Education 3.0: breaking the mold with technology

In order to meet the needs of today's knowledge economy, education needs to move beyond the industrial age approach of treating all learners as if they are the same and adopt a learner-centered model of education suitable for the information age. To support this model, a new and transformative technology is needed that focuses on mastery and customized learning. This article reviews the existing approaches to educational technology before proposing a new, customizable, open, and interoperable technology: a personalized integrated educational system (PIES) that provides full functionality for students, teachers, parents and other stakeholders and bridges the gaps between formal and informal learning. PIES' four primary functions: record keeping, planning, instruction, and assessment, as well as secondary functions, are defined and described. Future challenges and research opportunities are also identified.     

Association between knee-to-hip flexion ratio during single-leg vertical landings,and strength and range of motion in professional soccer players

Abstract

The aim of this study was to test the correlation between knee-to-hip flexion ratio during a single leg landing task and hip and knee strength, and ankle range of motion. Twenty-four male participants from a professional soccer team performed a continuous single leg jump-landing test during 10s, while lower limb kinematics data were collected using a motion analysis system. After biomechanical testing, maximal isometric hip (abduction, extension, external rotation), knee extension and flexion strength were measured. Maximum ankle dorsiflexion range of motion was assessed statically using the weight bearing lunge test. Pearson correlation coefficients were calculated to determine the associations between the predictor variables (knee and hip strength, and ankle ROM) and the main outcome measure (knee-to-hip flexion ratio). Correlation between knee-to-hip flexion ratio and hip abductors strength was significant (r = ?0.47; p = 0.019). No other significant correlations were observed among the variables (p > 0.05). These results demonstrated that a lower hip abductors strength in male soccer players was correlated with a high knee-to-hip flexion ratio during landing from a single leg jump, potentially increasing knee overload by decreasing energy absorption at the hip. The results provide a novel proposal for the functioning of hip muscles to control knee overload.     

Christianity as public religion: a justification for using a Christian sociological approach for studying the social scientific aspects of sport

Abstract

The vast majority of social scientific studies of sport have been secular in nature and/or have tended to ignore the importance of studying the religious aspects of sport. In light of this, a recent study has sought to encourage sociologists of sport not to divorce the ‘religious’ and the ‘sacred’ from their studies. In response to this call, the goal of the current essay is to explore how the conception of Christianity as ‘public religion’ can be utilized to help justify the use of a Christian sociological approach for studying the social scientific aspects of sport. After making a case for Christianity as public religion, we conclude that many of the sociological issues inherent in modern sport are an indirect result of its increasing secularization and argue that this justifies the need for a Christian sociological approach. We encourage researchers to use the Bible, the tools of Christian theology and sociological concepts together, so to inform analyses of modern sport from a Christian perspective.     

Measuring the Impact of Gold and Green Open Access

Using data from Web of Science, this research investigates how physical science researchers funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research complied with its open access policy, and compares the citation counts of articles published through gold and green models.It was found that, for articles published between 2008 and 2015, 9% were available through gold open access routes and 13% were available through green routes; most were not openly accessible. Citation rates were comparable for green open access and non-open access articles, but citation rates for gold open access articles were lower. After controlling for publication year, citation rates of gold, green, and non-open access articles were comparable. Among gold open access articles, citation rates were highest for open access journals with article processing charges, but after controlling for publication year, articles published in hybrid journals, followed by those in open access journals with article processing charges, achieved the highest citation rates. Articles published in free open access journals had the lowest citation rates. The results suggest that green open access is the most economical approach to comply with open access policies, and that it provides researchers with at least as much research impact as gold open access.     

Weeding with Wisdom: Tuning Deselection of Print Monographs in Book-Reliant Disciplines

As university libraries transition to digital collections and new services, their book deselection projects often lead to the adoption of cross-discipline quantitative weeding criteria (such as age and low circulation) in the interest of speed and presumed fairness. Cross-discipline quantitative rubrics, however, can have unintended negative consequences when applied to disciplines such as history and literature that rely on older books with low circulation statistics. The authors argue for a discipline-differentiated approach to weeding academic library collections that can employ quantitative criteria for disciplines, such as in the sciences, that are more reliant on current materials and qualitative criteria for disciplines, such as in the humanities, whose scholars benefit from ready access to older and low-use books.     

Closing the PDF gap: ReadCube’s experiments in reader‐focused design

Key points

• Twenty years ago, a fraction of articles were paired with supplements; now, one in five research stories go beyond PDF.
• Why has the evolution of research content's delivery vehicles lagged behind the evolution of the research story?
• Hyperlinked in‐line references are the most used feature of the Enhanced PDF – exposing faster, easier ways to follow the path of research.
• Discovery need not start and end with the search engine – it can start within the PDF itself.
• Discovery is not a solitary process; therefore, content platforms must support collaboration to drive readership.