Biomechanical energetic analysis of technique during learning the longswing on the high bar

Biomechanical energetic analysis of technique can be performed to identify limits or constraints to performance outcome at the level of joint work, and to assess the mechanical efficiency of techniques. The aim of this study was to investigate the biomechanical energetic processes during learning the longswing on the high bar. Twelve male, novice participants took part in a training study. Kinematic and kinetics data were collected during swing attempts in eight weekly testing sessions. Inverse dynamics analysis was performed from known zero forces at the toes. Joint work, total energy, and bar energy were calculated. Biomechanical constraints to action, that is, limits to novice performance, were identified as “total work” and “shoulder work”. The most biomechanically efficient technique was associated with an onset of the hip functional phase and joint work that occurred between 10–45° before the bottom of the swing. The learning of gross motor skills is realised through the establishment of a set of techniques with task specific biomechanical constraints. Knowledge of the biomechanical constraints to action associated with more effective and efficient techniques will be useful for both assessing learning and establishing effective learning interventions.     

Two is the Beginning of the End: Peter Pan and the Doctrine of Reminiscence

This article considers J.M. Barrie’s satirical treatment of the Platonic doctrine of reminiscence in Peter Pan, and how Barrie’s work both honors and undercuts it. It will first analyze the Platonic notion of the doctrine of reminiscence in Wordsworth’s “Ode: Intimations of Immortality from Recollections of Early Childhood” (1807). It will then show its influence on Victorian literature in the depiction of the exalted perception and moral purity of children, and how Barrie satirizes these ideals by underscoring the ignorance and savage qualities of the children in Peter Pan. The essay will also explore the portrayal of the Eden of childhood in Wordsworth’s poem (as influenced by Plato), and how Barrie subverts this utopia by presenting a dystopic world where Darwinian principles rule. Like Darwin, Barrie argues for a natural rather than a divine origin of species and demonstrates the struggle for existence in a profoundly disturbing way. Finally, the essay will contemplate the subject of immortality and how, far from being an idealized condition as in Wordsworth’s poetry, it is a far more ambivalent state in Peter Pan.

Machine Learning Literacy for Measurement Professionals: A Practical Tutorial

The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the digitalization of assessment, creating new challenges for measurement professionals, including big data management, test security, and analyzing new validity evidence. In response to these challenges, Machine Learning (ML) emerges as an increasingly important skill in the toolbox of measurement professionals in this new era. However, most ML tutorials are technical and conceptual-focused. Therefore, this tutorial aims to provide a practical introduction to ML in the context of educational measurement. We also supplement our tutorial with several examples of supervised and unsupervised ML techniques applied to marking a short-answer question. Python codes are available on GitHub. In the end, common misconceptions about ML are discussed.