Impact evaluation of quality assurance in higher education: methodology and causal designs

In this paper, the theoretical perspectives and general methodological elements of impact evaluation of quality assurance in higher education institutions are discussed, which should be a cornerstone of quality development in higher education and contribute to improving the knowledge about the effectiveness (or ineffectiveness) of quality assurance. The suggested core methodology consists in comparative and longitudinal studies carried out simultaneously to the quality assurance interventions and relying on surveys and mixed methods. The methodology is applicable to any particular quality assurance procedure and any achievement area of higher education institutions. To round off the methodology presentation, an overview of causal designs, in particular causal social mechanisms, for impact analyses of quality assurance in higher education institutions and its challenges and limits is outlined and some characteristics of survey questionnaire construction are given.     

Hearing Where the Eyes See: Children Use an Irrelevant Visual Cue When Localizing Sounds

To reduce sensory uncertainty, humans combine cues from multiple senses. However, in everyday life, many co‐occurring cues are irrelevant to the task at hand. How do humans know which cues to ignore? And does this ability change with development? This study shows the ability to ignore cross‐modal irrelevant information develops late in childhood. Participants performed a sound discrimination task, with or without an irrelevant visual flash, presented synchronously in front of them. Adults ignored the irrelevant visual information, while 7‐ to 10‐year‐olds' responses were biased toward the flash location. The findings show that acquiring mature cue combination mechanisms is a multifaceted process that includes learning to ignore irrelevant cues, as well as to optimally combine relevant cues.     

Engagement of Academic Libraries and Information Science Schools in Creating Curriculum for Sustainability: An Exploratory Study

In 2010, the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education released, “Sustainability curriculum in higher education: A call to action,” encouraging infusion of sustainability topics into universities' teaching and research. Since then, academic programs and research related to social, economic, and environmental sustainability have enriched university curricula. An exploratory study was conducted to determine the position and engagements of academic libraries and information science schools in their contributions to scholarly sustainability activities and curricular initiatives. This article presents the results of the study which reveals a number of engagements by library professionals in the areas of sustainability, such as increasing open access to research, building sustainability-related collections and research guides, and incorporating sustainability content into information literacy. While academic libraries and information science schools are engaged in a broad spectrum of initiatives that support their institutions' sustainability research and curricular functions, this study indicates that such activities require a more targeted approach.     

The Python Project: A Unique Model for Extending Research Opportunities to Undergraduate Students

Undergraduate science education curricula are traditionally composed of didactic instruction with a small number of laboratory courses that provide introductory training in research techniques. Research on learning methodologies suggests this model is relatively ineffective, whereas participation in independent research projects promotes enhanced knowledge acquisition and improves retention of students in science. However, availability of faculty mentors and limited departmental budgets prevent the majority of students from participating in research. A need therefore exists for this important component in undergraduate education in both small and large university settings. A course was designed to provide students with the opportunity to engage in a research project in a classroom setting. Importantly, the course collaborates with a sponsor''s laboratory, producing a symbiotic relationship between the classroom and the laboratory and an evolving course curriculum. Students conduct a novel gene expression study, with their collective data being relevant to the ongoing research project in the sponsor''s lab. The success of this course was assessed based on the quality of the data produced by the students, student perception data, student learning gains, and on whether the course promoted interest in and preparation for careers in science. In this paper, we describe the strategies and outcomes of this course, which represents a model for efficiently providing research opportunities to undergraduates.     

Classroom Age Composition and Vocabulary Development Among At-Risk Preschoolers

Research Findings: The purpose of this exploratory study was to examine the relationship between classroom age composition and preschoolers’ vocabulary gains over an academic year and also to examine whether these relations were moderated by classroom quality. In this study (N = 130 children in 16 classrooms representing a subset of all children enrolled in these classrooms), results showed a significant cross-level interaction between classroom age composition and children's age, suggesting positive effects of greater variance in classroom age composition for younger but not older children. The interaction between behavior management (1 dimension of classroom quality) and classroom age composition was also significant, indicating that a wider distribution of classroom age composition was positively related to children's vocabulary gains within classrooms characterized by better behavior management. Practice or Policy: Findings underscore the importance of children's social interactions with more knowledgeable conversational partners in promoting their vocabulary development and signify the need to help teachers learn how to manage children's behaviors so as to provide a classroom that is optimal for child learning.     

