A three-dimensional examination of the planar nature of the golf swing

Previous planar models of the downswing in golf have suggested that upper limb segments (left shoulder girdle and left arm) move in a consistent fixed plane and that the clubhead also moves only in this plane. This study sought to examine these assumptions. Three-dimensional kinematic analysis of seven right-handed golfers of various abilities (handicap 0- 15) was used to define a plane (named the left-arm plane) containing the 7th cervical vertebra, left shoulder and left wrist. We found that the angles of this plane to the reference horizontal z axis and target line axis (parallel to the reference x axis) were not consistent. The angle to the horizontal z axis varied from a mean of 133 degrees (s = 1 degrees) at the start of the downswing to 102 degrees (s = 4 degrees) at impact, suggesting a "steepening" of the left-arm plane. The angle of the plane to the target line changed from - 9 degrees (s = 16 degrees) to 5 degrees (s = 15 degrees) during the same period, showing anticlockwise (from above) rotation, although there was large inter-individual variation. The distance of the clubhead from the left-arm plane was 0.019 m (s = 0.280 m) at the start at the downswing and 0.291 m (s = 0.077 m) at impact, showing that the clubhead did not lie in the same plane as the body segments. We conclude that the left arm and shoulder girdle do not move in a consistent plane throughout the downswing, and that the clubhead does not move in this plane. Previous models of the downswing in golf may therefore be incorrect, and more complex (but realistic) simulations should be performed.     

Affirming our commitment to research: the Medical Library Association's research policy statement: the process and findings

Purpose: Building on its 1995 research policy statement, the Medical Library Association (MLA) has issued a new research policy, The Research Imperative. This paper shares the background research that informed the new policy.Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with fifty-one key informants representing various library types, functions, geographic locations, ages, and ethnicities. The grounded theory approach was used to analyze the resulting textual database. Additionally, to gather input from the membership as a whole, two open forums were held at MLA annual meetings.Results: Key informant data indicated that the policy should provide roles for MLA in leadership, advocacy, collaboration, services, education, publishing, and development of a research agenda. Evidence-based library and information practice was emphasized. Six themes emerged to center the new policy: creation of a research culture, challenges, domains of research, research skills set, roles of stakeholders, and measurement of progress.Conclusion: Reflecting the interests and beliefs of the membership, The Research Imperative challenges MLA members to build a supportive culture that values and contributes to a research base that is recognized as an essential tool for future practice.

Highlights

• The Research Imperative reaffirms the Medical Library Association''s (MLA''s) commitment to research and emphasizes the need to develop health sciences librarianship''s own knowledgebase as a solid foundation for best practices.
• Informants described a growing recognition that health sciences librarians should base their practice decisions on evidence just as the health care practitioners and researchers they serve should.
• A research process that gathered data systematically from the membership guided the policy''s development.
• Members expect the association to monitor progress toward its research goals and report on it annually.

Implications

• The Research Imperative challenges the association and its members to build a culture of reflective practice in which the profession''s evidence base is routinely used.
• To advance the vision articulated in its research policy, MLA must lead by inculcating research throughout the association, identifying a research agenda, advocating for improved access to and support of library and information science research, fostering collaborations, and educating members to better use and conduct their own applied research.
• MLA should leverage its Center of Research and Education (CORE) as a repository for member-generated research, tools, and datasets.

     

Catching them before they fall: a Vygotskian approach to transitioning students from high school to university

University enabling programs, worldwide, generally target high school students who excel at school, or post-secondary students who have underperformed in their university entry examinations. Murdoch University provides an access program for Year/Grade 12 students who are not on a university pathway during their final year of high school. This intervention engages students at a transitional stage of cognitive development to: (a) determine their readiness to move to the next level of their cognitive thinking; (b) facilitate that process through collaborative learning; (c) support and nurture university aspirations and (d) provide a direct transition pathway from secondary to higher education. The influence of Vygotsky's zones of proximal development in the context of this program is discussed, and by comparing the performance of these students in their first year of university with other domestic-entry students, we argue that this enabling program prepares them for successful transition into higher education.     

