A model of equitable and sustainable redistribution of knowledge

Education is one of the pillars in which a Welfare State is effectively based on in order to achieve an equitable distribution of wealth. In contemporary society, knowledge and education are among the most appreciated goods, and everyone should have the right to acquire them, without distinction of gender, race, age, health or religion. From our experience of over 15 years at the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya we can claim that virtual learning makes access to education easier for certain population strata, whereas otherwise, they would be excluded from such a right. A very significant group of students to consider are women with family burdens who, thanks to this kind of education, are able to gain access to higher education for the first time in their lives and at their maturity ages. Another significant group is students with disabilities, for whom virtual education makes it possible to get training in fields for which it would be more difficult to get in the case of the non-virtual university. Geographic factors are also relevant, since virtual education has provided rural areas and other places with poor infrastructures with a chance to gain access to higher education. This brings with it a redistribution of wealth among territories, and also among different social strata with fewer resources and limitations to commute long distances to higher education institutions. Another issue that needs pointing out is virtual communication. As it is asynchronic, it can lead to a high degree of reflection. All these elements enable us to have a virtual discussion about cultural and linguistic issues which have huge educational value.     

Straight sprinting is the most frequent action in goal situations in professional football

The present study aimed to analyse the influence of speed and power abilities in goal situations in professional football. During the second half of the season 2007/08, videos of 360 goals in the first German national league were analysed by visual inspection. For the assisting and the scoring player the situations immediately preceding the goal were evaluated. The observed actions were categorised as: no powerful action, rotation (around the body's centre-line), straight sprint, change-in-direction sprint, jump, or a combination of those categories. Two hundred and ninety-eight (83%) goals were preceded by at least one powerful action of the scoring or the assisting player. Most actions for the scoring player were straight sprints (n = 161, 45% of all analysed goals, P < 0.001) followed by jumps (n = 57, 16%), rotations and change-in-direction sprints (n = 22, 6% each). Most sprints were conducted without an opponent (n = 109, P < 0.001) and without the ball (n = 121, P < 0.001). Similarly, for the assisting player the most frequent action was a straight sprint (n = 137, P < 0.001) followed by rotations (n = 28), jumps (n = 22) and change-in-direction sprints (n = 18). The straight sprints were mostly conducted with the ball (n = 93, P = 0.003). In conclusion, straight sprinting is the most frequent action in goal situations. Power and speed abilities are important within decisive situations in professional football and, thus, should be included in fitness testing and training.     

Learning in virtual worlds: Using communities of practice to explain how people learn from play

Although there is interest in the educational potential of online multiplayer games and virtual worlds, there is still little evidence to explain specifically what and how people learn from these environments. This paper addresses this issue by exploring the experiences of couples that play World of Warcraft together. Learning outcomes were identified (involving the management of ludic, social and material resources) along with learning processes, which followed Wenger's model of participation in Communities of Practice. Comparing this with existing literature suggests that productive comparisons can be drawn with the experiences of distance education students and the social pressures that affect their participation.     

Achieving quality and equity through inclusive education in an era of high-stakes testing

While great progress has been made by the international community to promote inclusive education for all children, regardless of race, ethnicity, socio-economic status, gender or disability, many countries still continue to marginalize and exclude students in educational systems across the globe. High-stakes assessments in market-driven economies have increased exclusionary practices. Using international databases and research studies, this paper provides evidence of the poor performance of high-stakes assessment policies, particularly in the United States. The authors analyse and compare the key assumptions and consequences of a market-based system of education with those of a system that is based upon the principles of inclusive education through a school-community model and examples from Europe and Latin America. These models demonstrate that the twin goals of quality and equity can be achieved within a system that addresses educational policy and practices more broadly than market-based reforms. Conclusions call for policy-makers to respond to the discrimination and exclusion of various populations around the world by considering the impact of current educational models and the potential they have to support genuinely inclusive education for everyone.     

A Report on the Montreux International Audio-Visual Symposium

The first International Audio-Visual Symposium was held in Montreux from 15-20 June 1980. The event will be held biannually.     

Implementing digital archives: issues of trust

In recent years, much of the focus in archival literature and endeavour has been directed towards the management of digital records. The need to work closely with information and communication technology (ICT) professionals is essential if digital preservation aspirations are to be realised. However, consideration has not been given to the challenges inherent in being respected or trusted by this occupational group. As a preliminary step to identifying possible cultural differences, a survey was developed to investigate the perceptions of ICT professionals as regards digital archives and the role of recordkeepers. Findings from this survey show differences in the perception of trustworthiness in terms of abilities to manage paper versus digital records. In addition, responses also highlight risks inherent in developing digital archives which do not take access requirements sufficiently into account. We suggest that attention must be paid to this dimension of custody if digital archives initiatives are to succeed.     

Initial hydration status, fluid balance, and psychological affect during recreational exercise in adults

There is little information on the impact of hydration status on the psychological response to exercise despite potential implications for adherence to an exercise programme and for overall health and fitness. We investigated initial hydration status, fluid balance, and psychological responses associated with a typical recreational exercise session in healthy adults. Fifty-two participants performed a freely chosen gymnasium-based exercise session at a fitness centre, with ad libitum access to fluids. Urine samples were collected on arrival for analysis of osmolality. Sweat loss was estimated from the change in body mass after correction for fluid intake and urinary losses. Subjective psychological ratings were recorded before and after exercise. Pre-exercise urine osmolality was above 900 mOsmol · kg(-1) (used as a threshold for hypohydration) in 37% of participants. Fluid intake during exercise was 390 ± 298 mL, while estimated sweat loss was 794 ± 391 mL. The percentage change from pre-exercise body mass was -0.62 ± 0.20%. Physically active adults who arrived to take part in exercise hypohydrated reported more negative changes in psychological affect in response to their subsequent freely chosen recreational exercise session than those classified as euhydrated prior to exercise (-0.2 ± 0.7 vs. 0.8 ± 0.7; P < 0.005).     

Documentary genre and digital recordkeeping: red herring or a way forward?

The purpose of this paper is to provide a preliminary assessment of the utility of the genre concept for digital recordkeeping. The exponential growth in the volume of records created since the 1940s has been a key motivator for the development of strategies that do not involve the review or processing of individual documents or files. Automation now allows processes at a level of granularity that is rarely, if at all, possible in the case of manual processes, without loss of cognisance of context. For this reason, it is timely to revisit concepts that may have been disregarded because of a perceived limited effectiveness in contributing anything to theory or practice. In this paper, the genre concept and its employability in the management of current and archival digital records are considered, as a form of social contextualisation of a document and as an attractive entry point of granularity at which to implement automation of appraisal processes. Particular attention is paid to the structurational view of genre and its connections with recordkeeping theory.