Questioning two myths in innovation literature

Which knowledge is most important in the completion of innovative processes? In which contexts does such knowledge develop? The combination of an in-depth case study, theory and reasoning formed the platform from which conclusions could be drawn. One conclusion is that the strategic knowledge necessary for innovation not only concerns technology. It is rather about business intelligence, funding, marketing and other non-technical areas. Moreover, the production and development of frontline knowledge and research is not the sole province of universities. In many areas, companies are far ahead of universities. Both conclusions differ from the assumptions in mainstream innovation literature.     

Introducing a symbolic interactionist approach on teaching mathematics: the case of revoicing as an interactional strategy in the teaching of probability

This study examines an interactional view on teaching mathematics, whereby meaning is co-produced with the students through a process of negotiation. Further, teaching is viewed from a symbolic interactionism perspective, allowing the analysis to focus on the teacher’s role in the negotiation of meaning. Using methods inspired by grounded theory, patterns of teachers’ interaction are categorized. The results show how teachers’ actions, interpretations and intentions form interactional strategies that guide the negotiation of meaning in the classroom. The theoretical case of revoicing as a teacher action, together with interpretations of mathematical objects from probability theory, is used to exemplify conclusions from the proposed perspective. Data are generated from a lesson sequence with two teachers working with known and unknown constant sample spaces with their classes. In the lessons presented in this article, the focus is on negotiations of the meaning of chance. The analysis revealed how the teachers indicate their interpretations of mathematical objects and intentions to the students to different degrees and, by doing so, create opportunities for the students to ascribe meaning to these objects. The discussion contrasts the findings with possible interpretations from other perspectives on teaching.     

Number of Judges when Scaling Attitude Items

Sjödahl, L. 1974. Number of Judges when Scaling Attitude Items. Scand. J. educ. Res. 18, 183‐197. When constructing attitude scales for measuring patient‐centering among student nurses the author has carried out a series of studies of the method of attitude scale formation. The article presents one of several methodological studies published by the same author in Ped. psyk. problem (nr. 184). Scale values, interquartile range, interval position and the selection of items for the final scale are studied as dependent variables when varying the size of the judging group. The results show that correlations between series of scale values from judging groups of varying sizes can be very high but that we can still get quite a different selection of items for the final scale, depending upon which judging group we use in the scaling procedure. The stability of the interval placements of the statements is shown to vary with the intervals along the scale.     

Cross‐Country Skiing

The purpose was to study the adaptation to speed in the temporal patterns of the movement cycle and determine any differences in velocity, cycle rate and cycle length at the maximum speed level in the different classical style and freestyle cross‐country skiing techniques. Eight skilled male cross‐country skiers were filmed with a digital video camera in the sagittal plane while skiing on a flat cross‐country ski track. The skiers performed three classical style techniques the diagonal stride, kick double poling and the double poling technique and four freestyle techniques paddle dance (gear 2), double dance (gear 3), single dance (gear 4) and combiskate (gear 5) at four different self‐selected speed levels slow, medium, fast and their maximum. Cycle duration, cycle rate, cycle length, and relative and absolute cycle phase duration of the different techniques at the different speed levels were analysed by means of a video analysis system. The cycle rate in all tested classical and freestyle techniques was found to increase significantly (p < .01) with speed from slow to maximum. Simultaneously, there was a significant decrease in the absolute phase durations of all the investigated skiing techniques. A minor, not significant, change in cycle length, and the significant increase in cycle rate with speed showed that the classical and freestyle cross‐country skiing styles are dependent, to a large extent, on an increase in cycle rate for speed adaptation. A striking finding was the constant relative phase duration with speed, which indicates a simplified neural control of the speed adaptation in both cross‐country skiing styles. For the practitioner, the knowledge about the importance of increasing cycle frequency rather than cycle length in the speed adaptation can be used to optimise a rapid increase in speed. The knowledge about the decrease in absolute phase duration, especially the thrust phase duration, points to the need for strength and technique training to enable force production at a high cycle rate and skiing speed. The knowledge that the relative phase duration stays constant with speed may be used to simplify the learning of the different cross‐country skiing techniques.     

Monitoring markers of muscle damage during a 3 week periodized drop-jump exercise programme

The aim of this study was to examine changes in indirect markers of muscle damage during 3 weeks of stretch-shortening exercise with a progressively increasing load and continued modulation of various key training variables. Eight healthy untrained men performed a drop-jump programme involving a progressive increase in load impact with respect to the number of jumps performed, drop (platform) height, squat depth amplitude, and addition of weights. Maximal concentric and isometric knee extensor strength were assessed immediately before and 10?min after each training session. Voluntary and 100 Hz-stimulation-evoked torque decreased acutely after each training session relative to pre-exercise values (P?相似文献