Peter Aggleton, Kim Rivers, Caroline Mulvihill, Elaine Chase, Amanda Downie, Paige Sinkler, Paul Tyrer and Ian Warwick
As part of the work leading to the development of the National Healthy Schools Scheme, an audit was carried out of existing healthy schools schemes in England. This, together with…
Abstract
As part of the work leading to the development of the National Healthy Schools Scheme, an audit was carried out of existing healthy schools schemes in England. This, together with an evaluation of healthy schools activities within eight pilot healthy schools partnerships throughout England funded by the Department of Health and the Department for Education and Employment, formed part of the research underpinning the creation of a National Healthy Schools Standard. Principles for effective working are identified, as well as difficulties likely to be encountered in creating and promoting such a standard.
Elaine Chase, Rosalind Goodrich, Antonia Simon, Sally Holtermann and Peter Aggleton
The purpose of this paper is to describe the process and lessons learned from an evaluation of “Teen Talk”, a health drop in service at Kidbrooke, a state secondary school in…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to describe the process and lessons learned from an evaluation of “Teen Talk”, a health drop in service at Kidbrooke, a state secondary school in Greenwich.
Design/methodology/approach
A multi‐pronged approach was adopted for the evaluation. This included a questionnaire survey of a sample of 180 pupils within the school; in‐depth discussions with 12 young people who had used the service; interviews with health and education professionals and parents; desk research including an analysis of costs and discussions with senior staff in other schools in Greenwich to determine the feasibility of replicating the “Teen Talk” model elsewhere in the borough.
Findings
“Teen Talk” is greatly valued by pupils and staff at the Kidbrooke and was seen to provide a unique service. The overall perception is that it provides good value for money. However, the evaluation identified important lessons in setting up and managing the project which can help refine the service and which have relevance for local and national contexts.
Research limitations/implications
This paper illustrates the advantages of embedding evaluation research in health service design and implementation, particularly when there is the potential of replicating service delivery models in other school settings.
Originality/value
Creating safe and confidential spaces for young people to access help and advice on a range of health issues is by now well recognized as good practice. School‐based health facilities are a relatively new approach to young people's health promotion. Although the benefits of this type of provision are largely undisputed, to date, few such services have been evaluated.
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The pretty girl with raven hair sings as she works and dreams of wonderful days ahead. The girl's dream is deferred by the wickedly jealous stepmother who sends a trusted guard to…
Abstract
The pretty girl with raven hair sings as she works and dreams of wonderful days ahead. The girl's dream is deferred by the wickedly jealous stepmother who sends a trusted guard to commit murder. The man, overwhelmed by the girl's inherent goodness is unable to complete his deed, and warns her to run away and never return. She travels deep into the woods and is helped by friendly forest creatures with big eyes. They take her to a small cottage and she falls asleep, to be awakened by several small men who find it in their hearts to allow her to remain. The miniature men leave for work the next day, warning the girl of the stepmother and her trickery. The nasty woman disguises herself and easily convinces the girl to take a bite of the religiously symbolic apple, after which the girl is induced into a coma. The small men return, chase after the horrible stepmother and cause her to fall to her death, after which they do not bury the beauty-girl, but instead leave her ensconced in a glass tomb for all to see. The gallant prince finally arrives and kisses her, true love breaking the apple's spell and allowing the girl to ride away on the horse with the true hero, leaving behind the woodland creatures and small men forever. Sunlight beaming, girl beaming, small men and creatures beaming. All is right with the world.
Wendy Barron, Elaine Gifford, Peter Knight and Helen Rainey
This paper provides an overview of an improvement project that explored whether the implementation of IoRN2, a validated freely available tool designed for any health or social…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper provides an overview of an improvement project that explored whether the implementation of IoRN2, a validated freely available tool designed for any health or social care professional to use, resulted in improved conversations across professions within an integrated rehabilitative reablement service.
Design/methodology/approach
A qualitative descriptive evaluative approach was applied underpinned by quality improvement Lean and Total Quality Management (TQM) to capture perceptions, variables and IoRN2 value-add. Professionals' (N = 8) across Nursing, Allied Health Professions, Social Work, Quality Improvement and Support Workers participated in one-to-one semi-structured <1 h interviews. Recurring themes and experiences were identified.
Findings
IoRN2 improved collaborative conversations. The evaluation of the tool demonstrated greatest impact when all professionals were IoRN2 trained. Participants, regardless of profession, believed that their conversations, professional relationships and outcomes improved when using IoRN2. When differing judgments arose with colleagues who were not IoRN2 trained, fear and tension emerged around trust, cultural manners and power play causing disconnects. Incorporating IoRN2 led to psychologically safe environments where trust, confidence and motivation to explore new creative conversations enhanced strength-based outcomes and helped to generate transformational change.
Research limitations/implications
The small sample size offered transferable learning worthy of larger future study. The project lead was also the reablement service manager, which may have generated unintended influence.
Originality/value
IoRN2 has the potential to improve how HSC professionals converse, acting as a catalytic tool for system-level integration, transformation and sustainable improvement.