Patterns of Achievement,Attitude, and Behavior in a Tax-Supported Alternative School

A comprehensive evaluation of the characteristics of students attending a public alternative school revealed marked differences between the experimental group (the alternative school) and a control group (students attending a regular public school). Alternative school students showed significantly lower achievement and ability on all measures, while manifesting notably greater approval of their teachers than did the control group. Sex differences in achievement, performance, and attitude were found among the free school sample, and these are contrasted with the pattern of sex differences in regular schools. The significance of these findings for the establishment and running of alternative schools is discussed.     

WISC-R factor structures among White,Mexican American,and African American children: A research note

The factor structure for the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised (WISC-R) was investigated for White (n = 183), Mexican American (n = 129), and African American (n = 139) nonreferred school-age children (6.8 to 14.6 years) of low-to middle-class socioeconomic background. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were performed. The WISC-R factor structure model tested was Kaufman's (1975) three-factor solution that consisted of Verbal Comprehension (VC, Factor 1), Perceptual Organization (PO, Factor 2), and Freedom from Distractibility (FD, Factor 3). The results of the exploratory analyses showed Kaufman's three-factor solution for the three ethnic groups, but the order of Factor 2 and Factor 3 was reversed for the Mexican American and African American samples—thus raising questions about the comparability of the WISC-R factor structure across groups. The confirmatory analyses, which used the orthogonal nested factors approach by Gustafsson and Balke (1993), resulted in a model (for each of the ethnic groups) in which a G factor explained most of the variance (followed by the nested first-order factors—VC, PO, and FD). The results of the confirmatory analyses provide some support for David Wechsler's (1974) original intentions that the WISC-R structure is best described as having a general, or global, factor. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Evidence of bias in predictive validity on the Kaufman assessment battery for children in samples of Anglo and Mexican American children

Possible bias in the differential predictive validity of the Kaufman Assessment Battery (K-ABC) was investigated with 76 Anglo and 90 Mexican American fifth- and sixth-grade boys and girls. All children were English-speaking and from similar socioeconomic backgrounds. The criterion variable was the Comprehensive Tests of Basic Skills (CTBS; Language, Reading, Mathematics, and Total Scores). Several statistical techniques were used to investigate test bias (examination of predictive validity coefficients; two methods of examining homogeneity of slopes of the regression lines). The results showed considerable evidence of bias in differential predictive validity, indicating that the global cognitive score of the K-ABC (the Mental Processing Composite) was less effective in predicting CTBS scores for the Mexican American group than for the Anglo group.     

Selecting gifted children with the Slosson Intelligence Test: 1981 vs. 1961 norms

The Slosson Intelligence Test (SIT) for Children and Adults protocols for 683 gifted students ranging in age from 6 to 12 years were scored using both 1961 and 1981 norms. The average 1981 norm score was 5.17 points lower than the 1961 norm score. The differences increase with the age of the child. Implications for using the SIT for selecting gifted children are discussed.     

Students with disabilities and clinical placement: understanding the perspective of healthcare organisations

The Australian Disability Discrimination Act (1992) has challenged higher education to meet the increasing needs of students with different abilities. This may be more so in programmes that have practice components where students must demonstrate competency, regardless of their situation. This qualitative exploratory study undertaken at the University of South Australia (UniSA) investigated host healthcare organisations’ perspectives on providing clinical practice placements and supporting Bachelor of Nursing (BN) students with physical disabilities through their practice components. An advisory group consisting of the university’s legal officer, disability services representative, programme directors and other academics from the BN monitored the project. Directors of nursing from 50 randomly selected South Australian metropolitan and rural healthcare organisations that host student placements nominated a representative from their organisations to participate in a series of focus groups. Focus group discussion was guided by open questions developed from relevant literature, research team deliberations, advisory group recommendations and the previous focus group discussions. Data analysis consisted of manually identifying themes from each stage of the process, and the congregate data. The findings were bridging the reality gap through joint commitment, the right of disclosure versus confidentiality and proactivity through collaboration and communication.     

Children,families, and feminism: Perspectives on teaching

Feminist theorists are raising questions about assumptions still common in the fields of family and child development which are relevant to early childhood educators. This article discusses why content and pedagogy work together in feminist classrooms and reviews research on the stages that many students and instructors move through as they learn about ways in which women continue to struggle for equal status in modern American society.