This study identified factors related to solving mathematical word problems and then examined the differences in characteristics between students with low achievement in mathematics who were likely to have a learning disability and students with low achievement in mathematics who were unlikely to have a learning disability. Factoral analysis identified two significant factors: abstract thinking and long term retrieval from memory. Results indicated qualitative differences between sixth grade students with achievement in mathematics at or below the 25th percentile with indications of learning disabilities (MLD) and students with achievement in mathematics at or below the 25th percentile without an indication of a learning disability (Low Math/NLD). The Learning Disabilities Diagnostic Inventory, which measures intrinsic processing disorders indicative of learning disabilities, was used to differentiate between students with MLD (n = 13) and students with Low Math/NLD (n = 16). The Woodcock-Johnson III Tests of Achievement, Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals-Fourth Edition, and the Informal Mathematics Assessment (IFA) were used to compare the two groups. In contrast to students with MLD, students with Low Math/NLD had a higher mathematical performance and had more difficulties with math fluency. When solving mathematics word problems on the IFA, a test composed of word problems, student interview, and error analysis, students with Low Math/NLD had more correct answers, more computational errors, and fewer translation errors than students with MLD did. Students with MLD had conceptual difficulties in the areas of analyzing, reasoning, and abstract thinking.

M. Tech. Language Practice / The aim of the study is twofold: firstly, to find out whether information and communication technology (ICT), used for computer-mediated communication (CMC), can be used for outof- class communication (OCC) by first year students and their lecturers at a university of technology campus in Mpumalanga; and secondly, to establish whether CMC can be used to improve the English language proficiency of students.

published_or_final_version / Language Studies / Master / Master of Arts

The main objective of this work is to address the growing concern of balance loss and falls in the aging population. The initial aspect looks at balance control in a dynamic environment. Observation of age and gender influence on motor control will be made related to a new dynamic balance testing platform (DBTP). The topic of focus in the second portion relates to reaction time in an unstable environment. Research has found that balance improves when physical activity is a part of daily life for seniors. Physical activity influence on reaction time will be investigated with a new approach to exercise classes for seniors. Finally, an understanding of motor control and balance may be acquired and physical activity incorporated into the life of an elderly individual, however this will never fully prevent falls from taking place. A novel approach to injury prevention due to falls is explored in the final portion of this thesis. Study One - Using a newly constructed dynamic balance testing platform (DBTP), balance ability of three age groups was observed in two visual conditions and in relation to gender. Center of Gravity excursion (COGex) was observed to determine the differences between age groups and gender. Platform response patterns were also observed to asses the functionality of the DBTP as a new tool for balance testing. Three things were found: 1) Age differencesrelated to platform movement suggested that balance decreased with age in both visual conditions. 2) Gender differences between COGex found that males covered the most distance in both visual conditions when compared to females. 3) Gender differences between platform characteristics showed that females balanced longer and had lower platform movement rate than males, in both visual conditions. In order to consider the DBTP as a new tool for determination of balance ability, more refined tests are necessary. Study Two - Using pre- and post-training tests, the effects of a Fitball® exercise program on performance in eight subjects was documented. The exercise program focused on improving dynamic balance and postural stability of seniors. To evaluate progress-related changes, pre and post-tests in a dynamic environment were applied. Center of gravity (COG) excursion, catch success rate, and balance success rate were quantified, and synchronized data collection of 3D motion capture (VICON v8i) and ground reaction force (2 KISTLER platforms) was analyzed. During pre- and post-tests, participants stood in a walk-like stance and were asked to catch a weighted ball, which dropped unexpectedly. Results showed no significant changes in balance success rate. Significant improvements were found, however, in both COG control and catch success rate following training (p 0.05). Study Three - Falls in the elderly are inevitable so it is necessary to take precautions. This study looks at falls in relation to velocity characteristics of various locations on the trunk, and contrasts them to activities of daily living (ADL) in 13 individuals. A threshold level was established to be 2.0m/s, a value that exceeded all maximum resultant velocities for ADL, but was superseded by all fall activity resultant velocities. This suggests that a life vest, which responds similar to a vehicle airbag, may be created and worn that will deploy past a threshold of 2.0m/s with the incidence of a fall. / xiii, 91 leaves : ill. ; 29 cm. --

The effect of anxiety on motor learning during a balance relevant task was investigated. Twenty participants (mean age 22.0 ± 2.7 years) were randomly divided into groups that completed the task whilst standing directly on the platform or on 9cm high pedestals, thus constructing Non-Anxious (NA) or Anxious (A) environments. Participants trained for 36 trials in a continuous, pseudo-random oscillating balance task consisting of pseudo-random amplitude translation at 0.5Hz for 45 seconds each on Day 1 and returned for Retention and Transfer tests on Day 2. Motor performance was impaired by training in an anxious environment and this effect persisted across retesting in both non-anxious and anxious environments. Anxiety also tended to further impair transfer of motor performance improvements to a non-anxious environment. These findings have implications for the success of balance training programs in patients who are anxious or afraid of falling. / ix, 103 leaves : ill. ; 29 cm

