Applying recommendations to aligncompetences, methodology and assessment in Telematics, Computing and Electronic Engineering courses

The alignment between competences, teaching-learning methodologies and assessment is a key element of the European Higher Education Area. This paper presents the efforts carried out by six Telematics, Computer Science and Electronic Engineering Education teachers towards achieving this alignment in their subjects. In a joint work with pedagogues, a set of recommended actions were identified. A selection of these actions were applied and evaluated in the six subjects. The cross-analysis of the results indicate that the actions allow students to better understand the methodologies and assessment planned for the subjects, facilitate (self-) regulation and increase students��� involvement in the subjects.

La Multi-metodolog��a Autobiogr��fica Extendida (MAE). Una estrategia cualitativa para estudiar la identidad, los fondos de conocimiento y las formas de vida

La multi-metodolog��a autobiogr��fica es una aproximaci��n cualitativa que combina distintas t��cnicas para estudiar la construcci��n narrativa de la identidad. El objetivo de este art��culo es ofrecer una revisi��n de dicho enfoque a partir de una expansi��n de los distintos instrumentos cualitativos utilizados. M��s concretamente, la multi-metodolog��a autobiogr��fica extendida (MAE) consta de cuatro grupos de t��cnicas: entrevistas en profundidad (historia de vida, entrevista de fondos de conocimiento y la entrevista de Durand), el retrato o dibujo identitario revisado (dibujo identitario, auto-definici��n, tarea identitaria de las diez definiciones), el an��lisis de los artefactos-rutinas-formas de vida (diario de una semana, detecci��n de artefactos, rutinas a trav��s de fotograf��as, rutinas educativas a trav��s de fotograf��as ) y la utilizaci��n de distintos ���mapas psicol��gicos o psicogeogr��ficos��� (cronograma, genograma, ecomapa, geomapa y mapa relacional). Despu��s de definir la identidad, los fondos de conocimiento y las formas de vida como posibles objetos de estudio en ciencias sociales, el art��culo describe e ilustra las distintas t��cnicas que componen la metodolog��a propuesta. Se concluye recomendando la triangulaci��n de t��cnicas cualitativas narrativas basadas en el lenguaje, el caso de las tradicionales entrevistas en profundidad, con determinados procedimientos visuales, a partir de la utilizaci��n de fotograf��as o representaciones gr��ficas

Self construction, cognitive conflicts and polarization in bulimia nervosa

This study explores the cognitive structures, understood as construct systems, of patients suffering from bulimia nervosa (BN). Previous studies investigated the construct systems of disordered eaters suggesting that they had a higher distance between their construction of the self and the ��ideal self��, and also more rigidity. In addition to these aspects, this study explored the presence of implicative dilemmas (ID). Thirty two women who met criteria for BN and were treated in a specialized center were compared to a non clinical group composed by 32 women matched by age. All participants were assessed using Repertory Grid Technique (RGT). In BN patients it was more common (71.9%) to find IDs than in controls (18.8%). They also showed higher polarization and higher self-ideal discrepancies (even more for those with a long history of BN). The measures provided by the RGT can be useful for the assessment of self-construction and cognitive conflicts in BN patients and to appreciate their role in this disorder. In addition, this technique could be helpful for clinicians to explore the patient"s constructs system, and specially to identify IDs that could be maintaining the symptoms or hindering change in order to focus on them to facilitate improvement.

The psychosocial difficulties in brain disorders that explain short term changes in health outcomes.

BACKGROUND: This study identifies a set of psychosocial difficulties that are associated with short term changes in health outcomes across a heterogeneous set of brain disorders, neurological and psychiatric. METHODS: Longitudinal observational study over approximately 12 weeks with three time points of assessment and 741 patients with depression, bipolar disorders, multiple sclerosis, parkinson's disease, migraine, traumatic brain injury and stroke. The data on disability was collected with the checklist of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health. The selected health outcomes were the Short Form 36 and the World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule. Multilevel models for change were applied controlling for age, gender and disease severity. RESULTS: The psychosocial difficulties that explain the variability and change over time of the selected health outcomes were energy and drive, sleep, and emotional functions, and a broad range of activities and participation domains, such as solving problems, conversation, areas of mobility and self-care, relationships, community life and recreation and leisure. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings are of interest to researchers and clinicians for interventions and health systems planning as they show that in addition to difficulties that are diagnostic criteria of these disorders, there are other difficulties that explain small changes in health outcomes over short periods of time.

Correlating trainees' translating performance with the quality of their metacognitive self-evaluation

This paper presents a study of correlations between the performance of trainee translators, according to their teacher���s assessment, and the quality of their self-evaluation, according to their answers to metacognitive questionnaires. Two case-studies of two consecutive editions of a course in general translation from German into Spanish are dealt with. The course involved the use of post-translation metacognitive questionnaires designed to help trainees to evaluate their translating. A selection of the questionnaires (from the strongest and the weakest performances by students for each course edition) is considered. The study focuses on one item in these questionnaires that has to do with identifying translation problems and justifying their solutions. An interpretive analysis of the trainees��� answers for this questionnaire item reveals that the best-performing students were more strategically and translationally aware in self-evaluating their own translating. Our conclusions are based on considering six parameters from the analysis of the trainees��� answers, which are tentatively regarded as indicative of the quality of their self-evaluation.

Mutual feedback in e-portfolio assessment : an approach to the netfolio system

Peer-reviewed

Transcending the self in immersive virtual reality

Cognitive neuroscientists have discovered various experimental setups that suggest that our body representation is surprisingly flexible, where the brain can easily be tricked into the illusion that a rubber hand is your hand or that a manikin body is your body. These multisensory illusions work well in immersive virtual reality (IVR). What is even more surprising is that such embodiment induces perceptual, attitudinal and behavioural changes that are concomitant with the displayed body type. Here we outline some recent findings in this field, and suggest that this offers a powerful tool for neuroscience, psychology and a new path for IVR.

Dilemas implicativos, psicopatologia e constru����o do self: mudan��a durante o primeiro ano da Universidade.

O objectivo deste estudo foi comparar os indicadores de sintomatologia psicol��gica, compet��ncias de resolu����o de problemas e de constru����o pessoal, quando avaliados no in��cio e no final do primeiro ano da Universidade. Analis��mos tamb��m os preditores quer de sintomatologia psicol��gica, quer de compet��ncias de resolu����o de problemas avaliadas no final do ano lectivo. Vinte e oito estudantes do primeiro ano da Universidade do Minho, preencheram uma medida de sintomatologia psicol��gica (SCL-90-R), uma medida de compet��ncias de resolu����o de problemas (IRP) e a grelha de repert��rio para an��lise da sua constru����o pessoal. Os resultados indicam uma diminui����o significativa na sintomatologia e um aumento significativo da auto-estima, no segundo per��odo de avalia����o. Verific��mos que a sintomatologia e as compet��ncias manifestadas no in��cio do ano s��o, respectivamente, os melhores preditores de sintomatologia e compet��ncias no final do ano. Os resultados s��o discutidos sublinhando as implica����es para a promo����o da adapta����o dos estudantes universit��rios.