Navigating the muddy waters of the research into single sex class-rooms in co-educational middle years settings.

Establishing single sex classes within co-educational sites is an option that schools are again exploring. To date Australia has experienced three waves of interest in establishing single sex classes, the first focused on equitable education opportunities for girls, the second centered on boys' literacy and engagement and this current wave focuses on perceived difference between the sexes in co-educational classrooms. With the intersection of middle schooling movement, focusing on learner centered classrooms and current educational agendas aimed at improving student performance and measurable learning outcomes, it is understandable that schools are exploring such student grouping options. However, after thirty years of international research into the efficacy of single sex classes in co-educational settings, the results still remain unclear. This paper navigates the 'muddy waters' of this body of research and suggests a framework to help guide school communities through the decision-making process associated with considering single sex classes

Preparing to teach: Perceptions of graduate entry teacher education students

International reviews of teaching and teacher education have highlighted the importance of quality teachers in improving the outcomes of students. Teachers may enter the teaching profession through a variety of pathways. Currently in Australia, one pathway is through graduate entry teacher education programs in which people who already hold university degrees outside of education can undertake one-year formal teacher preparation programs. It may be argued that graduate entry teachers value add to the teaching profession as they bring with them a range of careers and wealth of experiences often beyond those of teachers who enter the profession through traditional four-year Bachelor of Education programs. This paper reports on a study that investigated the preparedness to teach of a group of graduate entry teacher education students as they prepared to exit from university and enter the teaching profession. The study concluded that this group of graduating teachers perceived that the field experience components in their formal teacher education programs contributed most to their beginning professional learning. The study revealed also that this group of graduating teachers sought further professional learning opportunities in the canonical skills of teaching. These findings may be used to inform the design of future teacher education programs

A way forward to managing the transition to professional practice for beginning teachers

The high attrition rate of beginning teachers in Australia and overseas is well-documented. This trend is easily understood as many beginning teachers enter the profession with little support or mentoring (Department of Education, Science and Training (DEST), 2002; Herrington & Herrington, 2004; Ramsey, 2000). Continual calls for more comprehensive approaches to teacher induction in which universities and employing bodies share the responsibilities of the transition to professional practice (House of Representatives Standing Committee on Education and Vocational Training, 2007) have, to date, largely been ignored. This paper reports on a trial project conducted at a university in south-east Queensland, Australia that addresses these shortfalls. The aim of the project is to facilitate and support the development of high quality teachers and teaching through an extended model of teacher preparation. The model comprises a 1+2 program of formal teacher preparation: a one-year teacher education course (the Graduate Diploma in Education), followed by a comprehensive two year program of workplace induction and ongoing professional learning tailored to meet graduate and employer needs. This paper reports on graduating students’ perceptions of their preparedness to teach as they transition from the Graduate Diploma in Education program to professional practice. The study concludes that innovative programs, including university-linked, ongoing professional learning support for teacher education graduates, may provide the way forward for enhancing the transition to practice for beginning teachers

Influence of Gluteus Medius Strength on Interlimb Asymmetry in Female Recreational Runners.

PURPOSE: Running-related injuries are most often single-sided and are partially attributed to lower limb movement and loading asymmetries.1 Gluteus Medius (GM) plays a significant role in lower limb alignment, especially in the frontal and transverse planes by its influence on the pelvis and the femur.2 Female runners are more prone to GM weakness which has been proposed to be a risk factor for overuse injuries.3 These strength deficits contribute to abnormal lower limb kinematics and kinetics during dynamic tasks like running and jumping.4 These changes include an increase in peak hip adduction angle (HA), hip internal rotation angle (HI), knee abduction moment (KA) and rearfoot eversion angle (RE).4 Symmetry Angle (SA) is a commonly-used, robust measure of determining symmetry.1 No study has evaluated the role of unilateral GM strength on interlimb asymmetry for HA, HI, KA and RE during running. We hypothesized that female runners with stronger GM would demonstrate decreased interlimb asymmetry for HI, HA, KA and RE during running. METHODS: Thirty healthy female recreational runners (Age: 35.40±10.52 yrs, Height: 1.66±0.06 m, Weight: 61.61±7.31 kg) running at least 10 km per week participated in this study. Isometric GM strength was measured using a handheld dynamometer for the right lower limb and participants were divided into two groups of stronger and weaker. 3D gait analysis was conducted as participants ran on an instrumented treadmill at 2.98 m/s. Peak HA, HI, KA and RE were generated for the bilateral lower extremities and interlimb asymmetry using SA was calculated for all variables. A Shapiro-Wilk test for normality was conducted and it showed that all variables were not normally distributed. Wilcoxon Two-Sample Test was performed to look at differences between the two groups for HA, HI, KA and RE. RESULTS: Female runners with weaker GM demonstrated significantly increased asymmetry for HA (18.80±24.11 vs 12.20±24.11 %, p=0.02), HI (18.47±24.11 vs 12.53±24.11 %, p=0.03), and KA (18.33±24.11 vs 12.67±24.11 %, p=0.04). For RE, the weaker group had greater asymmetry (16.13±24.11 vs 14.87±24.11 %, p=0.35), but the relationship was not significant. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggested that runners with weaker GM on one side exhibited increased interlimb asymmetry during running for certain kinematic and kinetic variables. Future studies should determine how unilateral and bilateral strength deficits contribute to interlimb asymmetry and running biomechanics in healthy and injured runners.https://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/uresposters/1290/thumbnail.jp

