The Reading Approach & Second Language Learning

Learning a second language at the adult stage of life poses a complex situation of interacting already formed first tongue set in reflective mode of development and the new language with its all new:philosophy,syntax,spextra of idioms and implied meanings,humour,metaphors and rhythm.     

Layers of experience: Forms of representation in a Waldorf school classroom

During the lesson block in a Waldorf sixth-grade classroom studying mediaeval history, the teacher presented content in a variety of ways, such as oral story-telling, creative writing, drawing, music, singing, and group-recitation. The teacher based her selection of forms of representation on the children's stage of development. According to the philosophical foundation of Waldorf education, anthroposophy, students in the sixth-grade are in the stage of middle-childhood, when feeling, imagination, and experience are the strongest factors in learning. The variety of forms of representation the teacher selected to present content to this group of students created multiple layers of experience intended to reflect these developmental and philosophical beliefs.     

"Shocking" masculinity: Stanley Milgram, "obedience to authority," and the "crisis of manhood" in Cold War America

Stanley Milgram's study of "obedience to authority" is one of the best-known psychological experiments of the twentieth century. This essay examines the study's special charisma through a detailed consideration of the intellectual, cultural, and gender contexts of Cold War America. It suggests that Milgram presented not a "timeless" experiment on "human nature" but, rather, a historically contingent, scientifically sanctioned "performance" of American masculinity at a time of heightened male anxiety. The essay argues that this gendered context invested the obedience experiments with an extraordinary plausibility, immediacy, and relevance. Immersed in a discourse of masculinity besieged, many Americans read the obedience experiments not as a fanciful study of laboratory brutality but as confirmation of their worst fears. Milgram's extraordinary success thus lay not in his "discovery" of the fragility of individual conscience but in his theatrical flair for staging culturally relevant masculine performances.     

Biomechanical analysis of the grab, track and handle swimming starts: an intervention study

This study examined the grab, track and handle swimming racing starts by elitelevel swimmers. Videography was used to analyse these starts before and after a period of dive start practice. Participants underwent 2-4 sessions weekly until 14 +/- 2 practice sessions were completed. Practice sessions comprised 5 grab starts (preferred technique) and 10 handle starts; or 5 grab starts and 10 track starts. The performance criterion measure was time to 10 m. Reaction, movement, block and flight times, flight distance, and the centre of mass at the set position were measured. No significant differences between dive groups in time to 10 m were revealed pre- or post-training. The training period further exaggerated the differences in centre of mass positions in the set position between the three techniques. The handle start revealed a significant change forward in the centre of mass that allowed for decreased movement and block times. The training period improved 10 m, reaction, movement, block and flight times irrespective of the technique used. Hence, regular dive start practice significantly improved the start performances of elite swimmers. Coaches should consider including regular dive practice sessions of approximately 15 minutes to improve dive start performances.     

The basis for bibliomining: Frameworks for bringing together usage-based data mining and bibliometrics through data warehousing in digital library services

Over the past few years, data mining has moved from corporations to other organizations. This paper looks at the integration of data mining in digital library services. First, bibliomining, or the combination of bibliometrics and data mining techniques to understand library services, is defined and the concept explored. Second, the conceptual frameworks for bibliomining from the viewpoint of the library decision-maker and the library researcher are presented and compared. Finally, a research agenda to resolve many of the common bibliomining issues and to move the field forward in a mindful manner is developed. The result is not only a roadmap for understanding the integration of data mining in digital library services, but also a template for other cross-discipline data mining researchers to follow for systematic exploration in their own subject domains.     

Vocabulary Development and Trajectories of Behavioral and Emotional Difficulties Via Academic Ability and Peer Problems

This study investigates associations between trajectories of children's vocabulary development and subsequent behavioral and emotional difficulties via two potential mediating mechanisms; literacy and peer problems. Nationally representative data from 4,983 Australian children were used to examine trajectories of receptive vocabulary (4–5, 6–7, and 8–9 years) and hyperactivity-inattention, conduct problems and emotional symptoms (8–9, 10–11, 12–13, 14–15 years), and literacy and peer problems (8–9 years). Lower growth in vocabulary was related to trajectories of hyperactivity-inattention, conduct problems, and emotional symptoms. Literacy was a key mediator explaining these associations. Results were consistent for children below the 50th percentile for vocabulary at 4–5 years compared to the full sample. These findings suggest that early literacy-based interventions may alleviate declining academic, emotional and behavioral functioning in adolescence.     

A battery of strength tests for evidence-based classification in Para swimming

This study examined the validity of isometric strength tests for evidence-based classification in Para swimming. Thirty non-disabled participants and forty-two Para swimmers with physical impairment completed an isometric strength test battery designed to explain activity limitation in the freestyle discipline. Measures pertaining to dominant and non-dominant limb strength and symmetry were derived from four strength tests that were found to be reliable in a cohort of non-disabled participants (ICC = 0.85–0.97; CV = 6.4–9.1%). Para swimmers had lower scores in strength tests compared with non-disabled participants (d = 0.14–1.00) and the strength test battery successfully classified 95% of Para swimmers with physical impairment using random forest algorithm. Most of the strength measures had low to moderate correlations (r = 0.32 to 0.53; p ≤ 0.05) with maximal freestyle swim speed in Para swimmers. Although, fewer correlations were found when Para swimmers with hypertonia or impaired muscle power were analysed independently, highlighting the impairment-specific nature of activity limitation in Para swimming. Collectively, the strength test battery has utility in Para swimming classification to infer loss of strength in Para swimmers, guide minimum eligibility criteria, and to define the impact that strength impairment has on Para swimming performance.