The Effects of Peer Teaching of Infant Massage on General Self-Efficacy and Mother Infant Attachment Among Mothers in a Residential Rehabilitation Facility for Drug Addiction and Substance Abuse

Approximately 200 million people, 5% aged 15-64 worldwide are illicit drug or substance abusers (World Drug Report, 2006). Between 2002 and 2005, an average of 8.2% of 12 year olds and older in the Miami, Fort Lauderdale metropolitan areas used illicit drugs (SAMHSA, 2007). Eight percent of pregnant women, aged 15 to 25, were more likely to have used illicit drugs during pregnancy than pregnant women aged 26 to 44. Alcohol use was 9.8% and cigarette use was 18% for pregnant women aged 15 to 44 (SAMHSA, 2005). Approximately a quarter of annual birth defects are attributed to the exposure of drugs or substance abuse in utero (General Accounting Office, 1991). Physical, psychological and emotional challenges may be present for the illicit drug/substance abuse (ID/SA) mother and infant placing them at a disadvantage early in their relationship (Shonkoff & Marshall, 1990). Mothers with low self efficacy have insecurely attached infants (Donovan, Leavitt, & Walsh, 1987). As the ID/SA mother struggles with wanting to be a good parent, education is needed to help her care for her infant. In this experimental study residential rehabilitating ID/SA mothers peer taught infant massage. Massage builds bonding/attachment between mother and infant (Reese & Storm, 2008) and peer teaching is effective because participants have faced similar challenges and speak the same language (Boud, Cohen, & Sampson 2001). Quantitative data were collected using the General Self-Efficacy and Maternal Attachment Inventory-Revised Scale before and after the 4-week intervention program. A reported result of this study was that empowering ID/SA mothers increased their self-efficacy, which in turn allowed the mothers to tackle challenges encountered and created feelings of being a fit mother to their infants. This research contributes to the existing database promoting evidence-based practice in drug rehabilitation centers. Healthcare personnel, such as nurse educators and maternal-child health practitioners, can develop programs in drug rehabilitation centers that cultivate an environment where the ID/SA rehabilitating mothers can peer teach each other, while creating a support system. Using infant massage as a therapeutic tool can develop a healthy infant and nurture a more positive relationship between mother and infant.

Peer Leaders’ Perceptions of Learning Experiences

Peer-Led Team Learning (PLTL) at Florida International University maintains a large volume of student and Peer Leader (PL) participation. Students, who participate in PLTL, on average, perform a letter grade better than their peers who do not participate in PLTL. To analyze PL perspectives on learning, a survey was conducted. The survey had a series of Likert scale statements and free response questions on learning. The nature of the questions are regarding barriers in education, individual learning strengths and weaknesses, and the perception that PLTL improved the learner’s capabilities to overcome these obstacles. Based on the survey responses, PLs perceive an improvement in the way they learn during and/or after becoming a PL. Students participating in PLTL exhibited an increase in course content retention and perceived improvement in study skills. Students in PLTL also perceived the PLTL workshop environment to be comfortable enough to address questions and misconceptions.

The influence of a peer mentor program for international students on domestic peer mentors and their intercultural development

In this study, a mixed method approach was used to examine the experience of 43 domestic peer mentors who participated in a peer mentoring program for international students offered at Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John’s, Canada. The study aimed to answer the following questions: 1) does participating in a mentorship program for international students result in change in the intercultural development for domestic peer mentors as measured by the Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI)? 2) what were the experiences of domestic peer mentors participating in a peer mentoring program for international students? Following the Developmental Model of Intercultural Sensitivity (Bennett, 1998) as a guide, this study used the scores from the Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI) to gain an understanding of the influence of the program. The scores obtained pre and post mentorship experiences were compared and a significant difference was found. Reflections from 120 monthly reports and seven individual semi-structured interviews were also conducted to gain a deeper understanding of the mentorship experience and the influence it had on the mentors’ intercultural development. The benefits of intercultural peer mentoring on student development of skills such as leadership, communication and empathy are also discussed. The study echoes previous research that calls for an increased amount of facilitated intercultural program within university campuses. The study also advocates for further implementation of programs that provide opportunities for intercultural learning between domestic and international students in order for intercultural development to improve in higher educational settings.

