Automated processes in tennis: Do left-handed players benefit from the tactical preferences of their opponents?

Abstract

Previous research on laterality in sport suggests an over-representation of left-handers in interactive sports such as tennis and cricket. These findings potentially reflect left-handers' advantage over their right-handed competitors in those sports. Although considered crucial for successful performance, the tactical component of their superiority has yet to be analysed. Two studies were conducted to test for a side bias in tennis players' tactical preferences. In the first study, 108 right- and left-handed players of varying skill watched rallies on a computer screen and had to indicate where they would place the ball in the opposing half. The results showed the tactical preference of players to place more balls on a left-handed opponent's mostly stronger forehand side compared with when faced with a right-hander. In the second study, 54 professional tennis matches involving right- and left-handers were analysed with respect to ball placement frequencies on the opponent's backhand side. Significantly fewer balls were hit to the backhand side of a left-handed opponent, thus replicating the findings of Study 1 in on-court situations. Both studies indicate players' preference to place shots to their right irrespective of their opponent's handedness. Findings support the assumption that left-handers might enjoy a strategic advantage in tennis.     

Testing foreign language impact on engineering students’ scientific problem-solving performance

This article investigates the influence of English as the examination language on the solution of physics and science problems by non-native speakers in tertiary engineering education. For that purpose, a statistically significant total number of 96 students in four year groups from freshman to senior level participated in a testing experiment in the Degree Programme of Aviation at the FH JOANNEUM University of Applied Sciences, Graz, Austria. Half of each test group were given a set of 12 physics problems described in German, the other half received the same set of problems described in English. It was the goal to test linguistic reading comprehension necessary for scientific problem solving instead of physics knowledge as such. The results imply that written undergraduate English-medium engineering tests and examinations may not require additional examination time or language-specific aids for students who have reached university-entrance proficiency in English as a foreign language.     

Inequality and School reform in Bahia,Brazil

This article compares public and community schools in Salvador, the state capital of Bahia, Brazil. Based on quantitative data analysis and qualitative research conducted on-site during three research trips in 2001, 2003 and 2005, the author finds that Brazil’s extreme inequality and the associated concentration of state power in a few hands stand in the way of an effective reform. In 1999, the state of Bahia started to reform its basic education cycle, but the author’s research shows that Bahian elites use access to basic education to defend their inherited privilege. The analysis of community schools further demonstrates that inequality also blocks effective community and parental involvement in school management, as schools tend to distance themselves from neighbourhoods portrayed as poor and black, and thus “dangerous”.     

Research-informed practice improvements: exploring linkages between school district use of research evidence and educational outcomes over time

The field of education is progressively building capacity and tools for producing rigorous research evidence to use in improving educational practice and outcomes. The knowledge base is lacking, however, in explicating the dynamics of research-based decision making and exploring connections between the work of research–practice partnerships and changes in educational outcomes. Drawing on experiences and data collected over a decade in mixed-methods research, we describe a case example of how research evidence developed in a multidistrict collaboration was used by one district partner to inform ongoing improvements in publicly funded tutoring programs. We employ both qualitative and quantitative analysis in exploring probable linkages between research-based changes made by the district partner and academic outcomes over time.     

Informal Learning and the Role of Social Movements

It is now widely recognised that skills and competences needed for working and living can be acquired in a variety of ways outside the framework of formal educational systems. The author calls for an enlarged view of learning that emphasises the abilities of the individual learner and includes informal acquisition of skills on-the-job. In this kind of learning the teacher has to acquire a different role, becoming more of a partner in a joint educational process. The author argues that in this regard we can learn much from the example of popular educational movements in Latin America, some of which have established successful collaboration with the world of employment. In these examples he sees indications of promising approaches for the future.     

On the relationship between economic competence and the individual level of agreement with market economy

A series of studies in several countries tested the economic understanding of people, particularly students. The performance of the subjects is typically conceived as showing ＂deficits＂. These alleged deficits seem to correspond with scepticism towards market economy. Better test scores in general correlate with higher appraisal of market society. Could therefore a better understanding influence the attitudes towards phenomena of economic life, like competition, unequal income distribution and other characteristics of market economy？ This paper identifies different factors influencing both the levels of economic understanding and the attitudes towards economy. It analyzes results of empirical studies and, as a conclusion, develops an ＂influence model＂ reflecting the connection between the form of perception of market-induced phenomena, i.e. economic competence, and the evaluation of these phenomena. The model is the fundament for the design of forthcoming studies.     

