Science at Harvard University, 1846-47: a case study of the character and functions of written documents

This paper explores surviving documentation and what it reveals about the underlying social structure and relations in a historic time and place. The mid-nineteenth century is chosen as a period prior to modern bureaucracies so that documents are not found in defining filing systems. Some six hundred documents are studied individually and characterized collectively. They are examined not to tell a story, however, but for evidence of their creation and maintenance and of their physical types, functional characteristics, and relations between authors and recipients. The study reveals the fruitfulness of such an orientation to documents, which complements traditional historical uses that emphasize document content.     

Emerging Attributes of Pedagogy and Curriculum for the “New World Order”

This article is a conceptual one designed to start dialogue on educational issues that are unfolding amidst the changes in other sectors of our society such as production, services, and recreation. We first present an overview of the fundamental but profound changes evidenced in our society and then discuss the nature of these changes and their impact on human ability to function effectively within such an environment. In light of the complexities such as uncertainties and dualistic/multiple perspectives and incongruities, we propose that a model for pedagogy and curriculum development should adopt critical thinking as the key attribute—because it has the potential to deliver an education system for the new world order.     

Differential Grading Standards Revisited

The differential grading standards described by Goldman and Widawski (1976) exist in the same magnitude and in roughly the same order a decade later in a different kind of institution. Major fields that attract as majors students who score higher on SATs employ stricter grading standards. These differential grading standards serve to attenuate the correlation between SAT scores and grades, which is, even in highly selective institutions, substantial.     

Expectations versus reality: the case of Liberal Studies in Hong Kong’s new senior secondary reforms

This article reports the findings of a five-year longitudinal study investigating the introduction of Liberal Studies in the context of Hong Kong’s new senior secondary educational reforms. The aim of this empirical research, which adopted diachronic analysis to allow comparisons over time, was to compare teachers’ and students’ perceptions of the Liberal Studies curriculum before and after its introduction. Methodologically speaking, the study was informed by documentary inquiry, with approximately 560 newspaper articles and government reports collected to identify the issues surrounding the curriculum debate. Questionnaire-based surveys conducted in the pre- and post-reform periods revealed a sharp contrast between expectations and reality for both participant groups following the curriculum’s introduction. Whilst the students demonstrated favourable attitudes towards Liberal Studies before studying the subject, a certain degree of disappointment was expressed after the new curriculum came into effect. In follow-up interviews with teachers, they expressed a lack of confidence in teaching such a multi-disciplinary subject and criticised the overly ambitious nature of the curriculum. Liberal Studies, as currently taught, runs the risk of falling out of favour with Hong Kong secondary school teachers, and the question of whether it will play an increasingly important role in promoting patriotic education after the demise of Moral and National Education is deserving of research attention.     

Laboratory versus field testing in cricket bowling: a review of current and past practice in modelling techniques

In cricket bowling, the reconstruction of elbow angle data is of utmost importance to the bowling versus throwing argument. This paper reviews system and modelling errors inherent in three-dimensional reconstruction processes with respect to the elbow extension tolerance set by the International Cricket Council. An understanding of these factors will enable more informed decisions about the choice of in-field versus laboratory testing in the calculation of elbow extension during bowling in cricket. Although there is a paucity of objective data related to in-field and laboratory testing, biomechanists must be guided by the greater accuracy of opto-reflective than video-based systems and so testing, at least for the present, should be conducted in a laboratory setting.     

The relationship between shoulder alignment and elbow joint angle in cricket fast-medium bowlers

The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between shoulder alignment and elbow angle during the delivery action of fast-medium bowlers. The elbow and upper trunk alignment were recorded for 13 high-performance bowlers (mean age 20 years) using a 12-camera Vicon motion analysis system operating at 250 Hz. The three highest velocity trials for "good" and "short" length deliveries were analysed. Results showed that bowlers with a more front-on shoulder alignment at back-foot impact and when the upper arm was horizontal to the ground experienced a significantly greater elbow flexion--extension range when compared with those who had a more side-on orientation at the same point in the delivery action. Bowlers with greater shoulder counter-rotation also recorded higher elbow flexion and subsequently extension during the period from upper arm horizontal to ball release. Shoulder alignment and elbow angles were similar for "short" and "good" length deliveries. It was concluded that bowlers with a more front-on shoulder orientation at back-foot impact demonstrated a higher elbow extension from upper arm horizontal to ball release and are therefore more likely to infringe International Cricket Council elbow tolerance levels, compared with those who adopt a more side-on shoulder orientation at back-foot impact.