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This systematic review examines academic literature published between 2012 and 2022 on micro-credential research and practices in higher education. A deductive analysis of empirical evidence from the 29 included articles offers insights into awareness, benefits, challenges, effectiveness, and factors influencing effectiveness of micro-credentials in the sector. The results suggest that there are potential benefits for including micro-credentials in higher education. The findings also highlight that micro-credentials are not a micro task for students to complete or for higher education providers to successfully implement. Micro-credentials in higher education, however, are still at the early stage of development, and further research is required to evaluate their viability and effectiveness in the long term. The review carries implications for micro-credential research and practices.

Design thinking is often proposed as an educative strategy to enhance growth mindset, problem solving, and creativity, but there are very few evaluations of the impact of experiential design thinking programs. The primary aim of this study was to investigate whether an online design-thinking workshop provided to outdoor education staff could improve their design-thinking traits. The pilot program was delivered over a 6-week period and comprised four, 2-hour sessions, in which teams worked together to actively engage in the steps of the design thinking process. Significant improvements were observed in participants' growth mindset and design thinking process—specifically, feedback seeking. Furthermore, design thinking was strongly correlated with growth mindset and cognitive flexibility; two constructs previously theorised to be associated with design thinking. This study provides a framework for constructing online design thinking workshops and how to effectively evaluate participant outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Responding to student demand for flexibility in the delivery of classes as well as the potential barriers and enabling factors supporting student success, universities have introduced distinctive educational models, including replacing the standard 12-week, sequential delivery of units of study with 4- or 8-week blocks of one or two units at a time (Block Model). Most Block Model delivery and evaluation has been at the undergraduate level. The aim of this study was to investigate, via individual interviews, university staff experiences of teaching the Block Model at the postgraduate level. Staff affirmed that the Block Model resulted in high levels of engagement in teaching and learning; effective learning management systems; and up-to-date, engaging, and problem-based module design. However, staff also recognised the timetabling of units for students who were employed or had family commitments, and the cognitive burden carried by time-poor staff. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evidence supports that intuitive eating is associated with many indicators of positive physical and mental health, with more recent longitudinal studies establishing causality. Most research, however, comprises either survey data or clinical trials. This study attempts to fill this evidentiary gap by using a qualitative methodology to explore people's understandings and reactions to intuitive eating, including perceived barriers and enablers to implementation. Three focus group discussions were conducted in a non-metropolitan region of Victoria, Australia, with a total of 23 participants. Focus group transcripts were thematically analysed using an inductive descriptive approach within a constructionist perspective. Findings indicate that the concept of intuitive eating was either unknown or misunderstood. Once intuitive eating was explained, most responses to implementing intuitive eating were negative. Participants felt that having complete choice around what they ate was unlikely to equate to a healthy or balanced diet, at least in the short term. They also argued that because everyday life was not intuitive in its structures, it would be difficult to eat intuitively. Despite these difficulties, participants appreciated that if they were able to overcome the various barriers and achieve a state of intuitive eating, they anticipated a range of long-term benefits to health and weight management. For intuitive eating to become a viable public health approach, this research suggests that intuitive eating needs to be much more widely publicised and better explained, and perhaps renamed. More significantly, people would need assistance with how to eat intuitively given the barriers identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This systematic review examines academic literature published between 2012 and 2022 on micro-credential research and practices in higher education. A deductive analysis of empirical evidence from the 29 included articles offers insights into awareness, benefits, challenges, effectiveness, and factors influencing effectiveness of micro-credentials in the sector. The results suggest that there are potential benefits for including micro-credentials in higher education. The findings also highlight that micro-credentials are not a micro task for students to complete or for higher education providers to successfully implement. Micro-credentials in higher education, however, are still at the early stage of development, and further research is required to evaluate their viability and effectiveness in the long term. The review carries implications for micro-credential research and practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

League tables that rank universities may use reputational measures, performance measures, or both. Each type of measure has strengths and weaknesses. In this paper, we rank disciplines in Australian universities both by reputation, using an international survey of senior academics, and with actual performance measures. We then compare the two types of measures to see how closely they match. The criterion we use for both sets of measures is "international academic standing". We find a high correlation between the survey results and the various measures of research performance. We also find a correlation between the quality of student intake and the survey rankings, but the satisfaction levels of recent graduates do not correlate well with the rankings by academics. We then construct an overall measure of performance, which gives very similar rankings to the survey results, especially for the top-ranked institutions.

