Assessment as pedagogy: a consideration of pedagogical work and the preparation of kinesiology professionals

Background: Assessment is a central feature of institutional education practices, including those in the higher education learning field of kinesiology. To optimise the valuable and desired outcomes of assessment and minimise its unintended and unhelpful outcomes, a comprehensive understanding of the assessment process is necessary. To date a comprehensive understanding of the assessment process has been missing within the professional and academic learning setting of kinesiology.Purpose: To better understand the assessment processes in the training of kinesiology professionals this paper proposes consideration of assessment as pedagogy'. In particular we discuss the concepts of pedagogical work and assessment efficacy and provide an explanation of how such conceptualisations enhance our capacity to reflect on the range of potential outcomes of assessment in kinesiology. In doing so we endeavour to promote a more concerted critical research dialogue in the field and widen the possibilities of assessment practices in kinesiology for producing intended pedagogical work.Implementation: The notion of pedagogical work, proposed by Tinning brings to the fore two perspectives on the contribution of assessment to learning in kinesiology; that assessment is necessary for pedagogical work on account of its formative potential, and that assessment itself can be considered as a pedagogical practice through which intentional learning occurs. This perspective represents the pursuit of assessment efficacy'. This paper outlines the way in which assessment operates in these two modes and reaffirms the value of viewing assessment practices and intentions through the perspective of pedagogical work.Conclusion: With respect to assessment practice in kinesiology, a focus on the pedagogical work done though assessment and the notions of assessment efficacy will lead to better learning outcomes for students in their preparation for professional service in the field. This requires that assessment be brought to the fore as a fundamental part of curriculum and pedagogy planning and not left, as often occurs, as an afterthought or an achievement hurdle for students

Low-Damage Reactive Ion Etching of Nanoplasmonic Waveguides with Ultrathin Noble Metal Films

Nanoplasmonic waveguides utilizing surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) propagation have been investigated for more than 15 years and are now well understood. Many researchers make their efforts to find the best ways of using light and overcoming the speed limit of integrated circuits by means of SPPs. Here, we introduce the simulation results and fabrication technology of dielectric-metal-dielectric long-range nanoplasmonic waveguides, which consists of a multilayer stack based on ultrathin noble metals in between alumina thin films. Various waveguide topologies are simulated to optimize all the geometric and multilayer stack parameters. We demonstrate the calculated propagation length of Lprop = 0.27 mm at the 785 nm wavelength for the Al2O3/Ag/Al2O3 waveguides. In addition, we numerically show the possibility to eliminate signal cross-talks (less than 0.01%) between two crossed waveguides. One of the key technology issues of such waveguides’ nanofabrication is a dry, low-damage-etching of a multilayer stack with extremely sensitive ultrathin metals. In this paper, we propose the fabrication process flow, which provides both dry etching of Al2O3/Au(Ag)/Al2O3 waveguides nanostructures with high aspect ratios and non-damage ultrathin metal films patterning. We believe that the proposed design and fabrication process flow provides new opportunities in next-generation photonic interconnects, plasmonic nanocircuitry, quantum optics and biosensors

What examining teaching metaphors tells us about pre-service teachers' developing beliefs about teaching and learning

Pre-service teachers (PSTs) typically do not change their beliefs about teaching and learning during teacher education unless they are confronted with, and challenged about, their held beliefs through powerful and meaningful experiences that cause them to recognise and value the change process and its consequences for themselves and their learners. It has been suggested that examining teaching narratives and metaphors might be one way for teacher education to help PSTs in recognising their pre-existing beliefs about teaching and learning. Such practices assist PSTs to reflect on and examine these beliefs and how they impact both their teaching and the learning of their students. The purpose of this study was to understand how the process of examining metaphors influences PSTs' development of beliefs about teaching and learning

What is PE?

Physical education is a socially constructed activity that forms one component of a wider physical culture that includes sport and health/physical activity (Kirk, 1999, Lake, 2001a: 69, Penney, 1998). The terms sport and physical education are often used interchangeably in school contexts, where sport and health continue to shape what is understood by the term physical education (Capel & Blair, 2007). This study explores discourses shaping pre-service primary teachers’ understandings of the nature and purposes of physical education within an Irish context and the relationship between these understandings. A ten minute writing task (Pike, 2006) prompted by the question ‘what is physical education?’ was completed by a sample of pre-service teachers (n=544, age range 18-46, 8.8% male) from two colleges of education, prior to the physical education component of their teacher education programme. Content analysis involved an initial text frequency search to create categories which were collapsed into three broad areas of students’ understandings of physical education – sport, health and physical education. The research design allowed access to pre-service teachers’ understandings of physical education. Participants’ understandings reflected their own school experiences and were framed within health and sport ideologies of physical education. Although acknowledged as an important part of school life physical education was perceived as a break from academic subjects where the purpose of learning was to learn sports and activities to stay fit and healthy. While the overwhelmingly positive nature of participants’ experiences and the changing discourses around competition and team games are encouraging the dominant discourses of physical education continue to reflect the dominant aspects of wider physical culture in Ireland. The capacity of physical education to move beyond reproducing dominant sport and health ideologies provides a significant challenge to teacher education contexts, to challenge dominant discourses and recreate understandings of physical education for future action