title: An Analysis of Precision teaching

authors: Pocock, Trudy Louise

subjects: precision teaching

abstract: This research examined three components of precision teaching; charting, timed practices, and performance aims. In the first study beginner skaters performed two roller skating skills, forward crosses and back scissors, with the aim of increasing fluency in these skills using precision teaching methods.  Skaters were told to perform the skills as fast as they could during 1-min practises, aiming at a set performance aim, or goal. After each timing skaters were told how many repetitions they had performed. One group charted back scissors only and the other forward crosses only. The skaters became faster in both skills and charting did not produce faster rates. The improvement seen may have been a direct result of the performance aims. Therefore the second study, using back crosses, compared a fixed, difficult performance aim (complete 50 per minute) for one group and an easier, flexible performance aim (beat your previous sessions' high score) for a second group. After each timing skaters were told how many back crosses they had performed. Performance rates increased similarly for both groups, thus the different performance aims did not have different effects, contrary to the goal-setting literature. A third study investigated this further. Skaters performed forward crosses and back scissors during a baseline condition, where there were no performance aims or feedback. Increases in performance rates for both skills occurred. In a second condition, a performance aim higher than their number of repetitions in the previous condition was set and feedback was given for one skill only. There was an immediate increase in rate of the targeted skill for 3 of the 4 skaters, suggesting that the goal, when given with feedback, influenced the rate at which the skaters performed the skill. In the fourth study, where the effect of feedback and practice was examined more closely, soccer players dribbled a ball in and out of cones. As expected those who took part in eight to ten sessions that were told to do their best (an easy goal) and not given feedback performed this skill faster than those who completed only two sessions with the same conditions. Unexpectedly, they also performed faster than those set a performance aim of beating their previous highest score (a hard goal) and who were given feedback. Methodological issues that may have been responsible for this latter result were addressed in the fifth study. Skaters completing 10 sessions of forward crosses, with feedback and with a performance aim of completing 60 repetitions in one minute (a hard goal), became faster than skaters completing 10 sessions without feedback who were told to do their best. Skaters told to do their best, who completed only three sessions without feedback, did not get faster. These results support those in the goal-setting literature that, hard goals with feedback have more effect than being told to do your best. Overall these studies show that short, timed practices and hard performance aims, or goals, may be effective components of precision teaching while visual feedback from charting may not. Further, precision teaching methods were effective when applied to sporting skills such as those used by roller skaters and soccer players for building fluency of basic skills.

text: An Analysis of Precision teaching This research examined three components of precision teaching; charting, timed practices, and performance aims. In the first study beginner skaters performed two roller skating skills, forward crosses and back scissors, with the aim of increasing fluency in these skills using precision teaching methods.  Skaters were told to perform the skills as fast as they could during 1-min practises, aiming at a set performance aim, or goal. After each timing skaters were told how many repetitions they had performed. One group charted back scissors only and the other forward crosses only. The skaters became faster in both skills and charting did not produce faster rates. The improvement seen may have been a direct result of the performance aims. Therefore the second study, using back crosses, compared a fixed, difficult performance aim (complete 50 per minute) for one group and an easier, flexible performance aim (beat your previous sessions' high score) for a second group. After each timing skaters were told how many back crosses they had performed. Performance rates increased similarly for both groups, thus the different performance aims did not have different effects, contrary to the goal-setting literature. A third study investigated this further. Skaters performed forward crosses and back scissors during a baseline condition, where there were no performance aims or feedback. Increases in performance rates for both skills occurred. In a second condition, a performance aim higher than their number of repetitions in the previous condition was set and feedback was given for one skill only. There was an immediate increase in rate of the targeted skill for 3 of the 4 skaters, suggesting that the goal, when given with feedback, influenced the rate at which the skaters performed the skill. In the fourth study, where the effect of feedback and practice was examined more closely, soccer players dribbled a ball in and out of cones. As expected those who took part in eight to ten sessions that were told to do their best (an easy goal) and not given feedback performed this skill faster than those who completed only two sessions with the same conditions. Unexpectedly, they also performed faster than those set a performance aim of beating their previous highest score (a hard goal) and who were given feedback. Methodological issues that may have been responsible for this latter result were addressed in the fifth study. Skaters completing 10 sessions of forward crosses, with feedback and with a performance aim of completing 60 repetitions in one minute (a hard goal), became faster than skaters completing 10 sessions without feedback who were told to do their best. Skaters told to do their best, who completed only three sessions without feedback, did not get faster. These results support those in the goal-setting literature that, hard goals with feedback have more effect than being told to do your best. Overall these studies show that short, timed practices and hard performance aims, or goals, may be effective components of precision teaching while visual feedback from charting may not. Further, precision teaching methods were effective when applied to sporting skills such as those used by roller skaters and soccer players for building fluency of basic skills.

