Tomorrow’s Seniors: Technology And Leisure Programming

As the Baby Boomers turn 65, there will be two cohorts of older adults with potentially different perspectives and expectations toward recreation and leisure. Because society demands the use of technology, recreation providers are challenged to fulfill the needs of two different cohorts that share the age of retirement. This study describes how Boomers and seniors utilize technology within a master-planned senior living community setting. Boomers report being more engaged with technology to remain socially connected with friends and family, especially female Boomers. Seniors are utilizing technology, but less frequently, especially Senior females. Recommendations for recreation professionals are provided

Trace metal distribution in the bed, bank and suspended sediment of the Ravensbourne River and its implication for sediment monitoring in an urban river

Purpose This study aims to identify a suitable sediment compartment for sediment quality monitoring by: (a) studying the concentration of trace metals (Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn) in the bed, bank and suspended sediment compartments of the Ravensbourne River to establish any differences in trace metal concentrations with compartment; (b) determining the influence of sediment particle size fractions ( 0.05) in the concentrations of metals between the suspended sediment and the < 63 μm bed sediment fraction, but there was a significant difference (p < 0.05) between the suspended sediment and the < 63 μm bank sediment fraction. There were also significant differences between the concentrations of metals in the < 63 μm and the 63 μm–2 mm fractions. Generally, the Ravensbourne River did not comply with the draft UK sediment quality guidelines for the metals analysed. Conclusions This study shows the importance of identifying a suitable sediment compartment to sample for compliance with sediment quality standards. The bed and suspended sediments are the most widely used sediment compartments for sediment monitoring, but collecting sufficient mass of the < 63 μm sediment fraction for monitoring presents a challenge for urban gravel bed rivers like the Ravensbourne River. It seems appropriate to establish individual monitoring regimes for different rivers

Revising a Summer Internship Course using Student Evaluations

Internships play an important role in a university curriculum because they allow students to gain practical experience and explore possible career paths. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the summer internship experience from the students’ perspective to determine whether they achieved course learning outcomes. We objectively examined the course evaluations from students who completed their summer internships within a recreation and leisure studies program. Student responses (n = 29) to the 14 self-appraisal items in their course evaluation were the central focus of data analysis. Our primary research question was, “In what KSA [knowledge, skills, attitudes] areas do students perceive the greatest improvements as a result of the summer internship experience?” To answer this question, measures of central tendency were calculated for each self-appraisal item in the course evaluation. Overall mean scores were high; for 13 of the 14 items, mean scores were above 4.3 (on a 5-point Likert scale). Students reported strongest agreement with statements regarding the responsibilities of being a professional, time management, leadership, and the shaping of future career goals. Our secondary research question was, “Is there a correlation between self-appraisal scores and students’ evaluations of their sponsoring agency?” To answer this question, a correlation analysis was conducted. A statistically significant positive correlation (r =.672, p =.000) was found between self-appraisal scores and students’ evaluations of their internship supervisors, suggesting that internship supervisors play an important role when it comes to helping students achieve learning outcomes and improve their professional competencies