The use of heuristics during route planning by expert and novice orienteers

Expert orienteers have reported using two heuristics when planning routes to points in the environment that must be located, known as 'controls'. These heuristics constitute attending to the start first and subsequently planning forward to a given control, and attending to the control first and planning backwards to the start. The aim of this study was to establish which heuristic experts use predominantly and whether novices' use of these heuristics differs from that of experts. Two methods for tracing attention were used while 20 expert and 20 novice orienteers planned routes in the laboratory. The results were used to infer the use of heuristics. The orienteers were also interviewed about planning. We found that, when planning, experts generally attend to the control first and novices to the start first. There was also some evidence that novices work forwards from the start to the control and that experts work backwards from the control to the start. From the interviews, it would appear that experts regard the location of the control as the crux of the problem and prioritize this area during planning. These results have implications for an understanding of expertise and problem-solving in sport.     

The issue at a glance

The issue at a glance     

Child Observation as Teachers' Work in Contemporary Australian Early Childhood Programmes L'Observation des Enfant en Tant que Tache de l'Enseignant dans les Programmes Contemporains d'Enseignement Prescolaire en Australie Observacion Infantil como Trabajo Docente en Programas Comtrmporaneos Preescolares Australianos

This article reports data from a study of how teachers use child observations in one State in Australia. It argues that the current economic and political climate has meant changes for most early childhood settings catering for children prior to school entry. How teachers in these various settings deal with changes in relation to child observation depends on the contexts in which they work. The paper suggests that the purpose of observing children is changing and that traditionally accepted ways of writing child observations may be under threat. Cet article rend compte des resultats d'une etude concernant la maniere dont les enseignants utilisent l'observation des enfants dans un Etat d'Australie. Elle avance que le climat economique et politique actuel a cause des changements dans la plupart des centres d'enseignement prescolaire. Comment les enseignants de ces divers centres repondent a ces changements en ce qui concerne l'observation des enfants depend du contexte dans lequel us travaillent. L'article suggere que le but de l'observation des enfants est en train de changer, et qu'il se peut que les facons dont on notait traditionnellement ces observations soient menacees. Este articulo reporta los resultados de un estudio sobre la utilizacion de observaciones infantiles por parte de educadores en uno de los estados australianos. Discute que el actual ambiente economico y politico ha transformado a la mayoria de los ambientes preescolares. Sostiene que la manera en la cual los educadores en estos multiples ambientes enfrentan los cambios asociados con la observacion infantil depende del contexto en el cual ellos trabajen. El articulo sugiere que el objectivo de la observacion infantil esta cambiando y las formas tradicionalmente aceptadas de documentar estas observaciones pudiesen verse amenazadas.     

Referral of the child with learning problems: Bridging a communication gap

Successful communication between the teacher and school psychologist is considered a vital factor in providing appropriate diagnostic and remediation services to a child with a learning problem. Although considerable attention has been given to the psychological report, whereby the psychologist communicates with the teacher, only minimal attention has been given to the referral process whereby the teacher provides the psychologist with important behavioral data. Experience in one large metropolitan school system has demonstrated that teacher-psychologist communication is facilitated through: (a) providing the teacher with a clear understanding of her role in the diagnostic and remediation process, (b) employment of a theoretical approach to learning disabilities which is shared by both teacher and psychologist, and (c) use of a specific referral form—theoretically based—in order to communicate data about the child with a learning problem.