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Knee Injury Prevention Program in an Early Pubertal Female Athlete During a Recreational Softball Season
No full textTopics in Exercise Science and Kinesiology Volume 6: Issue 1, Article 12, 2025. This case study was intended to analyze the impact of a knee injury prevention program (KIPP) for a young female athlete in a short recreational softball season. It was hypothesized that initiating a KIPP early within a recreational sports season would positively alter lower extremity biomechanics, subsequently reducing the risk of knee injuries during and after skeletal development. During a recreational softball season, a 13-year-old female athlete completed a preliminary biomechanical test, the drop vertical jump battery (DVJBpre), underwent a 7-week in-season KIPP, then was follow-up tested at season’s end (DVJBpost1) and again approximately one year later (DVJBpost2). Performance was recorded using a motion capture system and the biomechanical test battery consisted of three double-leg drop vertical jumps (DVJ) from two landing heights (30 and 50 cm). At testpost1 immediately following the 7-week recreational season, the athlete demonstrated greater maximal hip flexion and decreased maximal ankle dorsiflexion bilaterally from both heights. She also demonstrated greater ankle inversion bilaterally from both heights and greater maximum right knee valgus from 50 cm. The athlete then started high school and participated in varsity volleyball, basketball, and track and field while also participating in a regular general strength and conditioning program. At testpost2, the athlete demonstrated improved hip flexion, and right knee valgus improved to within normal limits with neutral knee positioning. This case demonstrated that a 7-week KIPP during a recreational softball season did influence positive hip and ankle mechanical changes during landing from both heights, but negatively influenced the right knee from the greater height during testing immediately following the season and program; however, this change was mitigated within the first year. These findings suggest that young athletes in the midst of significant growth and motor development changes may not respond predictably to training protocols commonly suggested for older athletes, however, negative responses may be transient and can be altered through a well-rounded sports and training experienc
Supporting Career Navigation with an Online Occupational Information-Sharing Platform
No full textRapid changes to the nature of work and the workplace have shifted responsibility for career success from organizations to individual workers. Successful navigation of one’s career requires a proactive perspective where individuals anticipate training needs and make decisions for achieving both short- and long-term career goals. Relevant and accurate occupational information is an essential component of career success; yet few sources of reliable and targeted information exist for adult workers. This article provides a conceptual overview of an online system (eMPACT) that provides personalized occupational information for selected health care professionals. The contributions and benefits of key stakeholders—employees, trainers, employers—in providing and using occupational information are described. The eMPACT system provides tailored occupational information for working adults using professional competencies, labor market demands, and desired career path
Structural Challenges in TVET-Industry Collaboration: A Social Justice Lens
No full textTechnical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) is critical and indispensable in ensuring that the socio-economic inequalities and challenges facing not only South Africa, but also Africa, are reduced. This can be achieved by providing access to skills development, particularly for previously and historically marginalized sections of society, such as the youth. The main aim of this examination was to explore TVET collaboration with industry in promoting social justice. Social justice is deployed as a theoretical lens since social justice and education are characterized by a symbiotic relationship. In its investigation, we employed the qualitative case study approach, which involved interviews with academic support officers and business studies and engineering interns to explore lived experiences. These participants were drawn from the experiences of three different categories, selected for their direct involvement in the TVET system. The first group was made up of the three academic support service staff members: The second group consisted of six business studies interns: The third group included five engineering studies interns. The main finding of the study highlights, among others, structural and pedagogical challenges, a weak TVET-industry partnership, a lack of industry involvement in curriculum design, the absence of relevant resources from TVET colleges for industry-ready student placement, and underqualified lecturers
When Realism in Testing Backfires: Lessons From an Unstructured Practical Exam Pairing
No full textPhysical therapists must adapt quickly and independently in diverse neurologic settings. To reinforce diagnostic readiness and self-sufficiency, students were not assigned partners in advance and received their exam schedule only on the day of testing. This format was designed to challenge adaptability under realistic conditions, promote independent preparation across all course skills, and reduce reliance on rehearsed teamwork.https://oasis.library.unlv.edu/btp_expo/1215/thumbnail.jp
Using a Fourth-Generation Behavioral Theory To Develop Competencies in Doctoral Public Health Students About the Application of Theory-Based Intervention Planning