year: 2006

title: The Forgotten Password: A Solution to Selecting, Securing and Remembering Passwords

authors: Filmer-Clark, Tracy Jane

subjects: Password

abstract: Internet passwords are required of us more and more. Personal experience
and research shows us that it is difficult to create and remember unique passwords
that meet security requirements. This study tested a unique method of password
generation based on a selection of mnemonic aids aimed at increasing the
usability, security and memorability of passwords. Fifty-one engineers,
accountants and university students aged between 17 - 61 years participated in the
study. They were randomly assigned to one of three groups: mnemonic, self-selection
and random. All passwords in the study had to meet the following
criteria: they had to be unique, at least eight characters long with a mixture of
letters and numbers, and not include complete words or personal identifiers,
sequential or repetitive numbers, and the passwords could not be written down or
recorded anywhere. The mnemonic group created passwords based on a variety of mnemonic processes, the self-selection group generated passwords that complied with the 
above criteria, and the random group were assigned random
passwords generated by the experimenter. Password recall was tested online once
a week for three weeks, and then the passwords were renewed, with participants
staying within the same groups for the length of the study. The second password
was tested weekly for three weeks, then the passwords were renewed for the third
and final time and tested for a further three weeks. The expectation was that the
use of mnemonics in password creation would improve accurate recall of
passwords, more so than if the password was 'self-selected' or a random password
was assigned. The results showed that participants in the mnemonic group were
able to accurately recall all three passwords significantly more often than
participants in the self-selection and random groups. Furthermore, passwords
created by the mnemonic group were more secure than passwords created by the
self-selection group, as their passwords generated had a greater number of
characters in them, slightly larger alphabet size, and a higher degree of entropy.
The results are discussed in terms of the practical relevance of the findings.

text: The Forgotten Password: A Solution to Selecting, Securing and Remembering Passwords Internet passwords are required of us more and more. Personal experience
and research shows us that it is difficult to create and remember unique passwords
that meet security requirements. This study tested a unique method of password
generation based on a selection of mnemonic aids aimed at increasing the
usability, security and memorability of passwords. Fifty-one engineers,
accountants and university students aged between 17 - 61 years participated in the
study. They were randomly assigned to one of three groups: mnemonic, self-selection
and random. All passwords in the study had to meet the following
criteria: they had to be unique, at least eight characters long with a mixture of
letters and numbers, and not include complete words or personal identifiers,
sequential or repetitive numbers, and the passwords could not be written down or
recorded anywhere. The mnemonic group created passwords based on a variety of mnemonic processes, the self-selection group generated passwords that complied with the 
above criteria, and the random group were assigned random
passwords generated by the experimenter. Password recall was tested online once
a week for three weeks, and then the passwords were renewed, with participants
staying within the same groups for the length of the study. The second password
was tested weekly for three weeks, then the passwords were renewed for the third
and final time and tested for a further three weeks. The expectation was that the
use of mnemonics in password creation would improve accurate recall of
passwords, more so than if the password was 'self-selected' or a random password
was assigned. The results showed that participants in the mnemonic group were
able to accurately recall all three passwords significantly more often than
participants in the self-selection and random groups. Furthermore, passwords
created by the mnemonic group were more secure than passwords created by the
self-selection group, as their passwords generated had a greater number of
characters in them, slightly larger alphabet size, and a higher degree of entropy.
The results are discussed in terms of the practical relevance of the findings.

year: 2008

title: In your face: wearing Moko - Maori facial marking in today's world

authors: Nikora, Linda Waimarie

subjects: Moko

abstract: The early voyagers, missionaries, settlers all reacted to the pukanohi, to the marked
faces of the Maori people during the period of first contact, and the century following
it. Their accounts are vivid, judgemental, revealing, telling us as much about them, as
it does about the people they described. Curiosity and horror are mixed with a
genuine fascination; where sternly evangelizing words failed, armed confrontation
occurred; and we now live with the results, te ao hou, a new world.
In this world, today, wahine mau kauae, tangata mau moko, pukanohi - wearers - are
speaking for themselves, about themselves, and commenting on how others view
them. Unanimously, they insist the decision to take the marking is about continuity,
affirmation, identity, and commitment. It is also about wearing those ancestors,
carrying them into the future; as their moko become a companion, a salient being with
its own life force, its own integrity and power, beyond the face.

text: In your face: wearing Moko - Maori facial marking in today's world The early voyagers, missionaries, settlers all reacted to the pukanohi, to the marked
faces of the Maori people during the period of first contact, and the century following
it. Their accounts are vivid, judgemental, revealing, telling us as much about them, as
it does about the people they described. Curiosity and horror are mixed with a
genuine fascination; where sternly evangelizing words failed, armed confrontation
occurred; and we now live with the results, te ao hou, a new world.
In this world, today, wahine mau kauae, tangata mau moko, pukanohi - wearers - are
speaking for themselves, about themselves, and commenting on how others view
them. Unanimously, they insist the decision to take the marking is about continuity,
affirmation, identity, and commitment. It is also about wearing those ancestors,
carrying them into the future; as their moko become a companion, a salient being with
its own life force, its own integrity and power, beyond the face.

year: 2003-08-01