Archives in the trenches: repatriation of African National Congress liberation archives in diaspora to South Africa

The African National Congress (ANC) liberation archives were created in countries all over the world. These liberation archives form part of the national archival heritage of South Africa as they bridge the gap of undocumented history of people who were previously marginalised by the apartheid government. After the ban on liberation movements was lifted in South Africa, the ANC embarked on the process of identification and repatriation of the records that were fragmented throughout the world. This study investigated the approaches followed by the ANC in identifying and repatriating its liberation archives from the trenches to make them accessible. Qualitative data were collected through interviews with purposively selected employees of the African National Congress, MultiChoice, Africa Media Online and the Nelson Mandela Foundation who were involved in the repatriation of the liberation archives. Interview data were augmented through content analysis of ANC documents such as policies, websites and annual reports, as well as observation of the storage conditions of the liberation archives. The key findings revealed that the ANC established an archives management committee that played an important role in the identification, repatriation and, ultimately, digitisation of liberation archives. The committee utilised former liberation struggle members to identify records in ANC hosts in various countries. It was established that, although the ANC was aware of where its records were abroad, not all its records were repatriated to South Africa after the unbanning of the liberation movements. For example, there were host nations, like Italy, that disputed the return of the ANC liberation archives to South Africa. The liberation archives are in the custody of the Fort Hare University as a chosen official repository for the ANC. It is concluded that the repatriation of the liberation archives is an ongoing process, as not all records have been repatriated to South Africa. As the ANC is in power at the time of writing, this is the opportunity for the organisation to negotiate with countries that still have custody of its liberation archives, such as Italy, to repatriate such records to South Africa. A further study on legal ownership and copyright, digitisation and ensuring the authenticity of the ANC liberation archives is recommended. This study can be extended to other liberation movements in southern Africa.     

Changes in swimming technique during time to exhaustion at freely chosen and controlled stroke rates

The aim of this study was to assess technical changes during constrained swimming in time-to-exhaustion tests. Ten swimmers of national standard performed a maximal 400-m front crawl and two sets of exhaustion tests at 95%, 100%, and 110% of mean 400-m speed. In the first set (free), swimmers had to maintain their speeds until exhaustion and mean stroke rate was recorded for each test. In the second set (controlled), the same speed and individual corresponding stroke rate were imposed. The durations of the exhaustion tests, relative durations of the stroke phases, and arm coordination were analysed. For each speed in the "controlled" set, the exhaustion tests were shorter. Moreover, variables were consistent, suggesting a stabilization of stroke technique. Under the free condition, stroke rate increased to compensate for the decrease in stroke length. At the same time, swimmers reduced the relative duration of their non-propulsive phases in favour of the propulsive phases. Thus, swimmers changed their arm coordination, which came close to an opposition mode. These two constraints enable swimmers both to maintain their stroking characteristics and develop compensatory mechanisms to maintain speed. Moreover, stroke rate can be seen as a useful tool for controlling arm technique during paced exercise.     

Relations between EFL teachers’ formal knowledge of grammar and their in-action mental models of children's minds and learning

We studied the relations between English as a foreign language teachers’ grammar knowledge and their in-action mental models (MMs) of children's minds and learning. The grammar knowledge we examined was English wh-constructions. A total of 74 teachers completed an assessment task and were classified to have deep, intermediate or shallow knowledge. Ten teachers (five with deep and five with shallow level) were videotaped teaching wh-questions. The data were analysed qualitatively to determine the teachers’ MM, and then quantitatively to test similarities/differences in their MM's expression. The findings revealed an identical MM among all teachers that is expressed differently as a function of knowledge level.     

Coloured overlays,visual discomfort,visual search and classroom reading

Forty-six children aged 12–16 were shown a page of meaningless text covered in random order by different plastic overlays, including seven that were various colours and one that was clear. By successive pairwise comparison each child selected the overlay that provided the greatest perceptual clarity of the text. The children with below-average reading ability were more likely to chose a coloured overlay, and they reported more perceptual difficulty on tasks devised by Irlen (1983). In separate sessions with and without the overlay of their choice, the children read for 15 minutes and performed a visual search task. The overlay had little effect on reading initially, but after about 10 minutes the children who chose a coloured overlay read more slowly without the overlay than with it. These children reported more symptoms of visual discomfort and showed signs of tiring when they read without the overlay. The visual search performance of the children who chose a coloured overlay was initially impaired but improved to normal levels when the overlay was used. Fourteen children aged 8–16 acted as chronological or reading age-matched controls, and undertook the reading and visual search tasks using a clear overlay which had no effect on performance.     

Confusion and complex learning during interactions with computer learning environments

Folk wisdom holds that being confused is detrimental to learning. However, research on emotions and learning suggest a somewhat more complex relationship between confusion and learning outcomes. In fact, it has been proposed that impasses that trigger states of cognitive disequilibrium and confusion can create opportunities for deep learning of conceptually difficult content. This paper discusses four computer learning environments that either naturally or artificially induce confusion in learners in order to create learning opportunities. First, an Intelligent Tutoring System called AutoTutor that engenders confusion through challenging problems and vague hints is described. The remaining three environments were specifically designed to induce confusion through a number of different interventions. These interventions include device breakdowns, contradictory information, and false feedback. The success and limitations of confusion induction and the impact of confusion resolution on learning are discussed. Potential methods to help learners productively manage their confusion instead of being hopelessly confused are also discussed.     

Dynamics of affective states during complex learning

We propose a model to explain the dynamics of affective states that emerge during deep learning activities. The model predicts that learners in a state of engagement/flow will experience cognitive disequilibrium and confusion when they face contradictions, incongruities, anomalies, obstacles to goals, and other impasses. Learners revert into the engaged/flow state if equilibrium is restored through thought, reflection, and problem solving. However, failure to restore equilibrium as well as obstacles that block goals trigger frustration, which, if unresolved, will eventually lead to boredom. The major hypotheses of the model were supported in two studies in which participants completed a 32-35 min tutoring session with a computer tutor. Their affective states were tracked at approximately 110 points in their tutoring sessions via a retrospective affect judgment protocol. Time series analyses confirmed the presence of confusion-engagement/flow, boredom-frustration, and confusion-frustration oscillations. We discuss enhancements of the model to address individual differences and pedagogical and motivational strategies that are inspired by the model.     

The basis of liability for broadcasting defamatory remarks

In an article that appeared in Winter 1958–1959 issue of the Journal of Broadcasting, Profesor Gordon Greb added a new contender for the title of “oldest station in the nation.”; As a result, KQW has joined KDKA, WHA and WWJ as a candidate for the honor of primacy in American radio broadcasting. Although Greb's article created as much interest and controversy as any that has appeared in the Journal, it did not—and could not—still the confidence of the other claimants.

In the instant article, Mr. R. Franklin Smith does the field of historical radio research a service by setting forth, for the first time, a logical set of criteria by which to judge these conflicting claims. To illustrate he has utilized early records of WHA. Using these criteria, it is shown that WHA cannot claim to have been a true broadcasting station before the latter part of 1920. Comparison of the claims of the several contenders is outside the scope of this article. However, it would be extremely interesting if these criteria were applied to the conflicting claims by persons having access to the detailed station records and other data necessary for thorough analysis.

Perhaps Mr. Smith has given us the impetus and the tools necessary for determining which station really was the “oldest in the nation.”