Multi-segmental movements as a function of experience in karate

Karate is a martial art that partly depends on subjective scoring of complex movements. Principal component analysis (PCA)-based methods can identify the fundamental synergies (principal movements) of motor system, providing a quantitative global analysis of technique. In this study, we aimed at describing the fundamental multi-joint synergies of a karate performance, under the hypothesis that the latter are skilldependent; estimate karateka’s experience level, expressed as years of practice. A motion capture system recorded traditional karate techniques of 10 professional and amateur karateka. At any time point, the 3D-coordinates of body markers produced posture vectors that were normalised, concatenated from all karateka and submitted to a first PCA. Five principal movements described both gross movement synergies and individual differences. A second PCA followed by linear regression estimated the years of practice using principal movements (eigenpostures and weighting curves) and centre of mass kinematics (error: 3.71 years; R2 = 0.91, P ? 0.001). Principal movements and eigenpostures varied among different karateka and as functions of experience. This approach provides a framework to develop visual tools for the analysis of motor synergies in karate, allowing to detect the multi-joint motor patterns that should be restored after an injury, or to be specifically trained to increase performance.     

Materiality and immateriality in Lucio Fontana's environments: From documentary research to the reproduction of lost artworks

In recent years, many international initiatives have sparked a debate on guidelines and criteria for documenting existing installations and environments. Nevertheless, a comparison between those environments, and lost or reproduced ones, still needs to be closely considered. This becomes even more interesting in the case of works that were made by artists no longer alive. Starting from the study on Italian artist Lucio Fontana's historical environments, we show how a historically accurate reconstruction, based on the analysis of various sources (original documents, letters, articles, interviews and videos, as well as critical essays) can be considered as a conservation strategy for works that were originally created as ‘ephemeral’, but later became fundamental within art history. The data and metadata can be used as a second step for the reconstruction of the environments, creating ‘replicas’ that closely mimic the artist's intent and that can then be documented and properly preserved. On one hand, the outcomes of the research presented is that of understanding to what extent it is possible to achieve a fair rendition of Fontana's environments and thus foster their proper appreciation. On a second and more practical level, we will present a study of the first exhibition centered on the reproduction of the artist's environments, which will be held in HangarBicocca, Milan, Italy, in 2017. A scientific and philological approach will allow us to fully respect the original artworks and the context in which they were produced. The reconstruction will also be the occasion to collect data regarding the materials that Fontana used extensively, and to gather information about the companies that produced them, as well as about the past and present quality of such materials, and the possibility of reproducing them today. This approach seeks to investigate the interplay between theory and reconstruction materiality through the double lens of historical research, on one hand, and contemporary conservation and museology debates on the other.     

Distance Learning: The U.S. Version

Distance learning in higher education has developed differently in the United States from the way it developed many other countries. Driven by the developments in technology and fueled by partnerships with industry, distance education in the U.S. is charting unmapped waters. For over a century, universities have relied on students coming to them. Now they find that they must go to the students. This article examines some of the history, technology, research, and trends in distance education and raises key questions. What part does the profit motive play in the corporatization of education? How can traditional universities adjust to meet the needs of a changing population, and who will be the gatekeepers? The opportunity is here to improve on existing educational institutions and add flexibility to the monolithic institutions of traditional universities. Distance educators will need to be vigilant to ensure that the strengths of sound pedagogy are not lost in the race to embrace new technologies.     

Physical education and sport science undergraduate students as multimedia and web developers: Moving from the user’s to the creator’s perspective

The increasing importance that Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) have been gaining for Physical Education (PE) and sports pedagogy has generated the need to prepare ICT-proficient prospective PE teachers within PE and sport science university departments. This study was aimed at: (a) the design and implementation of two project-based elective courses on ICT in education (entitled ‘Informatics in Education’ and ‘Computers in Physical Education Teaching’) for the undergraduate students of a PE and sport science department, and (b) the investigation of students’ responses to the courses and instructor’s experiences from organizing and imparting the courses. The courses were focused on educational multimedia and web development for PE. Twenty-three students that had attended ‘Informatics in Education’ and 13 students that had attended ‘Computers in Physical Education Teaching’ participated in the study. Research data were collected through student questionnaires and instructor’s notes. It was found that students were helped to acquire basic multimedia and web development skills for educational purposes, and that their responses to the courses were positive overall. The courses fulfilled students’ expectations and were successful in equipping students with self-confidence in their ability to make use of ICT in PE courses and to construct multimedia and web-based learning materials. Furthermore, students were provided with opportunities to express their creativity and improve their future instructional practices. However, the study also brought to light the various difficulties and challenges of training prospective PE teachers in the didactical utilization of ICT at undergraduate level.     