Globalisation has meant an increased demand from students, employers, and academics for indicators of the international academic standing of universities. In this paper we examine the broad methodological issues involved in measuring international academic standing and apply our conclusions to data for 38 Australian universities. Determinants of the international academic standing of universities are grouped into six broad categories: standing of academic staff, quality of undergraduate intake, quality of undergraduate programs, quality of graduate programs, resources, and peer opinion. The relative importance of each of these attributes is ascertained though a worldwide survey of university presidents, rectors and vice-chancellors plus Australian deans, thus reducing the need for subjective weighting by the researchers. The empirical findings are used to weight quantitative performance data for Australian universities and the results compared with two other recent worldwide rankings of universities.

Over 20 years ago, the first university rankings entered public attention in the United States. Since then, there have been numerous other efforts to rank or rate universities or university departments. University report cards have become both popular with the public and increasingly important for academic institutions. A detailed examination of 10 report cards from around the world, which evaluate and focus on either undergraduate choice or overall standing, finds that the various schemes share broad principles and approaches but differ considerably in details. Many of these variations are attributable to differences in aims, higher education systems and cultures, and the availability and reliability of data.

Introduction: Rural Australians have comparatively higher rates of overweight and obesity, as well as some mental health issues. Intuitive eating has been shown to be positively associated with an array of physical and mental health indicators. Few studies, however, have been conducted with general populations, and none has explicitly examined intuitive eating among rural residents. Objective: To investigate the prevalence of intuitive eating, and associations between intuitive eating and indicators of physical and mental health, among a general population of rural adults. Design: Cross‐sectional telephone survey of 200 randomly selected, non‐metropolitan, English‐speaking Australian residents aged 18 or older. Findings: The prevalence of intuitive eating in the sample was 17.6%, with a higher level of intuitive eating among men than women (26.1% vs 9.1%). Bivariate associations between intuitive eating and each of the six health indicators were all positive and mostly statistically significant. Particularly strong was the correlation between intuitive eating and self‐esteem for women (r = 0.53). After controlling for indication of an eating disorder and demographics, the associations between intuitive eating and the outcome variables held for body mass index (BMI), psychological distress and body esteem for men, and for BMI and self‐esteem for women. Post hoc analyses found that BMI did not moderate the relationship for women between intuitive eating and self‐esteem and that body esteem mediates the relationships between intuitive eating and BMI and psychological distress for men, and between intuitive eating and self‐esteem for women. Discussion: Consistent with most prior research, this study finds that intuitive eating is positively associated with several indicators of both physical and mental health among non‐metropolitan residents in Australia. Practice of intuitive eating in this population, however, is low. These findings may help allied health professionals guide rural populations to better health, and may be a particularly effective approach for people for whom the barriers to seeking out health services are high. Conclusion: Intuitive eating appears to have substantial correlations with mental health indicators, and to some extent, physical health indicators, among rural Australians and therefore should be further investigated for its potential to inform public health policy targeted to similar populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Providing educational materials to deferred donors has been shown to increase their understanding about their deferral and knowledge about their return. The aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness of educational materials in increasing the retention of deferred donors. Study Design and Methods: A three‐arm cluster randomized controlled trial was conducted, with the following conditions: (a) Incenter Brochure plus Email; (b) Email Only; (c) Control. The Incenter Brochure plus Email condition also included a guided conversation led by staff at the point of deferral. Donors were followed up for 3 months after their deferral had ended to determine if they had attempted to donate. Results: Compared with the Control condition, donors in the Incenter Brochure plus Email condition had increased odds of return at 3 months after their deferral ended (OR: 1.16; 95% CI 1.00–1.33). Subgroup analysis highlighted that novice (OR: 1.38; 95% CI 1.04–1.83) and established donors (OR: 1.36; 95% CI 1.13–1.64) had increased odds of return if they received the incenter materials. Donors who were deferred to maintain their well‐being (OR: 1.28; 95% CI 1.03–1.60) and donors with a prior deferral history (OR: 1.55; 95% CI 1.15–1.55) had increased odds of return if they received the incenter materials. No significant differences were found between the Email Only and Control conditions. Discussion: This trial demonstrates the benefits of providing onsite educational materials to donors at the point of deferral. This is a simple, effective strategy to increase the return behavior of donors within 3 months of their deferral ending. