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Much has been written about why students engage in academic studies at university, with less attention given to the concept of disengagement. Understanding the risks and factors associated with student disengagement from learning provides opportunities for targeted remediation. The aims of this review were to (i) explore how student disengagement has been conceptualised, (ii) identify factors associated with disengagement, and (iii) identify measureable indicators of disengagement in previous literature. A systematic search was conducted across relevant databases and key websites. Reference lists of included papers were screened for additional publications. Studies and national published survey data were included if they addressed issues pertaining to student disengagement with learning or the academic environment, were in full text and in English. In the 32 papers that met the inclusion criteria, student disengagement was conceptualised as a multi-faceted, complex yet fluid state that has a combination of behavioural, emotional and cognitive domains influenced by intrinsic (psychological factors, low motivation, inadequate preparation for higher education, and unmet or unrealistic expectations) or extrinsic (competing demands, institutional structure and processes, teaching quality and online teaching and learning). A number of measurable indicators of disengagement were synthesised from the literature including those that were self-reported by students and those collected by a number of tertiary institutions. An examination of the conceptualisation, influences and indicators of disengagement could inform intervention programs to ameliorate the consequences of disengagement for students and academic institutions.

The effect of high school study of mathematics on numeracy performance of sports and exercise science (SES) students is not clear. To investigate this further, we tested the numeracy skills of 401 students enrolled in a Bachelor of Health Sciences degree in SES using a multiple-choice survey consisting of four background questions and 39 numeracy test questions. Background questions (5-point scale) focused on highest level of mathematics studied at high school, self-perception of mathematics proficiency, perceived importance of mathematics to SES and likelihood of seeking help with mathematics. Numeracy questions focused on rational number, ratios and rates, basic algebra and graph interpretation. Numeracy performance was based on answers to these questions (1 mark each) and represented by the total score (maximum = 39). Students from first (n = 212), second (n = 78) and third (n = 111) years of the SES degree completed the test. The distribution of numeracy test scores for the entire cohort was negatively skewed with a median (IQR) score of 27(11). We observed statistically significant associations between test scores and the highest level of mathematics studied (P < 0.05), being lowest in students who studied Year 10 Mathematics (20 (9)), intermediate in students who studied Year 12 General Mathematics (26 (8)) and highest in two groups of students who studied higher-level Year 12 Mathematics (31 (9), 31 (6)). There were statistically significant associations between test scores and level of self-perception of mathematics proficiency and also likelihood of seeking help with mathematics (P < 0.05) but not with perceived importance of mathematics to SES. These findings reveal that the level of mathematics studied in high school is a critical factor determining the level of numeracy performance in SES students.

This study assessed the agreement between Kvert calculated from 4 different methods of estimating vertical displacement of the center of mass (COM) during single-leg hopping. Healthy participants (N = 38) completed a 10-s single-leg hopping effort on a force plate, with 3D motion of the lower limb, pelvis, and trunk captured. Derived variables were calculated for a total of 753 hop cycles using 4 methods, including: double integration of the vertical ground reaction force, law of falling bodies, a marker cluster on the sacrum, and a segmental analysis method. Bland-Altman plots demonstrated that Kvert calculated using segmental analysis and double integration methods have a relatively small bias (0.93 kN-nr1) and 95% limits of agreement (-1.89 to 3.75 kN⋅m-1). In contrast, a greater bias was revealed between sacral marker cluster and segmental analysis (-2.32 kN⋅m-1), sacral marker cluster and double integration (-3.25 kN⋅m-1), and the law of falling bodies compared with all methods (17.26-20.52 kN⋅m-1). These findings suggest the segmental analysis and double integration methods can be used interchangeably for the calculation of Kvert during single-leg hopping. The authors propose the segmental analysis method to be considered the gold standard for the calculation of Kvert during single-leg, on-the-spot hopping. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Billionaire Eli Broad, and his wife Edythe, keep an extensive art collection in their Brentwood, CA, home. A portion of the collection is being shown by the Los Angeles County Museum of Art in the exhibit, 'Jasper Johns to Jeff Koons: Four Decades of Art from the Broad Collections.'

