Mindful Eating: Benefits, Challenges, and Strategies

Mindful eating focuses on wellness and how we eat, not what we eat. This fact sheet describes the benefits of mindful eating, the challenges, and strategies for incorporating mindful eating into our daily lives

Asynchronous video and the development of instructor social presence and student engagement

Enrollment in online learning continues to grow in the higher education sector, along with persistent goals dedicated to achieving better student outcomes and lowering attrition rates. Improved student engagement has been shown to possibly reduce attrition rates through a greater sense of connectedness and decreased feelings of isolation among online learners. Instructor social presence may be the most important factor in building the relationships that foster learning and retention. Through communication, the instructor conveys the necessary immediacy behaviors required to cultivate these interpersonal relationships. With improved technology that allows for enhanced communication in online classrooms, the use of asynchronous video may be an effective way to improve instructor social presence and student engagement. This quasi-experimental design aimed to determine whether asynchronous video or text-based communication increased students\u27 perceptions of instructor social presence and student engagement in an online graduate classroom. Significance was found for student engagement based on the number of discussion posts and length of discussion posts. Students in the group who received text-based communication demonstrated increased student engagement in voluntary discussion boards as opposed to students in the group who received asynchronous video. There was no significant difference found for instructor social presence between the two groups

Congruence between Course Modality and Professor Communication: A Study of Pedagogical Impact using Sales Techniques

Purpose of the Study: Given the similarities between influencing others when teaching and when selling, this work explores student perceptions of selling techniques used by professors. This work investigates faculty instructional methods informed by the prospecting and follow-up sales process’s steps to positively affect student perceptions, and to attract and retain students in online and traditional formats. Selling efforts are developed, described, and examined to see how prospecting and follow-up can be used to increase course learning, retention, and subsequent course enrollment. Method/Design and Sample: The study used a 2 (Professor Communication Type: Face-to-face vs. Virtual) by 2 (Selling Stage: Prospecting vs. Follow-up) within subjects experimental design with a third between subjects factor measuring Student Modality Type (Online vs. Ground). Student modality refers to the students’ preference for online or in-person classes. 274 completed surveys were collected from online and traditional business school students from two large U.S. universities in the southeast. Results: The results suggest that applying steps of the sales process in the classroom positively impacts student perceptions relating to instructor responsiveness, pedagogical affect, and likelihood to enroll. These findings endure across course formats, before or during a class, and virtually or in-person. Importantly, we find if faculty match their communication methods (Face to face vs. Virtual) to the course modality type (Ground vs. Online) there is higher pedagogical affect from the sales techniques utilized. Value to Marketing Educators: This work proposes a starting point for faculty engagement within the higher education marketing effort by utilizing personal selling techniques to appeal to online and traditional ground students. Examples of how educators can use sales techniques in the classroom are shared. The findings guide administrators in applying marketing concepts to higher education as a solution for enrollment and retention issues without micromanaging teaching methods, and also provide guidance for engaging student learning, using prospecting and follow-up techniques

TONS: A Guide to Teaching On-line Sales Courses

Purpose of the Study: This study describes a creative solution to teaching on-line sales(TONS). On-line education is increasingly in demand; yet, many sales instructors are unsure of how to transfer this interactive, skills-based course from face-to-face to an on-line format. The on-line course is described in detail, with weekly topics, assignments, rubrics, and teaching materials available. The skills-based active learning format develops student knowledge and know-how while building to a final project. Importantly, the technological and time considerations for instructors are kept to a minimum. Method/Design and Sample: This study tests the use of the on-line TONS teaching method through qualitative and quantitative student responses and evaluations from three classes. Qualitative data was analyzed to identify themes of learning and satisfaction. Quantitative course evaluations provide a comparison between on-line and in-person introductory sales classes. Results: Qualitative results show that the TONS innovation was successful in promoting experiential learning in the on-line format. Identified themes indicate on-line students learned key aspects of the sales process, valued the interaction provided, and believed the course resulted in cumulative learning and was applicable to their employment. Quantitative evaluations show that on-line courses were rated equally to a comparable in-person course. Value to Marketing Educators: As educators are pushed toward on-line, blended, and otherwise virtual course formats, it is critical that student learning not suffer. Also important is the need to minimize instructor time investment in course preparation and teaching. This study provides detailed instruction of how any instructor can use TONS to deliver experiential learning on-line