Pedagogical approaches to exploring theory–practice relationships in an outdoor education teacher education programme

Understanding theory–practice relationships in pre-service teacher education is an enduring concern for many teacher educators. Drawing on data from an investigation into the theory–practice nexus in an outdoor education teacher education programme, this article examines pedagogical approaches to exploring theory and practice with pre-service teachers. The investigation, a qualitative case study, examined the views of the programme’s teacher educators (authors) using an analytical lens informed by two similar theoretical models.

The article focuses on elements that were found to be central to pedagogical approaches within the programme: self-awareness, experience, reflexivity, and a “community of learners.” While the approaches represent a departure from “theory application” and “theory–practice integration” approaches, and a move towards praxis development, the study highlighted challenges and issues including the need for teacher educators to scrutinise theory–practice relationships in their own teaching and discourse. Implications and possibilities for future practice are considered.     

A comparative study of baseball bat performance

The results of a comparative study of five aluminum and one wood baseball bats are presented. The study includes an analysis of field data, high-speed laboratory testing, and modal analysis. It is found that field performance is strongly correlated with the ball–bat coefficient of restitution (BBCOR) and only weakly correlated with other parameters of the bat, suggesting that the BBCOR is the primary feature of a bat that determines its field performance. It is further found that the instantaneous rotation axis of the bat at the moment of impact is very close to the knob of the bat and that the rotational velocity varies inversely with the moment of inertia of the bat about the knob. A swing speed formula is derived from the field data and the limits of its validity are discussed. The field and laboratory measurements of the collision efficiency are generally in good agreement, as expected on theoretical grounds. Finally, the BBCOR is strongly correlated with the frequency of the lowest hoop mode of the hollow bats, as predicted by models of the trampoline effect.     

Football boundary-layer separation via dust experiments

A method of examining the separation of the boundary layer of air from a sports ball, specifically a football, is presented. Using a ball launcher, a non-spinning football is fired into a dust cloud. A high-speed camera records the ball passing through the dust cloud. Unlike wind-tunnel methods, the dust method described here allows for the examination of the boundary-layer separation without a ball-supporting arrangement. Boundary-layer separation for speeds surrounding the drag crisis is studied. Though the general trend is for the boundary layer to separate farther back on the ball as the ball’s centre-of-mass speed increases, anomalous behaviour is seen just past the drag crisis, namely a rise in the separation angle, followed by an expected decrease.     

The individualization of discipline for behavior disordered pupils

The purpose of this paper is to present a case for the need to individualize discipline as well as instruction. The selected review of the literature indicates that published information on classroom management currently does not provide such an individualized approach. A tentative child-type by intervention technique interaction strategy is suggested with specific examples provided. This is not intended as a definitive statement but as a stimulant for further discussion and refinement.     

Association of physical fitness,body composition,cardiometabolic markers and adherence to the Mediterranean diet with bone mineral density in perimenopausal women. The FLAMENCO project

This study aimed to analyse the association of different components of physical fitness, body composition, cardiometabolic markers and the Mediterranean diet with bone mineral density (BMD) in perimenopausal women, and to test which of these components are independently associated with BMD. The sample comprised 197 perimenopausal women (52.6 ± 4.5 years). Physical fitness was assessed with the “Senior Fitness Test” battery and the handgrip strength and Bruce tests. Fat and lean mass and BMD were measured using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. We analysed the markers of metabolic syndrome, C-reactive protein, and components of the Mediterranean diet. Handgrip muscle strength (β = 0.212, P = 0.005), body weight (β = 0.244, P = 0.001), BMI (β = 0.180, P = 0.011) and lean mass (β = 0.379, P < 0.001) were positively associated with BMD. No associations were observed between cardiometabolic markers or the Mediterranean diet with BMD (all P > 0.05). When all relevant indicators of BMD were simultaneously considered, lean mass was the only 1 showing an independent association with BMD (β = 0.392, P < 0.001), explaining 14% of the BMD variability. In conclusion, muscle strength might be a marker of BMD in perimenopausal women. However, lean mass was the only factor independently associated with BMD. Future research to determine whether increasing lean mass through specific exercise-based interventions contributes to increasing BMD is warranted.