An intervention study to enhance girls' interest,self‐concept,and achievement in physics classes

Many interest studies have shown the decline of students' interest in physics during secondary education, particularly among girls. Research into physics‐related interests of students suggests applying different measures to reduce or reverse that trend such as: (a) suggesting curricular changes that do justice to the specific interests and experiences of girls, (b) improving the ability of teachers to support girls in the development of a positive physics related self‐concept, and (c) changing to an organizational setting that gives girls a better chance to improve their self‐concept about physics. The purpose of this study was to examine whether these hypothetically effective measures lead to an improvement of the situation for girls when implemented in the physics classroom. The intervention took a whole school year of some 60 one‐hour lessons and comprised 12 experimental and 7 control classes of seventh graders (age about 13). Their immediate and long‐term achievements, as well as their change of interest in physics, their subjectively experienced competence, and their physics‐related self‐concept were assessed by written tests at various stages of the intervention. The intervention proved successful and significantly improved most of these indicators for girls (and boys) in the experimental group. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 39: 870–888, 2002     

The Administrator's Contribution to Student Cheating

Motivation is a challenge for educators at every level, given the competition from smart phones, social networking, and other outside distractions. The motivation field is rich with resources, Web sites, multimedia, materials, and books on how to identify motivation challenges and address them. Our motivation group at the Center for Teaching and Learning at California State University Northridge read, reviewed, discussed, and can ultimately recommend six great resources on motivation for instructors at every level.     

The Academic Setting of the Dishonest Student

ABSTRACT

Constructionist principles provide fertile ground for developing innovative approaches to learning. Using a grounded theory qualitative research design, we analyzed participant reports of their experience in an online course in which they collaboratively authored a book. Our qualitative analysis suggested that participants experienced extraordinary engagement and motivation, which they interpreted as being related to the collaborative process, their own agency in the project, and the externalized value of creating an artifact intended for a public audience. A new metaphor for learning emerged from the study based on the concept of authorship. Our authorship learning construct sees learning as a process of authoring understanding and skills while simultaneously authoring at multiple levels of agency, including authorship of processes, roles, goals, artifacts, meaning, self, group identity, and society.     

Energy management using virtual reality improves 2000-m rowing performance

Abstract

Elite-standard rowers tend to use a fast-start strategy followed by an inverted parabolic-shaped speed profile in 2000-m races. This strategy is probably the best to manage energy resources during the race and maximise performance. This study investigated the use of virtual reality (VR) with novice rowers as a means to learn about energy management. Participants from an avatar group (n = 7) were instructed to track a virtual boat on a screen, whose speed was set individually to follow the appropriate to-be-learned speed profile. A control group (n = 8) followed an indoor training programme. In spite of similar physiological characteristics in the groups, the avatar group learned and maintained the required profile, resulting in an improved performance (i.e. a decrease in race duration), whereas the control group did not. These results suggest that VR is a means to learn an energy-related skill and improve performance.     

Muskuläre Regulation bei ermüdungsinduzierter Vorbelastung im Krafttraining

International sport strives for increasing the level of performance in sports. Risks of manipulating the performance are not unusual. At the same time, improvements in science, engineering and data processing offer further opportunities for planning effective, low-risk and year-round training programmes for specific sports. This paper presents new approaches based on the example of techniques for strength training. Selected experimental results highlight the limitations and provide conclusions for the scientific foundation and individualization of high performance training. The approach of “muscle pre-fatigue” is verified in a training study with high jumpers. The statements show how important scientifically controlled analysis is for individual training programmes and what high significance they have for optimizing the training process. These will be essential requirements for a legal improvement of high performance in international sport.     

THE DETERMINATION AND EVALUATION OF RESULTS IN THE STUDY PROCESS

Student assessment and grading schemes in higher education institutions should be adapted and applied in such a way that they stimulate students to achieve to the utmost of their abilities. It is not sufficient to simply give a grade to a student for a task accomplished or even to give him an average grade for a series of tasks accomplished during a given time period, a semester, for instance. Rather it is necessary to create an action framework of a kind which links the performance dynamic of both students and teachers so as to ensure the accurate determination, evaluation, and analysis of the joint student‐teacher performance behaviour in such a way that the individual procedures subject to evaluation can be grouped into joint procedures which stimulate self‐determination self‐evaluation, and self‐analysis on the part of students, teachers, and eventually, the employers of graduates. The authors have designed two models which illustrate optimum evaluation procedures of the kind which they favour.     

Integrating Research into LIS Field Experiences in Academic Libraries

Field experiences function as a link between LIS theory and practice. Students should be provided with an experience that is a true reflection of the professional environment. The increasing focus on research by academic librarians provides an opportunity and responsibility to integrate research into the field experiences of LIS students.     

Woollard,John (2011) Psychology for the classroom: E‐learning Routledge (New York & London) isbn 978‐0‐415‐59093‐8 135 pp £19.99http://www.routledge.com/books/details/9780415590938/

With its thorough review of the uses of relevant techniques in education, this provides useful information for educators. It covers research, theory, pedagogy, and strategies for using e‐learning. If the content of this book is likely to be relevant to you, we recommend you borrow a copy for a while. Melissa Hoffmann & William Brescia     

The Student Cheater

There is conflicting evidence on the effect of seat location on student performance and participation in the classroom. The two major hypotheses are (1) that seat location influences student behavior and (2) that seat preference and selection is associated with personality traits of students. This study evaluated both hypotheses within a 55 student senior nutritional biochemistry class. Alternating every other seat, half of the class was randomly assigned a permanent seat while the other half was randomly reassigned a different seat each class period. Students sitting in the front of the classroom in the stay group made significantly more comments per student per day than stay group students in the back, in agreement with other studies. The move group, however, showed increased overall participation with no significant difference between the front and back of the classroom. Findings suggest a more flexible explanation—that students may adopt or reject an implied social role in which seat location and personality traits are influential factors.