory is important to speedrunning because the act of speedrunning, as described by participants, often feels unpleasant or like work. Understanding participants’ motivations beyond playing a game solely in the pursuit of fun can lead to a better understanding of speedrunners, gamers, and motivation. Participant responses had strong resemblances to the tenets provided by Self-Determination Theory and their motivations were firmly rooted in competence. Speedrunning can be viewed as an expression of skill, the mastery of playing a specific game, or its highest level of challenge. Elements of community and performance are noteworthy and are also explored through the discussion
Cognitive Engagement Across Academic and Extracurricular Activities
Full text linkAs young people move from middle childhood through adolescence, school disengagement tends to increase, placing some adolescents at risk of drop out (Archambault et al., 2022; Widlund et al., 2021). Youth engagement involves active participation both inside and outside of school settings, including involvement in extracurricular activities (Fredricks et al., 2019; Vandell & Simpkins, 2024; Wong et al., 2024). Cognitive engagement is considered one element of broader engagement that involves an investment in learning and seeking to understand and apply the efforts necessary for success (Skinner & Raine, 2022). It is linked to positive outcomes for youth, such as learning and skill development (Skinner & Raine, 2022; Vandell & Simpkins, 2024). Despite the apparent developmental benefits of cognitive engagement in both school and extracurricular contexts, and extensive literature on school and extracurricular engagement, limited literature exists on how cognitive engagement in one context may contribute to cognitive engagement in the other.
The purpose of this study was to explore high school aged youth’s perceptions and experiences of their cognitive engagement in extracurricular and school contexts, what experiences may foster cognitive engagement within and across each context, and what differences may exist. Eleven youth (ages 14 to 17; 5 female, 6 male), recruited from community youth organizations across Canada, participated in interviews about their school and extracurricular engagement. Youth identified themselves as highly engaged in either school, extracurricular, or both contexts. Thematic analysis (Brooks et al., 2015; King & Brooks, 2017) and inductive coding were used to analyze data. Youth perceived cognitive engagement as paying attention and participating, completing tasks, going beyond expectations, exerting effort, and being goal-focused. Youth described experiencing cognitive engagement in contexts where they had meaningful goals, supportive relationships, autonomy, and could form clear connections between what they were actively learning and their lives. Findings suggest that youth leaders and educators could foster youth’s cognitive engagement by integrating youth goals into programming, providing diverse types of support and guidance, allowing more choice and control, and providing opportunities for individual enjoyment
Writing in Plain Language: Getting Started
Full text linkPlain language writing - as a form of science communication - conveys a message or idea in language that the public or non-specialists can understand. While writing in plain language can be an effective strategy for science communication, a lot of thought and effort is required behind the scenes. This worksheet is a guide for how to effectively communicate science through plain language writing, whether that be for a print article or online sharing. This worksheet highlights the various aspects you need to consider before and during the process of writing in plain language.
This worksheet is from a series of 4 worksheets on the topic of science communication: 1. Introduction to Science Communication: Pre-worksheet; 2. Writing in Plain Language: Getting Started; 3. Creating a Graphical Abstract: 10 Steps to Start; and 4. Prior to the Podcast: Preparing for Your Episode. These worksheets are intended for individuals interested in building their science communication skills to effectively communicate science to the public as well as other knowledge users. The worksheets were developed within the Validation, Prototyping and Manufacturing Institute (VPMI) at Brock University (https://brocku.ca/vpmi/) to support the sharing of scientific findings.Created with funding through a Science Communication Skills Grant (pilot) from NSERC, “Mobilizing science from the lab to the community” to Wendy E. Ward, Brock University
A Comparison of Hero-Identified and Hero-Unidentified Dependent Group Contingencies to Increase Children’s Physical Activity During Recess
