Development of a fulcrum methodology to replicate the lateral ankle sprain mechanism and measure dynamic inversion speed

When the ankle is forced into inversion, the speed at which this movement occurs may affect the extent of injury. The purpose of this investigation was to develop a fulcrum device to mimic the mechanism of a lateral ankle sprain and to determine the reliability and validity of the temporal variables produced by this device. Additionally, this device was used to determine if a single previous lateral ankle sprain or ankle taping effected the time to maximum inversion and/or mean inversion speed. Twenty-six participants (13 with history of a single lateral ankle sprain and 13 with no history of injury) completed the testing. The participants completed testing on three separate days, performing 10 trials with the fulcrum per leg on each testing day, and tape was applied to both ankles on one testing day. No significant interactions or main effects were found for either previous injury or ankle taping, but good reliability was found for time to maximum inversion (ICC = .81) and mean inversion speed (ICC = .79). The findings suggest that although neither variable was influenced by the history of a single previous lateral ankle sprain or ankle taping, both variables demonstrated good reliability and construct validity, but not discriminative validity.     

Cataloging in a Remote Location: A Case Study of International Collaboration in the Galapagos Islands

The Corley Smith Library is a small, special library located at the Charles Darwin Research Station in the Galapagos Islands. Currently, the library is managed by international volunteer librarians in collaboration with Station staff and local volunteers. Recently the library migrated its online public access catalog to Koha. We describe the process of selecting an open-source integrated library system and implementing Koha. Cataloging in this remote location presents challenges related to technology, staff expertise, language, local practices, and obtaining supplies. We define the strategies to address these issues, including long-term goals of copy cataloging with Z39.50 and remote cataloging by volunteer librarians.     

Teaching Object‐Oriented Design Without Programming: A Progress Report

This project is demonstrating the feasibility of using the object‐oriented paradigm to teach students software design in a nonprogramming context. The program, developed using principles of user‐based, prototyping design, teaches students to create responsibility‐driven designs of computer games. Investigations with high school students with little or no knowledge of computers and senior computer science majors have demonstrated that students can indeed learn to use Class‐Responsibility‐Collaborator (CRC) cards to produce creditable high‐level designs in a relatively short time whether or not they have programming experience and can generalize what they have learned to a new design. Although the computer science majors created more complete designs and demonstrated a deeper understanding of the design process than the high school students, these students still found the experience valuable. Both sample groups generally found the process interesting and relatively painless.     

QUALIFYING MY FAITH IN THE COMMON SCHOOL IDEAL: A NORMATIVE FRAMEWORK FOR DEMOCRATIC JUSTICE

In this essay, Kathleen Knight Abowitz makes the case that charter schooling can enable multiple publics to develop and create educational visions. Charter schooling policies can enable these publics to pursue these visions and agendas on behalf of both public and common educational goals as well as goals associated with particular identities and interests. This vision of a plural public sphere, with its movement away from purely state‐run traditional public schools, challenges the common school ideal that has been part of the Western nation‐state narrative for several centuries. Yet the common school ideal need not focus on one particular kind of school structure; rather, the ideal represents a moral claim: that schools receiving public funds should provide participatory parity to all students, achieved through educational structures and curriculum shaped by principles of democratic justice. Participatory parity and its guiding normative principles, Knight Abowitz concludes, help to qualify and clarify our faith in the common school ideal shaped for a new era.     

Will IR Staff Stick? An Exploration of Institutional Researchers’ Intention to Remain in or Leave Their Jobs

The study explored the factors that relate to the likelihood of institutional researchers (IRs) to plan to leave their jobs. Learning more about the effects on IR job turnover can serve to improve the employment experience of IR practitioners, the profession of IR, and, indirectly, higher education. 1,264 IRs responded to a national survey comprised of antecedents of intention to quit one’s job that had a high degree of construct validity within job turnover theories. Data were tested against a theoretical model developed from the Industrial-Organizational Psychology and IR literature. Perceived organizational support was the strongest predictor of intent to quit. Burnout, lack of advancement opportunities, lack of rewards and recognition, job embeddedness, and available job alternatives also affect IRs intention to quit. Suggestions for supporting IRs and elevating the role of IR on campuses are included.     

An examination of freshmen to senior general education gains across a national sample of institutions with different general education requirements using a mixed-effect structural equation model

This study investigated differences in freshmen to senior student general education gains across institutions with varying patterns of general education requirements using a mixed-effect structural equation model. The subjects were 6,409 students at 34 nation-wide colleges and universities. Students attending institutions where less than 40 percent of undergraduate curricular requirements were devoted to general education and where there was not equal distribution of general education courses within the requirement were found to have significantly higher general education gains than did students who attended institutions where 40 percent or more of the undergraduate curriculum was devoted to general education and there was equal distribution of courses within the general education requirement.Presented at the Association for Institutional Research Annual Forum, Atlanta, Georgia, May 10–13, 1992.     

Relationship between perceived and observed student-centred learning environments in Qatari elementary mathematics and science classrooms

Recently, Qatar established educational reform in charter (independent) schools focusing on curriculum standards, student-centred teaching, standards-based assessment, English as the language of instruction, and extensive professional development. A primary area of emphasis was the creation of student-centred mathematics and science classrooms characterised by inquiry and active student participation. The purpose of this study was to investigate differences in the learning environments of Qatari mathematics and science classrooms at two levels: in higher- and lower-performing Qatari schools implementing the recent Education for a New Era reform elements; and in classes of teachers who experienced professional development focused on student-centred teaching strategies and those who did not. Participants included teachers and students in 47 grade 3 and 4 mathematics and science classrooms. Classroom observations were conducted and student learning environment surveys were administered at the beginning and end of the semester. Results indicated low levels of student-centred instruction, despite significant improvement over time. Few differences by level of school performance or professional development participation existed. However, Personalisation emerged as a key learning environment variable related to teachers’ implementation of student-centred instruction.