Smoke-free policies and non-smokers’ reactions to SHS exposure in small and medium enterprises

Introduction: Non-smoker employees can significantly improve the existing smoke-free policies in the workplace by asserting their right for smoke-free air and confronting smoker colleagues. The aim of the study was to assess the psychological and social drivers of non-smokers' readiness to assert their right for smoke-free air in the workplace. Materials and Methods: Twenty-six small-and-medium enterprises (SME) with diverse background were randomly selected, and 284 employees agreed to participate in the study. Our study focused on the responses of 85 non-smokers (M age = 34 years, SD = 7.98, 84.2% worked in indoor offices). A cross-sectional design was used and participants completed a structured anonymous questionnaire assessing background and demographic characteristics, and psychosocial predictors of assertiveness intentions. Results: Although more than half of non-smokers reported they were often/almost always bothered by exposure to SHS, roughly one third of them reported having asked their colleagues not to smoke at work. Regression analysis showed that the effects of distal predictors (i.e. annoyance due to SHS exposure) were mediated by past behaviour, attitudes (protection motivation beliefs), social norms, and self-efficacy. Conclusions: Health beliefs related to SHS exposure, and concerns about workplace health and job performance, social norms and self-efficacy can increase the assertiveness of non-smokers in workplace settings. Related campaigns should focus on communicating normative messages and self-efficacy training to empower non-smoker employees to act assertively towards protecting their smoke-free rights

CHALLENGES BEFORE AND AFTER DETECTING PLAGIARISM

<p>Paper presented at EduLearn, Barcelona, July 2016. <b>Abstract. </b>Cheating and plagiarism are possibly the major academic offences. In the past, plagiarism detection systems have been inefficient and University policies underdeveloped or lacking rigour in addressing these issues. Strong integrity policies and efficient processes for dealing with plagiarism are required to assure quality, and promote and maintain academic integrity within Universities. However, it appears that even to this day, not all Universities are using plagiarism detection systems, and that only a portion of them have developed and are indeed enforcing the policies. Students who plagiarise pose two challenges. A first challenge is when the student is not caught. Surprisingly, as we demonstrate, a second challenge arises when a student is caught. This paper presents some of the challenges academia faces in detecting, examining and determining an outcome, reporting, and recording plagiarism cases. We offer recommendations on how academics and administration can address the challenges that follow the identification of an incident, with a particular focus on the last two phases. Incidents can only be processed effortlessly and efficiently when systems are well designed, and the process is carefully mapped and structured. We then outline the steps and present guidelines on how the process can be streamlined efficiently. Flowcharts and decision trees assist the decision makers, while checks and ticks and automated controls can improve consistency among staff.  Further debate is required to discuss the necessity of national or indeed international registries to record incidences of academic dishonesty.</p

Change_Start small by Dr Ro.pdf

<h2>The SentimenTable</h2><a></a>Change the way you great others: <strong>Here are 160 ways to respond to <em>"Hi! How are you?"</em></strong><div><br></div><div>Excerpt from <a href="http://rodafinos.weebly.com/idiots.html">Idiots are invincible</a>:<b> </b>The fool-proof “Ro” method for solving problems, dealing with challenges - and enjoying the process! by <a href="http://rodafinos.weebly.com/about-dr-ro.html">Dr Angelos Rodafinos</a>.</div

Idiots are Invincible SAMPLE.pdf

The book presents the best information on dealing with stress and solving problems, to improve your life or the way you perceive it. It is filled with practical advice and examples, presented with a large dose of humor and cartoons

Experiences in MOOCs: the perspective of students

The aim of this article was to examine the experiences of students who have participated in massive open online courses (MOOCs). The results of an initial Google blog search were narrowed down to a sample of twenty-one blog posts, each of which was written by a MOOC participant. Content analysis was applied to identify and classify blog comments into emergent themes (e.g., the relevance of type and length of course, student demographics, instruction/instructor interactive styles, and factors that impacted on the learning process) to develop a picture of their experiences. Overall, mixed feelings were expressed. Results provided a glimpse of the student experiences, including why students take such courses, what elements of their experience are positive, and what can be improved from the student point of view

A fully online research portal for research students and researchers

https://www.informingscience.org/Publications/4097<div><br></div><div><p>Aim/PurposeThis paper describes the context, development, implementation, and the potential transferability of an integrated online research environment that allows its users to conduct all aspects of research online.</p><p>BackgroundWhile the content of most traditional courses can be delivered online and learning outcomes can be achieved by adopting equivalents to face-to-face pedagogic approaches, certain courses, such as those that require a substantial research component, present significant constraints for delivery online. To overcome these limitations, Australia’s largest university developed and implemented a Research Portal.</p><p>MethodologyThe development team conducted a functional requirements analysis, identified the components that would be necessary to meet user needs, and reviewed existing solutions. The Monash University Psychology Research Portal was designed, tested, developed, tested for user experience, implemented, and reviewed. The Research Portal is structured according to the usual research sequence and provides users with access to supporting information and integrated capacities including research supervision, participant acquisition, and data collection, analysis, and storage.</p><p>ContributionThis integrated online research environment is equivalent to and, in some ways, superior to an on campus/non-online research capacity.</p><p>FindingsThe usage of the Research Portal has grown rapidly and has satisfied the requirements and met the research needs of students of an online course that includes a research project, providing a common, ubiquitously accessible, and integrated online research environment.</p><p>Recommendations for PractitionersFurther refinement, personalization, and expanded implementation and dissemination of the Research Portal components are required. The formation of networks and working partnerships to operate, maintain, and promote Research Portal initiatives is recommended to reduce operational costs, increase access, and create an impact.</p><p>Impact on SocietyThe Research Portal is an efficient resource that provides easy access to a standard interface at any time and from anywhere and can potentially be used by other online research courses, as well as by online and non-online researchers.</p></div

