Performance Indicators and Widening Participation in UK Higher Education

We investigate the relationship between the widening participation performance indicators adopted in UK higher education (HE) and the government's objective of increasing overall HE participation rates. We critically assess the development of performance monitoring in HE and identify weaknesses in the current performance indicators from the perspective of the main stakeholders. We suggest the development of internal indicators and benchmarks by HE institutions together with extensions to the current national performance indicators that could improve their usefulness.     

Normative data for regional sweat sodium concentration and whole-body sweating rate in athletes

The purpose of this study was to establish normative data for regional sweat sodium concentration ([Na⁺]) and whole-body sweating rate in athletes. Data from 506 athletes (367 adults, 139 youth; 404 male, 102 female) were compiled from observational athlete testing for a retrospective analysis. The participants were skill/team-sport (including American football, baseball, basketball, soccer and tennis) and endurance (including cycling, running and triathlon) athletes exercising in cool to hot environmental conditions (15–50°C) during training or competition in the laboratory or field. A standardised regional absorbent patch technique was used to determine sweat [Na⁺] on the dorsal mid-forearm. Whole-body sweat [Na⁺] was predicted using a published regression equation (y = 0.57x+11.05). Whole-body sweating rate was calculated from pre- to post-exercise change in body mass, corrected for fluid/food intake (ad libitum) and urine output. Data are expressed as mean ± SD (range). Forearm sweat [Na⁺] and predicted whole-body sweat [Na⁺] were 43.6 ± 18.2 (12.6–104.8) mmol · L^–1 and 35.9 ± 10.4 (18.2–70.8) mmol · L^–1, respectively. Absolute and relative whole-body sweating rates were 1.21 ± 0.68 (0.26–5.73) L · h^–1 and 15.3 ± 6.8 (3.3–69.7) ml · kg^–1 · h^–1, respectively. This retrospective analysis provides normative data for athletes’ forearm and predicted whole-body sweat [Na⁺] as well as absolute and relative whole-body sweating rate across a range of sports and environmental conditions.     

Altered visual focus on sensorimotor control in people with chronic ankle instability

The purpose of this investigation was to examine the effects of the combination of chronic ankle instability (CAI) and altered visual focus on strategies for dynamic stability during a drop-jump task. Nineteen participants with self-reported CAI and 19 healthy participants performed a drop-jump task in looking-up and looking-down conditions. For the looking-up condition, participants looked up and read a random number that flashed on a computer monitor. For the looking-down condition, participants focused their vision on the force plate. Sagittal- and frontal-plane kinematics in the hip, knee and ankle were calculated at the time points of 100 ms pre-initial foot contact to ground and at IC. The resultant vector time to stabilisation was calculated with ground reaction force data. The CAI group demonstrated less hip flexion at the point of 100 ms pre-initial contact (P < 0.01), and less hip flexion (P = 0.03) and knee flexion at initial contact (P = 0.047) compared to controls. No differences in kinematics or dynamic stability were observed in either looking-up or looking-down conditions (P > 0.05). Altered visual focus did not influence movement patterns during the drop-jump task, but the presence of CAI did. The current data suggests that centrally mediated changes associated with CAI may lead to global alterations in the sensorimotor control.     

The Politically Engaged Public Library: Admitting and Embracing the Political Nature of Libraries and Their Goals

The authors of this article contend that politics is an integral part of public library leadership. Most of the work that public librarians do is designed to build citizenship knowledge and improve some aspect of social justice. Politics is a library imperative because a heavy percentage of institutional funding is tied to public funding, which is a major part of total library financial support. Political considerations, therefore, are a major concern in acquiring and retaining funding that will bring libraries and their constituents to a brighter future.     

The structure and development of the paired reading technique

This paper defines the Paired Reading technique and comments upon minor variations. The historical antecedents for the technique in the international literature are reviewed and the technique is considered in the context of relevant background theory and empirical research. The main strands of theory regarding how and why Paired Reading works are reviewed in the light of summary data on process and reading style changes during PR projects. It is concluded that the effects of Paired Reading are mediated by a number of different factors, and the technique should therefore be widely philosophically acceptable.     

Teaching Children in Poverty: three Australian primary school responses

Studies of pedagogical relationships offer insights into policies and practices which have the capacity to promote progressive change in educational practice for children in poverty. This paper focuses on relationships established in three differently‐located Australian primary schools: Greytown, a medium sized inner‐city school in New South Wales; Mungar, a large suburban school in Queensland; and Meiki, a small rural school in New South Wales. Each school is a designated disadvantaged school and funded accordingly through a federal Disadvantaged Schools Program, is located in a working class area, and is ethnically diverse. The schools’ pedagogical responses to children in poverty are contrasted and analysed in terms of their capacity to contribute to socially just outcomes from schooling.