Control System Digital Computer Transfer Function Simulation

The z transform of simple delay, integrator, leadlag, and differentiator networks are suggested as the basic building blocks for simulating complex control systems on a digital computer. The system parameters retain their explicit identity, thus facilitating analysis and design of the system as a function of specific parameter changes.     

Sind die bildungswissenschaftlichen Standards für die Lehramtsausbildung in den Curricula der Hochschulen angekommen?

During the Bologna reforms, the Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs (abbr.: Standing Conference) formulated education standards for higher education teacher training programmes (KMK 2004a) in the areas of teaching, educating, diagnostics, and innovation. Currently there is very little research on the extent to which these education standards are reflected in the teacher training curriculums at universities. This contribution analyses the course regulations, module handbooks, and exam regulations for teacher training programmes at 16 universities for the inclusion of content required by the education standards. The document analysis shows that a large proportion of the education standards introduced by the Standing Conference (KMK 2004a) are not considered by the curriculums of many universities.     

Die Organisation sportlichen Erfolges

As the result of German efforts to advance elite sports being partially guided by the presumed successful example of the German Democratic Republic there has been an increase in vertically integrated sponsoring organizations to promote elite sports, particularly after reunification. Adhering to Williamson’s (1975) transaction costs economics, the theory is assessed that in producing sports success the effectiveness of hierarchical organizations depends on the specificity of production factors. Based on a comparison of former students of elite sports schools with non-elite students it could be shown that encouragement of talent in elite schools is advantageous in those types of sports that require specific sports locales or sites for practice. The results provide insight into how the productivity of elite sports schools could be enhanced.     

Stress-related psychological factors for back pain among athletes: Important topic with scarce evidence

Health issues represent a frequent problem for athletes, as this particular demographic is repeatedly confronted with physically and psychologically stressful situations. Back pain (BP) materialises as comparatively common health problem being regarded as functionally limiting and psychologically straining burden for athletes. According to research conducted on athletes with BP, biomechanical and physiological mechanisms emerge as influential, whereas stress-related psychological factors appear to be neglected. For athletic injuries, the essential impact of psychological processes on injury occurrence and return from injury has already been corroborated. Hence, the aim of this literature review is to: (1) introduce a conceptual differentiation between injuries and BP; (2) summarise the results obtained regarding stress-related psychological aspects for injuries; and (3) connect the injury research to the state-of-the-art evidence regarding stress-related factors for BP among athletes. A distinction between injuries and BP could be established based on previous definitions, despite the fact that a considerable overlap between both concepts prevails. Injuries can be attributed to a physical origin, whereas BP frequently lacks this physical criterion. For BP, our enquiry yielded four studies including psychological measures of stress – with two studies specifically examining the association between BP and psychological stress among athletes longitudinally. Abundant findings from the general population support the importance of considering psychological and specifically stress-related factors in BP prevention and rehabilitation, but evidence related to the athletic field remains elusive. Further scientific investigations with a wider methodological approach are needed to deepen the knowledge about the crucial relationship between psychological stress, BP, and athletes.     

Narratives as a tool when working for equality in action research: a description and discussion of the researcher’s experiences from a school development project in Norway

Action research as a form of professional development encourages teachers to participate in cycles of planning, acting, observing and reflecting, thereby creating possibilities for change and transformation. Equally important are the transformations and professional growth experienced by the facilitator in an action research context. In recent literature, the epistemological and methodological foundations of action research have come under scrutiny. Part of this debate emerges from the experience of those who actually attempt to facilitate action research with groups of teachers. In this paper I critically examine my participation (as a university‐based facilitator and researcher) in an action research group in science, technology and society (STS) education to illustrate: (a) how a second‐order inquiry enhanced my understanding of the nature of action research, while (b) simultaneously allowing me to explore and develop strategies for facilitating the process.     

How to stay becoming – living up to the code of conduct in a sports class

In this article we show how a hybridisation of elite sport and school in lower-secondary education in Denmark produces a particular kind of learning subject with dual tracks for development, and we ask what kind of actions the students apply in order to stay becoming along both tracks. We apply theoretical conceptions of ‘becoming’ inspired by Brembeck and Johansson that allow us to understand how the sports students live up to the code of conduct of the sports classes. The article is based on an ethnographic study carried out in four schools located in four regions of Denmark. We argue that the hybrid obliges students to follow a narrow developmental track with an ambitious goal of performing in both sport and school, and that the hybrid is threatened when a sports student prioritises either sport or school while he/she is still enrolled in the class.     

Legitimacy,stratification, and internationalization in global higher education: the case of the International Association of Universities

Tertiary Education and Management - The International Association of Universities (IAU) is the only inclusive global university association, its membership barriers are low, yet few universities...