The struggles for democracy in an information society

Abstract

Japan is the industrialized country that is most closely identified with an overall industrial policy. It has often been assumed that the success of the Japanese computer industry is attributed to a coherent set of policy measures. The article revisits this assumption by examining the scope and nature of government intervention, and the role of the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI) in particular, in the growth of the computer industry. The analysis shows that industrial policy did not contribute as much as is commonly suggested.     

The long-term athlete development model: physiological evidence and application

Within the UK, the "Long Term Athlete Development" (LTAD) model has been proposed by a variety of national governing bodies to offer a first step to considering the approach to talent development. The model, which is primarily a physiological perspective, presents an advancement of understanding of developing athletic potential alongside biological growth. It focuses on training to optimize performance longitudinally, and considers sensitive developmental periods known as "windows of opportunity". However, it appears that there are a number of problems with this theoretical model that are not necessarily transparent to coaches. Principally, the model is only one-dimensional, there is a lack of empirical evidence upon which the model is based, and interpretations of the model are restricted because the data on which it is based rely on questionable assumptions and erroneous methodologies. Fundamentally, this is a generic model rather than an individualized plan for athletes. It is crucial that the LTAD model is seen as a "work in progress" and the challenge, particularly for paediatric exercise scientists, is to question, test, and revise the model. It is unlikely that this can be accomplished using classical experimental research methodology but this should not deter practitioners from acquiring valid and reliable evidence.     

The influence of anxiety on visual attention in climbing

The object of the current study was to investigate anxiety-induced changes in movement and gaze behavior in novices on a climbing wall. Identical traverses were situated at high and low levels on a climbing wall to manipulate anxiety. In line with earlier studies, climbing times and movement times increased under anxiety. These changes were accompanied by similar changes in total and average fixation duration and the number of fixations, which were primarily aimed at the holds used for climbing. In combination with these findings, a decrease in search rate provided evidence for a decrease in processing efficiency as anxiety increased.     

A method of providing accurate velocity feedback of performance on an instrumented kayak ergometer

On a kayak ergometer, an accurate simulation of the athlete-paddle-kayak system kinematics is essential for analysing the relationship between technique and performance. The purpose of this study was to establish a strong relationship between performances on flatwater and performances on an ergometer by means of propulsive force measurement and drag models. Two trials were performed by 12 kayakers in which they were first timed over 250 m of flatwater kayaking (the reference test) and were then asked to perform a trial of the same duration on the ergometer with the same perceived physical exertion. Three techniques for measuring propulsive force and three drag models generated nine combinations, which were all evaluated for their ability to estimate kayak velocity. For each combination, the distance covered by the athlete on the ergometer was simulated. A kayakers’ ergometer ranking was based on the average velocity in the ergometer trial. Both distance and ranking were compared to the on-water results. The simulation with the best combination of force measurement and drag model gave an accurate estimate of distance (253 ± 10.5 vs. 250 m) and ranking compared to the reference test.     

Boarding schools: A longitudinal examination of Australian Indigenous and non-Indigenous boarders’ and non-boarders’ wellbeing

Improving educational outcomes for Indigenous Australian students is a key strategy to helping Indigenous people reach their full potential. This has resulted in well-intentioned efforts by Australian educators and governments to ensure Indigenous children have positive school experiences. However, Indigenous students still lag behind their non-Indigenous counterparts in educational outcomes. This is particularly so for Indigenous students living in rural and remote parts of Australia where educational opportunities are limited, especially in high school. One solution to this problem has been to enrol these students in boarding schools in urban and metropolitan centres. While research on the success of boarding schools for Indigenous students is scarce, what little that does exist is not encouraging. The focus of this research was to examine the effects of boarding for Indigenous (n = 11) and non-Indigenous students’ (n = 158) wellbeing (N = 1423) in two large private boys’ schools. Participating students aged 12–18 years old completed a survey measuring wellbeing constructs on two occasions, 12 months apart. Non-Indigenous boys were generally higher in wellbeing compared with Indigenous boys. There was also evidence of improved social wellbeing beyond that of non-Indigenous boarders over time. Overall, while evidence of merit was weak, boarding schools may benefit their Indigenous students’ development in social wellbeing.     

Effects of swing-weight on swing speed and racket power

Abstract

Measurements are presented of the speed at which six different rods could be swung by four male students. Three of the rods had the same mass but their swing-weight (i.e. moment of inertia) differed by large factors. The other three rods had the same swing-weight but different masses. Our primary objective was to quantify the effects of mass and swing-weight on swing speed. The result has a direct bearing on whether baseball, tennis, cricket and golf participants should choose a heavy or light implement to impart maximum speed to a ball. When swinging with maximum effort, swing speed (V) was found to decrease as swing-weight (I _o) increased, according to the relation V?=?C/I _o ⁿ , where C is a different constant for each participant and n?=?0.27 when I _o >?0.03 kg?·?m². Remarkably similar results were obtained previously with softball bats (where n?=?0.25) and golf clubs (where n?=?0.26). Swing speed remained approximately constant as swing mass increased (when keeping swing-weight fixed). The implications for racket power are discussed.     

Navigating Cyberspace: Vision, Textuality and the World Wide Web

This article is an examination of the language, structure and imagery of the World Wide Web. It argues that the Web is not just a rich source of information but offers new ways of seeing and engaging with the world. As well as a consideration of the nature of electronically mediated texts, it looks at the World Wide Web as a kind of meta-text itself which has mythopoeic resonances.     

Moral authorship of novice teachers in primary education

This article focuses on moral authorship as an element of the professional development of novice teachers in the Netherlands. Moral authorship refers to the ability of teachers to observe, identify, verbalize and reflect on the moral aspects of their work in a proactive and dialogical manner. We elaborate on moral authorship by theoretically exploring six interdependent tasks of moral meaning making: moral commitment, awareness, orientation and positioning, moral performance and evaluation. Narratives of 19 novice teachers were analyzed to explore moral authorship in teachers’ talk. The results show the opportunities of moral authorship to support, navigate, and reinforce the professional development of novice teachers. This study suggests professional self-dialogs for enhancing the development of moral authorship.