Secular and Koranic literacies in South Asia: From colonisation to contemporary practice

This paper explores the distinction between ‘secular’ and ‘Koranic’ schooling and literacy in South Asia. It begins by tracing an archaeology of the distinction between secular ‘literacy’ and religious ‘illiteracy’. It locates the emergence of the distinction in the colonial census of the 19th century, in the development of ‘English’ education, and the responses within madrasa schools. The second part locates these debates and their on-going importance within a contemporary ethnographic setting. It examines the relevance of the distinction in relation to women's literacy practices. The paper argues that both secular and religious literacy practices are significant for women's status and well-being, and illustrates the centrality of religious reading and learning in Bangladesh. The paper challenges the conventional distinction between religious and secular schooling and literacy, noting their complementary and overlapping nature.     

The effect of leg kick on sprint front crawl swimming

Abstract

The aim of this study was to examine the influence of leg kick on the pattern, the orientation and the propulsive forces produced by the hand, the efficiency of the arm stroke, the trunk inclination, the inter-arm coordination and the intra-cyclic horizontal velocity variation of the hip in sprint front crawl swimming. Nine female swimmers swam two maximal trials of 25 m front crawl, with and without leg kick. Four camcorders were used to record the underwater movements. Using the legs, the mean swimming velocity increased significantly. On the contrary, the velocity and the orientation of the hand, the magnitude and the direction of the propulsive forces, as well as the Froude efficiency of the arm stroke were not modified. The hip intra-cyclic horizontal velocity variation was also not changed, while the index of coordination decreased significantly. A significant decrease (13%) was also observed in the inclination of the trunk. Thus, the positive effect of leg kick on the swimming speed, besides the obvious direct generation of propulsive forces from the legs, could probably be attributed to the reduction of the body’s inclination, while the generation of the propulsive forces and the efficiency of the arm stroke seem not to be significantly affected.     

A comparison of outcomes of virtual school courses offered in synchronous and asynchronous formats

As part of the formative evaluation of Alabama's pilot of its virtual schooling system (the Alabama ACCESS Distance Learning Program), the Alabama State Department of Education examined outcome data from courses offered in the two distance delivery systems: web-based course management and interactive videoconferencing (IVC). In light of Bernard et al's. [Bernard, R., Abrami, P., Lou, Y., Borokhovski, E., Wade, A., Wozney, L., et al. (2004). How does distance learning compare with classroom instruction? A meta-analysis of the empirical literature. Review of Educational Research, 74(3), 379–434] recent meta-analysis finding that asynchronous distance environments generally had more positive outcomes than synchronous ones, a comparison of online (asynchronous) and IVC (synchronous) platforms provided an opportunity to explore and shed more light on outcome comparisons between synchronous and asynchronous platforms. Though there were some outcome differences, the dominant finding was of no differences between platforms.     

Illustrating the lecture: Prepared diagrams vs. built-up diagrams

Conclusions The opinions of senior students largely confirmed the earlier speculative analysis. The sequential build-up of diagrams simplified the task of copying and, since oral and visual exposition were synchronized, led to better understanding. But the greatest advantage was that it gave the class enough time to take notes. When prepared transparencies are used, the lecturer seems irresistibly tempted to hurry on at too great a pace. All teachers subjectively exaggerate the length of an unfilled time interval in which they have nothing to do; they become impatient and allow insufficient time for the slower members of a class to complete tasks. Therefore, if lecturers believe that visually presented materials should be recorded, then they should either build up the materials as they go or discipline themselves to wait until the class has had reasonable time to record them.     

Globalising assessment: an ethnography of literacy assessment,camels and fast food in the Mongolian Gobi

What happens when standardised literacy assessments travel globally? The paper presents an ethnographic account of adult literacy assessment events in rural Mongolia. It examines the dynamics of literacy assessment in terms of the movement and re-contextualisation of test items as they travel globally and are received locally by Mongolian respondents. The analysis of literacy assessment events is informed by Goodwin's ‘participation framework’ on language as embodied and situated interactive phenomena and by Actor Network Theory. Actor Network Theory (ANT) is applied to examine literacy assessment events as processes of translation shaped by an ‘assemblage’ of human and non-human actors (including the assessment texts).