Effects of Football Equipment on Thermal Balance and Energy Cost during Exercise

Abstract

Central core temperature, energy cost and pulmonary ventilation, heart rate, and sweat loss were measured on 5 football players while exercising on a motor driven treadmill at 6 mph for 20 min. Comparisons were made while subjects wore a football uniform and a hospital scrub suit. Core temperature was measured by a rectal thermistor inserted 4 in. into the rectum, energy cost and pulmonary ventilation by open circuit spirometry, heart rate by telemetry, and sweat loss by pre- and postexercise weight changes.

Core temperature, sweat loss, and peak exercise and end recovery heart rates while running in the uniform were significantly elevated compared to the scrub suit controls. Energy cost and pulmonary ventilation were greater (not significant) in the uniform primarily because of the added weight and, to a lesser degree, the reduction in available evaporative surface area.     

Kirkpatrick plus: Evaluation and continuous improvement with a community focus

For almost 40 years, Donald Kirkpatrick's framework for evaluation has been used as a basic model for the identification and targeting of training-specific interventions in business, government, military, and industry alike. By approaching evaluation from four different perspectives—reaction, learning, behavior, and results—the model has provided a solid basis for the examination of training's impact on the organization. Despite the current practice of measuring one's success according to the success of one's clients, proposed changes in the model have not been frequently adopted. It is therefore likely time for professionals to reevaluate the utility and responsiveness of the Kirk-patrick framework to meet the value-added requirements of today's organizations. This article identifies tools and concepts for being responsive to the new organizational realities not originally addressed by the Kirkpatrick model.     

Students’ perceptions about peer assessment for writing: their origin and impact on revision work

We investigate students’ negative perceptions about an online peer assessment system for undergraduate writing across the disciplines. Specifically, we consider the nature of students’ resistance to peer assessment; what factors influence that resistance; and how students’ perceptions impact their revision work. We do this work by first examining findings from an end-of-course survey administered to 250 students in ten courses across six universities using an online peer assessment system called SWoRD for their writing assignments. Those findings indicate that students have the most positive perceptions of SWoRD in those courses where an instructor graded their work in addition to peers (as opposed to peer-only grading). We then move to an in-depth examination of perceptions and revision work among 84 students using SWoRD and no instructor grading for assessment of writing in one university class. Findings from that study indicate that students sometimes regard peer assessment as unfair and often believe that peers are unqualified to review and assess students’ work. Furthermore, students’ perceptions about the fairness of peer assessment drop significantly following students’ experience in doing peer assessment. Students’ fairness perceptions—and drops in those perceptions—are most significantly associated with their perceptions about the extent to which peers’ feedback is useful and positive. However, students’ perceptions appear to be unrelated to the extent of their revision work. This research fills a considerable gap in the literature regarding the origin of students’ negative perceptions about peer assessment, as well as how perceptions influence performance.     

Validité des instruments de décision pour l'évaluation des enseignants?

A review of the literature shows that the use of teacher evaluation in public education is widespread. This seems paradoxical when one considers the amount of criticism levied at them by a various groups. The present study was designed in order to deal with the problems of validity and reliability of teacher evaluation instruments planned for the purpose of teachers' promotion or for awarding merit pay. Based upon a review of the literature and school inspectors' judgements, a teacher evaluation instrument including 25 items has been constructed. The instrument has been tested by five school inspectors and 180 school principals. Following their judgements and the factor analysis run upon the data, a face validity and a content validity of the developed instrument emerged. However, conclusions concerning the reliability of the instrument have to be treated with caution. The use of an instrument of this type is justified only for making preliminary decisions as to the eligibility of teachers for further consideration for promotion or for merit pay. L'analyse de la littérature professionnelle montre l'utilisation croissante dans les établissements publics des instruments d'évaluation des enseignants. Ceci parait paradoxal si l'on tient compte des critiques importantes formulées à leur encontre par des groupes différents. La présente étude traite des problèmes de validitéet de fiabilitédes instruments d'évaluation des enseignants pour les décisions de promotion et de rémunération ''de mérite''. Se fondant sur la littérature professionnelle et sur les appréciations formulées par les inspecteurs scolaires, elle a élaboré un instrument représentatif d'évaluation des enseignants comportant 25 éléments. L'instrument a été testé auprès de 5 inspecteurs et de 180 directeurs d'école. Les résultats révèlent que cet instrument possède une validitéde contenu établie sur la littérature professionnelle, sur l'appréciation des inspecteurs scolaires et sur les résultats d'une analyse de facteurs fondée sur les réponses des directeurs d'école au questionnaire proposé. Toutefois, en ce qui concerne la fiabilité, les conclusions sont plus nuancées. L'utilisation d'instruments de ce type semble uniquement efficace pour la détermination préliminaire de ceux qui au sein des enseignants auraient droit ensuite à un examen plus précis de leurs mérites en vue de promotion ou de rémunérations. El análisis de la literatura profesional evidencia el uso creciente en los establecimientos públicos de instrumentos de evaluación de los profesores. Esto podría parecer paradójico si se tienen en cuenta las críticas importantes formuladas por diferentes grupos. El presente estudio trata de los problemas de validez y de fiabilidad de los instrumentsos de evaluación de los profesores para las decisiones de promoción y de remuneración ''del mérito''. Tomando como base la literatura profesional y las apreciaciones formuladas por los inspectores escolares, se ha elaborado un instrumento representativo de la evaluación de los profesores que comporta 25 elementos. El instrumento se sometióa prueba con 5 inspectores y 180 directores de escuela. Los resultados revelan que este instrumento representativo posee una validez de contenido establecida a partir de la literatura profesional, de la apreciación de los inspectores escolares y de los resultados de un análisis de factores que se fundamenta en las respuestas al cuestionario de directores de escuela. Sin embargo, en lo que se refiere a la fiabilidad de contenido, las conclusiones no son tan definidas. El uso de instrumentos de este tipo parece únicamente eficaz para la determinación preliminar de aquellos profesores que podrian tener derecho en una fase posterior, a pasar un examen más preciso de sus méritos para una promoción o remuneración. Sin embargo, dicho grupo de profesores una vez identificado, el instrumento no parece ser lo suficientemente fiable para la decisión de una promoción y convendría desarrollar enfoques complementarios. Ein Überblick über die Fachliteratur zeigt, dass sich die Verwendung Lehrerbewertungen immer mehr verbreitet, obwohl es paradoxalerweise von verschiedenen Gruppen stark kritisiert wird. Die vorliegende Studie beschäftigt sich mit den Problemen der Gültgkeit und Zuverlässigkeit von den Lehrerbewertungsmitteln, in Bezug auf die Beförderungsentscheidungen und auf die Leistungsentlohnungen. Sie hat, gestützt auf die Fachliteratur und auf die Ansichten der Schulraten, einen Bewertungssystem der Lehrer in 25 Punkten entworfen. Dieses Bewertungssystem wurde von 25 Schulraten und von 180 Schuldirektoren geprüft. Ihre Ansichten, sowie die Faktorenanalyse der Daten, bestätigen die Gültigkeit dieses Instrumentes. Die Benutzung eines Instrumentes dieser Art sollte zu einer ersten Entscheidung führen, dessen Inhalt nur die Berechtigung der Lehrer zur Beförderung, zur Leistungsentlohnung und zur weitere Untersuchung beinflussen sollte.