Effekte eines Tanz- und eines Gesundheitssporttrainings auf die graue Hirnsubstanz gesunder Senioren

Due to the demographic change and an aging society more research is nowadays dedicated to geriatric problems and questions. Aging is associated with a loss of grey matter volume in the brain and often leads to neurodegenerative diseases. Physical and cognitive activities have been shown to improve brain plasticity whereby the combination of both seems to be most effective. We hypothesized that dancing could be an ideal intervention because it combines exercise, cognitive, coordination and emotional features. In this study 26 healthy senior citizens (63–80 years old) were randomized into a dancing group (n = 14) or a physical exercise group (n = 12). After 18 months the dancing group showed increased grey matter volumes, especially in the frontal and temporal regions including the gyrus parahippocampalis and the precentral gyrus. The physical exercise group showed grey matter volume increases only in subcortical regions. Our results suggest that dancing is more effective in inducing neuroplasticity in regions normally affected by aging than classical repetitive fitness training. We assume this to be related to the multimodal nature of dancing, which combines exercise, cognitive and coordination features. These findings demonstrate for the first time in a longitudinal study the positive effects of dancing programs for the prevention of volume loss of grey matter and neurodegenerative diseases in the elderly.     

Studies on the management of root-knot nematode, Meloidogyne incognita -wilt fungus, Fusarium oxysporum disease complex of green gram, Vigna radiata cv ML-1108

Studies were conducted under pot conditions to determine the comparative efficacy of carbofuran at 1 mg a.i./kg soil, bavistin at 1 mg a.i./kg soil, neem (Azadirachta indica) seed powder at 50 mg/kg soil, green mould (Trichoderma harzianum) at 50.0 ml/kg soil, rhizobacteria (Pseudomonas fluorescens) at 50.0 ml/kg soil against root-knot nematode,Meloidogyne incognita-wilt fungus,Fusarium oxysporum disease complex on green gram,Vigna radiata cv ML-1108. All the treatments significantly improved the growth of the plants as compared to untreated inoculated plants. Analysis of data showed that carbofuran andA. indica seed powder increased plant growth and yield significantly more in comparison to bavistin andP. fluorescens. Carbofuran was highly effective against nematode, bavistin against fungus,A. indica seed powder against both the pathogens and both the bioagents were moderately effective against both the pathogens.     

Enhancing outcomes and reducing inhibitors to the engagement of students and staff in learning and teaching partnerships: implications for academic development

A growing body of literature on students as partners in learning and teaching offers evidence on which academic developers can draw when supporting, advocating for, or engaging in partnerships. We extend a previous systematic review of the partnership literature by presenting an analysis and discussion of the positive and negative outcomes of partnership, and the inhibitors to partnership. Implications include the importance of academic developers supporting: the relational processes of partnership; institutional or structural change to address resistance; and the potential of partnership to make institutions more equitable and empowering spaces.     

Community-based teacher professional development in remote areas in Indonesia

The Indonesian government has been struggling to improve the quality of teachers in its public and private schools. Several programmes of teacher education and teacher certification have been designed to enhance teacher quality. However, the programmes do not yet develop effective teachers. Supporting the government programmes, the Tanoto Foundation has facilitated teacher professional development programme since 2010, specifically in elementary schools in the provinces of Riau, Jambi, and North Sumatra. This paper first describes how the Tanoto Foundation has designed and implemented its teacher quality improvement programme for in-service teachers in remote schools in Indonesia and then uses this context to examine to what extent teachers benefited from these programmes. Reported findings broaden our understanding of how teachers can improve their quality via privately sponsored programmes.     

Spying on children during a school playground intervention using a novel method for direct observation of activities during outdoor play

Our aims were to examine the efficacy of a new observational instrument ‘System for Observing Outdoor Play’ for detecting changes in outdoor play and chart the use of recycled and repurposed materials in the school playground during the course of an intervention to increase outdoor play. Children from one Sydney primary school were observed (N = 111; 5–12 years) using an observational instrument developed as part of the Sydney Playground Project. Data on types of activities and frequencies were collected at baseline and seven times during intervention. Use of intervention materials was consistently high and associated with increases in play-related activities (40–77%), while inactive pursuits decreased (52–31%), on average. The observational instrument proved efficacious in tracking changes in play. Modification of the school playground environment by introducing loose parts changed children’s play-related behaviour; the variety of activities increased, including construction and creative play. Physical inactivity decreased. Recycled materials can increase children’s creative, social and physical play.     

