(Re)affirming identities: implementing a play-based approach to learning in the early years of schooling

Learning through play has traditionally been a central tenet in early childhood education, however, in recent times primary schools have begun to consider the benefits of introducing a play-based approach into early years classrooms to support young children’s learning, especially in the areas of language and literacy. This study focuses on the introduction of a play-based approach to a Foundation classroom (first year of formal schooling) in one Catholic primary school in Victoria, Australia. Taking a qualitative approach, drawing on interpretivist theory, data collection methods included group interviews with two Foundation teachers and their Early Years Coordinator at different points during the year, and two classroom observation sessions. This paper considers some of the challenges these teachers experienced and how they interpret and make sense of their work and the consequences this has for their identities as teachers. The data highlight tensions for these teachers that relate to issues of accountability and legitimisation.     

穿着丝绸的魅影

警报迅速地在东非的小镇马林迪(Malindi)传递开来.越过了海洋,跨过了珊瑚礁,好几片怪异的暴风云出现在海面上.渔民们急急忙忙把圆木舟拉往安全的陆地.当乌云聚拢过来时,突然间一切变清楚了,那不是乌云,而是船帆--一片接着一片的船帆,多得数也数不清.     

Enhancing Knowledge Transfer in Classroom Versus Online Settings: The Interplay Among Instructor, Student, Content, and Context

This article integrates management education and organizational learning theories to identify the factors that drive the differences in student outcomes between the online and classroom settings. We draw upon theory on knowledge transfer barriers in organizations to understand the interlinking relationships among presage conditions, deep learning process, and product in the 3P model of student learning. We test our model in the context of undergraduate education and find that confidence in the instructor's expertise, perceived content relevance, and the social richness of the classroom learning environment enhance student enjoyment of the course. Confidence in instructor's expertise and perceived content relevance also contribute to greater understanding of causal relationships among course concepts. Enjoyment is positively associated with learning performance in the classroom, but not online, and student ability is positively associated with learning performance in the online context, but not in the classroom. Our results have implications for course designs in the traditional classroom context and the more innovative online environment.     

Navigating complexity,culture, collaboration,and emotion: student perspectives on global justice and global justice education

Recent years have seen increasing scholarly attention to the ways in which colleges and universities might contribute to educating ‘global citizens’ who work toward addressing injustice and inequity. The present study examines the experiences and perspectives of students participating in an upper level ‘global justice inquiry’ course designed to help meet this goal. Drawing from interviews with students and reflections submitted as part of their course assessment, we explore participants’ developing understanding of global justice and their experiences of learning about this topic. This investigation reveals key issues that students highlight and with which they sometimes struggle, including the complexity of global challenges, the importance of collaboration in attempting to address such challenges, the significance of navigating cultural considerations, and the potential influence of emotion on understanding and action. Implications of these findings, including the potential value of considering these issues as threshold concepts in global justice education, are discussed.     

Effectiveness of hand cooling and a cooling jacket on post-exercise cooling rates in hyperthermic athletes

This study compared the effects of a hand cooling glove (～16°C water temperature; subatmospheric pressure of ?40 mmHg) and a cooling jacket (CJ) on post-exercise cooling rates (gastrointestinal core temperature, Tc; skin temperature, Tsk) and cognitive performance (the Stroop Colour–Word test). Twelve male athletes performed four trials (within subjects, counterbalanced design) involving cycling at a workload equivalent to 75% ?O₂max in heat (35.7?±?0.2°C, 49.2?±?2.6% RH) until a Tc of 39°C or exhaustion occurred. A 30-min cooling period (in 22.3?±?0.3°C, 42.1?±?3.6% RH) followed, where participants adopted either one-hand cooling (1H), two-hand cooling (2H), wore a CJ or no cooling (NC). No significant differences were seen in Tc and Tsk cooling rates between trials; however, moderate effect sizes (d?=?0.50–0.76) suggested Tc cooling rates to be faster for 1H, 2H and CJ compared to NC after 5 min; 1H and CJ compared to NC after 10 min and for CJ to be faster than 2H at 25–30 min. Reaction times on the cognitive test were similar between all trials after the 30 min cooling/no-cooling period (p?>?.05). In conclusion, Tc cooling rates were faster with 1H and CJ during the first 10 min compared to NC, with minimal benefit associated with 2H cooling. Reaction time responses were not impacted by the use of the glove(s) or CJ.     

Working together: supporting projects through action learning

Recent years have seen tremendous growth in knowledge management projects within the NHS. Project staff must acquire rapidly a wide range of task-related skills. Conventional training courses may be inappropriately timed or unavailable to project staff. Action learning provides a group-based means of meeting skills deficits associated with project management and delivery. This paper describes an action learning set for project staff on five knowledge management projects within Trent Region. A brief evaluation aimed to identify most and least useful and most and least enjoyable features of the action learning set. Comments on the facilitation and the content of the action learning sessions are analysed. Action learning is feasible in meeting the training needs of project staff. It may also provide a means of meeting the shared learning needs of communities of practice within a virtual environment. Knowledge management does not merely involve management and delivery within innovative projects but also requires exploiting shared learning across projects.     

Watching the race to find the breast cancer genes

This article focuses on a crucial development in genetic research that occurred in the 1990s: the identification of the first two of the genes responsible for hereditary breast and ovarian cancer (BRCA1 and BRCA2). Issues addressed touch on the evolution of the subfield, its potential impact on cancer treatment, and industry involvement. The article follows the activities of the various research groups competing in the race to identify the genes and depicts the frequent conflicts between them. Data are derived chiefly from a bibliometric database. The results show a diversity of research practices. Industrial researchers interacted within far more tightly knit networks than their counterparts working in public organizations. The patenting and commercial exploitation of results led to fierce battles, with one group capturing most of the benefits.