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The application of a temporary deferral often leads to donor lapse. Contributing factors may be donors not knowing when their deferral ends or not being contacted and asked to return. The aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness of a reminder message notifying donors that their deferral is coming to an end in increasing donors' postdeferral return rates. We evaluated the optimal time, content, and mode of delivery of the reminder message. Study Design and Methods: Two studies were conducted with deferred donors. Study 1: donors (n = 1676) were randomized to be sent a reminder message at one of three time points (4 weeks before, 1 week before, and 1 week after their deferral ended) or to a no contact control condition. Study 2: donors (n = 1973) were randomized to three message type conditions (emotive email, nonemotive email, nonemotive SMS). Attempted return behavior was extracted (appointments, attendances) at 1 month. Results: In Study 1, being sent the reminder message increased odds of donors attempting to return within 3 months compared with the control group (OR:2.01). Sending the reminder 1 week before the deferral ended was the most effective time point. In Study 2, the nonemotive message increased the odds of attempting to return compared with the emotive message (OR:1.38). No differences were found between email and SMS messages. Discussion Sending a reminder message to donors when their deferral is coming to an end is a simple, effective, and cost‐effective method to retain donors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: O-negative donors are a critical resource for blood collection agencies, and their recruitment and retention provides an ongoing challenge. Motivational interviewing shows promise as a tool to promote donor retention, although concerns about scalability remain. The current study examined the effect of an automated Web-based interview drawing on motivational interviewing and self-determination theory on O-negative donors' motivation, intention, and behavior.Study Design and Methods: Within 13 days of donating, 2820 O-negative donors completed baseline measures of motivation and intention before being randomly assigned to complete either a motivational interview (MI) or active control interview (ACI). Motivation and intention were assessed at 2 days and at 7 weeks after participation in the MI or ACI, with return behavior tracked for 6 months following trial completion.Results: Changes in donor motivation and intention, rate, and time to return did not vary by participation in the MI or ACI. When compared with O-negative donors who experienced business-as-usual practices, donors completing the MI or ACI returned to donate more, and they returned more quickly. However, subsequent exploratory analyses considering the behavior of those who did not accept the invitation to participate and those who completed only baseline measures showed that the improved return behavior of donors in the MI or ACI conditions was likely not due to any specific properties of the MI or ACI activities.Conclusions: Australian O-negative donors were highly internally motivated and committed to donating. An automated Web-based motivational interview appears to be of limited effectiveness in promoting the return of such donors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Receiving a temporary deferral has been shown to negatively affect donor retention. One contributing factor for low donor return may be poor understanding of why the deferral has occurred. The aim of this study was to determine whether new educational materials‐a brochure, guided conversation, and follow‐up email‐increased deferred donors' knowledge about their donation eligibility, satisfaction with the deferral process, intention to return, and odds of rebooking another appointment. Study Design and Methods: A three‐arm cluster randomised controlled trial was conducted to evaluate the impact of the educational materials compared to business as usual deferral procedures: (a) In‐center brochure and follow‐up email; (b) Email only; (c) Control. A survey was administered to a random sample of trial participants (n = 847). Results: Compared with the control condition, donors in the in‐center brochure and email condition were more knowledgeable about the end date of their deferral, and reported higher satisfaction with the deferral information provided, and had fewer questions and/or concerns about the deferral. Similar findings were observed when comparing the email only condition to the in‐center brochure and email condition. No differences were found in intention to return. Donors in the in‐center brochure plus email condition had increased odds (OR:1.385) of rebooking their next appointment compared to the combined email only and control conditions. Conclusions: The application of a deferral is often misunderstood by donors. Providing educational materials to donors can increase their understanding and may lead to increased retention of donors through rebooking of subsequent donations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives: Blood Collection Agencies in several countries have implemented strategies to increase the number of plasmapheresis collections. Despite this, a sizable minority of plasma donors lapse from donation each year, with little research conducted on this topic. An understanding of the plasma donation experience from the perspective of lapsed donors, insights into why they stopped donating and their views on returning to donate may provide opportunities to intervene to increase the retention and reactivation of plasma donors. Materials and Methods: A qualitative approach was used in this study, with 17 lapsed plasma donors (no plasma donation for at least 13 months) interviewed. A purposive recruitment strategy was used to obtain a sample with diversity in gender (47% men), age (M = 36·2 years, SD = 13·6) and donation experience (M = 9·2 years, SD = 9·6). Semi‐structured, narrative interviews were conducted, with participants describing their plasma donation careers chronologically from first donation to most recent. Results: The majority of participants described at least some aspect of the plasma donation procedure as unpleasant. However, adverse experiences were only attributed to lapsing in a minority of cases, with other participants reporting significant life events, perceived ineligibility and concerns about the safety of the procedure as the reason why they lapsed. Conclusion: It is common for lapsed plasma donors to intend to donate again in the future. Recommendations are given for strategies to address barriers to returning, noting the potential role of tailored education and support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The aim of this study was to understand Australian donors' and nondonors' orientations toward 13 noncash incentives for blood and plasma donation and the associations