A Qualitative Study of the Feasibility and Acceptability of Implementing ‘Sit-To-Stand’ Desks in Vocational Education and Training

While it has been shown that interrupting a person’s sedentary behaviour has the potential to improve cognitive, physical and mental health, a large part of time that students spend in school is sedentary. As research has shown that approximately 80% of vocational education and training (VET) students have an unhealthy sedentary lifestyle, implementing “sit-to-stand” (StS) desks could interrupt sedentary behaviour and promote healthier behaviour. Therefore, the acceptability and feasibility of using such desks in the VET setting should be investigated. Using semi-structured focus group interviews analysed via deductive content analysis, the opinions of 33 students for the following topics were assessed: (1) usage of the standing option of the desks (2) reasons for standing in class (3) experienced effect of standing behind the desk, and (4) fostering future StS desks usage. Although VET students are aware of the potential benefits of using StS desks, they need to be actively stimulated and motivated by teachers to use them. In addition, time is needed to get into the habit of standing. Thus, for successful implementation of StS desks in the VET setting, all stakeholders (i.e., students, teachers, schoolboards) should be actively involved in stimulating the healthy behaviour of VET students

A Qualitative Study of the Feasibility and Acceptability of Implementing 'Sit-To-Stand' Desks in Vocational Education and Training

While it has been shown that interrupting a person’s sedentary behaviour has the potentialto improve cognitive, physical and mental health, a large part of time that students spend in schoolis sedentary. As research has shown that approximately 80% of vocational education and training(VET) students have an unhealthy sedentary lifestyle, implementing “sit-to-stand” (StS) desks couldinterrupt sedentary behaviour and promote healthier behaviour. Therefore, the acceptability andfeasibility of using such desks in the VET setting should be investigated. Using semi-structuredfocus group interviews analysed via deductive content analysis, the opinions of 33 students for thefollowing topics were assessed: (1) usage of the standing option of the desks (2) reasons for standingin class (3) experienced effect of standing behind the desk, and (4) fostering future StS desks usage.Although VET students are aware of the potential benefits of using StS desks, they need to be activelystimulated and motivated by teachers to use them. In addition, time is needed to get into the habit ofstanding. Thus, for successful implementation of StS desks in the VET setting, all stakeholders (i.e.,students, teachers, schoolboards) should be actively involved in stimulating the healthy behaviour ofVET students

Contributing student pedagogy

<p>A Contributing Student Pedagogy (CSP) is a pedagogy that encourages students to contribute to the learning of others and to value the contributions of others. CSP in formal education is anticipatory of learning processes found in industry and research, in which the roles and responsibilities of 'teacher' and 'student' are fluid. Preparing students for this shift is one motivation for use of CSP. Further, CSP approaches are linked to constructivist and community theories of learning, and provide opportunities to engage students more deeply in subject material.</p> <p>In this paper we advance the concept of CSP and relate it to the particular needs of computer science. We present a number of characteristics of this approach, and use case studies from the available literature to illustrate these characteristics in practice. We discuss enabling technologies, provide guidance to instructors who would like to incorporate this approach in their teaching, and suggest some future directions for the study and evaluation of this technique. We conclude with an extensive bibliography of related research and case studies which exhibit elements of CSP.</p&gt

Virtual histology of cortical thickness and shared neurobiology in 6 psychiatric disorders

Importance Large-scale neuroimaging studies have revealed group differences in cortical thickness across many psychiatric disorders. The underlying neurobiology behind these differences is not well understood. Objective To determine neurobiologic correlates of group differences in cortical thickness between cases and controls in 6 disorders: attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder (ASD), bipolar disorder (BD), major depressive disorder (MDD), obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and schizophrenia. Design, Setting, and Participants Profiles of group differences in cortical thickness between cases and controls were generated using T1-weighted magnetic resonance images. Similarity between interregional profiles of cell-specific gene expression and those in the group differences in cortical thickness were investigated in each disorder. Next, principal component analysis was used to reveal a shared profile of group difference in thickness across the disorders. Analysis for gene coexpression, clustering, and enrichment for genes associated with these disorders were conducted. Data analysis was conducted between June and December 2019. The analysis included 145 cohorts across 6 psychiatric disorders drawn from the ENIGMA consortium. The numbers of cases and controls in each of the 6 disorders were as follows: ADHD: 1814 and 1602; ASD: 1748 and 1770; BD: 1547 and 3405; MDD: 2658 and 3572; OCD: 2266 and 2007; and schizophrenia: 2688 and 3244. Main Outcomes and Measures Interregional profiles of group difference in cortical thickness between cases and controls. Results A total of 12 721 cases and 15 600 controls, ranging from ages 2 to 89 years, were included in this study. Interregional profiles of group differences in cortical thickness for each of the 6 psychiatric disorders were associated with profiles of gene expression specific to pyramidal (CA1) cells, astrocytes (except for BD), and microglia (except for OCD); collectively, gene-expression profiles of the 3 cell types explain between 25% and 54% of variance in interregional profiles of group differences in cortical thickness. Principal component analysis revealed a shared profile of difference in cortical thickness across the 6 disorders (48% variance explained); interregional profile of this principal component 1 was associated with that of the pyramidal-cell gene expression (explaining 56% of interregional variation). Coexpression analyses of these genes revealed 2 clusters: (1) a prenatal cluster enriched with genes involved in neurodevelopmental (axon guidance) processes and (2) a postnatal cluster enriched with genes involved in synaptic activity and plasticity-related processes. These clusters were enriched with genes associated with all 6 psychiatric disorders. Conclusions and Relevance In this study, shared neurobiologic processes were associated with differences in cortical thickness across multiple psychiatric disorders. These processes implicate a common role of prenatal development and postnatal functioning of the cerebral cortex in these disorders