Geek learning

Conclusion The 1914 definition of geek reads: (1) a person, often of an intellectual bent, who is disapproved of, (2) a carnival performer often billed as a wild man whose act usually includes biting the head off a live chicken or snake (Merriam-Webster, 1997). Nowadays geeks rule. Geeks are now enmeshed at a very high level in every facet of the information age that is changing the world spinning under our feet. Geeks are literally building this new information world by producing the software and hardware that make it run. Geeks get work, geeks are becoming attractive partners, and geeks are actually cool! The times they are a changin” ! Perhaps a new definition in the year 2000 might read: ( 1 ) a person prone to energetic acceptance of emerging technology, esp. computers and the Internet, (2) one whose act includes selfdirected learning of such technology. Geek learning is basically self-directed learning with a heavy dash of exploratory learning thrown in for good measure. However, support for selfdirected learning in higher education has been shown to be very low (Wilcox, 1996). This low level of support is evidence of the resistance to the new information age, a natural but dangerous reaction to chaos. I believe that the chaotic and decentralized nature of the exploding information age demands a reexamination of theories such as “self-directed” and “exploratory” learning— terms coined by non-geeks to describe things geeks do naturally. In these times, teachers and instructional designers grappling with how to facilitate technology learning should heed the advice of the old expression, “When in Rome ...” and just let it go, and G.E.E.K.O.U.T!     

Astronomical fire: Richard Carrington and the solar flare of 1859

An explosion on the Sun in 1859, serendipitously witnessed by amateur astronomer Richard Carrington, plunged telegraphic communications into chaos and bathed two thirds of the Earth's skies in aurorae. Explaining what happened to the Sun and how it could affect Earth, 93 million miles away, helped change the direction of astronomy. From being concerned principally with charting the stars to aid navigation, astronomers became increasingly concerned with what the celestial objects were, how they behaved and how they might affect life on Earth.     

The influence of sport goggles on visual target detection in female intercollegiate athletes

The aim of this study was to examine the effects of sport goggles on visual target detection in female intercollegiate athletes. Participants were randomly divided into three groups that varied in goggle use (G) or no goggle use (NG) over a total of three 1-min trials during a visual target detection task. The NG-NG-NG group did not wear goggles for any of the trials, whereas the NG-G-NG group wore goggles for the second trial only, and the G-NG-G group wore goggles for the first and third trials. The task consisted of illuminated targets arranged in five concentric rings from central to peripheral visual angles. The effects of sport goggles on response time to detect targets were most evident in the peripheral rings. Those who did not wear sport goggles showed improved performance from the first to second trials. This improvement was impaired, however, in those who wore sport goggles. Moreover, there was a reversal of the performance improvements achieved without goggles in those who wore goggles on the third trial. Together, these findings suggest the sport goggles not only impaired the expected initial performance but also impaired visual target detection after performance improvements were seen. These findings suggest sport goggles may impair detection of peripheral visual stimuli in athletes.     

The decisions and processes involved in a systematic search strategy: a hierarchical framework

Objective:The decisions and processes that may compose a systematic search strategy have not been formally identified and categorized. This study aimed to (1) identify all decisions that could be made and processes that could be used in a systematic search strategy and (2) create a hierarchical framework of those decisions and processes.Methods:The literature was searched for documents or guides on conducting a literature search for a systematic review or other evidence synthesis. The decisions or processes for locating studies were extracted from eligible documents and categorized into a structured hierarchical framework. Feedback from experts was sought to revise the framework. The framework was revised iteratively and tested using recently published literature on systematic searching.Results:Guidance documents were identified from expert organizations and a search of the literature and Internet. Data were extracted from 74 eligible documents to form the initial framework. The framework was revised based on feedback from 9 search experts and further review and testing by the authors. The hierarchical framework consists of 119 decisions or processes sorted into 17 categories and arranged under 5 topics. These topics are “Skill of the searcher,” “Selecting information to identify,” “Searching the literature electronically,” “Other ways to identify studies,” and “Updating the systematic review.”Conclusions:The work identifies and classifies the decisions and processes used in systematic searching. Future work can now focus on assessing and prioritizing research on the best methods for successfully identifying all eligible studies for a systematic review.     

ARTICLE WITHDRAWN: Hegemony,Genre Theory and the Teaching of Academic Literacy in English

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