An operational definition of learning disabilities (cognitive domain) using WISC full scale IQ and peabody individual achievement test scores

An operational index of discrepancy to assist in identifying learning disabilities (LD) in the cognitive domain was derived using the Full Scale IQ, Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (Wechsler, 1949, and relevant subtest scores on the Peabody Individual Achievement Test (PIAT) (Dunn and Markwardt, 1970. The index was applied to all legally identified LD children (N = 60) of a Michigan county who were in the LD program (1% of the total elementary school population of 6000 children). Of the 50 males and 10 females (mean age: 9 years 2 months; mean IQ: 91), the index identified 74% and 30% respectively as may be LD in the cognitive domain. This comprised 67% of the 60 children, or 2/3 of 1 % of the total elementary school population. Of the 67% may be LD children, 93% had discrepancy low PIAT subtest scores in Reading Recognition, 88% in Reading Comprehension, 83% in Spelling, and 52% in Arithmetic. Considerable caution should be exercised when classifying children, especially females, as LD.     

Misleading illustrations

Conclusion The responses and the reasons given for those responses suggest that many of these first year students were not able to read and interpret diagrams in a critical manner and recognise their limitations. Rather, they depend on a qualitative global appreciation of the relationships involved and do not distinguish between the diagram and the model it represents. The overall pattern of responses on the test was consistent with the common errors identified in textbook diagrams. Such diagrams (see those which appear below) are notably qualitative and do not attempt to accurately portray relationships quantitatively. It appears as if such diagrams represent reality for many students. This finding has important implications for science teaching because it is known that the conceptual model held by a learner influences subsequent learning.     

Using Contests to Provide Business Students Project‐Based Learning in Humanitarian Logistics: PSAid Example

Business students appreciate working on classroom projects that are both enjoyable and useful in preparing them for future careers. Promoting competition among project teams is also used as a method to motivate students. The Humanitarian Logistics Project (HLP) teaches undergraduate students the logistical implications of unsolicited material donations in disaster relief. To encourage competition, students are organized into teams of three and tasked with designing humanitarian public service announcements (PSAs) that improve their understanding of humanitarian issues in the general public. These announcements are then submitted to the national PSAid (Public Service Announcements for International Disasters) contest for American college students. The exercise is rigorous because it requires students to collect logistical data and use it to communicate the principle of smart compassion to the public in a creative fashion. Moreover, not only do students learn about topics related to humanitarian logistics by competing with other college students nation‐wide, but also do they make a socially responsible contribution to the public. Analysis of survey data shows that students’ learning outcomes from the HLP are significantly greater than those for other supply chain topics covered in class, and that student satisfaction with the HLP is high.     

Development and validation of a method to directly measure the cable force during the hammer throw

The development of cable force during hammer-throw turns is crucial to the throw distance. In this paper, we present a method that is capable of measuring cable force in real time and, as it does not interfere with technique, it is capable of providing immediate feedback to coaches and athletes during training. A strain gauge was mounted on the wires of three hammers to measure the tension in the wire and an elite male hammer thrower executed three throws with each hammer. The output from the gauges was recorded by a data logger positioned on the lower back of the thrower. The throws were captured by three high-speed video cameras and the three-dimensional position of the hammer's head was determined by digitizing the images manually. The five best throws were analysed. The force acting on the hammer's head was calculated from Newton's second law of motion and this was compared with the force measured via the strain gauge. Qualitatively the time dependence of the two forces was essentially the same, although the measured force showed more detail in the troughs of the force–time curves. Quantitatively the average difference between the measured and calculated forces over the five throws was 76 N, which corresponds to a difference of 3.8% for a cable force of 2000 N.     

Interrater Objectivity for Field-Based Fundamental Motor Skill Assessment

We recently published an article on arm coordination and performance level in 400-m front-crawl swimming in Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport (Schnitzler, Seifert, &; Chollet, 2011). The index of coordination (IdC) was used to quantify interarm coordination. Our results showed that expert swimmers exhibited lower IdC than recreational swimmers over a 400-m trial. In addition to criticizing various methodological points, Havriluk (2012) challenged our conclusion that catch-up could be an efficient model of coordination and instead suggested that it might lead to injuries. An important point in this debate, however, is that our definition of catch-up coordination may differ from the one proposed by Havriluk (2012), which would explain why we consider catch-up coordination to be the dominant mode of coordination used by expert swimmers during training sessions.     

The Role of Values in Preservice Teachers' Decision to Teach

The current study explored the values preservice teachers use as motivation for pursuing a teaching career. Preservice teachers (N = 97) from a large Northeastern urban university were chosen to complete a survey measuring personal utility value, social utility value, and epistemic value. Data analysis was conducted using exploratory factor analysis, correlations, multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA), and multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA). Results indicated moderate and significant correlations among subscales; a two-group MANOVA demonstrated that females were rated higher on the subscale desire to work with children/adolescents and Secondary Education participants rated highest on social contribution; and a MANCOVA using sex as the covariate demonstrated that participants pursuing Early Childhood Education were rated higher on the personal utility value main scale and the time for family and job transferability subscales.