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Do these reference requests sound familiar? “I need to know what has happened on this day in history. Can you help me?” Or, “I'm doing a paper on Thornton Wilder. He was born on…
Abstract
Do these reference requests sound familiar? “I need to know what has happened on this day in history. Can you help me?” Or, “I'm doing a paper on Thornton Wilder. He was born on 17 April. Can you tell me who else was born on that day?” Or, “Are any national or regional anniversaries coming up next Friday?” These questions call for a special type of reference work—a book of days. A book of days (or day book) lists important events that have occurred on each day of the year throughout history, and is arranged by month and day. These works often include not only historical, cultural, and literary events, but also the dates of the births and deaths of notable people, commemorative days of saints, and special anniversaries. A book of days, for example, can reveal that historians Will and Ariel Durant were married in New York City Hall on Halloween in 1913, or that Hart Crane and Ernest Hemingway were born on the same day in 1899 (21 July). This article will review some of the more useful books of days that are often found in reference collections—works that are uniquely suited to answer questions about each day of the year.
This paper proposes to present preliminary findings from a larger study which examine and describe five issues of undergraduates' academic information and library behaviors: where…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper proposes to present preliminary findings from a larger study which examine and describe five issues of undergraduates' academic information and library behaviors: where students begin their research; how they evaluate online sources; what library resources they use; what formats they prefer for reading academic material; and specific laptop behaviors. Student perspectives on these issues and their impact on libraries and information literacy outreach and instruction are discussed.
Design/methodology/approach
Three ethnographic methods were used to triangulate the data: tours of students' work areas in their dormitories, semi‐structured interviews, and free‐write essays about their information management systems. During October and November 2009, 41 participants were interviewed.
Findings
Undergraduates displayed a broad diversity of behaviors that reach beyond the stereotypical lifestyles of this age group as presented in popular media. Behavioral tendencies showed more of a hybridity of high‐tech and traditional formats and tools than a rush towards total embracement of the newest gadgets and applications. Students also showed an understanding of the need to create strategies that help them to lessen the ubiquitous distractions when trying to focus on their academic tasks.
Originality/value
Listening to students discuss their library and academic information behaviors and preferences can help librarians and educators to become more aware of their unique perspectives as one strives to create more student‐centered services and environments that incorporate the best of emerging technologies and the traditional academic library.
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Tyler Milfeld and Daniel J. Flint
A growing number of consumers expect brands to take a stand on social issues. When Gillette launched its video with a social message in 2019, the popular press described it as…
Abstract
Purpose
A growing number of consumers expect brands to take a stand on social issues. When Gillette launched its video with a social message in 2019, the popular press described it as divisive and controversial. This study aims to examine themes behind the polarized consumer response, aiding brands in the development of social narrative videos.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors use an existential-phenomenological approach to investigate the meaning behind consumers’ reactions to the Gillette video. Empirical data collection consisted of 24 semi-structured, in-depth interviews. Data were analyzed using the hermeneutic method.
Findings
By viewing the Gillette video through the lens of a story, this research uncovers how marketing stories can lead to different interpretations. Specifically, the roots of polarization lie in perceived realism activation and character activation. Additionally, product placement may activate persuasive intent, interrupting immersion into the story.
Practical implications
Brand managers should consider the potential for alternative interpretations when using storytelling. By measuring a viewer’s narrative transportation, it is possible to identify different interpretations. From a tactical standpoint, brand managers should be cautious about using celebrity endorsers and prominent product placement in social narrative videos. These cues activate persuasive intent, leading to alternative interpretations.
Originality/value
While marketing research has tended to focus on storytelling’s positive outcomes, this research considers how stories can result in polarizing outcomes for brands. The concept of social narrative videos is introduced and a framework is presented that outlines facilitators and inhibitors for this type of brand communication.
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Yanna Vogiazou and Marc Eisenstadt
This paper discusses an exploratory case study of the design of games that facilitate spontaneous social interaction and group behaviours among distributed individuals, based…
Abstract
This paper discusses an exploratory case study of the design of games that facilitate spontaneous social interaction and group behaviours among distributed individuals, based largely on symbolic presence ‘state’ changes. We present the principles guiding the design of our game environment: presence as a symbolic phenomenon, the importance of good visualization and the potential for spontaneous self‐organization among groups of people. Our game environment, comprising a family of multiplayer ‘bumper‐car’ style games, is described, followed by a discussion of lessons learned from observing users of the environment. Finally, we reconsider and extend our design principles in light of our observations.
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Clive Bingley, John Buchanan and Elaine Kempson
‘I'M MINERVA. ASK ME. Out goes the image of the bespectacled, disapproving librarian, the woman who makes you feel frivolous for taking out nothing more weighty than philosophy…
Abstract
‘I'M MINERVA. ASK ME. Out goes the image of the bespectacled, disapproving librarian, the woman who makes you feel frivolous for taking out nothing more weighty than philosophy. In comes the newstyle library hostess, smart, alluring, shaped for confidences.