Letter to the editor concerning the article “Effects of acoustic feedback training in elite-standard Para-Rowing” by Schaffert and Mattes (2015)

In a case study, Schaffert and Mattes reported the application of acoustic feedback (sonification) to optimise the time course of boat acceleration. The authors attributed an increased boat speed in the feedback condition to an optimised boat acceleration (mainly during the recovery phase). However, in rowing it is biomechanically impossible to increase the boat speed significantly by reducing the fluctuations in boat acceleration during the rowing cycle. To assess such a, potentially small, optimising effect experimentally, the confounding variables must be controlled very accurately (that is especially the propulsive forces must be kept constant between experimental conditions or the differences in propulsive forces between conditions must be much smaller than the effects on boat speed resulting from an optimised movement pattern). However, this was not controlled adequately by the authors. Instead, the presented boat acceleration data show that the increased boat speed under acoustic feedback was due to increased propulsive forces.     

The Teaching of Hebrew in the Reform Religious School

There are few educators today who would take issue with the assertion that research, and the findings of research, are beginning to dominate the American educational scene. The growing influence of science and the scientific method on every aspect of contemporary living has brought about significant change and innovation in the school, in the home and in the community at-large.     

Fidelity of Implementation and Instructional Alignment in Response to Intervention Research

In this review, we explore the extent to which researchers evaluating the efficacy of Tier 2 elementary reading interventions within the framework of Response to Intervention reported on fidelity of implementation and alignment of instruction between tiers. A literature search identified 22 empirical studies from which conclusions were drawn. Results suggest that fidelity of implementation is typically monitored at Tier 2 and that alignment between tiers of intervention is often apparent yet not explicitly stated. However, researchers frequently neglect to report on fidelity of intervention in Tier 1, potentially limiting claims that can be made about the efficacy of subsequent Tier 2 intervention. Limitations and implications for future research are discussed.