Full text linkPhysical activity is a critical component of a healthy lifestyle and is associated with numerous physiological, mental health, and academic benefits for children. Despite these advantages, many children fail to meet the recommended daily physical activity levels. Previous research has shown that dependent group contingencies (DGC) can increase children’s physical activity at school. Within DGCs, one target student (the “hero”) is selected in advance, and the class earns a reward only if the hero meets a predetermined goal. Variations in how the hero is revealed may affect the intervention’s effectiveness. In a hero-identified DGC, the hero is revealed to the class only if they met their goal. In a hero-unidentified DGC, the hero remains anonymous regardless of the outcome. Although both variations have been used in classroom settings, they have never been directly compared. We used a multielement within a concurrent multiple baseline design across three classes to compare the effectiveness of the hero-identified and hero-unidentified DGC variations on physical activity. Both variations increased physical activity, with the hero-identified DGC condition producing larger gains at both the classwide and individual level of analyses. All classes voted to participate in the hero-identified DGC condition for the follow-up session. Physical activity levels maintained at the 4-week follow-up for Classes A and B and partially maintained at the 2-week follow-up for Class C. Across classes, participants rated the hero-identified DGC more favourably than the hero-unidentified DGC
Sport Policy in Prince Edward Island: A Case Study
Full text linkIn Canada, while provincial and territorial governments are key actors in the institution of amateur sport, limited research has examined the impact of sport policy at the provincial and territorial levels (Lachance & Parent, 2023). While Canada’s political landscape is highly regionalized and complex (Losardo, 2024), less scholarly attention has been given to the cultural and geographical factors that affect sport policy implementation in Canada (Rich et al., 2022). As a result of this, much of the established literature does not encompass the agency of regional policymakers within Canada’s multi-level governance system, particularly in relation to understanding the regional and jurisdictional differences that underpin sport policy development (Rich, Nelson, et al., 2024). To address this gap, I analyzed provincial sport policy in Prince Edward Island (PEI). Broadly, the purpose of this study was to investigate sport policy at the provincial level in PEI and to analyze how PEI’s cultural and geographical context is implicated within sport policy and decision-making processes.
This study answers the following key questions: 1) how have provincial policymakers addressed sport in PEI? and 2) how do cultural and geographical factors of being an Island province affect sport policy? I utilized an intrinsic case study methodology to examine these questions specifically within the province of PEI. Data were collected through document analysis and semi-structured interviews with decision-makers and individuals within the sport system who are informed on provincial sport policy in PEI. Critical Policy Analysis (CPA) was employed to analyze the collected data. Institutional complexity and community embeddedness were utilized as the primary theoretical lens for this thesis. The analysis identified that shifting political priorities and ideologies of the Provincial Government led to sport being addressed differently across successive administrations. The findings also revealed how the Island identity and smallness of PEI influence various policy decisions and governance practices, which collectively shape sport policy in the province. This research contributes to sport policy and management literature through an in-depth analysis of how provincial policymakers in PEI address sport, and how PEI’s culture and geography influences the sport policy processes
Emotional Self-Regulation of Struggling Early Literacy Learners
Full text linkThis qualitative major research paper explored how early literacy learners, aged four to six, regulate their emotions during challenging reading tasks. Using data from pre- and post-interviews and researcher observations from literacy tasks of four kindergarten students, the study aimed to answer two questions: 1) How do early learners regulate their emotions during challenging literacy tasks? 2) How do 4–6-year-old students identify and interpret their own emotional regulation skills while reading and performing literacy tasks? The data from the interviews and observations were analyzed by coding the data and organizing it into themes. The findings revealed that early literacy learners used a range of literacy and emotional regulation strategies including help-seeking, distraction, and externalizing behaviours with the occasional use of deep breathing and cognitive reappraisal. These results support existing research that emphasizes the connection between emotional development and early literacy learning. The study highlights the need for emotionally supportive literacy instruction and provides implications for educators, parents and researchers who wish to foster academic and emotional growth for young learners
Enhancing Stock Price Predictions: The Impact of Sentiment Analysis on Forecasting Accuracy Across Models and Time Horizons
