Task complexity, the Cognition Hypothesis and second language learning and performance

In this paper we describe a taxonomy of task demands which distinguishes between Task Complexity, Task Condition and Task Difficulty. We then describe three theoretical claims and predictions of the Cognition Hypothesis (Robinson 2001, 2003b, 2005a) concerning the effects of task complexity on: (a) language production; (b) interaction and uptake of information available in the input to tasks; and (c) individual differences-task interactions. Finally we summarize the findings of the empirical studies in this special issue which all address one or more of these predictions and point to some directions for continuing, future research into the effects of task complexity on learning and performance.

CLARIN: common language resources and technology infrastructure

Presentamos el proyecto CLARIN, un proyecto cuyo objetivo es potenciar el uso de instrumentos tecnológicos en la investigación en las Humanidades y Ciencias Sociales

Tensión Creativa aplicada al Análisis de Competencias a Alumnos de Ingeniería

This article reflects the analysis of personal and social competences through the study and analysis of creative tensión in engineering students, using a computer application called Cycloid. The main objective was to compare the students' creative tensión by asigning them the task of being the project leader of a given project: their own university major. The process consisted of evaluating, through special surveys, a group of students to know the current situation of competences, using fuzzy logic analysis. From this self-knowledge, provided by the survey, students can know their strong and weak characteristics regarding their study habits. Results showed that tolerance to stress and to language courses are the weaker points. This application is useful for the design of study strategies that students themselves can do to better face their courses

Language extinction and linguistic fronts

Language diversity has become greatly endangered in the past centuries owing to processes of language shift from indigenous languages to other languages that are seen as socially and economically more advantageous, resulting in the death or doom of minority languages. In this paper, we define a new language competition model that can describe the historical decline of minority languages in competition with more advantageous languages. We then implement this non-spatial model as an interaction term in a reactiondiffusion system to model the evolution of the two competing languages. We use the results to estimate the speed at which the more advantageous language spreads geographically, resulting in the shrinkage of the area of dominance of the minority language. We compare the results from our model with the observed retreat in the area of influence of the Welsh language in the UK, obtaining a good agreement between the model and the observed data

Variables que incideixen en el coneixement de català i castellà de l'alumnat estranger a Catalunya: un estudi amb alumnat de sisè de primària

El domini de la llengua escolar apareix en totes les polítiques educatives com el tema central a través del qual s’ha d’incidir per garantir la igualtat i la cohesió social, ja que l’èxit escolar passa per desenvolupar una bona competència en la llengua vehicular de l’ensenyament (OECD 2008). A Catalunya, tot i els esforços destinats, els resultats lingüístics de l’alumnat estranger continuen essent molt més baixos que els de l’alumnat nacional (Consell Superior d’Avaluació del Sistema Educatiu 2009). No obstant això, hi ha molt pocs estudis que hagin analitzat els factors que s’amaguen darrere dels resultats lingüístics de l’alumnat estranger. Amb aquest objectiu en ment, l’article presenta les dades d’una recerca que pretén aprofundir les variables que incideixen en el coneixement de català i castellà escrit de l’alumnat estranger escolaritzat en 57 escoles de primària repartides pel territori de Catalunya

Online Learning and Teaching in Higher Education, a book review

Peer-reviewed

Combining Generic Programming and Service-Oriented Architectures for the Effective and Timely Development of Complex e-Learning Systems

Peer-reviewed

An Experimental Study on Peer Selection in a P2P Network over PlanetLab

Peer-reviewed

La Enseñanza de los sistemas externos de representación matemáticos y lingüísticos en la educación infantil

El objetivo de este estudio es identificar factores que contribuyen a mantener un enfoque básicamente instrumental para enseñar los sistemas externos de representación matemáticos y lingüísticos en las primeras edades de escolarización. En el estudio han participado 123 maestros de Educación Infantil de diversos centros escolares públicos de Andalucía, Asturias, Cataluña y Navarra que han asistido a cursos de formación permanente del profesorado. El análisis cualitativo realizado se basa en grupos de discusión a partir de tópicos. Los resultados evidencian la influencia de diversos factores: el currículo de Educación Infantil; las concepciones del profesorado; las presiones entre etapas educativas; y, finalmente, la presión social. La identificación de los factores asociados a una enseñanza instrumental de los sistemas externos de representación puede entenderse como un tipo de información relevante acerca de las condiciones de la enseñanza de estos sistemas que, además, pueden servir de base para reconstruir las prácticas educativas