No full textAsynchronous teaching is gaining popularity all over the world and at UNLV. In asynchronous teaching, both pedagogical robustness and the building of content expertise, especially for doctoral scholars, are mandatory. Since 2021, I have taught Advanced Applications of Social and Behavioral Theories (HED 762-1001) to public health students aiming to develop concentration-specific competencies set by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH). The specific teaching techniques employed by me entail (a) the use of the fourth-generation multi-theory model (MTM) of health behavior change to motivate students not only to acquire knowledge and skills but also lead them toward behavioral incorporation; (b) pedagogical features for delivery as an asynchronous course with the organization in Canvas, recording all lectures beforehand in Panopto, incorporating case studies, interspersing optional live synchronous web meetings, and having skill-building activities in each weekly module aiding in flexibility to the scholars to pursue the course at their pace while still being structured; and (c) mastery of the content through participatory dialogue, building behavioral confidence, social support, and other constructs of MTM to develop requisite competencies. The course has been received very well by the students, with the mean course rating over the three years for the course on semester-end evaluation being 4.88/5.00, the instructor being 4.87/5.00, and overall being 4.88/5.00. The students apply the assignments developed in the course to publications, presentations, dissertations, and real-world settings. Instructors can reify multi-theory model (MTM) constructs and adopt some of the pedagogical features utilized in this course to their courses.https://oasis.library.unlv.edu/btp_expo/1203/thumbnail.jp
Supporting Effective Online Teaching and Learning
No full textLiterature identifies numerous related concepts that support effective online education. These concepts include identity, mental models, social presence, motivation, social learning, self-regulated learning, communities of practice, cognitive load, and Universal Design for Learning. After a review of the literature, action research was conducted among participants from across the field of Online Education, including instructors, instructional designers, and embedded instructional technologists. This research collected and analyzed data regarding the practical application of these theoretical concepts, as well as the techniques, tools, and resources to support this application. The result of this action research project was a set of proven best practices in online teaching and learning.https://oasis.library.unlv.edu/btp_expo/1217/thumbnail.jp
Sex Differences in Exercise and Sleep Among University Faculty and Staff Members
No full textTopics in Exercise Science and Kinesiology Volume 6: Issue 1, Article 4, 2025. There has been minimal research examining the exercise and sleeping patterns of university faculty and staff members and what role these factors play in overall health. The information gathered in this study was used to analyze how faculty and staff can adapt their behaviors to improve health and well-being. To explore sex differences in exercise and sleep in faculty and staff at a university in the Midwest, the study performed secondary analyses on data collected from the 2022 American College Health Association’s National Faculty and Staff Health Assessment. Independent t-tests, Chi-Square tests, and Mann-Whitney U tests were performed to analyze exercise and sleeping behaviors. In the 539 respondents included, sex differences were found regarding vigorous exercise, length of time to fall asleep, and the use of over-the-counter medication to promote sleep. Females reported fewer total minutes performing vigorous activity in the past seven days. Most females and males reported either six or seven hours of sleep per night. A greater proportion of females indicated taking 31 minutes or more to fall asleep compared to males, and a greater proportion of males indicated taking 5 minutes or less to fall asleep compared to females. Females were more likely than males to use over-the-counter medication to promote sleep. Further research is needed to determine the precise relationship between sex differences in exercise and sleep in faculty and staf
Food Insecurity in the Mountain West, 2022
No full textThis fact sheet presents 2022 data from Feeding America’s report, “Map the Meal Gap,” comparing different measures of food insecurity in the United States. Data are included for the food insecure population, food insecurity rates, estimated Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) eligibility among food insecure people, average meal costs, and annual food budget shortfalls. This fact sheet focuses on overall food insecurity and the food insecurity of children for five Mountain West states: Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah
Emerging Perspectives Regarding the Implementation of Lecturer Professionalization at Selected TVET Colleges in Gauteng Province, South Africa
No full textThis study explored the challenges impeding the implementation of lecturer professionalisation at selected public Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges in Gauteng Province, South Africa. A qualitative research approach was followed, and a case study research design was adopted. Fifteen (15) participants were selected from five colleges through a purposive sampling technique. Semi-structured interviews were used to collect data, which was analysed through thematic analysis on Atlas.ti. This study found that lecturer professionalisation faced personal, institutional, and systemic challenges, namely, a professional identity crisis, lack of management support, lack of pedagogical knowledge, lack of self-directedness, negative public perception, and inadequate professional ethics. This study highlights the need for South African TVET leadership to expedite lecturers’ professional development to ensure that lecturers function optimally and contribute to institutional, sectoral, and national development imperatives
Medical Debt in the Mountain West, 2022
No full textThis fact sheet presents 2022 data on the prevalence of medical debt in the five Mountain West states of Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico and Utah. The Urban Institute report, “The Changing Medical Debt Landscape in the United States” includes data on medical debt estimates, hospital market concentration, as well as estimates of uninsured individuals, disabled adults, average household incomes, and racial compositions at the state and county level for the 50 states and Washington, DC. This fact sheet focuses on state-level differences on the prevalence of medical debt, as well as differences in the percentages of uninsured individuals and disabled adults in the five Mountain West states