A Maximal Graded Exercise Test to Accurately Predict VO2max in 18–65-Year-Old Adults

The purpose of this study was to develop an age-generalized regression model to predict maximal oxygen uptake (VO_2max) based on a maximal treadmill graded exercise test (GXT; George, 1996) George, J. D. 1996. Alternative approach to maximal exercise testing and VO_2max prediction in college students. Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport, 67: 452–457. [Taylor & Francis Online], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]. Participants (N?=?100), ages 18–65 years, reached a maximal level of exertion (mean?±?standard deviation [SD]; maximal heart rate [HR_max]?=?185.2?±?12.4 beats per minute (bpm); maximal respiratory exchange ratio [RER_max]?=?1.18?±?0.05; maximal rating of perceived exertion (RPE_max)?=?19.1?±?0.7) during the GXT to assess VO_2max (mean?±?SD; 40.24?±?9.11 mL·kg^?1·min^?1). Multiple linear regression generated the following prediction equation (R?=?.94, standard error of estimate [SEE]?=?3.18 mL·kg^?1·min^?1, %SEE?=?7.9): VO_2max (mL·kg^?1·min^?1)?=?13.160?+?(3.314 × gender; females?=?0, males?=?1) ? (.131 × age) ? (.334 × body mass index (BMI))?+?(5.177 × treadmill speed; mph)?+?(1.315 × treadmill grade; %). Cross validation using predicted residual sum of squares (PRESS) statistics revealed minimal shrinkage (R_p ?=?.93 and SEE _p ?=?3.40 mL·kg^?1·min^?1); consequently, this model should provide acceptable accuracy when it is applied to independent samples of comparable adults. Standardized β-weights indicate that treadmill speed (.583) was the most effective at predicting VO_2max followed by treadmill grade (.356), age (?.197), gender (.183), and BMI (?.148). This study provides a relatively accurate regression model to predict VO_2max in relatively fit men and women, ages 18–65 years, based on maximal exercise (treadmill speed and grade), biometric (BMI), and demographic (age and gender) data.     

Preschool literacy experience and later reading achievement

During their children's preschool years, parents were asked about the frequencies of adult reading, parent-child reading, and children's solitary book activities in the home. Parental responses were compared for three groups of children defined according to the parents' reading skills and the children's reading achievement in Grade 2. The results indicated that the 22 preschoolers who became poorer readers had less frequent early literacy-related experiences than the 34 children who became better readers.     

A new approach to quantifying physical demand in rugby union

Abstract

The objective of the study was to describe an original approach to assessing individual workload during international rugby union competitions. The difference between positional groups and between the two halves was explored. Sixty-seven files from 30 French international rugby union players were assessed on a computerised player-tracking system (Amisco Pro^®, Sport Universal Process, Nice, France) during five international games. Each player’s action was split up into exercise and recovery periods according to his individual velocity threshold. Exercise-to-recovery (E:R) period ratios and acceleration were calculated. Results indicated that about 65% of exercise periods lasted less than 4 s; half of the E:Rs were less than 1:4, and about one-third ranged between 1 and 1:4 and about 40% of exercise periods were classified as medium intensity. Most acceleration values were less than 3 m·s^?2 and started from standing or walking activity. Back row players showed the highest mean acceleration values over the game (P < 0.05). No significant decrease in physical performance was seen between the first and second halves of the games except for back rows, who showed a significant decrease in mean acceleration (P < 0.05). The analysis of results emphasised the specific activity of back rows and tended to suggest that the players’ combinations of action and recovery times were optimal for preventing large decrease in the physical performance.     

The Relation between Critical Thinking Abilities and Student Study Strategies

This paper describes an investigation of the relationship between students' critical thinking abilities and their study strategies. The 54 students involved in the investigation were first year engineering students at a university in New South Wales who had completed their Higher School Certificate in 1991. Their critical thinking abilities were assessed with the Cornell Critical Thinking Test Level X and information about their study strategies was obtained from their responses to the General Study Processes Survey, a 21 item Likert scale questionnaire which is a component of Biggs' Study Processes Questionnaire. The survey of study processes provided information about students' study strategies on three dimensions: surface study strategy, deep study strategy and achieving study strategy. The achieving dimension was the only study strategy which correlated significantly with scores on the test of critical thinking. There was a negative correlation between this dimension and critical thinking ability. The implications of the results of this study for promoting the development of critical thinking abilities are discussed.     

General Issues about Assessment of Competence

In simple terms, competency‐based assessment is the assessment of a person's competence against prescribed standards of performance. Thus, if an occupation has established a set of, say, entry‐level competency standards, then these prescribe the standards of performance required of all new entrants to that occupation. Competency‐based assessment is the process determining whether a candidate meets the prescribed standards of performance, i.e. whether they demonstrate competence.

It is probably a truism that there is no such thing as a process of assessment that is without its critics. Whatever efforts are made to improve an instance of assessment, someone is bound to be unhappy with the process. Competency‐based assessment is therefore at a particular disadvantage since it is both new and unfamiliar to many people. This has meant that competency‐based assessment has aroused numerous and varied worries and objections from many quarters. In the process of researching assessment methods of professions in Australia, as the prelude to writing a guide on competency‐based assessment (Gonczi et al., 1993) the authors identified a number of worries and objections. Competency‐based assessment: (a) only assesses what is trivial or superficial; (b) is inherently unreliable in that it involves inference; (c) is inherently invalid, (d) represents a departure from traditional proven methods of assessment; (e) neglects the importance of knowledge; (f) focuses on outcomes to the neglect of processes; (g) relies on professional judgement, and hence is too subjective; (h) vainly tries to assess attitudes. This paper discusses each of these worries and objections and shows that none of them is decisive. While each of them points to an important issue about competency‐based assessment, the discussion will show that in each case a well‐designed competency‐based assessment system can overcome the worry or objection.