Differences in classroom teaching preferences between traditional and adult BSN students.

The primary purposes of this study were to identify the best teaching practices for adult baccalaureate (BSN) nursing students and to examine if adult students' teaching preferences differed from those of traditional BSN students. The sample consisted of 206 adult and traditional students in four BSN programs. The adult nursing student sample was further subdivided into two groups: adults with no prior nursing education (adult non-nurses) and adults with prior nursing education (RN's). Using a two-part, self-administered questionnaire, respondents were asked to rate the frequency with which 41 teaching strategies were used in their best and in their worst classroom learning experiences in nursing. In most cases, adult non-nurses' teaching preferences did not vary significantly from the preferences of traditional students. However, adults with no prior nursing education did show a preference for knowledgeable and organized instructors. In contrast RNs' preferred classroom situations wer where time on task was emphasized, cooperative learning was encouraged, and expectations for learning were high. Results indicate that classroom teaching preferences vary as a function of prior experience with the subject matter and are not attributable to age itself. Findings suggest that prior experience with course content is a more important consideration in planning programs than generalized adult experience.

Middle age male distance runners: physiological and psychological profiles.

This study investigated 4 research questions addressing exercise capabilities and psychological characteristics of middle-age (30 to 50 years) male runners. Subjects provided an extensive running history, completed the Multidimensional Anger Inventory, completed the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, and performed a treadmill running test to volitional exhaustion. Another aspect of the study compared anticipatory and posttest reactions to the treadmill test experience to actual test results. The findings suggest that these runners have common personality profiles, that long-term involvement in running and training is associated with a positive sense of self, and that lifelong aerobic exercise is associated with high cardiovascular fitness. Although the research design does not permit causal or predictive conclusions, the study provides valuable additional baseline information for physicians and fitness professionals who serve middle aged male runners.