Do dynamic work instructions provide an advantage over static instructions in a small scale assembly task?

Recent studies exploring the effects of instructional animations on learning compared to static graphics have yielded mixed results. Few studies have explored their effectiveness in portraying procedural-motor information. Opportunities exist within an applied (manufacturing) context for instructional animations to be used to facilitate build performance on an assembly line. The present study compares build time performance across successive builds when using animation, static diagrams or text instructions to convey an assembly sequence for a handheld device. Although an immediate facilitating effect of animation was found, yielding a significantly faster build time for Build 1, this advantage had disappeared by Build 3.     

COMPARISON OF PREDICTIVE VALIDITY AND DIAGNOSTIC ACCURACY OF SCREENING MEASURES OF READING SKILLS

Assessment data must be valid for the purpose for which educators use them. Establishing evidence of validity is an ongoing process that must be shared by test developers and test users. This study examined the predictive validity and the diagnostic accuracy of universal screening measures in reading. Scores on three different universal screening tools were compared for nearly 500 second‐ and third‐grade students attending four public schools in a large urban district. Hierarchical regression and receiver operating characteristic curves were used to examine the criterion‐related validity and diagnostic accuracy of students’ oral reading fluency (ORF), Fountas and Pinnell Benchmark Assessment System (BAS) scores, and fall scores from the Measures of Academic Progress for reading (MAP). Results indicated that a combination of all three measures accounted for 65% of the variance in spring MAP scores, whereas a reduced model of ORF and MAP scores predicted 60%. ORF and BAS scores did not meet standards for diagnostic accuracy. Combining the measures improved diagnostic accuracy, depending on how criterion scores were calculated. Implications for practice and future research are discussed.     

Minimum reading fluency necessary for comprehension among second‐grade students

The current study examined the relationship between oral reading fluency (ORF) and reading comprehension for students in second grade. A total of 84 participants were randomly assigned to one of four conditions that involved reading a grade‐appropriate passage with either 0%, 10%, 20%, or 30% scrambled words and answering subsequent comprehension questions. The correlation coefficient between ORF and the number of comprehension questions correctly answered was r = .54. Receiver operating characteristics were then used to empirically derive a minimum ORF score necessary for comprehension, indicating that when these students read 63 words correct per minute they successfully comprehended what they read. Finally, the diagnostic accuracy of the derived criterion of 63 words read correctly per minute was tested and resulted in overall correct classification of .80. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Differences in practitioners’ understanding of play and how this influences pedagogy and children’s perceptions of play

This paper presents research that examines the links between practitioners’ understanding of play and its relationship to learning, their pedagogic interactions with children and children’s own perceptions of their play. Previous research has shown a mismatch between practitioners’ understanding of play and their practice. This research identifies how differences in understanding of play, especially the role of the adult, by practitioners in two unrelated settings are associated with variation in pedagogic interactions emphasising choice and control. Furthermore, it is argued that these differences are reflected in differences in children’s use of the cue of adult presence as a defining feature of play and not-play activities.     

Co-teaching as Teacher Training: Experiential Accounts of Two Doctoral Students

There is a growing body of literature exploring the benefits and challenges of co-teaching in higher education. However, there has been little focus on co-teaching from a doctoral student perspective. Drawing on our experiences co-teaching at a large, research-intensive university in Canada, this paper discusses the steps taken to co-design, co-facilitate, and co-assess a graduate level course. We recommend that co-teaching be further explored and implemented in higher education, particularly in doctoral programs, as it provides opportunities to expand personal teaching styles, develop diversified curriculum, build confidence, and take greater risks in the classroom—all of which benefit educators and students alike.     

Lower limb joint kinetics and ankle joint stiffness in the sprint start push-off

Sprint push-off technique is fundamental to sprint performance and joint stiffness has been identified as a performance-related variable during dynamic movements. However, joint stiffness for the push-off and its relationship with performance (times and velocities) has not been reported. The aim of this study was to quantify and explain lower limb net joint moments and mechanical powers, and ankle stiffness during the first stance phase of the push-off. One elite sprinter performed 10 maximal sprint starts. An automatic motion analysis system (CODA, 200 Hz) with synchronized force plates (Kistler, 1000 Hz) collected kinematic profiles at the hip, knee, and ankle and ground reaction forces, providing input for inverse dynamics analyses. The lower-limb joints predominately extended and revealed a proximal-to-distal sequential pattern of maximal extensor angular velocity and positive power production. Pearson correlations revealed relationships (P < 0.05) between ankle stiffness (5.93 ± 0.75 N x m x deg(-1)) and selected performance variables. Relationships between negative power phase ankle stiffness and horizontal (r = -0.79) and vertical (r = 0.74) centre of mass velocities were opposite in direction to the positive power phase ankle stiffness (horizontal: r = 0.85; vertical: r = -0.54). Thus ankle stiffness may affect the goals of the sprint push-off in different ways, depending on the phase of stance considered.     

Comparison of efficiency measures for academic interventions based on acquisition and maintenance

Previous research has demonstrated the importance of examining the instructional efficiency of academic interventions and has defined efficiency as the number of items learned per instructional minute. Maintenance of the skill is also an important instructional goal, however. Therefore, the current study compared efficiency metrics using initial learning and maintenance with 25 fourth‐grade students. Each student was taught the pronunciation and English translation of 12 words from the Esperanto international language with two instructional conditions (six words for each condition). The first condition was traditional drill (TD) rehearsal with all unknown words, and the second was incremental rehearsal (IR) with one unknown and eight known words. Results indicated that, although the IR condition led to significantly more words being retained, TD was significantly more efficient using initial learning. The two conditions were equally efficient, however, when maintenance data were used. Therefore, evaluating the efficiency of instructional interventions should consider maintenance data as well. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Extending Curriculum‐based Assessment to Early Writing

Early writing interventions can help students develop the writing skills they need to experience positive educational and postsecondary outcomes, but effective intervention requires instructionally relevant assessment data. Shapiro's curriculum‐based assessment (CBA) model integrates related yet distinct CBA approaches into a model that informs intervention. Extending this model to early writing poses challenges only recently addressed by research. On the basis of a review of relevant early writing research, this article outlines an instructionally relevant assessment model for early writing. Within the proposed model, the instructional hierarchy is suggested to directly connect early writing assessment with intervention. A discussion of potential limitations as well as future directions for research is included.     

Using a Conceptual Understanding and Procedural Fluency Heuristic to Target Math Interventions with Students in Early Elementary

The study examined the use of a conceptual and procedural framework for identifying math deficits and delivering appropriate interventions. Participants were two first‐grade students and one third‐grade student, who were identified as struggling with the grade‐appropriate content in math. The first‐grade students focused on addition and the third‐grade student focused on multiplication. Each student's conceptual understanding was assessed, and students who lacked conceptual understanding received an intervention that addressed underlying concepts. Students with acceptable understanding of the underlying concepts received an intervention that focused on the procedure. The study used a single‐case, multiple‐baseline design, but the contra‐indicated intervention was administered for the first 2 weeks following baseline, with the prescribed intervention for the final 2 weeks. Each student showed more growth during the prescribed intervention phase when compared to the contra‐indicated phase.