Phonological,visual and temporal processing in adults with and without reading disability

The primary goal of this study was to comparethree theoretical accounts of readingdisability (RD) by simultaneously studyingphonological, visual, and temporal processingskills. Adults with and without RD werecompared on measures of phonological processingwith the Auditory Analysis Test (AAT) and theWoodcock Reading Mastery Test (WRMT-R) WordAttack subtest. Visual processing was assessedwith the Useful Field of View test (UFOV®)and the Frequency Doubling Technology Perimeter(FDT). The Repetition Test was used toevaluate temporal processing skills. Adultswith RD evidenced poorer phonological andtemporal processing skills than did adultswithout RD, but no significant differencesbetween the groups were found in visualprocessing. Future research is needed toclarify the relations among phonological,visual, and temporal skills and the roles theyplay in RD. The trajectory and co-existence ofdeficits throughout development, as well as howspecifically such impairments affect reading,warrant further investigation.     

Kindergarten teachers develop phoneme awareness in low-income,inner-city classrooms

Recent evidence suggests that training in phoneme awareness has a positive impact on beginning reading and spelling. The objective of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of instruction in phonological awareness provided in low-income, inner-city kindergarten classrooms by kindergarten teachers and their teaching assistants. Prior to the intervention, the 84 treatment children and 75 control children, who attended inner-city schools in an urban district in upstate New York, did not differ on age, sex, race, SES, PPVT-R score, phoneme segmentation, letter name knowledge, letter sound knowledge, or reading. After the 11 week intervention, the treatment children significantly outperformed the control children on measures of phoneme segmentation, letter name and letter sound knowledge, two of three reading measures, and a measure of invented spelling. Implications for improving beginning reading instruction are discussed.     

Using collaboration to foster academic integrity

Abstract

For students new to higher education, the task of developing their academic writing skills, and particularly the principles and practices of source-referencing, can be daunting. Although institutions and teachers can and do provide positive guidance on this score, all too often students veer into inadvertent plagiarism through lack of confidence and confusion. This case study identifies opportunities through collaborative work to help students approach referencing with greater clarity and confidence. A project with first-year Arts students engaged in collaborative writing encouraged them to attend to their recording and writing-up of source references using individual ‘reading and referencing’ logs and then passing on completed references to their group’s designated bibliographer. Checks on later, solo, assignments by these students indicated that they were less likely to stray into inadvertent plagiarism, whilst feedback from the students themselves pointed towards improved confidence in their academic writing skills and development of study habits conducive to effective self-monitoring.     

A review of models of vertical,leg, and knee stiffness in adults for running,jumping or hopping tasks

Abstract

The ‘stiffness’ concept originates from Hooke's law which states that the force required to deform an object is related to a spring constant and the distance that object is deformed. Research into stiffness in the human body is undergoing unprecedented popularity; possibly because stiffness has been associated with sporting performance and some lower limb injuries. However, some inconsistencies surrounding stiffness measurement exists bringing into question the integrity of some research related to stiffness. The aim of this study was to review literature which describes how vertical, leg and knee stiffness has been measured in adult populations while running, jumping or hopping. A search of the entire MEDLINE, PubMed and SPORTDiscus databases and an iterative reference check was performed. Sixty-seven articles were retrieved; 21 measured vertical stiffness, 51 measured leg stiffness, and 22 measured knee stiffness. Thus, some studies measured several ‘types’ of stiffness. Vertical stiffness was typically the quotient of ground reaction force and centre of mass displacement. For leg stiffness it was and change in leg length, and for the knee it was the quotient of knee joint moments and change in joint angle. Sample size issues and measurement techniques were identified as limitations to current research.     

How can educational psychologists support the reintegration of children with an acquired brain injury upon their return to school?

This study explores the process of reintegration into school for children with an acquired brain injury (ABI) and considers the role of the educational psychologist (EP) in supporting these children. Interviews were conducted with a range of professionals in two specialist settings: a specialist rehabilitation centre and a children’s hospital with a specialism in paediatric neurology. The findings highlight a number of potential areas where EPs could contribute to the support of children with ABI including facilitating communication between professionals and providing training for school staff. The training implications for EPs are also considered.     

What ever happened to …? ‘Personalised learning’ as a case of policy dissipation

While a great deal of attention has been given to evaluating how well policies are implemented, that is, how well they are realised in practice, less attention has been paid to understanding and documenting the ways in which schools actually deal with the multiple, and sometimes opaque and contradictory demands of different ‘types’ of policy. This paper addresses the question of how it is that some education policies ‘fail’ to translate into a continuing and effective set of practices in schools, and instead, are subjected to processes of dissipation and mutation. In this paper, we take as our case personalised learning (PL) launched in England in 2004. In understanding complex processes of enactment, the challenge is to understand how policies differ and analyse why some policies ‘work’ in ways that are unexpected – not as failures of implementation but as mutations. As a ‘case’ of policy dissipation, PL highlights the changing relationships between national and institutional imperatives, and the creative mutations to which some policies are subject within schools. It is not that they have no effects, but rather their effects are marginal or nuanced rather than immediate and obvious.     

Three-dimensional trunk kinematics in golf: between-club differences and relationships to clubhead speed

The aims of this study were (i) to determine whether significant three-dimensional (3D) trunk kinematic differences existed between a driver and a five-iron during a golf swing; and (ii) to determine the anthropometric, physiological, and trunk kinematic variables associated with clubhead speed. Trunk range of motion and golf swing kinematic data were collected from 15 low-handicap male golfers (handicap = 2.5 ± 1.9). Data were collected using a 10-camera motion capture system operating at 250 Hz. Data on clubhead speed and ball velocity were collected using a real-time launch monitor. Paired t-tests revealed nine significant (p ≤ 0.0019) between-club differences for golf swing kinematics, namely trunk and lower trunk flexion/extension and lower trunk axial rotation. Multiple regression analyses explained 33.7–66.7% of the variance in clubhead speed for the driver and five-iron, respectively, with both trunk and lower trunk variables showing associations with clubhead speed. Future studies should consider the role of the upper limbs and modifiable features of the golf club in developing clubhead speed for the driver in particular.     

Comparison of anthropometry to dual energy X-ray absorptiometry: a new prediction equation for women

The purpose of this study was to assess the accuracy of three recommended anthropometric equations for women and then develop an updated prediction equation using dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA). The percentage of body fat (%BF) by anthropometry was significantly correlated (r = .896-.929; p < .01) with DXA, but each equation underestimated %BF (3.2-5.6 %BF; p < .01). The following DXA criterion (DC) equation was created: %BF= -6.40665 + 0.41946(S3SF) - 0.00126(S3SF)2 + 0.12515(hip) + 0.06473 (age); (S3SF = sum of triceps, suprailiac, thigh; hip = circumference in cm; age = years). The predicted residual sum of squares (PRESS) R2 was high (0.86), and the PRESS standard error of estimate (SEE) was low (2.5 %BF) for our sample of 150 women. The DC equation was further crosschecked on a separate sample of women (n = 25) and again showed excellent agreement. The DC equation appears to be a more accurate estimation of %BF in women.