Effects of a Supportive Audience on a Handgrip Squeezing Task in Adults

International Journal of Exercise Science 9(1): 4-15, 2016. The role of social facilitation by way of audience effect in select exercise-related variables during an isometric handgrip task was assessed using a mixed design. Fifty three moderately active participants (Mage= 21.76 + 5.27) were recruited from the Midwestern United States. Participants were randomly assigned to one of two groups: supportive audience or control. Audience members provided positive verbal encouragement to participants in the experimental condition throughout the task performance. Participants in the control group performed the task in the absence of an audience and did not receive any verbal encouragement. Participants provided anxiety ratings pre- and post-task using the State-trait anxiety inventory for adults (STAI). Participants’ ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) and heart rate (HR) were monitored and assessed at 30-second intervals. Upon task completion, sustained effort in the form of time on task was recorded in seconds. A repeated measures analysis of variance (RM ANOVA) revealed that there was a time effect within groups of HR = ( F(2.64, 131.85) = 189.3 , p \u3c0.001) and within groups of RPE = (F(2.97, 139.42) = 2189.43 p \u3c0.001). An independent sample T-test revealed significant differences in HR at 0, 30 and 60 seconds between the groups. An independent sample T-test revealed no significant differences in anxiety and RPE between the groups. These results partially support the notion of social facilitation and may have implications for research and practice

A Randomized Controlled Trial of Online Acceptance and Commitment Therapy to Improve Diet and Physical Activity Among Adults Who Are Overweight/Obese

Background: Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) has shown benefit for improving diet, physical activity, and weight among adults who are overweight and obese. However, research to date in this area has primarily evaluated ACT delivered through in-person interventions, which has more limited access relative to online formats. Purpose: The present study evaluated an online guided self-help program that integrated ACT with nutrition education to improve healthy eating and physical activity. Methods: A sample of 79 adults who were overweight/obese were randomized to receive the 8-week ACT on Health program plus weekly phone coaching or to a waitlist. Results: Participants completed 5.5 ACT sessions on average (out of 8) and reported moderately high program satisfaction. Participants in the ACT condition improved significantly more than the waitlist at posttreatment on the primary outcome of healthy eating index (HEI; based on 24-hour recall assessments) and almost all secondary outcomes assessing self-reported eating behaviors, weight, mental health, weight self-stigma, and psychological inflexibility. However, no intervention effects were found for self-reported physical activity. At 8-week follow-up, improvements were maintained for most outcomes in the ACT condition, but not for the HEI. Improvements in psychological inflexibility mediated treatment effects on some outcomes, but not HEI or weight. Conclusions: Overall, delivering ACT through online guided self-help combined with nutrition education appears promising for improving healthy eating, weight, and self-stigma, but results for physical activity and long-term behavior change are unclear, possibly due to limitations in the ACT on Health program

Optimization Of The Hockey Fans In Training (Hockey FIT) Weight Loss And Healthy Lifestyle Program For Male Hockey Fans

BACKGROUND: The health outcomes of men continue to be poorer than women globally. Challenges in addressing this problem include difficulties engaging men in weight loss programs as they tend to view these programs as contrary to the masculine narrative of independence and self-reliance. Researchers have been turning towards sports fans to engage men in health promotion programs as sports fans are typically male, and tend to have poor health habits. METHODS: Developed from the highly successful gender-sensitized Football Fans in Training program, Hockey Fans in Training (Hockey FIT) recruited 80 male hockey fans of the London Knights and Sarnia Sting who were overweight or obese into a weekly, 90-minute classroom education and group exercise program held over 12 weeks; a 40-week minimally-supported phase followed. A process evaluation of the Hockey FIT program was completed alongside a pragmatic randomized controlled trial and outcome evaluation in order to fully explore the acceptability of the Hockey FIT program from the perspectives of coaches delivering and participants engaged in the program. Data sources included attendance records, participant focus groups, coach interviews, assessment of fidelity (program observations and post-session coach reflections), and 12-month participant interviews. RESULTS: Coaches enjoyed delivering the program and found it simple to deliver. Men valued being among others of similar body shape and similar weight loss goals, and found the knowledge they gained through the program helped them to make and maintain health behaviour changes. Suggested improvements include having more hockey-related information and activities, greater flexibility with timing of program delivery, and greater promotion of technology support tools. CONCLUSIONS: We confirmed Hockey FIT was an acceptable gender-sensitized health promotion program for male hockey fans who were overweight or obese. Minor changes were required for optimization, which will be evaluated in a future definitive trial