‘All of us together in a blurred space’: principles for co-creating curriculum with international partners

This paper shares an innovative methodology to ‘co-create’ a curriculum with eleven international community development organisations from seven countries to prepare undergraduate students for international work-integrated learning activities. The co-creation process was complex, messy, and always evolving. Here we reflect on and document the process, identifying three key methodological principles that might guide the co-creation process for others. These principles embrace the unpredictable, emotional, and personal reality of bringing together diverse ideas and perspectives, as well as opening up possibilities for more creative ways of communicating and listening to what is seen, heard, and felt.     

Iron status in Winter Olympic sports

Iron status was surveyed amongst 92 Winter Olympic sport athletes from Nordic and Alpine skiing, figure and speed skating and ice hockey. Haemoglobin and serum ferritin values were obtained by physicians as part of a monitoring programme, since iron deficiency would have an adverse effect on maximal performance. Four (7%) of 56 men were anaemic (Hb < 14.0 gdl^‐1) and three (8%) of 36 women had haemoglobin values less than 12.0 gdl^‐1. Nine men (16%) and 14 women (39%) had prelatent iron deficiency (serum ferritin < 30 ng ml^‐1). Ice hockey had the lowest while Nordic skiing had the highest incidence of sub‐optimal iron status. A total of 50% of Nordic women skiers had prelatent iron deficiency and 7% were anaemic. An equal percentage of women speed skaters were low in serum ferritin as well. Only one of 20 male ice hockey players was low in serum ferritin. These results suggest there would be value in instituting screening procedures for iron status in Winter Olympic Sports.     

Bases of Norms for Cable-Tension Strength Tests for Upper Elementary,Junior High,and Senior High School Girls

Abstract

Twelve anthropometric measures and 23 derived indexes were obtained from 72 girls at each level along with 25 cable tensiometer strength tests which were averaged as the criterion. The measures, indexes, and strength criterion were intercorrelated. The highest multiple correlations with the strength criterion were .822, using height times the cube root of weight and arm girth/thigh girth at the elementary level; .784, using chest girth times standing height and shoulder width at the junior high level; and .607, using arm girth and shoulder width/hip width at the senior high level. Combining all levels gave an r of .844 using age and weight. Anthropometric measures intercorrelated higher for elementary school girls, but the indexes intercorrelated higher at the junior and senior high levels than at the elementary level.     

Reliability and validity of field-based measures of leg stiffness and reactive strength index in youths

Abstract

The aim of the study was to assess the reliability of a mobile contact mat in measuring a range of stretch–shortening cycle parameters in young adolescents. Additionally, vertical leg stiffness using contact mat data was validated against a criterion method using force–time data. The reliability study involved 18 youths completing a habituation and three separate test sessions, while 20 youths completed a single test session for the validity study. Participants completed three trials of a squat jump, countermovement jump, and maximal hopping test and a single trial of repeated sub-maximal hopping at 2.0 Hz and 2.5 Hz. All tests were performed on the contact mat. Reliability statistics included repeated-measures analysis of variance, intraclass correlation coefficient, and coefficient of variation (CV), while the correlation coefficient (r) and typical error of estimate (TEE) were reported for the validity study. Squat jump height was the most reliable measure (CV = 8.64%), while leg stiffness during sub-maximal hopping, and reactive strength index produced moderate reliability (CV = 10.17–13.93% and 13.98% respectively). Measures of leg stiffness obtained from contact mat data during sub-maximal hopping were in agreement with the criterion measure (r = 0.92–0.95; TEE = 6.5–7.5%), but not during maximal hopping (r = 0.59; TEE = 41.9%). The contact mat was deemed a valid tool for measuring stretch–shortening cycle ability in sub-maximal but not maximal hopping. Although reliability of performance was generally moderate, the tests offer a replicable assessment method for use with paediatric populations.     

Discrimination of Visual Linear Velocities

Abstract

The purpose of the present study was to determine velocity discrimination characteristics of subjects in a difference threshold paradigm. After recruitment, 180 male and female subjects were randomly assigned to 1 of 6 groups differentiated by the length of the stimulus runway and the subjects' orientation to the stimulus. Stimulus velocities were presented on a modified Bassin Anticipation Timer with presentation rate controlled by a programmed timer. The criterion velocities were 134.11, 268.22 and 402.33, cm/sec with variable velocities ranging 44.7 cm/sec above and below the criterion in 8.94 cm/sec increments. The method of constant stimuli was used with 198 trial pairs presented (constant 7 second stimulus presentation interval). The results indicated that the discrimination of horizontal linear velocity follows a prothetic continuum. That is, the just noticeable difference increased in proportion to the increase in the criterion velocity. In addition, the subjects' orientation to the stimulus and the viewing distance (length of runway) seemed to play little or no role in the discrimination process.     

What spurs curriculum making in physical education? Four narratives of experienced teachers

Anchored in the narrative inquiry tradition, this paper examines commonly held motives about curriculum making from the perspectives of four experienced physical education teachers in Korea. Field texts were collected throughout by employing narrative research tools such as in-depth interviews, focus groups, class observations and documents analyses, and transformed into research texts using broadening, burrowing, and storying and restorying as suggested by Connelly and Clandinin. For experienced physical educators, this paper illuminates what motivates curriculum making as a narrative phenomenon storied and restoried over time. Different stories produced different motives of curriculum making, and a number of issues related to teacher development for curriculum making emerged.     

Change in Teacher Education: interpreting and experiencing new professional roles

In this paper we consider the effect of moves by the British Government to make initial teacher education (ITE) in England and Wales more school‐based (Blake, 1993). To monitor the impact of this shift towards school‐based training we conducted a fine grain study of what was happening on the ground within the one‐year Secondary School‐Based Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) at the Chichester Institute of Higher Education (ChIHE). * *At the time the research was conducted, the Institute's name was the West Sussex Institute of Higher Education, hence interviewees refer to ‘WSIHE’ and ‘West Sussex’. View all notes Data were gathered from questionnaire surveys and interviews. Findings from our regional case study indicate that while school‐based ITE programmes may offer student teachers greater insight into school life, this should not be at the expense of developing students’ analytical and theoretical understanding of education and schooling promoted within higher education‐based work.     

A web-based breastfeeding education program

Two Web-based breastfeeding programs were developed to provide new parents with necessary information on proper breastfeeding techniques. One version was plain text and the other version combined text with graphics. The computer was viewed as a valuable learning tool. The breastfeeding program that contained graphics was preferred over the text-only program. Educators are encouraged to use Web-based graphic programs to provide breastfeeding education to new parents.