Preparation for lifelong learning using ePortfolios

Rapid technological change, increasing globalization and a changing world of employment with multiple roles during one's professional life are necessitating a change from knowledge to learning societies. Full participation requires lifelong learning skills, meaning the ability to solve problems, work both independently and in a team, communicate effectively in all formats and on all levels, and self-direct one's learning and professional development needs. Universities need to take responsibility in preparing students for lifelong learning. While engineering and science degrees traditionally do not emphasize the importance of lifelong learning skills new programmes of study are now being introduced, often using electronic portfolios to support engagement with learning objectives and reflection. This article describes an electronic portfolio initiative that is targeted at engineering and computer science students. The initiative aims to create awareness among students on the nature and importance of lifelong learning skills, to facilitate the development of such skills and to assist students in showcasing their competence regarding these skills. Interviews with industry representatives regarding the characteristics of a lifelong learner and the values of constructing and presenting portfolios were conducted and have resulted in strong support for the electronic portfolio initiative. The article provides background on lifelong learning and electronic portfolios, outlines the design of the initiative and then focuses on feedback from industry representatives.     

Behaviour theory in the nursery school: Problem solving and teacher training

The present study reports an attempt to develop a training programme for nursery school teachers with reference to new developments in behaviour theory. The underlying aim of the training programme is to develop a general problem-solving strategy simple and flexible enough to be used in new problem situations in the four social fields of teacher-child interactions, teacher-teacher interactions, teacher-parent interactions, and the interactions between nursery school and community. The problem-solving strategy is a behavioural sequence which consists of the following stages: problem analysis, selection of goals, selection of modification procedures, application of modification procedures, and evaluation. The training of teachers to solve social problems in the nursery school can also be structured by means of these five steps. The training programme has been developed in close cooperation with the teachers of a nursery school. Some experiences concerning this cooperation and the application of the problem-solving paradigm are discussed.

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Zusammenfassung Diese Studie berichtet über einen Versuch, ein Ausbildungsprogramm für Erzieher im Hinblick auf die Entwicklungen in der Verhaltenstheorie zu konstruieren. Dem Ausbildungsprogramm liegt die Absicht zugrunde, eine allgemeine Problemlösungs-Strategie zu entwickeln, die einfach und flexibel genug ist, um in neuen Problemsituationen auf den sozialen Gebieten der Erzieher-Kind, Erzieher-Erzieher und Erzieher-Eltern Beziehungen sowie auf dem der Beziehungen zwischen Kindergarten und Gemeinschaft angewandt werden zu können. Die Problemlösungs-Strategie ist eine Verhaltensfolge und besteht aus den folgenden Phasen: Problemanalyse, Auswahl von Zielen, Auswahl von Abänderungsverfahren, Anwendung der Abänderungsverfahren und Evaluation. Gemäss diesen vier Stufen kann auch die Ausbildung der Erzieher in der Lösung sozialer Probleme im Kindergarten strukturiert werden. Das Ausbildungsprogramm wurde in enger Zusammenarbeit mit den Erziehern an einem Kindergarten entwickelt. Einige Erfahrungen aus dieser Zusammenarbeit und der Anwendung des Problemlösungs-Paradigmas werden besprochen.

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Résumé Cette étude rend compte d'une tentative de développement d'un programme de formation des enseignants des écoles maternelles, compte tenu des nouveaux développements de la théorie du comportement. Le but sous-jacent du programme de formation est de développer une stratégie générale de résolution des problèmes qui soit suffisamment simple et souple pour être utilisée dans les nouvelles situations problématiques, dans les quatre domaines sociaux des interactions enseignant-enfant, enseignant-enseignant, enseignant-parent, et école maternelle-collectivité. La résolution des problèmes est un enchaînement du comportement qui comprend les stades suivants: analyse du problème, choix des objectifs, choix des procédés de modification, application des procédés de modification, évaluation. La formation des enseignants les entraînant à résoudre les problèmes sociaux à l'école maternelle peut aussi être structurée en ces cinq phases.Le programme de formation a été élaboré en étroite coopération avec les enseignants d'une école maternelle. Quelques expériences relatives à cette coopération et concernant l'application du paradigme de résolution des problèmes sont discutées dans cette étude.

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The authors may be contacted at the Staatsinstitut für Frühpädagogik, Arabellastr. I/II, D-8000 München 81, F.R.G.