Cretaceous — Tertiary mass extinction

The bolide impact theory for mass extinctions at the Cretaceous-tertiary (K-T) boundary was a revolutionary concept. This theory was contested by short duration global volcanism as a possible alternative cause for the K-T extinction. Though there is a converging evidence for an extra-terrestrial impact coinciding with the terminal Cretaceous, the causative link between the impact and the K-T mass extinction is debatable. Thus, while the impact theory is re-emerging, available evidence is still insufficient to rule out either of the two hypotheses. An erratum to this article is available at .     

Impact of censorship cases on basal reader selection and reading curriculum

Censorship cases in Florida, Alabama, and Tennessee received international media attention. The events surrounding these cases at times became very violent and involved many methods of personal and professional intimidation. Informal survey techniques were used to assess the extent to which these cases would affect the local selection of basal reading textbooks. The results are reported here, along with recommendations for teachers publishers, and others interested in intellectual freedom. Patricia P. Fritchie is associate professor of education and director of the Reading Center at Troy State University-Dothan. She serves as state coordinator, Alabama Reading Association, for the International Reading Association. Dr. Fritchie is very active in textbook reviews and has served on the State of Alabama's Textbook adoption Committee.     

School entry age and reading achievement in the 2006 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA)

Evidence regarding the effect of early reading instruction on later reading achievement is unusually sparse, given the emphasis often placed on early and intensive reading instruction. Capitalising on international differences in school entry age (SEA), international reading studies may provide such evidence; however, only one quantitative analysis has been conducted that looked at nine-year olds over 17 years ago. Therefore, data from the reading portion of the 2006 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) study were re-analysed. The relative reading achievement—as a function of SEA—of 15-year-old students across 55 countries was investigated, controlling for social and economic differences. Results suggested no significant association between reading achievement and SEA. Theoretical explanations for these findings are discussed.     

Book Review

Book reviewed in this article:
The Influence of Cognitive Psychology on Testing Royce R. Ronning, John A. Glover, Jane C. Conoley & Joseph C. Witt (Eds.)     

适应社会需求 办出体院特色——对体育学院办学模式的探索

本文在大量的调查研究基础上,全面总结了30多年高等体育教育办学的历史经验;充分论证了在有计划的商品经济条件下,高等体育教育改革的主客观依据;系统地提出了从系科改革入手,改革教学计划、教学大纲和课程设置的可行性方案;最后得出深化体育学院教育改革的几点结论。     

A preliminary investigation into the nature of shock absorbency in synthetic sports materials

Tests were conducted on three athletic shoe midsole materials and on three synthetic sports surfaces. All specimens were found to absorb energy when loaded. For a specific maximum load the amount of energy absorbed by each material was found to decrease as the load application rate increased. The materials exhibited different capacities to dissipate energy under the application of the same impulse. This may be a consideration for the injury protection afforded. The development of rheological models from the results of the tests aided an explanation of how force is resisted and energy absorbed by synthetic sports materials. Their shock absorbing properties were associated with the rheological elements of elasticity and viscosity.     

Developing a prototype information system framework to handle pedagogical knowledge in a secondary school modern foreign languages department

This paper reports a small-scale project to develop a prototype web-based information system to support teaching and learning within the modern languages department of a comprehensive secondary school. The system was developed in close consultation with the teaching staff and the work is presented within the broader context of knowledge management systems and their potential use in an educational environment.