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2004. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 107-124). / Also available by subscription via World Wide Web / x, 124 leaves, bound 29 cm

Thesis (M.A.)--University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 108-120). / ix, 120 leaves, bound ill. 29 cm

Thesis (MPhil (General Linguistics))—University of Stellenbosch, 2009. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The term "schizophrenia" refers to a psychiatric condition which affects an individual's thought and speech (Eaton and Chen 2006). The verbal expression of schizophrenics can therefore be used as a tool for insight into the nature of schizophrenia as well as the cognitive processes of schizophrenics (Wróbel 1990:1). This thesis reports on a comparative evaluation of three pragmatic assessment tools, namely the Pragmatic Protocol (Prutting and Kirchner 1987), the Profile of Communicative Appropriateness (Penn 1985), and the Framework for Assessing (Children's) Conversational Skills (Rumble 1988), in order to establish which of these tools is most suitable for assessing the first language (L1) and second language (L2) pragmatic abilities of late bilingual schizophrenics. Four late bilingual schizophrenic patients participated in this study. A thirty minute informal interview was conducted with each of the participants in both their L1 and L2 and the speech samples were transcribed and then analysed by means of each of the pragmatic assessment tools. A careful examination of the results yielded by the three assessment tools, showed, firstly, that when presenting the results of a pragmatic assessment of schizophrenic speech, it is crucial that both quantitative and qualitative information be included: if the latter is excluded, a significant amount of information is hidden from the clinicians and/or linguists doing the assessment, as well as the people to whom they report their findings. Secondly, with respect to the characteristics of schizophrenic speech, the three instruments used in this study show that whereas most of the aspects of schizophrenics' linguistic abilities seem intact, their pragmatic skills are definitely impaired. Thirdly, regarding differential symptomatology in bilingual schizophrenics, this study concludes that none of the three assessment tools contributes to a better understanding of this phenomenon, and that, in fact, it is highly unlikely that any pragmatic assessment tool would be able to capture this phenomenon. Finally, it is recommended that clinicians assess bilingual patients in both languages, whenever possible, in order to determine the full range of symptoms experienced by the patient, to gain a better indication of the severity of the illness and to track the progress of the illness. / AFRIKAANS OPSOMMING: Die term "skisofrenie" verwys na 'n psigiatriese toestand wat 'n individu se denkprosesse en spraak beïnvloed (Eaton en Chen 2006). Die verbale uitinge van skisofrene kan dus gebruik word om insig oor die aard van skisofrenie, sowel as die kognitiewe prosesse van skisofrene, te verkry (Wróbel 1990:1). Hierdie tesis lewer verslag oor 'n vergelykende evaluering van drie pragmatiese assesseringsinstrumente, naamlik die "Pragmatic Protocol" (Prutting en Kirchner 1987), die "Profile of Communicative Appropriateness" (Penn 1985), en die "Framework for Assessing (Children's) Conversational Skills" (Rumble 1988), om sodoende vas te stel watter een van hierdie drie die mees gepaste instrument is vir die assessering van tweetalige skisofrene se pragmatiese vaardighede in hul eerstetaal (T1) en tweedetaal (T2), spesifiek in gevalle waar die T2 later (d.w.s. nie binne die eerste sewe lewensjare nie) verwerf is. Vier sulke tweetalige skisofrene het deelgeneem aan die studie. Daar is met elkeen van die deelnemers 'n informele onderhoud gevoer vir 30 minute in hul T1, gevolg deur 30 minute in hul T2. Die onderhoude is getranskribeer en daarna geanaliseer deur middel van elk van die drie assesseringsinstrumente. 'n Noukeurige ondersoek en vergelyking van die resultate van die drie instrumente het eerstens getoon dat dit belangrik is om die resultate van 'n pragmatiese analise van skisofreniese spraak op beide 'n kwantitatiewe en kwalitatiewe wyse aan te bied: wanneer kwalitatiewe inligting weggelaat word, bly 'n betekenisvolle hoeveelheid van die informasie verborge vir die klinici en/of taalwetenskaplikes wat die assessering doen, asook die mense aan wie hulle hulle bevindinge rapporteer. Tweedens, met betrekking tot die eienskappe van skisofreniese spraak, wys die drie instrumente wat in hierdie studie gebruik is dat alhoewel meeste aspekte van skisofrene se taalvaardighede ongeskonde is, hulle pragmatiese vaardighede ooglopend aangetas is. Derdens, rakende differensiële simptomatologie in tweetalige skisofrene kom hierdie studie tot die gevolgtrekking dat geen van die drie instrumente bydra tot 'n beter begrip van hierdie verskynsel nie, en dat dit selfs hoogs onwaarskynlik is dat enige pragmatiese assesseringsinstrument hierdie verskynsel sou kon vaslê. Uiteindelik word daar aanbeveel dat klinici, wanneer dit ookal moontlik is, tweetalige pasiënte in beide tale behoort te assesseer om sodoende die volledige reeks van simptome wat 'n pasiënt ervaar vas te stel, om 'n beter aanduiding te bekom oor die erns van die siekte, en om die progressie van die siekte te volg.

