Walking soccer: A systematic review of a modified sport.

BACKGROUND: Walking soccer (football) is an emerging modified sport gaining recognition globally. OBJECTIVES: To synthesize current evidence for walking soccer and provide a summary of global walking soccer organizations. DATA SOURCES: We searched for studies published across all years and all languages within multiple databases for studies focused on walking soccer (football) in adults (18 + years). Two authors independently screened citations at Level 1 and 2. We also conducted a forward citation search and reviewed the reference lists for included studies. We searched the gray literature to identify walking soccer organizations. We conducted the last database search in December 2019. STUDY APPRAISAL AND SYNTHESIS METHODS: We conducted a standard systematic review following established guidelines. We also summarized findings from a limited search for walking soccer organizations. For peer-reviewed literature, we used the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT) to assess methodological quality and conducted a narrative synthesis of the evidence. RESULTS: We identified nine peer-reviewed studies (with 117 participants). Most studies included small sample sizes and interventions with short duration. Walking soccer is an emerging modified sport that is popular across the United Kingdom (UK), with its reach extending to other countries. CONCLUSIONS: Limited published evidence exists for walking soccer, despite is global popularity. For the studies identified, generalizability was limited to predominately older men from the UK. Based on preliminary findings, walking soccer has the potential to confer health benefits and build social connections.

Walking football as sustainable exercise for older adults - A pilot investigation.

The health benefits of playing football and the importance of exercise and social contact for healthy ageing are well established, but few older adults in the UK take enough exercise. Football is popular, flexible in format and draws players into engrossing, effortful and social exercise, but the physical demands of play at full speed may make it unsustainable for some older adults. Restricted to walking pace, will play still be engaging? Will health benefits be retained? Will physical demands remain manageable? This pilot study aims to investigate: (1) the experience of older adults playing walking football every week, is it sustainable and rewarding, (2) the intensity and locomotor pattern of walking football, (3) the scale and nature of walking football health benefits and (4) possible cognitive benefits of playing walking football through measures of processing speed, selective and divided attention and updating and inhibition components of executive function. 'Walking football' and 'waiting list' groups were compared before and after 12 weeks of one-hour per week football. Walking football was found to be engaging, sustainable for older adults and moderately intensive; however, selective health and cognitive benefits were not found from this brief intervention. Highlights Walking football is a lower impact but authentic form of football that enables older players to extend their active participation. Walking football is enjoyable and moderately demanding and may be a sustainable form of exercise for older adults. Health and cognitive benefits to playing walking football were not found.

Curricular integration in pharmacy education.

This article reviews the concepts of curricular integration and integrative learning. These concepts have reemerged in contemporary higher education reforms and are crucial in pharmacy programs where students are expected to acquire the knowledge, skills, and abilities needed for competent practice in a complex environment. Enhancing integration requires negotiating obstacles, including institutional traditions of disciplinary structures and disciplinary differences in understandings of knowledge and approaches to teaching and learning; investing the time and effort to design and implement integrated curricula; and using learning-centered pedagogical strategies. Evidence supporting the value of such efforts is not compelling, as much because of insufficient research as lackluster findings. Future avenues of scholarly inquiry are suggested to evaluate curricular integration, distinguishing between the curriculum espoused by planners, the curriculum enacted by instructors, and the curriculum experienced by students.

Learning outcomes and program-level evaluation in a four-year undergraduate pharmacy curriculum.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the successful implementation and effectiveness of program-level learning outcomes for a 4-year bachelor of science pharmacy degree program. METHODS: A comprehensive and iterative program evaluation framework was implemented and quantitative and qualitative data were gathered. RESULTS: The critical factors in the successful development and implementation of program-level learning outcomes in this context were program accreditation, the leadership qualities of the curriculum chair, a strong and adequately resourced curriculum team that was able to engage and mobilize the faculty learning community, and scholarly approaches to curriculum reform. CONCLUSION: An integrated range of institutional and programmatic strategies enhance the implementation of program-level learning outcomes in a 4-year undergraduate curriculum.

Using remote access to scientific instrumentation to create authentic learning activities in pharmaceutical analysis.

OBJECTIVES: To pilot test and evaluate a gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GCMS) case study as a teaching and learning tool. DESIGN: A case study incorporating remote access to a GCMS instrument through the Integrated Laboratory Network (ILN) at Western Washington University was developed and implemented. Student surveys, faculty interviews, and examination score data were used to evaluate learning. ASSESSMENT: While the case study did not impact final examination scores, approximately 70% of students and all faculty members felt the ILN-supported case study improved student learning about GCMS. Faculty members felt the "live" instrument access facilitated more authentic teaching. Students and faculty members felt the ILN should continue to be developed as a teaching tool. CONCLUSION: Remote access to scientific instrumentation can be used to modify case studies to enhance student learning and teaching practice in pharmaceutical analysis.