Mutualising the university: achieving community impact through an ecosystem

Public dissatisfaction with academic research, coupled with the rising costs of higher education (HE) and reduced government funding, are forcing academics to convince society of the benefits of their research. This article argues that pressures on higher education institutions (HEIs) in a market model create a need to be responsive to students and employers, and to demonstrate institutional impact. However, the assessment of this impact tends to be based on quantifiable data, statistics, etc. of the kind which work well for natural sciences, but pose challenges for social sciences. Thus, areas of impact are often overlooked which may be more immediate in their effect, and deliver benefits which go beyond those claimed for the current impact model. They derive from activities that involve formal learning in the curriculum, pre-labour market entry and executive education; informal extra-curricular activities; organisational benefit generated by individual students’ activities and by the co-creation of knowledge in jointly tailored programmes; a range of enterprise activities supporting student innovation and creativity; and public engagement, creating a space for debate and the exchange of views. Recognising this broad nature of impact across a range of contexts, the authors of this article suggest two mechanisms which might be helpful in thinking about identifying wider impact. The first, mutuality, involves co-operation between HEIs and their communities in a series of relationships, reaching beyond the transactional. The second, the development of an HEI-centred ecosystem – an intentional collaborative community –, provides a vehicle which harnesses synergy to enhance impact on a set of stakeholders across a variety of dimensions. The authors describe the characteristics of an ecosystem developed for an HEI in the United Kingdom (UK).     

Pre-service teachers’ questions about the profession during mentoring group conversations

The use of mentoring group conversations as a tool to support pre-service teachers’ professional development has become more common. However, there is still a lack of research that shows how conversations are used to develop knowledge. The present paper is based on ethnographical observations of mentoring group conversations, and describes how pre-service teachers who participate in an obligatory mentoring model use their conversations as an arena in their search for professional knowledge. Three areas were focused upon during the conversations: the teachers’ role and teaching practice, conditions for professional development and conditions related to the profession. The pre-service teachers mainly used conversations to question, discuss, share and reflect over pedagogical and didactical dilemmas related to teaching activities in the classroom and to their own as well as other teachers’ behaviour and attitudes in different situations. The paper provides an insight into how a mentoring model can contribute to professional preparation.     

Embedded Mathematics in Chemistry: A Case Study of Students’ Attitudes and Mastery

There are many factors that shape students’ attitudes toward science, technology, engineering and mathematics. This exploratory study of high school students examined the effect of enriching chemistry with math on chemistry students’ attitudes toward math and careers involving math. To measure student attitudes, a survey was administered before and after the 18-week chemistry class; results from the chemistry class were compared to survey results from students in an elective science class that did not emphasize mathematics. At the end of the 18-week period, only the chemistry students exhibited more positive views toward their abilities in mathematics and careers that involve mathematics, as compared to their views at the outset of the course. To ensure that chemistry mastery was not hindered by the additional emphasis on math, and that mastery on state end-of-course examinations reflected knowledge acquired during the math-intensive chemistry class, a chemistry progress test was administered at the start and end of the term. This exploratory study suggests that emphasizing mathematical approaches in chemistry may positively influence attitudes toward math in general, as well as foster mastery of chemistry content.     

Nature of the Indonesia–United States education relationship

This article discusses the nature of the education relationship between Indonesia and the US. The article examines two hypotheses. The first hypothesis is that transnational education constitutes a new type of imperialism by perpetuating knowledge dependency and financial dependency through the transfer of knowledge and foreign aid in education. Of particular interest will be the themes of ‘knowledge dependency’ and ‘financial dependency’. In contrast to the first hypothesis, the second holds that transnational education advances learning about and from other states, and has the potential to improve relationships, and promote international understanding. This article concludes that although the one-way transfer of knowledge from, and dependence on, foreign experts is evident, the Indonesian government has attempted to reduce dependence on foreign countries, whether that reliance was on knowledge or on finance. Although the Indonesia–US education relationship is politically motivated towards serving the interests of each, most respondents believed that any US political agendas were unacceptable. The experiences of both Indonesian and American respondents show that the relationship enhances and improves understanding between Indonesia and the US through academic exchanges and scientific and research links.     

Improving Conceptual Understanding and Representation Skills Through Excel-Based Modeling

The National Research Council framework for science education and the Next Generation Science Standards have developed a need for additional research and development of curricula that is both technologically model-based and includes engineering practices. This is especially the case for biology education. This paper describes a quasi-experimental design study to test the effectiveness of a model-based curriculum focused on the concepts of natural selection and population ecology that makes use of Excel modeling tools (Modeling Instruction in Biology with Excel, MBI-E). The curriculum revolves around the bio-engineering practice of controlling an invasive species. The study takes place in the Midwest within ten high schools teaching a regular-level introductory biology class. A post-test was designed that targeted a number of common misconceptions in both concept areas as well as representational usage. The results of a post-test demonstrate that the MBI-E students significantly outperformed the traditional classes in both natural selection and population ecology concepts, thus overcoming a number of misconceptions. In addition, implementing students made use of more multiple representations as well as demonstrating greater fascination for science.