The aim of this thesis is to examine the relative importance of working memory, counting ability, and additive reasoning in children's mathematics learning. One hundred and fifteen 6-year-old Chinese children in Hong Kong participated in two waves of assessments. At the first time point (T1 - first grade), they were assessed using non-verbal intelligence, working memory (central executive, phonological loop, and visuospatial sketchpad), counting ability (procedural counting and conceptual knowledge of counting), additive reasoning (knowledge of the commutativity and complement principles), and mathematical achievement (calculation and story problem solving). Approximately 10 months later (T2 - second grade), children's mathematical achievement in calculation and story problem solving were evaluated once again. The extent to which various cognitive factors longitudinally predicted children's mathematical achievement was evaluated in this study. Several key findings were identified through two sets of analyses - multiple regression models and latent profile analysis. The multiple regression analyses showed that counting ability accounted for a significant amount of variance in T1 and T2 calculation beyond the effects of age, IQ, and working memory, in which conceptual knowledge of counting, but not procedural counting, was a unique predictor. However, counting ability did not contribute significantly to story problem solving at both time points. When additive reasoning was also included in the regression model, counting ability made a unique contribution to T1 calculation only, but not T2 calculation. By contrast, additive reasoning and working memory appeared to be more stable and stronger predictors of children's performance in calculation and story problem solving at both time points than counting ability. Additive reasoning explained a substantial and significant amount of variance in calculation and story problem solving at both time points after the effects of age, IQ, working memory, and counting ability were controlled for - Both knowledge of the commutativity and complement principles were unique predictors. Similarly, working memory also accounted for a significant amount of variance in calculation and story problem solving at both time points beyond the influence of age, IQ, counting ability, and additive reasoning. Among the three components of working memory, only the central executive was a unique predictor for all measures of mathematical achievement. Autoregressive analyses provided strong evidence for the longitudinal predictive powers of additive reasoning and working memory. The analyses showed that both additive reasoning and working memory remained significant predictors of T2 mathematical achievement (calculation and story problem solving) even after the effects of children's previous performance were taken into account (i.e. T1 mathematical achievement). Overall, additive reasoning accounted for the greatest amount of variance in mathematical achievement both concurrently and longitudinally among all the other factors. This finding underscores the importance of additive reasoning in the teaching and learning of mathematics in young children. Because additive reasoning (as indicated by the knowledge of the commutativity and complement principles) is a critical variable in this thesis and relatively scarce research has examined this construct, particular concern was paid to the measurement of additive reasoning. It was measured in two ways in the present study: with the support of concrete materials (the concrete condition) and without the support of concrete materials (the abstract condition). Latent profile analysis showed that all children who performed well in the abstract conditions also did well in the concrete conditions, whereas it did not reveal a group of children who performed well in the abstract conitions, but not in the concrete conditions as well. Another interesting finding was that all children who obtained high scores on tasks that assessed their knowledge of the complement principle also obtained high scores in tasks that assessed their understanding of the commutativity principle. The overall pattern of profiles provides initial evidence suggesting that additive reasoning may develop from thinking in the context of specific quantities to thinking about more abstract symbols, and children acquire the knowledge of the commutativity principle in abstract tasks before they start to acquire the knowledge of the complement principle. This finding demonstrated that patterns of individual differences are present in the development of different aspects of additive reasoning. If teachers possess some knowledge about the particular strengths and weaknesses of each child, it would be easier for them to devise teaching strategies that are tailored to the needs of different children, which may relate to the developmental order of the commutativity and complement principles, and the role of concrete materials in this development. Thus, this study contributes to the literature by showing that assessing additive reasoning in different ways and identifying profiles with classification analyses may be useful for educators to understand more about the developmental stage where each child is placed. It appears that a more fine-grained assessment of additive reasoning can be achieved by incorporating both concrete materials and relatively abstract symbols in the assessment.

This study is centred on an analysis of pupils' lived experience while engaged in the generalisation of linear sequences/progressions presented in a pictorial context. The study is oriented within the conceptual framework of qualitative research, and is anchored within an interpretive paradigm. A case study methodological strategy was adopted, the research participants being the members of a mixed gender, high ability Grade 9 class of 23 pupils at an independent school in South Africa. The analytical framework is structured around a combination of complementary multiple perspectives provided by three theoretical ideas, enactivism, figural apprehension, and knowledge objectification. An important aspect of this analytical framework is the sensitivity it shows to the visual, phenomenological and semiotic aspects of figural pattern generalisation. It is the central thesis of this study that the combined complementary multiple perspectives of enactivism, figural apprehension and knowledge objectification provide a powerful depth of analysis to the exploration of the inter-relationship between the embodied processes of pattern generalisation and the visualisation of pictorial cues. The richly textured tapestry of activity captured through a multi-systemic semiotic analysis of participants' generalisation activity stands testament to this central thesis. Insights gleaned from this study are presented as practical strategies which support and encourage a multiple representational approach to pattern generalisation in the pedagogical context of the classroom.