Laptop as Messenger: an Exploration of the Role of Portables in Home-School Liaison

Into the now substantial research into the use of word processing as a tool to develop children’s writing, the role of the laptop computer has recently added a fresh dimension. Such machines add flexibility and portability to classroom management and there are numerous questions about their impact. In this article Guy Merchant and Moira Monteith examine one possible benefit of the use of laptops, their potential for drawing together home and school and initiating and sustaining home-school dialogue.     

Some recent Unesco publications

Notes and Reviews

Some recent Unesco publications     

Direct skeletal attachment prosthesis for the amputee athlete: the unknown potential

Lower limb amputees often experience complications with the use of conventional socket-type prostheses, which further reduce their already compromised ability to perform the activities of daily living, or to participate in sporting activities. During the last two decades, a new technology of direct skeletal attachment (osseointegration) of prosthesis to the femoral residuum has been developed. The aim of this research was to assess the implant design, surgery protocols, and functional testing of this new technology on the first 100 patients using the Integral Leg Prosthesis procedure. This new knowledge can guide future engineering developments of osseointegration within the sporting arena. Between 1999 and 2013, direct skeletal implantation was performed on 112 amputees, from two centres in Germany and Australia. From the experience of the surgical team, modifications were made to the implant design. This re-engineering of the implant has reduced the surgical revisions due to infection from 29 % with the early implant design down to 7 %. The functional testing of the 34 Australian cases were assessed pre- and 12 months post-implant with significant improvements of one complete K-scale; the Q-TFA measures increased (50.9–86.7), whilst the Timed Up and Go decreased significantly (12.43 s ± 3.89 to 8.03 s ± 2.80), and the 6 min walk increased (304.0–383.9 m). From these findings, osseointegration technology is realistically the way of the future for amputee athletes. Further refinement of the implant design and sports-specific functional testing are required to define the potential of this technology.     

Higher education policy as an exercise in contemporary history

The study of higher education is a broad field. A recent estimate identified some 19 different disciplines and perspectives. Such range of perspectives raises central questions as to what might constitute the core areas. Whilst recognising that history does not possess a single dominant paradigm, this article suggests that history opens up several avenues not without interest to policy studies in higher education. By providing issues the outcome of which is known, history may serve as a vehicle for testing the validity of contemporary theories developed in higher education policy studies. The article argues that greater attention ought to be paid - and most particularly in studies involving cross national comparisons - to the cultural and historic specificities that permeate the formal dimensions of law, structure and administrative forms.     

Development of deaf identity: an ethnographic study

This ethnographic study explores the identity development of 9 deaf participants through the narratives of their educational experiences in either mainstream or special schools for the Deaf. This exploration goes beyond a binary conceptualization of deaf identity that allows for only the medical and social models and proposes a bicultural "dialogue model." This postmodern theoretical framework is used to examine the diversity of identities of deaf learners. The inclusion of the researcher's own fluid cross-cultural identity as a bicultural "DeaF" participant in this study provides an auto-ethnographic gateway into exploring the lives of other deaf, Deaf, or bicultural DeaF persons. The findings suggest that deaf identity is not a static concept but a complex ongoing quest for belonging, a quest that is bound up with the acceptance of being deaf while "finding one's voice" in a hearing-dominant society. Through the use of dialogue and narrative tools, the study challenges educators, parents, and researchers to broaden their understanding of how deaf identity, and the dignity associated with being a deaf person is constructed.     

Identifying at‐risk students in videoconferencing and web‐based distance education

Abstract

Based on the multivariate framework of student attrition developed by leading researchers in the field of distance education and instructional technology, this study centers on a method of assessing the ability of a student to complete a distance learning course. The focus of the investigation is construction and validation of a brief survey instrument to identify at‐risk students enrolled in Web‐based and videoconferencing courses.     

The Construction of Social Class in Social Work Education: A Study of Introductory Textbooks

Social work introductory textbooks reflect myriad practical interests, pedagogical concerns, and theoretical considerations. However, they also present students with accepted views, dominant perspectives, and main discourses of knowledge. In light of this centrality, the present article examines the representation of the concept of “social class” in introductory textbooks as a way to look at the construction of the concept in social work education. Based on the content analysis study of 50 introductory textbooks, the article suggests that social work education has overlooked or even denied the relevance of social class. Class differences, as part of other categories of power such as race, ethnicity, and gender are crucial factors in explaining diversity and inequality. As social justice is one of the main premises of social work, the question of how to prepare students to deal with class issues as future practitioners seems to be very important, especially in light of increasing social class gaps.     

Energy expenditure and dietary intake in professional football players in the Dutch Premier League: Implications for nutritional counselling

ABSTRACT

Selecting effective dietary strategies for professional football players requires comprehensive information on their energy expenditure (EE) and dietary intake. This observational study aimed to assess EE and dietary intake over a 14-day period in a representative group (n = 41) of professional football players playing in the Dutch Premier League (Eredivisie). Daily EE, as assessed by doubly labelled water, was 13.8 ± 1.5 MJ/day, representing a physical activity level (PAL) of 1.75 ± 0.13. Weighted mean energy intake (EI), as assessed by three face-to-face 24-h recalls, was 11.1 ± 2.9 MJ/day, indicating 18 ± 15% underreporting of EI. Daily EI was higher on match days (13.1 ± 4.1 MJ) compared with training (11.1 ± 3.4 MJ; P < 0.01) and rest days (10.5 ± 3.1 MJ; P < 0.001). Daily carbohydrate intake was significantly higher during match days (5.1 ± 1.7 g/kg body mass (BM)) compared with training (3.9 ± 1.5 g/kg BM; P < 0.001) and rest days (3.7 ± 1.4 g/kg BM; P < 0.001). Weighted mean protein intake was 1.7 ± 0.5 g/kg BM. Daytime distribution of protein intake was skewed, with lowest intakes at breakfast and highest at dinner. In conclusion, daily EE and PAL of professional football players are modest. Daily carbohydrate intake should be increased to maximize performance and recovery. Daily protein intake seems more than adequate, but could be distributed more evenly throughout the day.