Evolving student–faculty partnerships in medical education through peer-assisted learning

Peer reviewed

Professional counseling workshop at NOW conference, Houston

General note: Title and date provided by Bettye Lane.

Women attend job counseling meeting

General note: Title and date provided by Bettye Lane.

An evaluation of an online peer support forum for university students with depressive symptoms

Background: Depression is the most common mental health problem among young people, particularly university students, with prevalence rates as high as 48% reported. This population however, is reluctant to seek professional help. Online interventions may be particularly appealing to students, with evidence suggesting that they use the Internet for mental health support. While there are many mental health resources on the Internet few focus specifically on the needs of young people and few have been evaluated. This research aimed to develop and pilot test an online peer support intervention for students experiencing depressive symptoms. Methods: A depression support Web site (www.losetheblues.ie) was designed specifically for 18-24. year old students. The study used a mixed method, involving quantitative descriptive, pre- and post-test and qualitative descriptive designs. Data were collected using the Centre for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), a background questionnaire and online forum posts. Results: The sample consisted of 117 university students with self-reported depressive symptoms. Results from participants in the pre- and post-test element of the study, showed no statistical significance. The forum posts revealed that the participants' main difficulties were loneliness and perceived lack of socialization skills. The Web site provided a place for sharing, offering and receiving emotional and informational support. Conclusion: Developing health care interventions in an online environment presents unique challenges to the research process, however they have the potential to provide mental health care that is accessible and affordable.

Impact of Genetic Testing and Family Health History Based Risk Counseling on Behavior Change and Cognitive Precursors for Type 2 Diabetes.

Family health history (FHH) in the context of risk assessment has been shown to positively impact risk perception and behavior change. The added value of genetic risk testing is less certain. The aim of this study was to determine the impact of Type 2 Diabetes (T2D) FHH and genetic risk counseling on behavior and its cognitive precursors. Subjects were non-diabetic patients randomized to counseling that included FHH +/- T2D genetic testing. Measurements included weight, BMI, fasting glucose at baseline and 12 months and behavioral and cognitive precursor (T2D risk perception and control over disease development) surveys at baseline, 3, and 12 months. 391 subjects enrolled of which 312 completed the study. Behavioral and clinical outcomes did not differ across FHH or genetic risk but cognitive precursors did. Higher FHH risk was associated with a stronger perceived T2D risk (pKendall < 0.001) and with a perception of "serious" risk (pKendall < 0.001). Genetic risk did not influence risk perception, but was correlated with an increase in perception of "serious" risk for moderate (pKendall = 0.04) and average FHH risk subjects (pKendall = 0.01), though not for the high FHH risk group. Perceived control over T2D risk was high and not affected by FHH or genetic risk. FHH appears to have a strong impact on cognitive precursors of behavior change, suggesting it could be leveraged to enhance risk counseling, particularly when lifestyle change is desirable. Genetic risk was able to alter perceptions about the seriousness of T2D risk in those with moderate and average FHH risk, suggesting that FHH could be used to selectively identify individuals who may benefit from genetic risk testing.

The association of HIV counseling and testing with HIV risk behaviors in a random population-based survey in Kisumu, Kenya.

HIV testing has been promoted as a key HIV prevention strategy in low-resource settings, despite studies showing variable impact on risk behavior. We sought to examine rates of HIV testing and the association between testing and sexual risk behaviors in Kisumu, Kenya. Participants were interviewed about HIV testing and sexual risk behaviors. They then underwent HIV serologic testing. We found that 47% of women and 36% of men reported prior testing. Two-thirds of participants who tested HIV-positive in this study reported no prior HIV test. Women who had undergone recent testing were less likely to report high-risk behaviors than women who had never been tested; this was not seen among men. Although rates of HIV testing were higher than seen in previous studies, the majority of HIV-infected people were unaware of their status. Efforts should be made to increase HIV testing among this population.

