International student networks as transnational social capital: illustrations from Japan

ABSTRACT

This paper examines how social isolation in a non-Anglophone context where English is not the main language of instruction for local students but is for international students, has unintended consequences for social capital formation among the latter. What factors influence international student network formation in such places where linguistic barriers are institutionalised and what are their consequences not only during college but beyond, in shaping students’ career plans? Using qualitative interview data with 67 international (originating from Asian countries) and domestic students in Japanese universities, we find that such institutional barriers negatively promote greater isolation of international students but positively encourage the formation of diverse multinational ties – a process through which international students gain ideas, confidence and direction regarding their post-graduation career plans to work transnationally.     

Phases of match-play in professional Australian Football: Distribution of physical and technical performance

ABSTRACT

The current study aimed to describe the distribution of physical and technical performance during the different phases of play in professional Australian Football. The phases of play (offence, defence, contested play, umpire stoppages, set shots and goal resets) were manually coded from video footage for a single team competing in 18 matches in the Australian Football League. Measures of physical performance including total distance (m), average speed (m · min^?1), low-speed running (LSR, <14.4 km h^?1), high-speed running (HSR, >14.4 km h^?1), accelerations (2.78 m · s^?2) and decelerations (?2.78 m · s^?2) were derived from each phase of play via global positioning system (GPS) devices. Technical skill data including tackles, handballs and kicks were obtained from a commercial statistics provider and derived from each phase of play. Linear mixed-effects models and effect sizes were used to assess and reflect the differences in physical and technical performance between the six phases of play. Activity and recovery cycles, defined as periods where the ball was in or out of play were also described using mean and 95% confidence intervals. The analysis showed that several similarities existed between offence and defence for physical performance metrics. Contested play involved the highest total distance, LSR, accelerations, decelerations and tackles compared to all other phases. Offence and defence involved the highest average speed and HSR running distances. Handballs and kicks were highest during offence, while tackles were highest during contested play, followed by defence. Activity and recovery cycles involved mean durations of ~110 and ~39 s and average speeds of ~160 and ~84 m · min^?1, respectively. The integration of video, GPS and technical skill data can be used to investigate specific phases of Australian Football match-play and subsequently guide match analysis and training design.     

The communication of science and technology: Past,present and future agendas

Community learning of science and technology has undergone radical review in the past few years. This paper outlines changes that have taken place in research methods that have addressed the informal learning of science, particularly in the museum sector. We discuss the shift in perspective that has occurred over the past three decades in the public understanding movement, examine some current issues, and suggest future directions for research. The paper concludes with a personal vision for the future of community learning about science and technology.     

The Tertiary Programming Learning Environment: Is It Equitable?

The computing learning environment has not often been equitable for female students. For example, the number of females enrolled in tertiary computing courses is low compared with males and their retention is poor. In recent years, New Zealand educational institutions have experienced an increased enrolment of new arrivals – students of diverse nationalities, cultures and educational backgrounds. The New Zealand government is encouraging the expansion of education exports, yet little is known about how new-arrival students, studying programming at tertiary institutions, perceive their learning environment and whether they feel comfortable and included. This article reports research which examined how equity is perceived by subgroups based on sex and arrival status. The study used a mixed-method design to investigate first-year tertiary programming students perceptions of their learning environment. Survey results showed that, compared with New Zealand males and new-arrival females, New Zealand females and new-arrival males indicated that they would prefer a more equitable learning environment to the one that they actually experienced. Further, results from student interviews revealed differences amongst the student subgroups, suggesting that there were areas of dissatisfaction not obvious from the survey data.