Gender and age differences in self-reported aggression of high school students

The purpose of the study was to (a) investigate gender and age differences in physical aggression, verbal aggression, anger, and hostility, and (b) examine the discriminatory power of the Greek version of the Aggression Questionnaire (GAQ) with high school students. The sample of the study consisted of 658 high school students (321 boys and 337 girls), with an age range from 13 to 17 years (M = 15.3, SD = 1.5). The students completed the Aggression Questionnaire adapted to Greek. Regarding gender, the overall correct identification rate in the discriminant analysis showed that 73.3% of the cases were correctly classified. In addition, the results indicated that physical aggression declined with age and that, compared to boys, girls of higher grades apply more indirect forms of aggression, such as anger and hostility. The findings of the study provide important information regarding the expression of aggressive behavior during adolescence

Smoke-free policies and non-smokers’ reactions to SHS exposure in small and medium enterprises

Introduction: Non-smoker employees can significantly improve the existing smoke-free policies in the workplace by asserting their right for smoke-free air and confronting smoker colleagues. The aim of the study was to assess the psychological and social drivers of non-smokers' readiness to assert their right for smoke-free air in the workplace. Materials and Methods: Twenty-six small-and-medium enterprises (SME) with diverse background were randomly selected, and 284 employees agreed to participate in the study. Our study focused on the responses of 85 non-smokers (M age = 34 years, SD = 7.98, 84.2% worked in indoor offices). A cross-sectional design was used and participants completed a structured anonymous questionnaire assessing background and demographic characteristics, and psychosocial predictors of assertiveness intentions. Results: Although more than half of non-smokers reported they were often/almost always bothered by exposure to SHS, roughly one third of them reported having asked their colleagues not to smoke at work. Regression analysis showed that the effects of distal predictors (i.e. annoyance due to SHS exposure) were mediated by past behaviour, attitudes (protection motivation beliefs), social norms, and self-efficacy. Conclusions: Health beliefs related to SHS exposure, and concerns about workplace health and job performance, social norms and self-efficacy can increase the assertiveness of non-smokers in workplace settings. Related campaigns should focus on communicating normative messages and self-efficacy training to empower non-smoker employees to act assertively towards protecting their smoke-free rights

Perceived occupational stress, affective, and physical well-being among telecommunication employees in Greece

The present study examined four potential roles of work-related negative affectivity on the associations between self-reported occupational stress and physical well-being among telecommunication employees in Greece. Participants (764, predominantly male) completed a battery of self-report measures on perceived occupational stress, negative affectivity, and illness symptoms. In line with previous research, negative affectivity exerted a nuisance effect, by inflating the association between reported stressors and illness symptoms, and significantly predicted illness symptoms, over and above the effects of stressors. In addition, negative affectivity influenced reported illness symptom indirectly, through the effects of stressors, and moderated the relationship between interpersonal conflict at work and illness symptoms. The findings suggest that negative affectivity can largely explain and influence in different ways the associations between self-reported stress and physical strain. It is recommended that future studies of occupational stress should control for the effects of negative affectivity, and that health professionals should be cautious of its effects when interpreting relationships between self-reported occupational stress and physical well-being.Occupational stress Negative affectivity Greece Interaction Multiple mediators

DEVELOPMENT OF A TRANSFERABLE RESEARCH PORTAL - CREATING AN ON CAMPUS EQUIVALENT FULLY ONLINE RESEARCH COURSE COMPONENT

<p>Monash University’s Graduate Diploma in Psychology – Advanced (GDP-A) is an innovative fully online accredited Fourth Year Psychology course, which enables its students to undertake further specialised professional postgraduate training in psychology. The GDP-A commenced in March 2016 and consists of four course units and four research units presented in alternating six week teaching periods. </p> <p>Many challenges are arising in the development of the GDP-A, which are also opportunities, including the translation of a traditional on campus research project into a fully online mode, the ability to scale from a starting number of 80 students to several hundred students, and the development of clinical and research skills through virtual means. The scale and scope of the GDP-A and its challenges/ opportunities are unprecedented. </p> <p>A particularly great challenge and opportunity for the successful development and implementation of the GDP-A is the need for a fully online research project that is fully equivalent to an on campus research project. This will consist of a research thesis based on the conducting of experiments, surveys, access to or creation of a database and associated statistical analyses. To meet this challenge/opportunity we are developing and implementing a Research Portal.</p> <p>The Research Portal is a unified research environment that is accessible to GDP-A students, and potentially to others users, and is presented in the Moodle online Learning Management System (LMS). The components of the Research Portal are:</p> <p>•      Presentation and selection of innovative and online friendly research topics.</p> <p>•      Access of and contribution to a course specific and a general research participants’ pool.</p> <p>•      Access to online experiments, surveys, tests and databases in a Virtual Lab environment.</p> <p>•      Allocation and tracking of students’ supervisor resource use in student-supervisor shared electronic notebook/data workbook space.   </p> <p>The Research Portal will provide the GDP-A course with an unprecedented online research project conducting capacity that can be successfully transferred across Monash University courses and beyond. </p><p><br></p><p>McKenzie, F. Garivaldis, A. Kaissidis, M. Mundy (2016) DEVELOPING A TRANSFERABLE RESEARCH PORTAL - CREATING AN ON CAMPUS EQUIVALENT FULLY ONLINE RESEARCH COURSE COMPONENT, EDULEARN16 Proceedings, pp. 877-882.<br></p