National Assessment of Writing Proficiency Among Norwegian Students in Compulsory Schools

The paper reports and discusses a government‐initiated nationwide assessment of writing proficiency among Norwegian compulsory school students. A sample‐study of 7th and 10th grade students are discussed and reported with regard to challenges in measuring writing skills in a valid and reliable manner. For the 7th graders the results showed a greater proportion of narrative texts, and in contrast to more scientific oriented texts, was assessed as “lower than expected”; however, for the 10th graders the tendency was opposite with respect to central linguistic components. Low correlations between the raters were ascertained at both levels, indicating different views among teachers as to what can be expected of students' writing proficiency. The results are discussed in relation to the usefulness of the theoretical model as a basis for assessment of writing proficiency, as well as other obstacles to constructing valid and reliable writing tests.     

Enlightenment and measurement – a way to improve health among high school students

Abstract

This paper examines the effect of participating in a web-based health programme that promotes personal tracking of high school students’ own measurements of a number of health-related parameters. Danish cross-sectional survey data were used to examine the effects of the health programme on various health measures. Both quantile regression models and standard ordinary least squares (OLS) models were used to explore the correlations between the students’ participation in the health programme and their body mass index (BMI), body fat percentage, aerobic fitness, and well-being. Participation in the health programme increased BMI and aerobic fitness among students with a BMI or an aerobic fitness value ranging from the 25th percentile to the 75th percentile and reduced body fat percentage among students with the highest percentages of body fat. In addition, the health programme led to an increased feeling of wellbeing among students, especially those with high BMI levels and poor aerobic fitness. As the schools participated in the health programme on voluntary basis and at a financial cost to themselves, the positive effects of participation found can only be stated to be valid among students from committed schools.     

Sodium bicarbonate ingestion and its effects on anaerobic exercise of various durations

Abstract

Four groups of male subjects participated in anaerobic testing on a Repco EX 10 cycle ergometer to determine the effectiveness of sodium bicarbonate (0.3 g kg^‐1 body mass) as an ergogenic aid during exercise of 10, 30, 120 and 240 s duration. Blood was collected 90 min prior to ingestion of sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO₃), after ingestion of NaHCO₃ and immediately post‐exercise from a heated (43–46°C) fingertip and analysed immediately post‐collection for pH, base excess, bicarbonate and lactate. The total work undertaken (kj) and peak power achieved during the tests were also obtained via a Repco Work Monitor Unit. Blood bicarbonate levels were again increased above the control and placebo conditions (P< 0.001) and blood lactate levels were also increased following the bicarbonate trials. The pH levels fell significantly (P<0.05) below the control and placebo conditions in all trials. The results indicate that NaHCO₃ at this dosage has no ergogenic benefit for work of either 10 or 30 s duration, even though blood bicarbonate levels were significantly increased (P<0.05) following ingestion of NaHCO₃. For work periods of 120 and 240 s, performance was significantly increased (P<0.05) above the control and placebo conditions following NaHCO₃ ingestion.     

Economy in track runners and orienteers during path and terrain running

The aims ofthe present study were to assess running economy in track runners and orienteers and to identify the factors responsible for any differences. The participants were 11 orienteers and 10 track runners of similar age, body mass, maximal oxygen uptake and training background. However, the orienteers included heavy terrain running in their daily training, whereas the track runners ran almost entirely on the roads and tracks. Maximal oxygen uptake and running economy were calculated during horizontal path running and during cross-country running in rough terrain with steep hills, using a telemetric system (K2, Cosmed, Italy). Running economy during path running was 217 +/- 12 and 212 +/- 14 ml.kg -1 .km -1 (mean +/- s) in the orienteers and the track runners, respectively. Running economy was impaired by 41-52% in heavy terrain (P ? 0.05), and was less pronounced in the orienteers than in the track runners (88 +/- 18 vs 109 +/- 26 ml.kg -1 .km -1 ; P ? 0.05). In conclusion, the better running economy of orienteers when changing from horizontal path to heavy terrain running could be an innate ability, or it could be speculated that specific training may improve running economy, indicating the importance of specific training for orienteers.     

