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Abstracts of Higher Degree Dissertations

Autonomous Learning in Higher Education

Me1 Stewart MEd MCSP DipTP

Course: Master in Education, University of Birmingham, 1991

Housed at: Department of Education and Continuing Studies, University of Birmingham

The production of an autonomous learner remains one of the goals of higher education. The aims of this non- experimental study were first to discover whether it was possible to introduce an 11-week autonomous learning package into a traditional course, and secondly to evaluate staff and student response to the innovation.

An enthnographic approach was used with the aid of 36 second-year physiotherapy students. The students were

required to fulfil the objectives of a module by taking on the responsibility for directing their own learning. The methods of investigation incorporated two preliminary questionnaires, a weekly diary of events, three individual student interviews, a post-exercise questionnaire, an analysis of student record of attendance, a comparative analysis of formal course essay marks and a record of informal comments passed by both staff and students.

Evaluation of this illuminative study demonstrated that implementation of the package was possible in this context. Overall, students welcomed the increase in the choice of study methods afforded by autonomous learning. However, the overwhelming determinant which influenced their choice of study method was the assessment procedures of the course. It is suggested that if this method of study is to be encouraged, assessment procedures must take into account the qualities of autonomous learning.

Gross Postural Adjustment During Simple Balancing Tasks in Clumsy Children

Judith A Chappell MSc MCSP DipTP

Course: Master of Science in Physical Habilitation, University of Liverpool, 1988

Housed at: University of Liverpool Library and The School of Physiotherapy, Manchester Royal Infirmary

Contact address: Division of Clinical Sciences, University of Hertfordshire

The purpose of the study was to analyse gross postural adjustments during the performance of selected balancing tasks, by a control group of schoolchildren and a group diagnosed as clumsy. The various ‘labels’ to describe ‘clumsy’ children, the possible causes, child development and the different tests employed to identify clumsy children are reviewed.

The first part of the experimental study involved the selection and administration of the balance component of the Stott, Moyes and Henderson (1984) test of motor impairment. The test was administered to a sample of 32 children aged between seven and ten years, attending a local primary school, and was viewed as a validation exercise for the balance component of the test. The results were compared with those obtained by Henderson and Hall’s (1982) validation study. Two tests gave significant T-test scores (p < 0.001) and possible reasons for this are discussed.

The test was then administered to a group of eight children diagnosed as clumsy to investigate whether the test identified problems of balance in these children. Two of the eight tested did not exhibit a definite balance problem and possible explanations for this are given.

The final part of the study involved video-filming the clumsy group and a control group from the school who were sub-selected after the screening test. The two groups performed balancing tasks, involving steppingup and walking along two different width beams. The aim was to investigate differences of gross postural adjustments in performance of the two groups. An overall picture of posture was achieved by a general observational analysis of the video-film. This was followed by a more specific frame-by-frame observational analysis. This led to the step-up part of the task being analysed using a computer digitisation system and a biomechanical analysis programme.

The data have been presented as ‘stickmen digiplots’, ‘digiplots’ of the locus of the top of skull, and - using selected frames of shoulder joint angles - diagrammatic representation of shoulder position. From the analysis, it has been shown that there is a sequential pattern of movement in the control group and no such pattern was evident in the clumsy group. Certain difficulties experienced by the clumsy group have been identified. These include inefficient use of visual proprioceptive information and trunk instability. It has been suggested that the sequence identified in the control group could be used as a method of improving clumsy children’s performance.

Physlotherapy, April 1993, vol79, no 4