Faculty and Graduate Peer Mentors Online Experiences in Teaching and Mentoring

For both Sophomore Inquiry (SINQ) faculty and graduate peer mentors, online education offers a chance to explore pedagogical approaches and adapt to new or different technology solutions to communicate with students. The purpose of this article is to explore how online SINQ faculty and graduate peer mentors instruct, build relationships, and interrupt oppressive situations while delivering an online course. The research examined how SINQ faculty and graduate peer mentors\u27 pedagogy and practices evolved when translated from brick and mortar classrooms to online contexts. Semi-structured interviews were conducted. Transcripts were coded and thematic analysis was done. Critical hope was used as the conceptual framework. Four themes were identified: online instruction, SINQ faculty and graduate peer mentor relationships, interrupting oppressive language and behaviors, and online strategies. The last theme is presented as a table of participants\u27 online strategies that highlights the effective practices in creating, nurturing, and sustaining equitable online learning environments

Sport Specialization, Part I: Does Early Sports Specialization Increase Negative Outcomes and Reduce the Opportunity for Success in Young Athletes?

Context: There is increased growth in sports participation across the globe. Sports specialization patterns, which include year-round training, participation on multiple teams of the same sport, and focused participation in a single sport at a young age, are at high levels. The need for this type of early specialized training in young athletes is currently under debate. Evidence Acquisition: Nonsystematic review. Study Design: Clinical review. Level of Evidence: Level 4. Conclusion: Sports specialization is defined as year-round training (greater than 8 months per year), choosing a single main sport, and/or quitting all other sports to focus on 1 sport. Specialized training in young athletes has risks of injury and burnout, while the degree of specialization is positively correlated with increased serious overuse injury risk. Risk factors for injury in young athletes who specialize in a single sport include year-round single-sport training, participation in more competition, decreased age-appropriate play, and involvement in individual sports that require the early development of technical skills. Adults involved in instruction of youth sports may also put young athletes at risk for injury by encouraging increased intensity in organized practices and competition rather than self-directed unstructured free play. Strength-of-Recommendation Taxonomy (SORT): C