Book Reviews

The Accidental Webmaster by Julie M. Still Information Today, 2003. Pp 192. Paperback $29.50. ISBN 1‐57387‐164‐8 Clark's Publishing Agreements – A Book of Precedents, 6th edn, General Editor Lynette Owen Butterworths Lexis Nexis, 2002, £70.85. 615 pp. Hardback and CD‐ROM. ISBN 0‐406‐93916‐0     

Academic Reform in Fractured Disciplines – On the Interaction of Bologna,New-Public-Management and the Dynamics of Disciplinary Development

Minerva - At the intersection of science studies and higher education research, this contribution looks at the way in which the requirements of universities as organizations release development...     

Personalised learning: lessons to be learnt

Personalised learning is now broadly endorsed as a key strategy to improve student curricular engagement and academic attainment, but there is also strong critique of this construct. We review claims made for this approach, as well as concerns about its conceptual coherence and effects on different learner cohorts. Drawing on literature around differentiation of the curriculum, self‐regulated learning, and ‘relational agency’ we propose a framework for conceptualising and enacting this construct. We then report on an attempt to introduce personalised learning as one strategy, among several, to improve student academic performance and wellbeing in four low SES regional secondary schools in Australia. We report on a survey of 2407 students’ perceptions of the extent to which their school provided a personalised learning environment, and a case study of a programme within one school that aimed to apply a personalised approach to the mathematics curriculum. We found that while there were ongoing challenges in this approach, there was also evidence of success in the mathematics case.     

Thx 4 the msg: Assessing the Impact of Texting on Student Engagement and Persistence

Research in Higher Education - As colleges and universities strive to increase persistence and aid students in reaching graduation, they are utilizing alternative communication strategies like text...     

Does variability within natural turfgrass sports fields influence ground-derived injuries?

Natural turfgrass sports fields exhibit within-field variations due to climatic conditions, field construction, field management, and foot traffic patterns from field usage. Variations within a field could influence the playing surface predictability and require athletes to make abrupt or frequent adjustments that lead to increased ground-derived injury occurrence. This study introduces a new methodology aimed at evaluating the potential relationship between within-field variations of turfgrass sports field properties and ground-derived athlete injuries. Collegiate Club Sport athletes self-reported ground-derived injuries over two years. Soil moisture, turfgrass quality, surface hardness, and turfgrass shear strength were quantified from their two home fields. Hot spot analysis identified significantly high (hot spots) and low (cold spots) values within the fields. Injury locations were compared to hot spot maps each month. Binomial proportion tests determined if there were differences between observed injury proportions and expected proportions. Twenty-three ground-derived injuries were reported overall. The observed injury proportions occurring in turfgrass quality cold spots [0.52 (95% CI 0.29–0.76)] and soil moisture hot spots [0.43 (95% CI 0.22–0.66)] was significantly higher than expected [0.20 (p?p?相似文献   

Fördert ein multidimensionales Gesundheitssportprogramm kognitive und motorische Fähigkeiten im höheren Erwachsenenalter?

Research on successful aging has shown that physical training can have positive effects on cognitive and motor functions in the elderly. The article describes a study involving a 12-week multidimensional exercise program (endurance, strength, flexibility and relaxation) with one session per week which was established for older adults (60 years onwards). Cognitive training (e. g. attention, concentration and memory) was additionally targeted in each exercise session. The exercise program was evaluated by different standardized tests regarding its effects on motor and cognitive performance as dependent variables. In a randomized controlled trial with experimental and waiting control group two points of measurement were conducted. The results showed a significant increase in fitness parameters (endurance, strength and dynamic balance) for the experimental group in contrast to the control group. The expected significant increase for cognitive functions was not found. There is still not enough known about the relationship between cognitive function and physical activity in older adults.     

Watching transitions unfold: a mixed-method study of transitions within early childhood care and education settings

Unlike the transitions children make between settings, those they undertake between age groups within early childhood care and education (ECCE) settings are seldom studied. Accordingly, this exploratory study followed seven preschool children (three boys and four girls) as they moved to new rooms in five ECCE settings. Structured observations of children’s behaviour were collected along with semi-structured parent interviews and participatory child interviews. All boys and one girl demonstrated increased anxiety behaviours following transitions. This gender difference was mirrored in parental reports of negative affect and aggression in sons, but independence and assertiveness amongst daughters. Families also reported shifts in children’s identity from expert to novice and a sense of becoming ‘big’. Interviews highlighted the challenges and opportunities underlying transitions, and parents provided a rich overview of the factors they believed support and hinder transitions, emphasising the importance of strong home-centre connections. These exploratory findings suggest that internal ECCE transitions may be unique junctures in children’s ECCE experiences.