The Gallant Ghost of Handball

Amy Morris Homans was a great champion for women’s pursuit of leadership in physical education and sport. In honor of her legacy, the purpose of this article is to: (a) discuss some defining leadership characteristics of Amy Morris Homans; (b) examine leadership issues related to gender; (c) examine leadership issues related to kinesiology; and (d) delineate ways to overcome leadership obstacles related to both gender and kinesiology. In true Amy Morris Homans fashion, I draw from multiple perspectives to discuss these topics. I hope that this discussion at the congress challenges scholars to increase their awareness of the glass obstacles that confront our field, and design research studies on gender- and kinesiology-specific leadership challenges that will shatter those obstacles once and for all. If a new generation of women and men who champion women’s pursuit of and longevity in leadership roles is inspired, this lecture has been a success.     

Supporting collaborative inquiry during a biology field trip with mobile peer-to-peer tools for learning: a case study with K-12 learners

This study explores how collaborative inquiry learning can be supported with multiple scaffolding agents in a real-life field trip context. In practice, a mobile peer-to-peer messaging tool provided meta-cognitive and procedural support, while tutors and a nature guide provided more dynamic scaffolding in order to support argumentative discussions between groups of students during the co-creation of knowledge claims. The aim of the analysis was to identify and compare top- and low-performing dyads/triads in order to reveal the differences regarding their co-construction of arguments while creating knowledge claims. Although the results revealed several shortcomings in the types of argumentation, it could be established that differences between the top performers and low performers were statistically significant in terms of social modes of argumentation, the use of warrants in the mobile tool and in overall participation. In general, the use of the mobile tool likely promoted important interaction during inquiry learning, but led to superficial epistemological quality in the knowledge claim messages.     

Conducting Video Research in the Learning Sciences: Guidance on Selection,Analysis, Technology,and Ethics

Linking research to a compelling societal interest can build financial commitments to research, bring increased attention to findings, and grow support for scaling up impacts. Among many compelling societal interests that learning scientists can cite—such as increasing the quality of life, preparing citizens to make decisions in a complex world, and enhancing social cohesion among a diverse population—economic competitiveness is a compelling societal interest that resonates broadly among stakeholders. Indeed, it is now somewhat common to introduce learning sciences research, as in the Cambridge Handbook of the Learning Sciences and the U.S. National Education Technology Plan, by citing economic rationales. Despite the utility of evoking a potential link between learning research and economic competitiveness in the minds of broader audiences, learning scientists engage in rather little critical discussion of whether such links are meaningful and empirically sound within their own programs of research. This article seeks both to problematize conventional wisdom about links between learning sciences research and economic growth and to suggest possible directions for future research aimed at discovering stronger links. Because the issues are complex, we do not reach firm conclusions. Rather, this article seeks to spark a discussion within the field.     

Addressing the Challenges of Inquiry-Based Learning Through Technology and Curriculum Design

Inquiry experiences can provide valuable opportunities for students to improve their understanding of both science content and scientific practices. However, the implementation of inquiry learning in classrooms presents a number of significant challenges. We have been exploring these challenges through a program of research on the use of scientific visualization technologies to support inquiry-based learning in the geosciences. In this article, we describe 5 significant challenges to implementing inquiry-based learning and present strategies for addressing them through the design of technology and curriculum. We present a design history covering 4 generations of software and curriculum to show how these challenges arise in classrooms and how the design strategies respond to them.     

A VALID SELF‐APPRAISAL INSTRUMENT FOR COMMUNITY COLLEGE ADMINISTRATORS

This study resulted from a concern that a valid and reliable self‐assessment instrument was needed for community college administrators. The instrument constructed included thirty performance dimensions. Administrators from three community colleges assisted in the establishment of the validity and reliability of the instrument. The process for developing a self‐assessment instrument for performance appraisal was validated. Implications for practice include a method for administrator self‐improvement of performance and the development of administrator training programs.     

(7) Need for a Municipal Library System for the City of Calcutta

Abstract

A study of the development of third generation Nigerian university libraries established between 1980-1984 was conducted during the latter part of the 1990/91 session. The study, which was carried out through the use of a questionnaire, personal visits, as well as informal discussions with the staff, had the objective of determining the similarities and dissimilarities in the growth of the libraries using indices such as governance, finance, stock and services, etc., as well as problems affecting their effective performance. The outcome of the study showed that there are more areas of similarities than dissimilarities in the ways they operate. Poor funding, scarcity of foreign exchange for the purchase of library materials from abroad, near absence of modern information retrieval technologies as well as theft and mutilation of materials, were found to constitute major problems to their rapid development. The recently negotiated World Bank loan for the Nigerian university sector designed to inject some US$120m for the purchase of books, journals and library equipment among others gives a ray of hope, though on a short-term basis. It is suggested that to take the university libraries out of the woods, massive injection of funds on a long-term basis is required.