Accurate assessment of the brake torque on a rope-braked cycle ergometer

Sports Engineering - A Monark cycle ergometer is a device globally used in physiological studies to measure the work and energy levels of exercising humans. In this paper a rope-braked cycle...     

Parshanut Through Art: The High School Student as Biblical Commentator

The following research study presents data drawn from an arts-based qualitative research study from 2013. Students created artistic interpretations of biblical texts using a variety of media. One of the significant findings of the study was that learning through the arts provided students with an opportunity to take on the role of parshan, or biblical commentator. Three examples of artwork is presented and combined, they show that by taking on the role of parshan, students were able to craft original interpretations of text and develop new connections with the text. Learning in this way demonstrated the significance of integrating the arts into Bible curricula as a vehicle for developing new types of positive and educational experiences for students.     

Using Rhetorical/Relational Goal Theory to Examine College Students’ Impressions of Their Instructors

Guided by rhetorical/relational goal theory, the purpose of this study was to examine whether students’ impressions of their instructors’ credibility, attraction, and homophily are influenced by four specific rhetorical and relational communication behaviors that instructors use when communicating with their students in the classroom. Participants were 193 undergraduate students enrolled in a variety of introductory communication courses at a large mid-Atlantic university. Using a series of multiple regression analyses, it was found that (a) clarity emerged as the sole indicator of instructor competence, trustworthiness, and task attraction; (b) clarity and confirmation emerged as indicators of goodwill; and (c) humor and confirmation emerged as indicators of social attraction and attitude homophily.     

Students’ Self-Determination as a Consequence of Instructor Misbehaviors

The study applied self-determination theory to examine detrimental effects of instructor misbehaviors in the college classroom. Participants were 223 undergraduate students who reported on their instructor’s antagonism and lecture misbehaviors in a course, along with their basic psychological need fulfillment (i.e., autonomy, competence, relatedness) and intrinsic motivation to learn. Results indicated that (a) lecture misbehaviors were more detrimental to students’ competence and relatedness than antagonism misbehaviors; and (b) students’ intrinsic motivation to learn was influenced by students’ basic psychological needs and instructor misbehaviors.     

Why are Older Faculty Members More Accepting of Students with Attention‐deficit Hyperactivity Disorder? A Life‐course Interpretation

The presence of university students in the United States with disabilities is not a new phenomenon. However, little is known about the attitudes of university faculty concerning less visible disabilities such as attention‐deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Using a sample of faculty at a university in the United States (n = 136), the impact of age on faculty’s acceptance of ADHD was examined. Results indicated a higher percentage of older faculty members, compared with middle‐aged and younger faculty, selected ADHD as a condition worthy of special instructional accommodations. Irrespective of age of the respondents, ADHD had the lowest acceptance as a condition deserving special accommodations. Finally, fewer middle‐aged and older faculty attributed difficulties experienced by a student with ADHD symptoms to “bad” character, a lack of discipline or a lack of motivation. These findings suggest more emphasis should be placed on disability‐related education and training for faculty members during early stages of their careers.     

On learning ... more or less: a knowledge x process x context view of learning disabilities

The authors review the last decade of their research on learning disabilities and conclude that knowledge x process x context is the most useful way to think about children's cognitive difficulties. According to this framework, learning disabilities is seen as a result of the interplay between a poorly elaborated knowledge base (especially in language-related domains), the biologically determined efficiencies of various microlevel processes such as encoding, and the physical and social meaning attached to performance (i.e, the context). It is suggested that this framework helps explain instances of asymmetry wherein children with learning disabilities deploy a cognitive process more or less efficiently, depending on the material and task demands. It also raises several interesting questions about the presumed "specificity" of the impairment underlying learning disablement and the possibility that these children may not differ qualitatively from nonimpaired peers, only quantitatively.