Science and policy: scientific expertise and individual participation in boundary management

Boundary theory has assumed that two distinct organizations—scientists and policy-makers—can interface with one another via an external boundary organization, yet boundary management contexts often call for different strategies where a neutral third party is not involved. Recent scholarship has highlighted alternative models for boundary organizations, including the emergence of boundary organizations within universities. Most of these studies have taken an organizational perspective, yet as universities increasingly fulfill the role of boundary organizations by direct engagement with policy-makers, we need a deeper understanding of the roles scientists should play within this context. This study highlights the need to understand context before designing and implementing boundary management strategies, and considers the complexities of direct engagement between scientists and policy-makers. We draw from a case study conducted in Maine to argue that there are contexts in which scientists need to manage and span the science–policy boundary. The complexities involved in preparing scientists to engage more thoroughly in policy activities and the challenges in garnering institutional support for advancing the participation of scientists in boundary-spanning activities are explored.     

Globalization of the traditional Okinawan art of Shotokan karate

Abstract

Since the eighteenth century, the traditional Okinawan art of Shotokan karate has transformed into a global sport. The violent history of Okinawa in the late 1700s led to the art’s initial creation. In its early years, karate was banned by the government and all practice of it had to take place in secret. Karate was practiced just in Okinawa for over a century. The spread of karate into Japan in 1922 initiated its move towards a Western migration. Through a combination of mass media and the experience of spectators and practitioners, karate spread around the globe. In 1970, international karate competitions began to take place. This initiated the popularization of the sport of karate, introducing more changes to the sport based on the preferences of the spectators. The World Karate Federation (WKF) and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) together took this art and created an Olympic sport.     

Where the Rubber Meets the Road: Exploring the Perceptions of In-Service Teachers in a Virtual Field Experience

This study examines the experiences of teachers enrolled in an online certificate program for K–12 online teaching. Participants blogged weekly regarding their experiences developing and facilitating an online course. Qualitative analysis of the data shows that teachers face many challenges in developing and facilitating an online course; however, they found support from their colleagues enrolled in the program. Additionally, teachers found value in the authentic experience afforded them in the virtual field experience in that it gave them exposure to online learning theory coupled with the opportunity to design and facilitate their own online courses.     

Learning to teach online: a systematic review of the literature on K-12 teacher preparation for teaching online

There is a growing need for qualified online instructors to teach the expanding population of online K-12 students. To meet this need, teachers must be provided learning opportunities to acquire the specific types of knowledge and skills necessary to teach online. In this systematic review of the literature, we utilize the TPACK framework to aggregate the types of knowledge and skills required to teach online and examine both the extent to which these elements are addressed in existing programs and are based on empirical research. Findings suggest that the types of knowledge and skills based on empirical research originate from few studies and that most programs address only a small subset of knowledge and skills, varying greatly without uniformity in content or learning experiences.