Using the retrospective pretest to get usable,indirect evidence of student learning

Minimal evidence exists regarding the retrospective pretest’s effectiveness as a tool to obtain usable, indirect evidence of student learning in open admissions institutions. The researcher conducted this study to determine if a retrospective pretest more accurately detected a change in students’ knowledge compared to a conventional pretest–posttest. The researcher designed a 17‐item inventory covering course objectives, and students were randomly assigned to either a retrospective pretest (referred to as post‐then) or a conventional pretest–posttest group. Findings indicated that participants in the post‐then group reported a greater change in knowledge compared to the conventional group. This finding supported the use of the retrospective pretest as a tool for getting usable, indirect evidence of student learning. Future research needs to examine response effect, alternative ways of calculating treatment effect and the confounding influences of other perceptual variables.     

Prolonged Exercise and Changes in Percent Fat Determinations by Hydrostatic Weighing and Scintillation Counting

Abstract

The superiority of motor set reaction time over sensory set reaction time has been accepted since the 1880s. Recently, however, there has been work favoring the sensory set. This study attempted to reconcile the varied findings. Woodworth had suggested that set and stimulus intensity interact. To test that presumed interaction and related ideas, the study proposed to determine not only the effect of motor set and sensory set on reaction time (RT) and muscle electrical activity (MEA), but also, the relationship between motor set and sensory set RT and motor set and sensory set MEA. Twenty-four subjects were tested in sessions that included the placement of electrodes on the motor end point of the extensor digitorum muscle, set instructions, practice, and data collection. Data collection consisted of recording of RT and MEA for 96 trials, 12 recordings at each of four levels of auditory stimulus intensity for each of the two sets. An ANOVA for repeated measures produced a significant interaction between set and intensity for RT; thus the Woodworth prediction was upheld. The results seem best explained in terms of signal detection theory and the attention demands of movement.     

Construct Validity Evidence for Single-Response Items to Estimate Physical Activity Levels in Large Sample Studies

Valid measurement of physical activity is important for studying the risks for morbidity and mortality. The purpose of this study was to examine evidence of construct validity of two similar single-response items assessing physical activity via self-report. Both items are based on the stages of change model. The sample was 687 participants (men = 504, women = 183) who completed an 8-response (PA8) or 5-response (PA5) single-response item about current level of physical activity. Responses were categorized as meeting or not meeting guidelines for sufficient physical activity to achieve a health benefit. Maximal cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) and health markers were obtained during a clinical examination. Partial correlation, multivariate analysis of covariance, and logistic regression were used to identify the relations between self-reported physical activity, CRF, and health markers when controlling for gender and age. Single-response items were compared to a detailed measure of physical activity. Single-response items correlated significantly with CRF determined with a maximal exercise test on a treadmill (PA8 = .53; PA5 = .57). Differences in percentage of body fat and cholesterol were in the desired direction, with those self-reporting sufficient physical activity for a health benefit having the lower values. The single-response items demonstrated evidence of construct validity and may provide feasible, cost-effective, and efficient methods to assess physical activity in large-scale studies.     

How to Build a High-Quality Library Collection in a Multi-Format Environment: Centralized Selection at University of Wyoming Libraries

ABSTRACT

In recent decades, the composition of academic library collections has shifted toward electronic formats, resulting in a more complicated publication landscape to be navigated by selectors. Additionally, the workload of public services librarians has become more weighted toward instruction and research support, putting more pressure on the time of liaison librarians tasked with collection development responsibilities. These shifts have prompted academic institutions, including University of Wyoming Libraries, to consider a restructuring of collection development responsibilities. This article describes the evolution and implementation of a centralized model of selection at UW Libraries.     

Book Clubs—Outreach Opportunities for Hospital Libraries

Book clubs and discussion groups provide opportunities for hospital librarians to reach out to staff from all areas of their facilities while introducing them to literature reflecting participants’ personal and professional interests. Librarians presenting these case studies have coordinated local book clubs where topics ranged from titles about the nature of healing, to leadership development, and patient-centered care. Some also included contemporary novels of interest to participants. No matter the setting or scope of material discussed, each group has provided unique networking opportunities for staff to meet others working in various departments of their facilities.     

Mentoring to facilitate socialization: The case of the new faculty member

How easily a new faculty members adjusts and adapts to life in the professoriate is often dependent on the types of relationships that the newcomer establishes with colleagues and on the willingness of veteran faculty members to assist newcomers as they learn the ins and outs of the academy. One avenue for facilitating interaction between newcomers and academic veterans is to establish formal mentoring programs. In this case study, the formal mentoring relationship is examined as a means for understanding the socialization processes of new faculty members. Results suggest that mentoring relationships may facilitate socialization because they allow newcomers to establish interpersonal bonds and receive support and advice from experienced colleagues. Results also indicate, however, that the most important feature of mentoring may be accessibility. This finding leads to questions concerning the feasibility of assigning mentors rather than encouraging informal mentoring from multiple faculty members.     

The changing pattern of A level/AS uptake in England

One of the objectives of Curriculum 2000 is to increase the breadth of the curriculum followed by 16–19 year olds. In this paper A level and AS uptake for the years 2001 and 2002 are considered. There was considerable diversity in the uptake of A levels, with nearly 21,000 different combinations of A levels being present in 2002 A level results. Although it is true that biology, chemistry and mathematics is the most common combination of A levels, only 2.2 per cent of candidates took this precise combination. There has been a decline in the percentage of candidates taking three science A levels. In 2002, when only A levels are considered, 35 per cent of candidates could be described as specialists, falling to 21 per cent when AS results are included. AS qualifications appear to have been successful in broadening the curriculum.     

Inspiring and Training Students for Social Action: Renewing a Needed Tradition

In social work, it is believed that certain knowledge and skills are learned more effectively through experience than through didactic classroom content. Members of the faculty of a school of social work have developed a Social Action Day to reinforce curriculum and translate into practice material about advocacy and ethical responsibilities for social action; show the breadth of social work practice; and enhance the school's sense of community. The authors share their experience to inspire other social work faculty, so that they are better able to foster student interest and passion for political action that may generate social change.     

Behavioral self-regulation and relations to emergent academic skills among children in Germany and Iceland

The present study investigated a direct assessment of behavioral self-regulation (the Head-Toes-Knees-Shoulders; HTKS) and its contribution to early academic achievement among young children in Germany and Iceland. The authors examined the psychometric properties and construct validity of the HTKS, investigated gender differences in young children's behavioral self-regulation, and explored relations between the HTKS and a teacher report of behavioral self-regulation (the Child Behavior Rating Scale; CBRS) and emerging academic skills. Findings supported the construct validity of the HTKS when used with young German and Icelandic children. Multilevel analyses revealed gender differences, particularly on the CBRS teacher-rated measure. Finally, higher levels of behavioral self-regulation were related to higher academic skills after important background variables were controlled, although some cross-cultural differences in the predictive utility of the HTKS and CBRS were observed. Overall, these results extend prior psychometric work on the HTKS to samples of young European children and support the importance of understanding of the role behavioral self-regulation in young children's development.