Discipline cost indices and their applications

Differences in institutional reporting and accounting often reduce the comparability in expenditure data among institutions. This particularly affects interinstitutional comparisons of discipline unit costs, that is, expenditures per credit hour or expenditures per weighted credit hour. To overcome this comparability problem, discipline cost indices have been developed to permit accurate interinstitutional comparisons of relative costs among disciplines. This paper documents how discipline cost indices have been derived, using expenditure data collected from five peer institutions, and how these indices have been implemented in a research university's budget allocation process. Institutional researchers and academic budget planners are the intended audience.Presented at the Thirty-first Annual Forum of the Association for Institutional Research, San Francisco, May 26–29, 1991.     

It's Déjà vu all over again: Assessment in Great Britain

The author gratefully acknowledges the Fulbright U.S.-U.K. Academic Administrator Fellowship program for making his work in Great Britain possible and Dr. Peter Findlay at Portsmouth Polytechnic in England for his editorial assistance.     

Disabled Readers' Performance on Tasks of Phonological Processing,Rapid Naming,and Letter Knowledge Before and After Kindergarten

The importance of early identification of children at risk for reading failure is clearly established in the literature. The purpose of this longitudinal retrospective study was to further define the relationship between the development of prereading skills and later reading outcome in two groups of children; a group of reading‐disabled children and a group of their normally reading peers. Children's alphabetic knowledge, phonological awareness, and rapid naming skills were explored at the beginning of kindergarten and again prior to first grade as a function of later reading outcomes. Results indicate that differences found between the groups in all measures at prekindergarten age diminish by prefirst grade with the exception of phonological awareness abilities. Findings have direct implications for screening children at risk for reading difficulties and the time‐sensitive nature of these tasks during the preliteracy period.     

查尔斯·达尔文对我一生的影响

在庆祝查尔斯·达尔文诞辰200周年之际，笔者回忆了人生道路上达尔文先生的思想对自己职业生涯的影响，以此来纪念这位伟大的人物。     

Reproducibility of the maximum accumulated oxygen deficit and run time to exhaustion during short-distance running

The aim of this study was to determine the reproducibility of the maximal accumulated oxygen deficit and the associated exercise time to exhaustion during short-distance running. Fifteen well-trained males (mean +/- s: VO2max = 58.0+/-4.6 ml x kg(-1) x min(-1)) performed the maximum accumulated oxygen deficit test at an exercise intensity equivalent to 125% VO2max. The test was repeated at the same time of day on three occasions within 3 weeks. There was no significant systematic bias between trials for either maximum accumulated oxygen deficit (man +/- s: trial 1 = 69.0+/-13.1; trial 2 = 71.4+/-12.5; trial 3 = 70.4+/-15.0 ml O2 Eq x kg(-1); ANOVA, F = 0.70, PP= 0.51) or exercise time to exhaustion (trial 1 = 194 + 31.1; trial 2 = 198 + 33.2; trial 3 = 201 + 36.8 s; F= 1.49, P = 0.24). In addition, other traditional measures of reliability were also favourable. These included intraclass correlation coefficients of 0.91 and 0.87, and sample coefficients of variation of 6.8% and 5.0%, for maximum accumulated oxygen deficit and exercise time to exhaustion respectively. However, the '95% limits of agreement' were 0+/-15.1 ml O2 Eq (1.01 multiply/divide 1.26 as a ratio) and 0+/-33.5 s (1.0 multiply/divide 1.18 as a ratio) for maximum accumulated oxygen deficit and exercise time to exhaustion respectively. We estimate that the sample sizes required to detect a 10% change in exercise time to exhaustion and maximum accumulated oxygen deficit after a repeated measures experiment are 10 and 20 respectively. Unlike the results of previous maximum accumulated oxygen deficit studies, we conclude that it is not a reliable measure.     

An Introduction to the Bootstrap

This article presents bootstrap methods for estimation, using simple arguments. Minitab macros for implementing these methods are given.     

Investigating Randomness via Simulation Using the TI‐83

Most students do not have a good grasp of the consequences of randomness. Simulating random phenomena with unexpected outcomes sparks student interest and discussion when presenting probability topics in class. TI‐83 programs for simulating selected random phenomena are available from the author.     

Comparison of accelerometer and pedometer measures of physical activity in boys and girls, ages 8-10 years

Accelerometers record total physical activity and time spent at different intensities. Pedometers indicate total activity only. The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between pedometer counts and attainment of > or = 60 min of moderate activity. Thirty-four children, ages 8-10 years, wore a Tritrac accelerometer and Yamax pedometer. Published recommendations of steps per day were compared to attainment of > or = 60 min moderate activity. Boys who accumulated 13,000 steps.d(-1) and girls who accumulated 12,000 steps.d(-1) engaged in > or = 60 min moderate activity. However, 23% of boys and 15% of girls did not reach the pedometer thresholds but did engage in > or = 60 min moderate activity. In conclusion, these pedometer thresholds provide a reasonable estimation when assessment of physical activity intensity is not possible.