title: Spatial Hypermedia as a programming environment

authors: Nemhauser, Bryce

subjects: Spatial Hypermedia

abstract: This thesis investigates the possibilities opened to a programmer when their programming environment not only utilises Spatial Hypermedia functionality, but embraces it as a core component. Designed and built to explore these possibilities, SpIDER (standing for Spatial Integrated Development Environment Research) is an IDE featuring not only traditional functionality such as content assist and debugging support but also multimedia integration and free-form spatial code layout. Such functionality allows programmers to visually communicate aspects of the intent and structure of their code that would be tedious—and in some cases impossible—to achieve in conventional IDEs.
Drawing from literature on Spatial Memory, the design of SpIDER has been driven by the desire to improve the programming experience while also providing a flexible authoring environment for software development. The programmer’s use of Spatial Memory is promoted, in particular, by: utilising fixed sized authoring canvases; providing the capacity for landmarks; exploiting a hierarchical linking system; and having well defined occlusion and spatial stability of authored code.
The key challenge in implementing SpIDER was to devise an algorithm to bridge the gap between spatially expressed source code, and the serial text forms required by compilers. This challenge was met by developing an algorithm that we have called the flow walker. We validated this algorithm through user testing to establish that participants’ interpretation of the meaning of spatially laid out code matched the flow walker’s implementation.
SpIDER can be obtained at: https://sourceforge.net/projects/spatial-ide-research-spider

text: Spatial Hypermedia as a programming environment This thesis investigates the possibilities opened to a programmer when their programming environment not only utilises Spatial Hypermedia functionality, but embraces it as a core component. Designed and built to explore these possibilities, SpIDER (standing for Spatial Integrated Development Environment Research) is an IDE featuring not only traditional functionality such as content assist and debugging support but also multimedia integration and free-form spatial code layout. Such functionality allows programmers to visually communicate aspects of the intent and structure of their code that would be tedious—and in some cases impossible—to achieve in conventional IDEs.
Drawing from literature on Spatial Memory, the design of SpIDER has been driven by the desire to improve the programming experience while also providing a flexible authoring environment for software development. The programmer’s use of Spatial Memory is promoted, in particular, by: utilising fixed sized authoring canvases; providing the capacity for landmarks; exploiting a hierarchical linking system; and having well defined occlusion and spatial stability of authored code.
The key challenge in implementing SpIDER was to devise an algorithm to bridge the gap between spatially expressed source code, and the serial text forms required by compilers. This challenge was met by developing an algorithm that we have called the flow walker. We validated this algorithm through user testing to establish that participants’ interpretation of the meaning of spatially laid out code matched the flow walker’s implementation.
SpIDER can be obtained at: https://sourceforge.net/projects/spatial-ide-research-spider

year: 2018

title: Effect of footwear and overhead goal on the Landing Error Scoring System

authors: Boswell-Smith, Caleb

subjects: Anterior Cruciate Ligament

abstract: A large proportion of the population undertakes sport and exercise either for recreation or competition. However, with increased participation in sport and exercise, the occurrence of sport-related injuries also increases. Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) injuries are injuries to the knee and one of the most common injuries in a sporting environment that occur from noncontact mechanisms. The Landing Error Scoring System (LESS) is a common screening tool used to identify individuals who are more at risk of sustaining an ACL injury based on double-leg jump-landing (DLJL) kinematics. Despite the LESS demonstrating good-toexcellent reliability and predictive value, the LESS is sensitive to various factors (e.g., protocol alterations) and has been criticised for lacking sport specificity. Despite studies conducting the LESS both with and without footwear and using an overhead goal during jumping tasks to increase sport specificity, to date, there is no research comparing LESS outcomes based on the presence/absence of footwear or presence/absence of an overhead goal.
Chapter One summarises literature surrounding sports injuries, ACL injuries, injury aetiology, injury prevention models, and injury risk screening tools used in sports with a focus on the LESS. Footwear and cueing in sports are also addressed. Chapter Two is experimental and compares overall LESS scores, group- and individual-level injury risk categorisation, specific LESS errors, and jump heights between footwear and no footwear conditions. Chapter Three is experimental and compares these same outcome measures between overhead goal and no goal conditions. Chapter Four summarises the key findings from the two experimental chapters, and addresses the limitations, strengths, and future research directions arising from this Thesis.
In Chapter Two, 80 participants (55% male) performed a DLJL task where they landed from a 30-cm high box to 50% of their own body height and immediately jumped vertically for maximum height for LESS assessment. Participants completed three trials under two randomordered conditions: with and without footwear. Group mean LESS scores were greater (0.3 errors, p = 0.022) and jump heights were lower (0.6 cm, p = 0.029) in the footwear than barefoot condition, but differences were trivial and not clinically meaningful. Although the number of high-risk participants was comparable between groups (p = 1.000), categorisation was inconsistent for 16.25% of individuals and the occurrence of four of the 17 specific landing errors significantly differed between conditions. Based on the study findings, footwear does not appear to meaningfully influence mean LESS scores, risk categorisation, or jump height at a group level. At an individual level, footwear can affect risk categorisation and landing strategies. Hence, use of a consistent protocol is recommended in clinical setting, and use of footwear is advised for assessing injury risk given the predictive value of the LESS barefoot is unknown.
In Chapter Three, 76 participants (51% male) performed a DLJL task where they landed from a 30-cm high box to 50% of their own body height and immediately jumped vertically for maximum height for LESS assessment. Participants completed three trials under two randomordered conditions: with and without an overhead goal. Mean LESS scores were greater (0.3 errors, p < 0.001) with the overhead goal, but this small difference was not clinically meaningful. Similarly, although the number of high-risk participants was significantly greater with the overhead goal (p = 0.039), the 9.2% difference was trivial. Participants jumped 2.7 cm higher with the overhead goal (p < 0.001) without affecting the occurrence of any specific LESS errors. Based on the results found, performing the LESS with an overhead goal enhances sport specificity and elicits greater vertical jump performances with minimal change in landing errors and risk categorisation. Adding an overhead goal to LESS might enhance its suitability for injury risk screening, although the predictive value of LESS with an overhead goal needs confirmation.

