Book Publishing

Nat G. Bodian, Book Marketing Handbook: Tips and Techniques for the Sale and Promotion of Scientific, Technical, Professional, and Scholarly Books and Journals (New York: R.R. Bowker, 1980---$45.00)

Dan Poynter, Publishing Short-Run Books: How to Paste Up and Reproduce Books Instantly Using Your Copy Shop (Parachuting Publications, P.O. Box 4232-50, Santa Barbara, Ca. 93103---$6.95, paper)

G.L. Brook, Books and Book-Collecting (Boulder, Colo.: Westview Press, 1980---$25.00)     

Seeing Charters Differently: A New Approach to National Comparisons of Charter and Traditional Public Schools

ABSTRACT

The national debate over charter schooling has become increasingly heated in 2016, driven by polarized narratives about the students charters typically serve. Opponents argue charters cream-skim more advantaged students, while proponents hold they primarily serve historically disadvantaged students. National evidence on charter student selectivity has not kept pace with these arguments. Rigorous comparisons of charter and traditional public schools (TPSs) have limited scope and generalizability, while oversimplified national comparisons are often misleading. This essay presents a novel method for national comparisons of charter schools’ student poverty, special education, limited English proficient (LEP) composition and discipline rates, to those of their nearest five TPS neighbors. Findings show that charters’ student compositions differ from those in neighboring TPSs, but not in uniform ways.     

The effects of learning–family conflict,perceived control over time and task-fit technology factors on urban–rural high school students’ acceptance of video-based instruction in flipped learning approach

Flipped learning approach combines video-based instruction (VBI) outside the classroom and problem-solving activities inside the classroom. The success of this instructional approach largely depends on students’ acceptance to learn the video presentation at home during pre-classroom activities. However, there are still very scarce insights regarding the evaluation of students’ eagerness to learn VBI. This paper aims to extend UTAUT model by adding learning–family conflict, perceived control over time and task-fit technology factors to investigate urban–rural high school students’ acceptance of VBI in flipped learning approach. 400 randomly selected students from urban and rural senior high school were used for the study. Structured equation modeling and multi-group analysis using t test were employed to analyze the survey data. The results showed that facilitation condition, task-fit technology, perceived control over time, performance expectancy, and learning–family conflict have positive influence on students’ behavioral intention to use VBI. Surprisingly, the t-test analysis indicated significant differences between groups, suggesting that students in the rural schools have low learning–family conflict, high perceived control over time, and high intention to use VBI than urban students. Detailed results and educational implications are discussed.     

Effects of Different Models of Water-Based Resistance Training on Muscular Function of Older Women

Purpose: To compare the effects of three water-based resistance trainings on neuromuscular parameters of older women. Method: Thirty-six women were randomized to groups: simple set of 30 seconds (1 × 30 s, 66.41 ± 4.71 years, n = 12), multiple sets of 10 seconds (3 × 10 s, 66.50 ± 4.74 years, n = 11), and simple set of 10 seconds (1 × 10 s, 65.23 ± 3.93 years, n = 13). Maximal isometric strength concomitantly with neuromuscular activity during extension and flexion knee was evaluated. In the same exercises, rate of force development at different time intervals was measured. Finally, functional capacity was assessed. Results: All trainings promoted similar improvements in the rate of force develpment of extension (effect size RFD 50 ms: 1 × 30 s .49, 3 × 10 s .67, 1 × 10 s .65; ES RFD 100 ms: 1 × 30 s .76, 3 × 10 s .80, 1 × 10 s .63; ES RFD 250 ms: 1 × 30 s .31, 3 × 10 s .49, 1 × 10 s .37) and flexion knee (ES RFD 50 ms: 1 × 30 s .59, 3 × 10 s .31, 1 × 10 s .48; ES RFD 100 ms: 1 × 30 s .41, 3 × 10 s .44, 1 × 10 s .42; ES RFD 250 ms: 1 × 30 s .57, 3 × 10 s .36, 1 × 10 s .43; ES RFD maximal: 1 × 30 s .63, 3 × 10 s .23, 1 × 10 s .26), however only the 3 × 10 s group improved the performance in the 8-foot up-and-go test (ES 3 × 10 s: .93, 1 × 30: .39, 1 × 10 s: .23). There was a maintenance of the isometric force and neuromuscular activity, except for the activity of the rectus femoris that showed an increase after training in all groups (ES 3 × 10 s: .04, 1 × 30: .36, 1 × 10 s: .50). Conclusion: Water-based resistance training using simple or multiple sets promotes the same gains in rapid strength, however only multiple sets induced improvement on functional capacity.     

Where Youth Live,Learn, and Play Matters: Tackling the Social Determinants of Health in Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health

Abstract

The body of evidence supporting a relationship between the social determinants of health and adolescent sexual and reproductive health is vast. To advance health and have a greater impact on adolescent health outcomes, sexual and reproductive health practitioners need to take into account the relationships, community, and society within which adolescents live, learn, and play. With this review, we aim to provide practitioners with a clear understanding of the value of adopting a more comprehensive approach and we provide concrete recommendations for actualizing social determinants of health through programs and services. Recommendations are provided for each of the five social determinants of health categories outlined by Healthy People 2020, including Neighborhood and Built Environment, Economic Stability, Health and Healthcare, Social and Community Context, and Education.     

What is the students’ interest in biology after the biology curriculum modification?

Decreasing interest in Science among students, confirmed by several investigations, calls for the need to revise the contents of the curricula for Science subjects, including Biology. Modern Biology curricula should not only contain key biological concepts but also provide a teacher with sufficient space to develop students’ competencies of scientific work and positive attitudes to Science. When preparing the curriculum, it is necessary to consider also students’ interest in selected curriculum topics and their benefit for everyday life. The objective of our research was to identify whether the performed transformation of the Biology curriculum for elementary schools increased the students’ interest in Biology and the contents thereof. We were also investigating students’ preferences in their interest in Biology topics and their interest in selected teaching methods and approaches. Our research confirmed the positive interest in Biology among majority of students who prefer direct, active participation in the process of knowledge acquisition through the study and exploration of living organisms as well as by the execution and assessment of practicals and experiments.     

Would dogs copy irrelevant actions from their human caregiver?

Companion dogs learn easily from humans, including human behavior, human communication, and some aspects of the human-made environment. They benefit from having the opportunity to learn from humans and are able to spontaneously synchronize their behavior with that of their caregiver. Here, we tested whether pet dogs would show a special form of observational learning, one that has been considered uniquely human. Indeed, humans show overimitation, the faithful copying of causally irrelevant actions, but great apes do not. Because in humans this peculiar form of imitation is strongly motivated by social factors, such as affiliation or conformity, we hypothesized that domesticated and enculturated dogs are more likely than apes are to copy such actions, especially if shown by their affiliated caregiver. Indeed, half of the dogs replicated a causally irrelevant action that was demonstrated by their caregiver, and about the same number did this whether they saw only this action being demonstrated or being demonstrated before or after a causally relevant, functional action. The demonstration of a causally relevant action, one that is immediately followed by access to food, thus does not inhibit the copying of an action that is spatially separated and functionally opaque. Given that the copying frequency in this study was low overall, these results suggest evidence for overimitation in dogs, which might challenge the human uniqueness of this type of social learning.