An Exploration of Sociometric Status and Peer Relations in Youth Sport

More than 10 years ago, it was suggested that sociometry and systematic observation were two potentially useful but under-utilized methods for the study of peers in youth sport (Smith, 2003). Despite this call, the methods used to study peers in sport remain largely focused on athletes' perceptions through questionnaires and interviews. Thus, the purpose of this descriptive study was to investigate the utility of sociometry in relation to sport competence and observed athlete behavior in youth sport. Three adolescent female volleyball teams were videotaped during three practice sessions, and sport competence and sociometric status were assessed using questionnaires. An observational coding system was developed and used to code athlete behaviors and data were compared across sociometric status groups. Results revealed significant differences between sociometric status groups on peer ratings of sport competence, but not on athlete behavior. However, interesting findings emerged with respect to how status groups interacted with teammates and coaches. Thus, sport competence seems to be an important factor in gaining acceptance among youth peer groups. Further, sociometry and behavioral observation appear to be useful techniques that should continue to be employed in the study of peer relations in youth sport.

La ética hacker frente al capitalismo netárquíco: software libre y peer production en las iniciativas de Economía Colaborativa en Andalucía

En los últimos años el término Economía Colaborativa se ha popularizado sin que, hasta el momento, haya sido definido de manera inequívoca. Bajo esta denominación se engloban experiencias tan diversas como bancos de tiempo, huertos urbanos, startups o grandes plataformas digitales. La proliferación de este tipo de iniciativas puede relacionarse con una multiplicidad de factores tales como el desarrollo tecnológico, la recesión económica y otras crisis superpuestas (medioambiental, de cuidados, de valores, de lo político) y un cierto cambio en los valores sociales. Entre 2014-2015 se han realizado dos investigaciones en Andalucía de manera casi paralela y con una metodología similar. La primera de ellas pretendía identificar prácticas de Economía Colaborativa en el entorno universitario. La segunda investigación identificaba experiencias de emprendimiento a nivel autonómico. A luz de los resultados obtenidos se plantea la siguiente cuestión sobre la naturaleza misma de la Economía Colaborativa: ¿nos encontramos ante prácticas postcapitalistas que abren el camino a una sociedad más justa e igualitaria o, más bien, estamos ante una respuesta del capital para, una vez más, seguir extrayendo de manera privada el valor que se genera socialmente? Este artículo, partiendo del análisis del conjunto de iniciativas detentadas en Andalucía, se centra en aquellas basadas en el software libre y la producción digital concluyendo cómo, gracias a la incorporación de ciertos aspectos de la ética hacker y las lógicas del conocimiento abierto, éstas pueden situarse dentro de un escenario de fomento de los comunes globales frente a las lógicas imperantes del capitalismo netárquico. 

Peer Support to Facilitate Knowledge Sharing on Complex Tasks

This thesis explores how to design a peer support system to facilitate self-organized knowledge sharing in non-formal learning environments, in particular when learners work on complex tasks. The peer support system aims to replace two teacher-led didactic arrangements: selecting a tutor at the initial stage, and guidance during the interaction process (Dillenbourg, 1999; Topping, 1996). Such a system has previously been developed by Van Rosmalen (2008) and De Bakker (2010) and has been tentatively used to facilitate knowledge sharing on content-related questions. In this thesis, we would like to find out how to further improve the design of this peer support system, especially to facilitate knowledge sharing on complex tasks. Since little pedagogical theory is available to inform the design of our peer support system, this thesis attempts to apply cognitive load theory (Sweller, Van Merriënboer, & Paas, 1998; Van Merriënboer & Sweller, 2005) that informs instructional designs in classroom settings to the design of our peer support system in Learning Networks.

Peer Mentoring and Professionalism

Peer mentoring has been a success for everyone involved resulting in a ‘win-win-win’ situation for mentors, mentees and university schools and departments (Andrews and Clark, 2011). Mentors have the opportunity to develop key transferable skills such as communication and leadership, which in turn can enhance their employability opportunities. There is also potential to increase and develop social and academic confidence. For mentees the benefits include the opportunity to gain advice, encouragement and support during the transition period from school/college/work to university along with the opportunity to gain an insight into the stages of university life by learning the "rules of the game". Through peer mentor schemes University schools and departments are meeting the demand to support student success while assisting student transition and reducing attrition. This paper will focus on the peer mentor scheme set up in the School of Electronics, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at Queen’s University Belfast specifically the development of employability skills through company involvement in the scheme.