Columbia University Advanced Concepts Data Center Pilot: Final Report

Columbia University Information Technology (CUIT) piloted advanced concepts data center techniques that emphasized rigorous before-and-after measurements of a series of recommended best practices and innovative equipment and infrastructure improvements in a real-world setting. The measurements were used to (a) monitor whether changes targeted to improve the energy efficiency and environmental impact of the primarily administrative systems currently in the centralized data center were, in fact, effective, and (b) to simultaneously expand the constrained computational capacity of the facility as a result of those improvements. CUIT included participation and critique from influential skeptics from commencement of the project. Two academic departments piloted a shared high performance computing cluster within the Data Center. As a result of this project, Columbia University continues to realize significant energy and environmental gains while demonstrating economic and operational feasibility in infrastructure improvements, uses of innovative computational equipment for both centralized administrative systems and research computing clusters

Aperture excited dielectric antennas

The results of a comprehensive experimental and theoretical study of the effect of placing dielectric objects over the aperture of waveguide antennas are presented. Experimental measurements of the radiation patterns, gain, impedance, near-field amplitude, and pattern and impedance coupling between pairs of antennas are given for various Plexiglas shapes, including the sphere and the cube, excited by rectangular, circular, and square waveguide feed apertures. The waveguide excitation of a dielectric sphere is modeled using the Huygens' source, and expressions for the resulting electric fields, directivity, and efficiency are derived. Calculations using this model show good overall agreement with experimental patterns and directivity measurements. The waveguide under an infinite dielectric slab is used as an impedance model. Calculations using this model agree qualitatively with the measured impedance data. It is concluded that dielectric loaded antennas such as the waveguide excited sphere, cube, or sphere-cylinder can produce directivities in excess of that obtained by a uniformly illuminated aperture of the same cross section, particularly for dielectric objects with dimensions of 2 wavelengths or less. It is also shown that for certain configurations coupling between two antennas of this type is less than that for the same antennas without dielectric loading

Youth engagement in long-term planning processes: case studies of Christchurch and Marlborough : a dissertation submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Planning at Lincoln University

This dissertation considers the relationship between youth and local authorities within long-term planning processes. Whilst there is growing appreciation for the capacity of youth to participate in planning and decision-making, local government processes reveal ongoing issues of inclusion and tokenistic approaches (Freeman & Aitken-Rose, 2005a, 2005b). The study adopts a qualitative and case study approach to examine the participation of youth within the long-term planning processes of Christchurch and Marlborough in the period between 12th March 2021 to 1st July 2021. To examine young people’s participation in long-term planning processes, this dissertation draws on 7 semi-structured interviews with youth representatives, youth organisation leaders and council staff, an analysis of long-term planning documentation and an evaluation of council social media. This dissertation identifies the value of youth in planning as an intergenerational practice. However, it also notes fundamental barriers to youth participation, including the negative perceptions of young people, the planning environment and awareness of processes, timing and resources and accessibility. It further discusses possible opportunities to enhance youth engagement, identified by participation. The analysis suggests the lack of participation by young people in long-term planning processes is not a matter of disengaged youth, but rather prompts further consideration of how we might give systematic attention to the priorities of youth in planning