Reliability and magnitude of mechanical variables assessed from unconstrained and constrained loaded countermovement jumps

This study aimed to (1) assess the reliability of the force, velocity, and power output variables measured by a force plate and a linear velocity transducer (LVT) for both the unconstrained and constrained loaded countermovement jump (CMJ), and (2) examine the effect of both the CMJ type and the measurement method on the magnitudes of the same variables. Twenty-three men were tested on the free CMJ and the CMJ constrained by a Smith machine. Maximum values of force, velocity, and power were recorded by a force plate and by a LVT attached to a bar loaded by 17, 30, 45, 60, and 75 kg. The reliability of all mechanical variables proved to be high (ICC > 0.70; CV < 10%) and similar for two CMJ types. However, force plate-derived measures displayed greater reliability than the LVT. The LVT also markedly overestimated the magnitudes of the mechanical variables, particularly at lower external loads. Therefore, although both jump types and both methods could be acceptable for routine testing, we recommend the force platform due to a higher reliability and more accurate magnitudes of the obtained variables. The unconstrained loaded CMJ could also be recommended due to the simpler equipment needed.     

How Designers Make Decisions: A Descriptive Model of Instructional Design for Informal Learning in Museums

In response to a call for theories of instructional design that are grounded in practice, I conducted a naturalistic study of the instructional design process for three permanent museum exhibits. An analysis of the data indicated that design involves a series of decisions, each of which has 4 components: • Design goals: principles to be achieved through the decision process and that must be realized before the choice is considered complete. • Design resources: the materials–both physical and intellectual–available to present information. • Design techniques: the strategies for achieving the goals using the design resources available. • Constraints: outside influences such as budget and schedule that limit the use of resources and techniques to achieve a goal. Each phase in the design process is characterized by certain types of decisions in which one of the four components dominates. Design team members participate to different extents in design decisions based on their roles. In theory, the model should transfer from museum exhibition design to instructional design. Further study would indicate the extent as well as which design decisions are guided by research, theory, or instinct, so we might understand and ultimately improve decisions about instructional programs.     

Learning and Metamemory Failures Despite Extensive Experience

A number of studies has shown excellent recognition memory for pictures when participants are asked to remember what has been presented. This study explored unpractised memory for the English 5 note-an everyday item containing a great deal of pictorial information. Forty participants were asked to study a copy of the etching of the Rocket locomotive from the reverse side of the note. Of the participants 75% claimed never to have seen the image before, and were confident in their judgements. Further, participants were confident that experimenter claims about bank-note details were wrong. Results point to both dramatic memory failure, and to misrepresentations in memory. They provide a vivid demonstration of the failure of passive learning to encode information reliably, and the need for active learner engagement for effective recall.     

Wisdom from Korean Reentry Counseling Professionals: A Phenomenological Study of the Reentry Process

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the common experience of Korean counseling professionals who returned to South Korea after obtaining their doctoral degrees in the United States. Individual semi-structured interviews were conducted with ten Korean counseling professionals to understand their cross-cultural experience. The data were analyzed by phenomenological methods of inquiry. Seven themes emerged from the analyses: Reminiscence, Differences and Comparisons, Benefits, Challenges, Coping, Application and Modification, and Meaning. The findings suggested how the setting and context in which the reentry process occurred contributed to the participants’ experience as well as the essence of the reentry process. Implications of the results are discussed in the light of cross-cultural counseling and for future research and practice.