First-Year Students' Self-Perceived Effects of Music on Two Tasks

This chapter presents results from a study with first-year university students completing online courses during the COVID-19 pandemic. The goal of the study is to further understand how the same genre of music might impact the completion of two very different assessment tasks. Students in the study participated in two different virtual “study halls” in order to study for their semester final assessments. While further research is needed, results do highlight the need for students to be aware of which type of music to listen to while studying and specifically what kind of cognitive task they are completing.

The activities of the organizational boundary spanners during the Covid19 pandemic: the case of a profit organization

In the first period of emergency from Covid19, only workplace organizations with essential production activities were able to continue to carry out their work. This required them the implementation of organizational strategies useful to contrast the risk of the pandemic and to protect production performance. The qualitative study conducted in a Lombard company, through semi-structured interviews, aimed at figures with different levels of responsibility, wanted to investigate: (i) which boundary spanning activities were used to manage the emergency? (ii) what factors allowed the effectiveness of the result in terms of contrasting the pandemic and guaranteeing the productivity (iii), what were the perceived effects on the company? Findings highlight the importance of the activities of organizational boundary spanners in emergency management and of those factors that, by supporting the socio-emotional dimension, have determined the organization’s productive advantage. Le attività dei boundary spanners organizzativi durante la pandemia da Covid19: il caso di un’organizzazione profit. Nel primo periodo della diffusione dell’emergenza sanitaria da Covid19, solo le organizzazioni lavorative con attività produttive essenziali hanno potuto continuare a svolgere il loro lavoro. Questo ha richiesto loro la messa in atto di strategie organizzative utili a contrastare il rischio della diffusione della pandemia e a salvaguardare la performance produttiva. Lo studio qualitativo condotto, in un’organizzazione profit lombarda, tramite interviste semistrutturate, rivolte a figure con diversi livelli di responsabilità ha voluto investigare: (i) quali attività di boundary spanning sono state utilizzate per gestire l’emergenza? (ii) quali fattori hanno consentito l’efficacia di risultato in termini di contrasto alla pandemia e di garanzia produttività (iii), quali sono state le ricadute percepite sull’organizzazione? I risultati ottenuti evidenziano l’importanza delle attività dei boundary spanners organizzativi nella gestione dell’emergenza e di quei fattori che sostenendo la dimensione socio-emozionale ne hanno determinano il vantaggio produttivo dell’organizzazione.

Market Segmentation by Motivations of Urban Forest Users and Differences in Perceived Effects

The purpose of this study aims at segmenting the urban forest users’ market by motivation and analyzing the difference in perceived effects of urban forests. Based on a literature review, the study selected seven motivating factors of urban forest users: experiential activity, relaxatin/healing, health management, escape from everday life, daily leisure, affinity toward nature. Data were collected online from 21 to 29 Sepember 2020 with urban forest visitors. We analyzed 878 questionnaires received from those with experience of visiting an urban forest within the previous 24 months. We performed a cluster analysis to classify the subjects according to the characteristics of urban forest utilization, and assigned them to four clusters (rest in nature, family leisure, passive participation, and multiple pursuit). An additional analysis was performed to determine intergroup differences, which revealed differences in perceived benefits and healing effects of urban forests as well as satisfaction. The results of this study provide implications for urban forest operation and strategy setup.

Examination and Redesign of Inclusive Special Education Service Delivery in a Rural School

In this article, we describe the self-directed change made by a rural elementary school in response to a data-based examination of its service-delivery model that revealed its lowest performing students were spending most of their time with the school’s least qualified staff. This mixed-method case study describes (a) why and how the school shifted personnel deployment and utilization, (b) factors that facilitated the shifts in service delivery, and (c) perceived effects of the changes. Findings demonstrate how implementing data-based decision-making through strong collaborative leadership led to recognizing, exploring, and modifying the school’s overreliance on paraprofessionals by increasing the availability of more highly skilled personnel to facilitate more inclusive instruction and collaboration. Participants also described challenges and perceived negative aspects related to change. We conclude with implications for practice, including how this study could inform similar change efforts in small rural schools, and suggestions for future research.

Help When You Need It: Sources of Advice for Student Loan Borrowers Across the Life Course

To promote the financial capabilities of student loan borrowers, practitioners must understand the experiences and needs of borrowers across the life course. A national survey ( n = 1,874) conducted by MIT AgeLab explored perceived loan-related effects across the life course and sources of advice for borrowers. Across age groups, repaying student loans had most regularly imposed negative perceived effects on multiple domains of borrowers’ financial well-being. Younger borrowers reported more negative perceived effects of loans across domains, whereas older borrowers reported fewer negative perceived effects. Few participants had sought professional advice about student loan repayment, although younger borrowers were more likely to have sought loan-related advice in general; perceived levels of helpfulness of advice and comfort consulting with contacts were mixed. Financial social work is uniquely situated to act as a resource for multiple generations of student loan borrowers and their families.

Perceived effects of examination special centres on teaching and learning of English language and quality of education in Nsukka local government area, Enugu state, Nigeria

This study examined the perceived effects of examination special centres on teaching and learning of English language and the quality of education in Nsukka Local Government Area, Enugu State, Nigeria. The study employed a descriptive survey design. All the 123 English language teachers (PPMB Statistics, 2020) from 31 secondary schools, five secondary school principals, three religious priests and three traditional leaders in Nsukka Local Government Area of Enugu State, Nigeria were sampled for the study. The researchers developed a 15-item-structured questionnaire for data collection from the 31 teachers; while 3 structured interview questions were used to elicit responses from the principals, religious priests and traditional leaders. Mean and standard deviation were used to analyse the data collected with questionnaire; while the oral interview was analysed qualitatively through thematic analysis. The study revealed that examination special centres have detrimental effect on the teaching and learning of English language in secondary schools and the quality of education in Nsukka Local Government Area, Enugu State, Nigeria. It was recommended among others that private and public secondary schools, and tutorial centres that have been turned into examination special centres should be closed down by Enugu State Ministry of Education.