Building electronic cooperation in the 1990s- the Maryland, Georgia, and Texas experiences

Large scale statewide library cooperation using information technology and wide area networks dates back to the early 1980s with efforts such as the Florida Center for Library Automation and, more recently, the LOUIS Project in Louisiana (see JAL January 1994) and OhioLink (see JAL September 1995). Early efforts were usually focused on the implementation of library information management systems and the provision of shared access to locally held collections, and they often still are. In the 1990s, though, we are witnessing a shift in statewide cooperative use of networks to provide principally access to bibliographic and full-text resources not held locally and usually provided by commercial vendors for use by libraries. As the case studies in this column illustrate the development of funding sources, the technical implementations and support, and the management organization differ from state to state. They reflect, though, the incremental shift in the information landscape towards “electronic libraries”. I choose the word incremental intentionally to reflect that this change has not (at least so far) been anywhere near as rapid or revolutionary as many expected. Nevertheless, what has happened in about 15 years is quite dramatic. It portends a different kind of academic library.—CBL, University of Maryland, College Park.     

The Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning in Higher Education: A Discourse on Rationales and Assumptions

This paper explores some of the issues and benefits surrounding the process of accreditation of prior experiential learning (APEL) as one key institutional 'building block' for meeting the needs of adults who wish access to UK higher education institutions (HEIs) course provision. Arguments are advanced whereby APEL could help to 'unlock doors' to HEIs for those (mostly part-time students), who have traditionally been denied access or advanced standing to HE courses because of personal, socio-economic or institutional constraints. The paper also provides a basis for APEL based on educational grounds. Reference to a three year study/project in a Canadian institution, where criteria were evolved that eventually led to the establishment of APEL policy and procedures along with the evolution of the necessary infrastructure, is also made. APEL is also presented as a human resource/career development process that can gather momentum, gain commitment and support from the private sector.     

Using the Content of Online Privacy Notices to Inform Public Policy: A Longitudinal Analysis of the 1998-2001 U.S. Web Surveys

In the United States, Congress has had a long-standing interest in consumer privacy and the extent to which company practices are based on fair information practices. Previously, public policy was largely informed by anecdotal evidence about the effectiveness of industry self-regulatory programs. However, the Internet has made it possible to unobtrusively sample web sites and their privacy disclosures in a way that is not feasible in the offline world. Beginning in 1998, the Federal Trade Commission relied upon a series of three surveys of web sites to assess whether organizations post online privacy disclosures and whether these disclosures represent the U.S. definition of fair information practices. While each year's survey has provided an important snapshot of U.S. web-site practices, there has been no longitudinal analysis of the multiyear trends. This study compares a subset of equivalent individual-level web-site data for the 1998, 1999, 2000, and 2001 web surveys. Implications for using this type of research to inform public policy are discussed.     

Kindergarten children's growth trajectories in reading and mathematics: who falls increasingly behind?

The authors used a large sample of children (N ≈ 7,400) participating in the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study--Kindergarten Cohort (ECLS-K) to estimate kindergarten children's academic achievement growth trajectories in reading and mathematics. The authors were particularly interested in whether the growth trajectories of children with learning disabilities (LD) or speech language impairments (SLI)--as well as those of other groups of children--were consistent with a cumulative or compensatory developmental cycle. Both LD and SLI children displayed significantly lower levels of kindergarten reading achievement than nondisabled children. However, and over the subsequent 5 years of elementary school, only children with SLI lagged increasingly behind nondisabled peers in their reading skills growth. The authors observed a different pattern for mathematics achievement. Children with LD, but not SLI, lagged increasingly behind nondisabled children in their mathematics skills growth. The authors also observed some consistency in "poor-get-poorer" effects across reading and mathematic achievement for additional population subgroups. Those kindergarten children who were from lower socioeconomic status families, who were African American, and who more frequently displayed learning-related behavior problems initially had lower levels of reading and mathematics achievement and also lagged increasingly behind in their acquisition of these skills over time. Some groups of children, including those with SLI, experience a cumulative rather than a compensatory cycle of achievement growth.     

Study of resonance-cone propagation in truncated hyperbolic metamaterial grids using transmission-line matrix simulations

In this paper, we utilize transmission-line matrix simulations to study the electromagnetic properties of hyperbolic metamaterial grids, which are synthesized by arranging unloaded transmission lines over electrical ground planes, such that the unit cells are rectangular in shape. The hyperbolic grids support Bragg and Hyperbolic resonant modes that have rectangular and hyperbolic dispersion surfaces, respectively. We demonstrate the formation of these resonant modes in the hyperbolic grids and their refraction, and spatial scanning properties via circuit simulations. The simulation results are compared with experimental results of a two-layer anisotropic hyperbolic metamaterial.     

Muscle metabolism and performance improvement after two training programmes of sprint running differing in rest interval duration

Repeated-sprint training often involves short sprints separated by inadequate recovery intervals. The effects of interval duration on metabolic and performance parameters are unclear. We compared the effects of two training programmes, differing in rest interval duration, on muscle (vastus lateralis) metabolism and sprint performance. Sixteen men trained three times a week for 8 weeks, each training session comprising 2-3 sets of two 80-m sprints. Sprints were separated by 10 s (n = 8) or 1 min (n = 8). Both training programmes improved performance in the 100-, 200-, and 300-m sprints, but the improvement was greater in the 10-s group during the final 100 m of the 200- and 300-m runs. Independent of interval duration, training mitigated the drop of muscle ATP after two 80-m sprints. The drop in phosphocreatine and the increases in glucose-6-phosphate and fructose-6-phosphate after two 80-m sprints were greater in the 10-s group. In conclusion, training with a limited number of repeated short sprints (≤10 s) may be more effective in improving speed maintenance in 200- and 300-m runs when performed with a 1:1 rather than a 1:6 exercise-to-rest ratio. This may be due to a greater activation of glycolysis caused, in part, by the limited resynthesis of phosphocreatine during the very short rest interval.     

360° Feedback: Ready,Fire, Aim—Issues With Improper Implementation

This article looks at 360° feedback, as well as mistakes and misuses that are often made in its implementation and use. Too often individuals look for tools to give them facts to support predetermined opinions rather than gathering facts to support individuals in their growth and development process. By identifying these issues and addressing them up front, larger issues that can negatively affect the overall culture of an organization can be avoided.