Anglo-Foreign Words

The following are five groups of English words. But they are also words from five foreign languages which have no connection with their English counterparts. What are the languages

Peer observation of on-line teaching in a distance learning environment

The introduction of a new VLE at the University of Lincoln was an opportunity to pilot an extension of the University’s peer observation of teaching scheme into an on-line environment, and to consider alternative methods of staff development in order to fully exploit the affordances of the VLE. This paper reports on a small research project into that pilot which found that online peer observation had the potential to be a very powerful development tool. It was largely welcomed by staff involved in the project and has led to more sophisticated exploitation of the VLE by participants, based on a mutually defined conception of teaching quality

Quantum Measurements of Scattered Particles

We investigate the process of quantum measurements on scattered probes. Before scattering, the probes are independent, but they become entangled afterwards, due to the interaction with the scatterer. The collection of measurement results (the history) is a stochastic process of dependent random variables. We link the asymptotic properties of this process to spectral characteristics of the dynamics. We show that the process has decaying time correlations and that a zero-one law holds. We deduce that if the incoming probes are not sharply localized with respect to the spectrum of the measurement operator, then the process does not converge. Nevertheless, the scattering modifies the measurement outcome frequencies, which are shown to be the average of the measurement projection operator, evolved for one interaction period, in an asymptotic state. We illustrate the results on a truncated Jaynes-Cummings model.Comment: Open access at http://www.mdpi.com/2227-7390/3/1/9

Using narrative as a tool to locate and challenge pre service teacher bodies in health and physical education

This paper reports on research that has explored the use of narrative as a pedagogical tool in pre service teacher education. Specifically, we pursue the use of narrative to engage with pre service teachers’ embodied experiences [their lived body] and the ways in which these experiences are in turn currently influencing their ‘living bodies’ in regard to what Health and Physical Education (HPE) is and how it should be taught. Data in the form of an assemblage of pre service teachers’ narratives are presented to show how both the lived and living body contributes to thoughts and ideas about HPE. Discussion also reflects on the pedagogical merits of using narrative in pre service teacher education. We contend that narrative has a potentially important role to play in pre service teachers coming to better understand their bodies and can assist in moving them beyond what they experienced as HPE as school students

'It's All About the Grade'. Students' Perceptions of Innovative Assessment

Objectives: The study explored whether innovative assessment methods can enhance the student learning experience and promote effective learning. More specifically: Do innovative assessments encourage students to focus on the processes of teaching and learning rather than outcomes? Design: A qualitative design using focus groups conducted with undergraduate and postgraduate psychology students at University of Worcester was employed. This enabled a detailed exploration of how students made sense of their experiences, their understandings and perceptions of innovative assessment. Methods: Focus groups were conducted with 8 undergraduate and 7 postgraduate students from the University of Worcester. Students were drawn from a convenience sample and were included if they had completed at least one form of innovative assessment during their degree, either at undergraduate or postgraduate level. Transcripts from each focus group were analysed using Ritchie and Spencer’s Thematic framework method. Results: Students’ perceived innovative assessments to have a positive effect on their learning if they: related to authentic ‘real world’ tasks, encouraged the application of psychological knowledge or enabled the development of transferable skills that have long-term benefits for employment. However, the extent to which these perceptions impacted upon their approach to study was unclear. Conclusions: This study demonstrated both the benefits to and challenges of implementing innovative assessment methods. Greater emphasis ought to be placed on students as active participants in the assessment process, developing a shared understanding of criteria. Exposure to these methods ought to be taken into account when evaluating their potential to enhance the learning experience of students

When Law Frees Us to Speak

A central aim of online abuse is to silence victims. That effort is as regrettable as it is successful. In the face of cyberharassment and sexualprivacy invasions, women and marginalized groups retreat from online engagement. These documented chilling effects, however, are not inevitable. Beyond its deterrent function, the law has an equally important expressive role. In this Article, we highlight law’s capacity to shape social norms and behavior through education. We focus on a neglected dimension of law’s expressive role: its capacity to empower victims to express their truths and engage with others. Our argument is theoretical and empirical. We present new empirical research showing cyberharassment law’s salutary effects on women’s online expression. We then consider the implications of those findings for victims of sexual-privacy invasions

Rethinking sport teaching in physical education: A case study of research based innovation in teacher education

This paper focuses on the significance of physical education teacher education (PETE) in the diffusion of 'new' thinking about sport teaching in physical education. It explores issues arising from a case study investigation that sought to respond to the critical commentary about the form and substance of sport teaching in physical education by supporting innovation in school curriculum and pedagogy through pre-service teacher education. The study was designed to challenge PETE pre-service teachers' thinking about sport curriculum and pedagogy in physical education, introduce them to new thinking about models and specifically, the sport literacy model (Drummond & Pill, 2011; Pill, 2009, 2010). Details of the research design are presented and the insights that the data have provided in relation to challenges and opportunities that teacher educators and teacher education courses confront in seeking to promote and support curriculum and pedagogical innovation are discussed