between orientations and intention to donate (nondonors) and subsequent donation (donors).Study Design and Methods: A survey of 1028 donors and 1201 nondonors was conducted online and by telephone. Donors were randomly selected from the Australian Red Cross Lifeblood donor panel; nondonors were selected from randomly generated fixed line and mobile telephone numbers across Australia. Incentives were chosen to reflect a wide array of possible noncash incentives that might be introduced by blood donation organizations (BDOs). Differences between donors and nondonors, as well as other subgroups, were investigated.Results: Orientations toward most types of incentives were positive or neutral. No significant differences were observed between incentive orientations for whole blood versus plasma donations. Many subgroup differences were small but statistically significant. There were mostly small, positive, significant associations between nondonors' intention to donate and orientations toward noncash incentives; there were mostly no significant associations between donors' orientations and subsequent donation behaviors.Conclusion: The findings from this study suggest that BDOs that wish to trial noncash incentives in voluntary nonremunerative systems can be confident that neither donors nor potential donors will react negatively. They also indicate that BDOs have some flexibility in deciding which incentives to trial. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the context of decreased demand for whole blood and increased demand for plasma‐derived products, donors in Australia are increasingly being asked to convert from whole‐blood to plasmapheresis donations. Plasmapheresis is a different type of donation to whole blood as the process takes longer and can be engaged in more frequently. What is unknown is whether whole‐blood donors view donating plasma as consistent with their donor identity and how they respond to the possibility of donating more frequently. To explore this, we undertook semistructured telephone interviews with 26 whole‐blood donors who had recently made their first plasma donation. Findings indicated that whereas donating plasma was viewed as a bigger ask than donating whole blood, the former was viewed as consistent with their identity as a donor because both behaviours were seen to benefit others and self and were located within the same institutional context. Donating plasma was an opportunity for donors to enhance their self‐concept as an altruistic giver. When contemplating their future donation behaviour, donors considered how their donor identity would fit alongside other salient roles. These findings have implications for how institutions can position their request of existing donors to give a different gift. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives: Temporary deferrals negatively impact on donor retention. However, little is known about why donors are deterred from returning. One unexplored area is the emotions experienced by donors when deferred. This study investigated these emotions from the perspectives of both the front‐line staff involved in applying deferrals and deferred donors themselves, with the aim of identifying which emotions impact on donors' intention to return. Materials and Methods: Telephone interviews were conducted with front‐line staff who apply deferrals (n = 47) to explore perceived reasons for donor non‐return following a deferral. Findings informed a survey administered to donors who had received a temporary deferral 1 day prior (n = 397). The questionnaire included items about donors' emotional reactions to receiving the deferral and intention to re‐donate. Results: Staff reported that donors frequently had negative emotional responses to being deferred–particularly anger, frustration and rejection. Exploratory factor analysis of 31 emotions assessed in the donor survey revealed six factors. Deferred donors' intention to re‐donate was negatively associated with anger‐related emotions and positively associated with calm‐related emotions. The association between emotions and intention was moderated by whether the deferral was applied in‐centre or during the pre‐donation telephone call. Conclusion: Emotional reactions to receiving a deferral impact on donors' intention to re‐donate, particularly among those deferred in‐centre. Blood collection staff may be able to address donors' emotional responses to help diminish the impact of being deferred on donors' intentions to return. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intergenerational offending refers to the observed phenomenon that offending tends to run in families. As small groups of families have been shown to be responsible for a considerable proportion of crime, there has been a substantial amount of effort expended in researching both the prevalence and patterns of such crime. The mechanisms by which intergenerational continuity of offending is generated, however, are not well understood. Perhaps more importantly, there is even less understanding about those factors that may prevent intergenerational offending. Given the strong focus on examining risk factors for offending, the observation that the majority of children in families where there is parental offending do not go on to become offenders themselves seems to have become lost in the discussion. This article presents a brief overview of research that aims to understand the intergenerational transmission of offending, but then goes on to argue that we need to develop our understanding of protective factors and resistance as well if we are to improve our efforts at prevention. An understanding of the internal and external resources and strategies utilized by those who resist criminal behaviour will enable researchers and policy-makers to rigorously examine and verify these, and implement relevant supportive strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To review the peer-reviewed literature on relationships between intuitive eating and health indicators and suggest areas of inquiry for future research. We define the fundamental principles of intuitive eating as: (i) eating when hungry; (ii) stopping eating when no longer hungry/full; and (iii) no restrictions on types of food eaten unless for medical reasons.Design: We include articles cited by PubMed, PsycInfo and Science Direct published in peer-reviewed journals or theses that include 