Dennis Hopper is making a great turn in his career from the art of acting to the art of designing. He has recently made an exhibition of his photographic paintings at the Fred Hoffman Gallery in Santa Monica, California.

A museum survey on the most popular works of art reveals a wide variety of subjects including 'The Cardsharps' by Caravaggio at the Kimbell Art Museum in Fort Worth, TX, and 'Starry Night' by Vincent Van Gogh at the New York Museum of Modern Art. These and other works are discussed.

There is a tradition of art collecting by the people in the motion picture industry, extending from the 1940s, well into the 1990s. Hollywood art collectors Robert Janiger, Jeffrey Kerns, John Solomon, Jan De Bont, Marco Brambilla, Paul Witt, and Susan Harris are profiled.

Television writer and producer Tom Patchett, who first became interested in art when he saw his son drawing, has gone on to become an avid collector. Patchett frequents art galleries and swap-meets and has become especially interested in the works of Marcel Duchamp and Joseph Beuys.

Christo, in Oct 1991, opened his latest project featuring the installation of huge blue umbrellas in Japan and yellow umbrellas in California. The extravaganza cost $26 million and resulted in two accidental deaths. But the aesthetic presence of the umbrellas brought pleasure to thousands.

Tony Berlant's metal collages and sculptures are finding increasingly wide acceptance and he is being acclaimed for his free and honest images. His new work with enamels, as well as his family and professional life are discussed.

Travelers who are seeking to elude the hassles of urban living need to visit Provence, France, where captivating landscapes and 16th century homes are located. The place does not only take pride of elegantly-designed houses, but also boast of enchanting art galleries.

Artist Blake Byrne has found a modest and pleasurable living through his rare and highly notable collections. Byrne, who finds so much passion and interest in contemporary arts, travels countless places in search of new pieces which he would add to his priceless collections.

This study described changes in leg muscle activation characteristics during exhaustive single-leg hopping. Twenty-seven healthy men performed trials (132 hops/min) to exhaustion, without a target height, to a target height with visual feedback and target height with tactile feedback. Mean muscle activation amplitude of the medial gastrocnemius (MG) decreased during the anticipatory period while duration of MG activity was maintained when hopping to a target height and contrasted the changes during hopping without a target height. Changes to MG activity were specific to whether the hopping height had been maintained or not. Changes during the anticipatory period of MG activity, indicative of adaptation in descending motor pathways, implicate utility of a motor learning strategy to allow completion of an exhaustive task. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

David Hockney believes that the use of cyberspace to transmit and receive images is somewhat limited, and that design in the future will involve a combination of high- and low-tech approaches. Hockney also comments on a range of other subjects including television, photography, and beauty.

Context: Flexibility tests are sometimes thought to be related to range of motion in dynamic activities, but such a relationship remains to be determined. Objective: To determine the correlation between flexibility and hip and knee angles in Australian football kicking. Design: Correlation. Setting: Biomechanics laboratory. Participants: 16 Australian Rules football players. Main Outcome Measures: Hip and knee angles of the preferred kicking leg in a relaxed position were determined with a modified Thomas test. Maximum hip extension, the knee-flexion angle in this position, the maximum knee-flexion angle, and the hip angle at this position during the swing phase of maximum-effort drop-punt kicks were determined. Results: Significant correlations were found between hip flexibility and maximum hip extension (r = .65, P < .01 ) and hip angle at the maximum knee-flexion angle (r = .70, P < .01 ). Conclusions: The data indicate a moderate association between hip flexibility and hip angles during kicking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Philip and Beatrice Gersh of Beverly Hill, CA have been collecting modern and contemporary art since the 1950s and now have one of the finest collections in the area. Individual works within their collection are described.

The funeral of artist Ed Kienholz, who died in the summer of 1994, seemed in keeping with his life and work. Kienholz was buried in a 1940 Packard coupe, the ashes of his dog in the back seat, a bottle of 1931 wine in the glove compartment, and friends throwing flowers and dollar bills.

Richard Koshalek, director of the Los Angeles Museum of Contemporary Art, dismisses rumors that he will accept a position in New York. Koshalek is concentrating on the challenge of making the museum an integral part of Los Angeles. Koshalek's career is discussed.