Issues in open education and environmental design

This article presents a theoretical overview of the complementary relationship between open education and environmental design. An elementary education program called the Open Corridor serves as a concrete example. The Open Corridor program dovetailed many aspects of open education and environmental design. Students, teachers, administrators, parents, and consulting psychologists served in the roles of planner and implementer. A review of open education and environmental design approaches is followed by a sketch of the Open Corridor program and a discussion of issues. A bright future exists for programs that carefully open their educational processes and plan their environments.     

Using a hypertext environment for teaching process writing: An evaluation study of three student groups

The present research consisted of a comprehensive evaluation of a hypertext model for teaching process writing at the junior high and high school level. Interests were to determine how two teachers and three different age groups of students used and reacted to the model, specifically, its embedded design features of model stories, note cards, idea buttons, mini-lessons, branching buttons, and cut-and-paste-tools. Results showed applications of the embedded features to vary based on teacher attitudes, feature attributes (e.g., ease of use and appeal), and student characteristics. Older students made more usage of many of the features, but were less positive about the hypertext model given their greater involvement with completing writing assignments rather than with exploring new forms of writing. The implications of the results are discussed regarding the instructional design and classroom implementation of new technologies for teaching process writing strategies.This study was conducted as a doctoral dissertation completed by the first author at the University of Memphis under the supervision of the second and third authors.     

Trusting Virtual Trust

Can trust evolve on the Internet between virtual strangers? Recently, Pettit answered this question in the negative. Focusing on trust in the sense of ‘dynamic, interactive, and trusting’ reliance on other people, he distinguishes between two forms of trust: primary trust rests on the belief that the other is trustworthy, while the more subtle secondary kind of trust is premised on the belief that the other cherishes one’s esteem, and will, therefore, reply to an act of trust in kind (‘trust-responsiveness’). Based on this theory Pettit argues that trust between virtual strangers is impossible: they lack all evidence about one another, which prevents the imputation of trustworthiness and renders the reliance on trust-responsiveness ridiculous. I argue that this argument is flawed, both empirically and theoretically. In several virtual communities amazing acts of trust between pure virtuals have been observed. I propose that these can be explained as follows. On the one hand, social cues, reputation, reliance on third parties, and participation in (quasi-) institutions allow imputing trustworthiness to varying degrees. On the other, precisely trust-responsiveness is also relied upon, as a necessary supplement to primary trust. In virtual markets, esteem as a fair trader is coveted while it contributes to building up one’s reputation. In task groups, a hyperactive style of action may be adopted which amounts to assuming (not: inferring) trust. Trustors expect that their virtual co-workers will reply in kind while such an approach is to be considered the most appropriate in cyberspace. In non-task groups, finally, members often display intimacies while they are confident someone else ‘out there’ will return them. This is facilitated by the one-to-many, asynchronous mode of communication within mailing lists.     

Word processing in dyslexics

Dyslexic children (n=21, mean age=10.2 years) were compared with normal readers of the same age, normal readers of the same reading-age, and poor readers of the same reading-age on measures of phonological decoding and automatic word processing. Three different tasks, varying in phonological demand, were used: a naming task, an auditory-visual matching task, and a lexical decision task. On each task, word-pseudoword profiles were obtained to test phonological decoding skills and unspeeded-speeded profiles were assessed to test automaticity in word processing. Main results indicated that dyslexics have a deficit in automatic phonological decoding skills. The results are discussed within the framework of the phonological deficit and the automatization deficit hypothesis.     

Text density level as a design variable in instructional displays

Presenting narrative text in computer-based instruction (CBI) is more difficult than in print lessons due to limited screen resolution and display area. The present research aimed at achieving a more compatible match between lesson content and the attributes of the presentation media. Subjects received either a print or CBI statistics lesson containing low-density (concise) narrative text, high-density (conventional) text, or the density type they preferred (learner-control). Results showed the low-density lesson to reduce completion time relative to the high-density version, while yielding equivalent achievement. Subjects receiving the lesson in the print mode had shorter completion times and higher achievement than their CBI counterparts. Attitude results showed that CBI was favorably regarded, but perceived as longer and slow-moving than print. Implications of results for designing instructional material in accord with CBI attributes and learner characteristics are discussed.     

Defining,assessing, and developing creativity in sport: a systematic narrative review

ABSTRACT

Research on creativity in sport is gaining momentum, due to a growing interest from coaches and academics in developing strategies to increase unpredictability in individual and collective behaviour which may allow teams to gain an important advantage over their opponents. The purpose of this paper was to conduct the first systematic narrative review of the literature on sporting creativity, critically synthesising 51 years of published research (1967–2018) and proposing avenues for future research. Six databases were used, and 48 documents met search criteria. The findings are organised in four categories: (a) defining creativity, (b) correlates of creativity, (c) assessing creativity and (d) developing creativity. Creativity definitions and assessments have privileged thought processes over the ability to act. A distinction is warranted between creativity about sport and creativity in sport (in action) and aligned assessment methods. The literature does not support a single strategy for the development of sporting creativity but does support its trainability. Evidence of the effectiveness of programmes for the enhancement of sporting creativity is growing but is still limited. Furthermore, while it is recognised that coaches have a pivotal role in the development of sporting creativity, research involving them is still scarce.     

Near-infrared spectroscopy-derived total haemoglobin as an indicator of changes in muscle blood flow during exercise-induced hyperaemia

ABSTRACT

Blood flow changes in response to exercise have been attributed, among other factors, to the effect of vasodilators factors on the microvasculature, suggesting a close relationship between small blood vessels and conducting arteries. The main purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between the changes in near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS)-derived total haemoglobin ([tHb]) and muscle oxygen saturation (SmO₂) signals and femoral artery blood flow in response to resistance exercise at fast- and slow-velocity muscle contraction. The study randomised crossover design included twelve participants. NIRS and blood flow measurements were continuously monitored before, during, and 5 min after the exercise protocol. There was a significant correlation between [tHb] reperfusion slope ([tHb]_slope) and peak blood flow (BF_peak) after slow- and fast-velocity muscle contraction (r = 0.83, p = 0.0008 and r = 0.72, p = 0.0080, respectively). No significant correlation existed between the SmO₂ reperfusion slope (SmO_{2_slope}) and BF_peak after both slow- and fast-velocity muscle contraction exercise (r = ?0.46, p = 0.1253 and r = 0.33, p = 0.2841, respectively). This study demonstrated a strong relationship between the NIRS-derived [tHb] and Doppler ultrasound BF during the recovery period of dynamic resistance exercise at both slow- and fast-velocity contraction.