Full text linkThis study tests the performance of various models of forecasting stock prices at short-term (oneyear) and long-term (five-year) horizons, with sentiment analysis to determine its contribution to predictability. Tested models are SARIMAX, Random Forest, SVM, LSTM, GRU, and Regression, on various industry sectors and volatility classes. Our findings indicate that models perform better in one-year forecasts than five-year forecasts, with Regression and Random Forest performing with the least Root Mean Square Percentage Error (RMSPE) across the board. Sentiment analysis was of greatest benefit to certain models, particularly SARIMAX, whose topperforming setups tended to be those in which it was utilized. Sentiment analysis benefited most for stocks and industries that had high volatility and high-speed movement in the market, such as the energy and technology sectors. In addition, the study examined optimal lag values for prediction and established a trend towards decreased lags in fast-changing industries and increased lags in stable industries. The study emphasizes tailoring prediction models to the specific nature of stocks, industry movements, and volatility, with the caveat that a complex strategy is necessary to enhance the accuracy and validity of stock price predictions. This research contributes to the body of knowledge on how different determinants, including sentiment and industry forces, lead to stock price predictability and is of interest to investors and financial analysts
Application of the Embodiment Model of Positive Body Image Across Age and Gender
Full text linkResearch on positive body image has expanded beyond young women more quickly than research on negative body image, but the majority of research, particularly investigating positive body image interventions and their underlying mechanisms, is still focused on this group. The overall objective of this dissertation was to use a multi-method approach to understand the relationship between embodying physical activity and positive body image in men and women including those 65 years and older, consistent with the Embodiment Model of Positive Body Image (Menzel & Levine, 2011). This model suggests embodying physical activity leads to higher positive body image serially through increases in embodiment and decreases in self-objectification.
In Study 1, using a cross-sectional design, older adults reported significantly higher functionality appreciation (men and women) and body appreciation (women only) than younger cohorts. Embodying physical activity was positively related to positive body image facets. The Embodiment Model was generally not supported; however, a model with embodiment predicting both body appreciation and functionality appreciation supported Piran’s (2017) Developmental Theory of Embodiment.
Study 2 examined the embodiment model longitudinally, in this sample. Overall, the Embodiment Model of Positive Body Image was not supported, however, similar to Study 1, a path between embodiment on facets of positive body image (body appreciation and functionality appreciation) was significant, supporting Piran’s (2017) Developmental Theory of Embodiment.
Study 3 was a pilot randomized controlled trial to evaluate the feasibility of implementing a yoga intervention in a sample of men and women across the adult lifespan, and explore potential changes in positive body image. Findings showed that the yoga program was generally feasible and acceptable. Some refinements related to recruitment and of the yoga program itself (e.g., pose selection inclusive of older adults) were recommended before progressing to a full randomized controlled trial.
Overall, this dissertation failed to support the Embodiment Model of Positive Body Image (Menzel & Levine, 2011) highlighting the importance of investigating diverse samples in positive body image research. However, Piran’s (2017) Developmental Theory of Embodiment shows promise in understanding how to increase positive body image in diverse samples
On Board for Brands: Understanding the Motivating Influences of Sponsored Female Snowboarders
Full text linkWhile athlete endorsements and sponsorship have been extensively researched in sport marketing, little attention has been given to the athlete’s perspective (Dumont, 2016). This study sought to address this gap by exploring the motivations and decision-making factors that drive female athletes’ sponsorship agreements, particularly within action sports. In so doing, the work addressed a number of important limitations of the extant research. Whereas previous studies have primarily concentrated on male athletes or the benefits for sponsors, this study investigated the motivations and long-term benefits from the athlete’s perspective. Likewise, while much of the literature on athlete endorsements has concerned traditional professional sport, action sports offer a unique sub-cultural ethos that encourages entrepreneurial self-branding, making them ideal for studying sponsorship motivations (Parris et al., 2014). Finally, the research emphasizes the overlooked perspectives of female athletes (Fink, 2019), and explores potential branding barriers faced by female athletes, contributing to the growing body of action sports research, as called for by Dumont (2016) and Thorpe and Dumont (2019).
This study employed semi-structured interviews with nine female snowboarders, capturing diverse sponsorship experiences across elite competition, freestyle, and park disciplines. Data analysis involved two-stage coding (Miles et al., 2014), beginning with values coding to identify discrete attitudes and beliefs, followed by pattern coding to extract central themes and develop a narrative description. The findings highlight the importance of values congruence, personal relationships, and in-kind support in shaping athletes’ decisions, advancing our understanding of how sponsorships function as both professional opportunities and platforms for personal advocacy, offering insights for both athletes and brands in action sports