Effects of focus of attention depend on golfers' skill

In this study, we examined the influence of internal and external attention instructions on the performance of a pitch shot by golfers who were either highly skilled (mean handicap = 4) or low skilled (mean handicap = 26). Ten golfers in each skill group used a 9-iron to pitch a ball as close as possible to an orange pylon, which was located at distances of 10, 15, 20 or 25 m from the golfer. Focus of attention was manipulated within participants (counterbalanced across golfers). Under internal focus of attention instructions, the participants were told to concentrate on the form of the golf swing and to adjust the force of their swing depending on the distance of the shot. For the external focus of attention conditions, the participants were told to concentrate on hitting the ball as close to the target pylon as possible. The most intriguing finding was an interaction of skill with focus of attention instructions for variability in performance. Similar to the findings of Wulf and colleagues, the highly skilled golfers performed better with external attention instructions than with internal focus instructions. In contrast, the low-skill golfers performed better with the internal than with the external focus of attention instructions. These findings are discussed relative to theoretical issues in motor learning and practical issues for golf instruction.     

What Are They Thinking? The Development and Use of an Instrument That Identifies Common Science Misconceptions

This article describes the rationale for, and development of, an online instrument that helps identify commonly held science misconceptions. Science Beliefs is a 47-item instrument that targets topics in chemistry, physics, biology, earth science, and astronomy. It utilizes a true or false, along with a written-explanation, format. The true or false responses provide a cursory view of the extent to which specific beliefs are prevalent, while the accompanying explanations reveal underlying reasons for those beliefs. The stages of instrument development, reliability and validity information, along with the original sources of the items are discussed. The developed instrument has the potential to help science educators understand some specific barriers to deepening understanding across a range of science topics.     

A Case Study and Analysis of a Successful and Collaborative Student-Centered Textbook Reserve Program in a Mid-Size Academic Library

This article presents an innovative textbook reserve program at a mid-sized academic library. Research conducted subsequent to the program’s launch showed a positive correlation between students’ use of the program and their perceived academic success. In addition, the program has proved effective at helping students with college affordability. The outlines of the program and the results of the survey are presented and contextualized in the framework of the local institution.     

Academic department prestige: A new measure based on the doctoral student labor market

Past rankings of academic departments have been based on a variety of factors including faculty publications, citations, and external perceptions. However well designed, these studies are conceptually flawed as means of assessing prestige. This paper views prestige as an ex ante condition related to an existing stratification system, rather than as an ex post result of productivity. As such, prestige can be measured by the academic department's ability to place its doctoral recipients. As a means of illustrating the use of this approach, an empirical analysis of accounting faculty placements from graduate schools in the United States was conducted. The resultant rankings were also evaluated for stability over time and against other program characteristics to illustrate the validity and the uniqueness of the measure.