text: Effect of footwear and overhead goal on the Landing Error Scoring System A large proportion of the population undertakes sport and exercise either for recreation or competition. However, with increased participation in sport and exercise, the occurrence of sport-related injuries also increases. Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) injuries are injuries to the knee and one of the most common injuries in a sporting environment that occur from noncontact mechanisms. The Landing Error Scoring System (LESS) is a common screening tool used to identify individuals who are more at risk of sustaining an ACL injury based on double-leg jump-landing (DLJL) kinematics. Despite the LESS demonstrating good-toexcellent reliability and predictive value, the LESS is sensitive to various factors (e.g., protocol alterations) and has been criticised for lacking sport specificity. Despite studies conducting the LESS both with and without footwear and using an overhead goal during jumping tasks to increase sport specificity, to date, there is no research comparing LESS outcomes based on the presence/absence of footwear or presence/absence of an overhead goal.
Chapter One summarises literature surrounding sports injuries, ACL injuries, injury aetiology, injury prevention models, and injury risk screening tools used in sports with a focus on the LESS. Footwear and cueing in sports are also addressed. Chapter Two is experimental and compares overall LESS scores, group- and individual-level injury risk categorisation, specific LESS errors, and jump heights between footwear and no footwear conditions. Chapter Three is experimental and compares these same outcome measures between overhead goal and no goal conditions. Chapter Four summarises the key findings from the two experimental chapters, and addresses the limitations, strengths, and future research directions arising from this Thesis.
In Chapter Two, 80 participants (55% male) performed a DLJL task where they landed from a 30-cm high box to 50% of their own body height and immediately jumped vertically for maximum height for LESS assessment. Participants completed three trials under two randomordered conditions: with and without footwear. Group mean LESS scores were greater (0.3 errors, p = 0.022) and jump heights were lower (0.6 cm, p = 0.029) in the footwear than barefoot condition, but differences were trivial and not clinically meaningful. Although the number of high-risk participants was comparable between groups (p = 1.000), categorisation was inconsistent for 16.25% of individuals and the occurrence of four of the 17 specific landing errors significantly differed between conditions. Based on the study findings, footwear does not appear to meaningfully influence mean LESS scores, risk categorisation, or jump height at a group level. At an individual level, footwear can affect risk categorisation and landing strategies. Hence, use of a consistent protocol is recommended in clinical setting, and use of footwear is advised for assessing injury risk given the predictive value of the LESS barefoot is unknown.
In Chapter Three, 76 participants (51% male) performed a DLJL task where they landed from a 30-cm high box to 50% of their own body height and immediately jumped vertically for maximum height for LESS assessment. Participants completed three trials under two randomordered conditions: with and without an overhead goal. Mean LESS scores were greater (0.3 errors, p < 0.001) with the overhead goal, but this small difference was not clinically meaningful. Similarly, although the number of high-risk participants was significantly greater with the overhead goal (p = 0.039), the 9.2% difference was trivial. Participants jumped 2.7 cm higher with the overhead goal (p < 0.001) without affecting the occurrence of any specific LESS errors. Based on the results found, performing the LESS with an overhead goal enhances sport specificity and elicits greater vertical jump performances with minimal change in landing errors and risk categorisation. Adding an overhead goal to LESS might enhance its suitability for injury risk screening, although the predictive value of LESS with an overhead goal needs confirmation.

year: 2022

title: A Pilot investigation into the assessment of changes in the psycholinguistic abilities of new-entrant Māori school children using the Illinois Test of Psycholinguistic Abilities

authors: St George, William Vivian Ross

abstract: The role of language as the principal medium of instruction within the New Zealand (N .Z.) educational system has recently received increasing attention both from researchers and those responsible for the formulation of our national educational policy. In particular, much attention has been directed toward the Maori pupil and the use of the English language as the medium for his instruction. The range of literature on this question includes controlled research studies on English usage by Maori children, educational policy statements concerning the - medium of instruction to be employed in New Zealand schools and writings of a more speculative, and potentially political nature, questioning educational policy and the role of language in "Maori education".

text: A Pilot investigation into the assessment of changes in the psycholinguistic abilities of new-entrant Māori school children using the Illinois Test of Psycholinguistic Abilities The role of language as the principal medium of instruction within the New Zealand (N .Z.) educational system has recently received increasing attention both from researchers and those responsible for the formulation of our national educational policy. In particular, much attention has been directed toward the Maori pupil and the use of the English language as the medium for his instruction. The range of literature on this question includes controlled research studies on English usage by Maori children, educational policy statements concerning the - medium of instruction to be employed in New Zealand schools and writings of a more speculative, and potentially political nature, questioning educational policy and the role of language in "Maori education".

year: 1969