'intuitive eating' or related concepts in the title or abstract and that test relationships between intuitive eating and physical or mental health indicators.Results: We found twenty-six articles that met our criteria: seventeen cross-sectional survey studies and nine clinical studies, eight of which were randomised controlled trials. The cross-sectional surveys indicate that intuitive eating is negatively associated with BMI, positively associated with various psychological health indicators, and possibly positively associated with improved dietary intake and/or eating behaviours, but not associated with higher levels of physical activity. From the clinical studies, we conclude that the implementation of intuitive eating results in weight maintenance but perhaps not weight loss, improved psychological health, possibly improved physical health indicators other than BMI (e.g. blood pressure; cholesterol levels) and dietary intake and/or eating behaviours, but probably not higher levels of physical activity.Conclusions: Research on intuitive eating has increased in recent years. Extant research demonstrates substantial and consistent associations between intuitive eating and both lower BMI and better psychological health. Additional research can add to the breadth and depth of these findings. The article concludes with several suggestions for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ObjectiveTo review the peer-reviewed literature on relationships between intuitive eating and health indicators and suggest areas of inquiry for future research. We define the fundamental principles of intuitive eating as: (i) eating when hungry; (ii) stopping eating when no longer hungry/full; and (iii) no restrictions on types of food eaten unless for medical reasons.DesignWe include articles cited by PubMed, PsycInfo and Science Direct published in peer-reviewed journals or theses that include ‘intuitive eating’ or related concepts in the title or abstract and that test relationships between intuitive eating and physical or mental health indicators.ResultsWe found twenty-six articles that met our criteria: seventeen cross-sectional survey studies and nine clinical studies, eight of which were randomised controlled trials. The cross-sectional surveys indicate that intuitive eating is negatively associated with BMI, positively associated with various psychological health indicators, and possibly positively associated with improved dietary intake and/or eating behaviours, but not associated with higher levels of physical activity. From the clinical studies, we conclude that the implementation of intuitive eating results in weight maintenance but perhaps not weight loss, improved psychological health, possibly improved physical health indicators other than BMI (e.g. blood pressure; cholesterol levels) and dietary intake and/or eating behaviours, but probably not higher levels of physical activity.ConclusionsResearch on intuitive eating has increased in recent years. Extant research demonstrates substantial and consistent associations between intuitive eating and both lower BMI and better psychological health. Additional research can add to the breadth and depth of these findings. The article concludes with several suggestions for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The academic literature contains surprisingly little information regarding the design and conduct of surveys dealing with sensitive social issues. The present paper is an attempt to help fill that gap so that other researchers conducting similar projects can learn from our experience. In particular, I focus on the various challenges we encountered in carrying out a computer assisted telephone interview (CATI) survey of informal carers in Australia, our responses to these challenges and our learnings from this endeavour. In the present article, I discuss the following issues: cost-efficient sampling for small numbers; opt-out versus opt-in approaches to respondent participation; status errors in administrative data; reducing respondent refusals; interviewing non-English speakers; questionnaire topic order; carers who care for more than one person; and interviewer training, including interviewer and/or respondent distress. The conclusions were: (1) carers are generally willing and able to answer quite sensitive questions around caring, despite the fact that they may become distressed in doing so; (2) carers are willing to answer a rather long (25 min) telephone survey; (3) thorough interviewer training is critically important, with an emphasis on achieving a balance between sensitivity and efficiency; and (4) respondents should be given the opportunity at the end of the interview to make additional comments and to provide their contact details should they desire follow up from an appropriate authority. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

University rankings often include surveys that involve self-assessments, but little is known about the effects of these self-assessments on results. This paper tests for the existence of leniency effects and differential leniency effects, terms borrowed from the performance assessment literature, with a data set of ratings and rankings of Australian university disciplines by Australian academics. It finds support for the leniency effect - these academics rate and rank their own universities higher than others do. It finds less support, however, for the differential leniency effect - academics at the lower-rated universities do not seem to overrate their universities more than do academics from the higher-rated universities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over 20 years ago, the first university rankings entered public attention in the United States. Since then, there have been numerous other efforts to rank or rate universities or university departments. University report cards have become both popular with the public and increasingly important for academic institutions. A detailed examination of 10 report cards from around the world, which evaluate and focus on either undergraduate choice or overall standing, finds that the various schemes share broad principles and approaches but differ considerably in details. Many of these variations are attributable to differences in aims, higher education systems and cultures, and the availability and reliability of data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]