Physical activity sharply decreases after different life stages, particularly high school graduation to beginning university education. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of a specifically designed university physical activity class, Exercise Planning for Freshman (EPF), on students' physical activity and group cohesion compared to other basic instruction programs (BIPs) offered on campus. Specific study questions included (a) what are students' perceptions of the classes, (b) how do group cohesion levels compare between students enrolled in EPF and those enrolled in other activity classes, (c) how does physical activity engagement compare between the two groups, and (d) is there a difference between men and women in terms of group cohesion and physical activity levels? Participants (n = 108) were university freshman students enrolled in seven integral BIP courses at a mid-sized university. Data were collected across four consecutive semesters and analyzed using constant comparison for qualitative data (i.e., Critical Incident) and ANOVA, ANCOVA, and t tests for quantitative data (i.e., PAGEQ, 3-Day Bouchard, and 7-DPAR). Treatment group participants had higher energy expenditure than control group participants at the beginning and end of the semester, yet there were no significant differences. It is understood that students enrolled in university BIP Jarred Curry is student recreation director of intramurals, University of Wyoming. Jayne M. Jenkins is a professor,

Play therapy can be an effective, integrative, and best practices intervention for work with children and families. Although play therapy is becoming a significant part of counselor education training programs, many real-world practitioners have not had training and cannot access continuing education. This lack of training access is particularly evident in rural settings. This brief study demonstrates that an intense play therapy workshop for rural mental health workers can have a significant impact on the knowledge and skills of the counseling professionals. Following a 2-day play therapy training session specifically designed for mental health professionals in rural areas, the levels of play therapy knowledge and skills showed statistically significant increases from pretraining to the end of the second day. The findings show that an intense play therapy workshop for rural mental health workers can have a significant impact on the knowledge and skills in play therapy.

Traditional classroom methods for identifying mathematically creative students have been inadequate. Identifying students who could potentially be mathematically creative is instrumental in the development of students and in meeting their affective and educational needs. One prospective identification tool is the use of model-eliciting activities (MEAs). Such activities require student groups to engage in authentic thought-revealing mathematical tasks. Researchers and teachers can use the Quality Assurance Guide, in coordination with components of Krutetskii's ways of thinking, to assess students' written products on MEAs. Through examination of group written products from 39 Grades 3 and 6 students over three MEAs, the tasks were recognized as a first step tool to identify mathematically creative students and to develop creativity. One Grade 6 student was identified as possessing mathematically creative qualities, and an analysis showed a mean change in Grade 6 class scores of 1.41 on a 5-point scale during the series of three MEAs.

Asian students make up the largest proportion of international students who study in the United States. Seeking a degree in higher education can be challenging for any student, but Asian students often encounter more obstacles to completion than many other international and domestic students. Culture, family and health concerns, and safety are some of the largest concerns that this study found among Asian students in the US. The study found that East-Asian international students had more issues than students from other parts of Asia and difficulty with the English language was of major importance to respondents. In addition, safety is an issue that Asian students were concerned with while studying in the US. The study was exploratory in nature and informs the field on future avenues of research.

A survey was given to 115 students at a Western U.S. land grant university to further explore academic issues for both international and domestic students. Students' most important concerns were class discussions, collaboration with other students, and understanding the requirements of one's degree. International students had more difficulty knowing on whom to rely in the academic system when compared to domestic students. Furthermore, domestic students found textbooks harder to understand than international students. Both groups of students may benefit from a better understanding of specific academic issues that students face and this study sought to clarify academic issues among both groups of students.