Machine learning for human learners: opportunities,issues, tensions and threats

Educational technology research and development - Machine learning systems are infiltrating our lives and are beginning to become important in our education systems. This article, developed from a...     

Welfare families' use of early childhood care and education programs, and implications for their children's development

With recent legislation placing a strong emphasis on the transition of welfare mothers into the workforce, it becomes increasingly important to understand whether and how participation in early childhood care and education programs has implications for the development of children from welfare families. This study focused on a sample of 182 African-American families, all of whom had applied for or were receiving Aid to Families With Dependent Children, and each with a child of between 3 and 5 years of age. We first examined which of a wide range of background characteristics predicted participation in early childhood care and education programs. We then examined whether measures of the children's school readiness and social maturity were predicted by current participation in an early childhood program, above and beyond the background characteristics associated with the use of such a program. Our results indicate that participation in an early childhood program is associated with significantly higher scores on the measure of school readiness.     

Translation,cross-cultural adaptation,validity, reliability and stability of the Dutch Injury - Psychological Readiness to Return to Sport (I-PRRS-NL) scale

The Injury Psychological Readiness to Return to Sport (I-PRRS) scale measures the psychological readiness of injured athletes to resume sports participation. The aim of this study was to translate and culturally adapt the I-PRRS scale into Dutch (I-PRRS-NL) and assess its validity, reliability, and stability in patients after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR). The original I-PRRS was translated and culturally adapted from English into Dutch, and tested for clinimetric quality. To assess concurrent validity, 150 patients completed the I-PRRS-NL scale and five questionnaires measuring related constructs 3–16 months after ACLR. All predefined hypotheses regarding correlations between the I-PRRS-NL scale and these questionnaires were confirmed, indicating good concurrent validity. For test-retest reliability, 107 patients completed the I-PRRS-NL scale again two weeks later. The I-PRRS-NL scale showed good internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha 0.94) and test-retest reliability (ICC 0.89). Standard error of measurement was 4.2 and smallest detectable change was 11.6. No systematic bias between test and retest was found. As the scale appears unstable at item level, only the total score should be used. Overall, the I-PRRS-NL scale showed sufficient validity and reliability to assess the psychological readiness to resume sports among Dutch-speaking patients after ACLR.     

A multi-sensor system for automatic analysis of classical cross-country skiing techniques

Commercial systems utilizing data from inertial measurement units (IMUs) to analyse movement patterns have not yet been adapted to monitor daily training in cross-country (XC) skiing. The main purposes of this study are to investigate: (1) the feasibility and potential of a multi-sensor system consisting of a heart rate sensor, global navigation satellite systems (GNSSs) data and seven IMUs placed at multiple locations on the body for outdoor XC skiing, and (2) the validity of employing hard decision rules based on the correlation between arms and legs for detecting sub-techniques in classical XC skiing. All sensor data were synchronously sampled and synchronized with GNSS data from a commercially available sports watch while XC skiing on varying tracks, from amateur skiers and world-class athletes. An algorithm based on the correlation of the angular velocity of arms and legs was developed to detect the three main classic sub-techniques, diagonal, double poling with a kick and double poling. Other sub-techniques were classified as miscellaneous (0–20%). The system is shown to work well outdoors on snow during different conditions, and the implemented algorithm was validated by video analyses to detect the three sub-techniques with a sensitivity of 99–100%. This study is the first to detect and link sub-techniques in XC skiing to GNSS data, thereby associating the detection and distribution of sub-techniques to different terrains. Such information gives insight into the technical and tactical aspects of skiers’ daily training and competitions, thereby providing a tool for coaches and athletes.     

Uneducating South Africa: The failure to address the 1910–1993 legacy

This paper analyses various data on the South African schooling system since 1910. The data collected for the study cover a wide range of education indicators, from pupil enrolments, pupil teacher ratios, real expenditure (aggregate and per capita), matriculation pass rates, to some indicators of the quality of matriculation passes. The authors provide an indication of both inputs into and outputs of the educational system. In broad terms, the data indicate that from an educational perspective South Africa followed a modernisation trajectory that, although it drew ever larger numbers of pupils into the schooling system, was partial, distorted and fundamentally dysfunctional. The educational process was strongly affected by racial factors. To the extent that education is an important determinant of long run growth performance of economies, this implies that South Africa's educational policies were inimical to its long run growth.     

Risk factors for musculoskeletal injuries in elite junior tennis players: a systematic review

The objective was to systematically review the literature on risk factors and prevention programs for musculoskeletal injuries among tennis players. PubmedMedline, Embase, CINAHL, Cochrane, SportDiscus were searched up to February 2017. Experts in clinical and epidemiological medicine were contacted to obtain additional studies.

For risk factors, prospective cohort studies (n > 20) with a statistical analysis for injured and non-injured players were included and studies with a RCT design for prevention programs. Downs&Black checklist was assessed for risk of bias for risk factors. From a total of 4067 articles, five articles met our inclusion criteria for risk factors. No studies on effectiveness of prevention programs were identified. Quality of studies included varied from fair to excellent.

Best evidence synthesis revealed moderate evidence for previous injury regardless of body location in general and fewer years of tennis experience for the occurrence of upper extremity injuries. Moderate evidence was found for lower back injuries, a previous back injury, playing >6hours/week and low lateral flexion of the neck for risk factors. Limited evidence was found for male gender as a risk factor.

The risk factors identified can assist clinicians in developing prevention-strategies. Further studies should focus on risk factor evaluation in recreational adult tennis players.     

Outdoor adventures and adolescents’ mental health: daily screen time as a moderator of changes

Research provided ample evidence that excessive screen time (ST) in adolescence has detrimental effects on psychosocial health. This paper argues that structured outdoor programs can serve as an antidote to negative health impacts of exaggerated ST. For youth with a high level of regular ST, outdoor adventures imply a break with their ‘normal’ (mediatized) lifestyle, so that greater progress in mental health can potentially arise. This hypothesis is tested in a sample of adolescents, who took part in a 10-day outdoor program. Pre-to-post program mean comparisons for stress, hedonic balance and life satisfaction show significant positive changes. However, benefits of the program are markedly greater among youths with a high level of daily ST compared to youths with low-to-moderate levels.     

Die Vereinbarkeit von Willensfreiheit und Erziehung

It is claimed, in this paper, that free will and education are compatible. The problem of compatibility arises because education is usually seen as a way of guiding, controlling or determining someone else’s behavior. But how is the educational control of a person who is endowed with a free will possible? This question is discussed with reference to the philosophical debate on the compatibility of free will and determinism. This debate provides various concepts of freedom can enrich the pedagogical discussion of the issue. For instance, freedom might be equated with being the causal source of a person’s actions. Alternatively, we could describe freedom as the capability of a person to act otherwise than he or she actually acts. This paper argues that a third concept of freedom can help to solve the problem of the compatibility of free will and education. According to this concept, the capability to act on reason must be seen as constitutive for freedom.     

Freie Schulwahl und Bildungsgerechtigkeit

One of the controversial points in the debate on schools choice is the problem of educational justice. Does the introduction of choice schemes decrease or increase social inequality within the education system? The objective of this contribution, which leads on from current debates in Anglo-Saxon moral and educational philosophy, is not to answer this question, but to analyze the apparent dissent. The role of normative principles and empirical assumptions on the situation will be investigated.