Integrating Technology in Teaching and Teacher Education: Implications for Policy and Curriculum Reform

This paper discusses technology integration in teaching and teacher education. Emphasis is placed on policy and curriculum reform as they relate to the use of information technologies for teacher education. Particular reference is made to the situation in Cyprus public schools. It is argued that for successful technology integration, there needs to be a shift in pedagogical approaches and reform of teacher education programmes. Concluding, suggestions are provided on how information technologies can best be integrated in pre-service teacher education and in-service teacher professional development. Intégration des technologies dans l’enseignement et la formation des enseignants : quelles implications

politiques, quel impact sur la réforme curriculaire? Dans cet article nous analyserons comment s'intègrent les technologies dans l'enseignement et la formation des enseignants et mettrons l'accent sur les conséquences de cette intégration sur les aspects politiques et sur la réforme des curricula avec une attention particulière À la situation des écoles publiques chypriotes. Nous défendons l'idée que l'intégration des TIC doit s'accompagner d'un changement profond dans nos faÇons d'enseigner et de concevoir les programmes de formation des enseignants. Enfin, le texte suggère quelques idées concernant l'intégration des TIC dans la formation initiale et continue des enseignants. Integration von Technologie im Unterricht und in der Lehrerausbildung : Auswirkung auf die Schulpolitik

und die Lehrplanreform. In diesem Artikel behandeln wir die Integration von neuen Technologien im Unterricht und in der Lehrerausbildung, und heben deren Auswirkungen auf die Schulpolitik und die Lehrplanreform hervor. Wir nehmen insbesondere Bezug auf die Situation der öffentlichen Schulen auf Zypern. Eine signifikante Aenderung unserer pädagogischen Denkweise und eine Reform der Lehrerausbildung ist Voraussetzung für die erfolgreiche Integration der neuen Technologien. Abschliessend möchten wir Vorschläge vorbringen, wie Informationstechnologien in der Ausbildung und Fortbildung von Lehrkräften am besten integriert werden können.     

Time to participate: Lessons from the literature for learning and teaching project evaluation in higher education

Evaluation plays an increasingly important role in the quality-driven context of higher education. Projects that focus on learning and teaching often have evaluation expected of them, however, there is little evidence on the effectiveness of approaches nor the extent to which the praxis of evaluation is achieved. To illustrate this phenomenon, project funding and evaluation expectations are reviewed and the resulting analysis of the literature identifies eight emergent themes. Two overarching factors that unite these themes are time (or lack of it) and participation, leading to six issues for evaluation practice. Alignment of evaluation theory with practice requires focused attention if the maximum benefits of evaluation for the project processes are to be achieved.     

The Effect of a Classroom-Based Intensive Robotics and Programming Workshop on Sequencing Ability in Early Childhood

This paper examines the impact of programming robots on sequencing ability during a 1-week intensive robotics workshop at an early childhood STEM magnet school in the Harlem area of New York City. Children participated in computer programming activities using a developmentally appropriate tangible programming language CHERP, specifically designed to program a robot’s behaviors. The study assessed 27 participants’ sequencing skills before and after the programming and robotics curricular intervention using a picture-story sequencing task and compared those skills to a control group. Pre-test and post-test scores were compared using a paired sample t test. The group of children who participated in the 1-week robotics and programming workshop experienced significant increases in post-test compared to pre-test sequencing scores.     

Cultural capital and intellectual ability as predictors of scholastic achievement: a study of Slovenian secondary school students

Cultural capital, originally a general sociological concept, has been transformed into a construct that is often applied in predicting scholastic attainment. Intellectual ability (IQ) has also been proven to be a strong, although basically psychological, predictor of educational attainment. However, these strands of research have hardly been contrasted in terms of their predictive power and in terms of their potential interaction. In the current study of Slovenian secondary school students, the results indicated that both constructs had statistically significant predictive power, both as to attainment and as to transition into type of secondary education. Results also indicated that: both constructs were fairly robust, as their predictive power remained statistically significant even after control variables were entered into the model; and they operated independently as results indicated no interaction between these constructs. The ‘return’ on cultural capital was greater for students whose parents had lower educational status.