Part 1 New SME curricula

We began our work at the first residential meeting in Accra (January 2010) by discussing the nature of SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises) and entrepreneurship in a Ghanaian context, clarifying our understanding of the informal sector, and identifying priority areas for curriculum development. At an early stage, we recognised that there was a need to develop more appropriate courses to support enterprise education within our universities and also entrepreneurial learning beyond the campus, particularly in relation to the informal sector. This work informed the first phase, in which we began to engage with SMEs and their associations and to establish their various requirements through dialogue and knowledge sharing. This information was brought back to the second residential meeting in Kumasi (July 2010) as the basis for designing new types of provision. At Kumasi, we worked on two projects that are reported in more detail in the following sections: ♦ A problem-based design for the informal sector: the Sokoban Wood Village Project (Section 1.2) ♦ Strategies for curriculum review and course design in Ghanaian universities (Section 1.3

What significance does physical activity and sedentary behaviour have for members of online health promoting communities? Learning from AustraIia’s HeartNET community

My study used the HeartNET (HN) community to investigate the significance of physical activity and sedentary behaviour for members of online health-promoting communities by using online surveys and netnography. It found concerns about heart health and general health can be both a barrier and an enabler to increasing physical activity or reducing sedentary behaviour. Gentle efforts to address sedentary behaviour could build confidence to increase physical activity. By offering role models and encouraging friendly rivalry, peer support via an online community (or other type of social networking sites) can increase physical activity and reduce sedentary behaviour. Fun, laughter and peer support can assist in challenging and reducing the tendency to underestimate sedentary behaviour and its health hazards as well as the fear and uncertainty and the perceived constraints to engage with physical activities. My study highlighted both the value of netnography as an analytic tool and its potential use for strategic and tailored health promoting interventions in online communities and for interventions in other online environments to promote desired behaviours stipulated by community guidelines. Such gentle and respectful interventions would need to take careful account of factors such as age, gender and the individual’s role within the online community. This study has particular relevance for users of online health-promoting communities and organisations engaged in health promoting activities, especially those operating online and seeking to minimise risks to their members’ health. This research may also encourage online communities and other social networks not focused on health promotion to consider developing strategies to reduce prolonged sitting time and encourage healthier behaviours. Follow-up studies are needed to determine the sustainability and applicability of my conclusions and recommendations in emerging online communities, where smartphones and ‘apps’ are the primary means of internet access, and where wristbands can conveniently and unobtrusively monitor physical activity and sedentary behaviour

Young children engaging with technologies at home: the influence of family context

This paper is about with the ways in which young children engage with technological toys and resources at home and, in particular, the ways in which the family context makes a difference to young children’s engagement with these technologies. The data reviewed come from family interviews and parent-recorded video of four case study children as they used specific resources: a screen-based games console designed for family use, a technology-mediated reading scheme, a child’s games console and two technological ‘pets’. We found the same repertoire of direct pedagogical actions across the families when they supported their children’s use of the resources, yet the evidence makes it clear that the child’s experience was different in each home. The paper goes on to present evidence that four dimensions of family context made a difference to children’s engagement with technological toys and resources at home. We argue that understanding children’s experiences with technologies at home necessitates finding out about the distinct family contexts in which they engage with the resources

The Making of a Professional: How Dental Hygiene Education is Preparing for a Changing Healthcare Environment

This study sought to identify educational methodologies utilized by dental hygiene programs that might orient a student towards an occupational or professional model of practice as described by Darby and Walsh. Through the use of an original theorem, Darby and Walshs model was applied to dental hygiene education. An electronic survey queried 334 entry-level programs regarding strategies utilized to develop critical thinking within clinical and didactic courses. Faculty demographics were analyzed for relationships between institutional setting and methodologies utilized. Frequency counts and chi-square analyses revealed much variation in methodologies utilized. Statistical significance was noted in the lack of orientation towards research values within programs awarding associate degrees. Additional research is needed to generalize these conclusions to the population of dental hygiene educators at large; furthermore, establishment of the reliability of the original theorem utilized in this study would generate guidelines for best practices in development of critical thinking skills