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Dr Leon Straker |
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Courtenay Harris |
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Dr David Zandvliet |
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Background to interest in issue |
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Overview of past studies |
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Update on current studies |
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Aims |
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sharing
of ideas |
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potential collaboration |
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1980s rapid increase in use of computers by
adults in office workplaces: |
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Increased reports of psychosocial problems |
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Increased reports of visual discomfort |
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Increased reports of musculoskeletal disorders |
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Failure to achieve expected productivity gains |
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late 1990s rapid increase in computer use by
some school children |
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even
more use planned |
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Government schools - 1:5 ratio |
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Private schools - 1:1 ratio |
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Computer in 48% Australian households |
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Analogous to adults in early 1980s |
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Poorly managed computer use by school children
could result in: |
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Reduced learning |
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Dissatisfaction with computers |
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Attitudinal aversion to computer use |
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Increased visual problems |
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Musculoskeletal disorders |
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Very limited knowledge base about children and
computers |
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Educational literature extolling potential
productivity (learning) gains |
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physical ergonomics studies suggesting repeating
mistakes of 1980s |
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Adult research suggests rapid increase in
problems associated with computer use |
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aims |
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describe IT rich classrooms in 1990s |
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explore physical and psychosocial factors |
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43 classrooms in Canada and Australia |
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1,404 students, teacher interviews |
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physical workspace poorest rating factor |
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some psychosocial and physical factors related |
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aims |
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describe exposure and outcomes |
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3 schools in Australia - mandatory laptops |
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314 students, www questionnaire |
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3.2 hours/day, 17 hours/week |
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desk sitting only 1/3 |
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60% discomfort (neck, low back) |
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RASCALS |
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random sample 5% all WA births in 1995 |
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exposure - type, frequency and duration of IT
use |
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outcome - MS and visual discomforts |
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socioeconomic factors |
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School based for more detailed exposure and
outcome assessment |
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www based student questionnaire |
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teacher questionnaire |
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observations school and home |
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majority in discomfort with IT tasks |
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small minority in severe discomfort |
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Comparison of posture and EMG |
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old IT- new IT |
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laptop - desktop |
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standard - adjustable desk |
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5, 11 and 17 year olds (and adults) |
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laptop compromise MS stress between book and
desktop? |
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rapid increase in use |
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most significant change to children’s tasks
since books |
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very limited knowledge |
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guidelines guesswork |
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potential to scar a whole generation |
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international collaboration |
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Stephen Pheasant Memorial Award 1999 |
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Institute for Child Health Research |
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participating schools |
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Physiotherapy Research Foundation |
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