Designing the Auditor: A Prototype of Locative Radio with Original Sound Content

Location-based sound media are similar to traditional radio in that they rely on communication in sound alone. The smartphone has GPS and Bluetooth, and it is easy to attach sound to locations like a rail station, a neighborhood, or a street. The research team designed a media prototype, Auditor, and produced a soundscape called “The Railroad Dialogues.” The medium and content were tested in a field trial with 42 young, urban headphone listeners. The article reports on the informants’ level of immersion in the sound content and interface, and considers their potential to supplement radio in the future.     

The Changing Ecology of Tools for Live News Reporting

Broadcast news channels provide fresh, continuously updated coverage of events, in sharp competition with other news channels in the same market. The live moment is a valuable feature, and broadcasters have always relied on teams that can react quickly to breaking news and report live from the scene. Technology plays an important role in the production of live news, and a number of tools are applied by skilled actors in what can be called an ecology of tools for live news reporting. This study explores new video tools for television news, and the tinkering conducted by the reporting teams to adapt to such tools. Six journalists and photographers at broadcaster TV 2 in Norway were interviewed about their everyday work practices out in the field, and we present the findings in an analysis where six aspects of contemporary live news reporting are explored: (1) from heavy to light equipment, (2) more live news at TV 2, (3) the practice of going live, (4) the mobility of live reporters, (5) tinkering to go live, and (6) quicker pace of production. In the concluding remarks we summarize our insights about live news reporting.     

Changes in U.S. Journalism

During the past decade, great changes have occurred in journalism, many of them due to the rapid rise of social media. What has happened to American journalists in the decade since the early 2000s, a time of tumultuous changes in society, economics, and technology? What impact have the many cutbacks and the dramatic growth of the internet had on US journalists’ attitudes, and behaviors—and even on the definition of who is a journalist? To answer the questions raised above, in late 2013 we conducted a national online survey of 1080 US journalists. The survey is part of the American Journalist project, which conducted similar surveys of US journalists in 1982, 1992, and 2002. We found that US journalists use social media mainly to check on what other news organizations are doing and to look for breaking news events. A majority also use social media to find ideas for stories, keep in touch with their readers and viewers, and find additional information. Thus, journalists use social media predominantly as information-gathering tools and much less to interview sources or to validate information. Our findings also indicate that most journalists consider social media to have a positive impact on their work. Of particular value, it seems, was the fact that social media make journalism more accountable to the public. However, only about a third of the journalists also think that social media have a positive influence on the journalistic profession overall. One of the most common negative perceptions was that online journalism has sacrificed accuracy for speed. Overall, then, it appears that most journalists do see the benefits of social media, but fewer are convinced that these new forms of digital communication will benefit journalistic professionalism.     

Longitudinal couplings between interest and conceptual understanding in secondary school chemistry: an activity-based perspective

This paper presents the findings of a three-year longitudinal study (Grades 9–11; N?=?756 students in German secondary schools; mean starting age?=?14.7 years) that explores the development of and the interplay between upper-secondary students’ individual interest and conceptual understanding in chemistry. Students’ individual interest was assessed in seven dimensions of school science activities (realistic, investigative, artistic, social, conventional, and networking) according to Dierks et al.'s RIASEC+N model. The data was collected annually using paper-and-pencil questionnaires. In order to analyse the longitudinal relation between students’ academic interest and conceptual understanding, Eccles et al.'s Expectancy-Value Theoretical Model of Achievement Choices (EEVT) was utilised and seven bivariate cross-lagged models were performed to investigate the assumed reciprocal relations between both constructs. Regarding the developmental progression of individual interest and conceptual knowledge, latent growth curve models indicate a small decrease in all of the seven dimensions of students’ interest in school science activities and concomitant a moderate growth of students’ conceptual understanding. Moreover, structural equation modelling suggests weak reciprocal relations between students’ conceptual understanding and their interest in investigative, social and networking school science activities, respectively. Furthermore, students’ interest in enterprising activities predicted their subsequent conceptual understanding. No systematic pattern of cross-lagged effects between the three remaining interest dimensions and conceptual understanding were found. The results indicate that school science activities, which provide the potential for cognitively activating learning opportunities, could enhance the relation between students’ interest and conceptual understanding. Implications for teaching practice and further research are discussed.