The Transformation of Practical Teaching Focusing on Dialogic Learning

This study investigates the transformation of practical teaching in a Catalan school, connected to the design, implementation and development of project-based learning, and focusing on dialogic learning to investigate its limits and possibilities. Qualitative and design-based research (DBR) methods are applied. These methods are based on empirical educational research with the theory-driven of learning environments. DBR is proposed and applied using practical guidance for the teachers of the school. It can be associated with the current proposals for Embedding Social Sciences and Humanities in the Horizon 2020 Societal Challenges. This position statement defends the social sciences and the humanities as the most fundamental and important ideas to face all societal challenges. The results of this study show that before the training process, teachers apply dialogic learning in specific moments (for example, when they speak about the weekend); however, during the process and after the process, they work systematically with dialogic learning through the PEPT: they start and finish every activity with a individual and group reflection about their own processes, favouring motivation, reasoning and the implication of all the participants. These results prove that progressive transformations of teaching practice benefit cooperative work in class

Study and modeling of the desintegration kinetics of coated paper

The disintegration of recovered paper is the first operation in the preparation of recycled pulp. It is known that the defibering process follows a first order kinetics from which it is possible to obtain the disintegration kinetic constant (KD) by means of different ways. The disintegration constant can be obtained from the Somerville index results (%lsv and from the dissipated energy per volume unit (Ss). The %slv is related to the quantity of non-defibrated paper, as a measure of the non-disintegrated fiber residual (percentage of flakes), which is expressed in disintegration time units. In this work, disintegration kinetics from recycled coated paper has been evaluated, working at 20 revise rotor speed and for different fiber consistency (6, 8, 10, 12 and 14%). The results showed that the values of experimental disintegration kinetic constant, Ko, through the analysis of Somerville index, as function of time. Increased, the disintegration time was drastically reduced. The calculation of the disintegration kinetic constant (modelled Ko), extracted from the Rayleigh’s dissipation function, showed a good correlation with the experimental values using the evolution of the Somerville index or with the dissipated energy

La Adquisición de competencias básicas en educación primaria: una aproximación interdisciplinar desde la didáctica de la lengua y de las matemáticas

Este artículo trata de la aplicación de las competencias básicas en el currículum de Educación Primaria. El objetivo que persigue es ofrecer algunas estrategias para ayudar a los maestros a integrar las competencias básicas en los métodos de programación y evaluación. Con este fin, y para prever las posibles dificultades en la implementación de las competencias básicas, en la primera parte del artículo se analiza la situación actual a partir de la lectura de diversos documentos legales vigentes. A continuación, en la segunda parte del artículo se aportan algunas herramientas para facilitar esta integración desde las áreas de lengua y de matemáticas. Realizamos esta aproximación desde la didáctica de la lengua y de las matemáticas por su carácter instrumental para la adquisición de otros conocimientos

Early Childhood Mathematics Education: Research, Curriculum and Educational Practice

This article reviews data obtained through research into early childhood mathematics education in Spain. It analyses the current curricular directions in mathematics education with early learners. It also provides an overview of mathematical practices in early childhood education classrooms to analyse the commonalities and differences between research, curriculum and educational practice. A review of the research presented at SEIEM symposia from 1997 until 2012 demonstrates: a) very little research has been done, a trend that is repeated in other areas, such as the JCR-Social Sciences Edition or the PME; b) the first steps have been taken to create a more and more cohesive body of research, although until now there has not been enough data to outline the curricular directions; and c) some discrepancies still exist between the mathematical practices in early childhood education classrooms and the official guidelines

'L’escriptura del jo', una proposta d’educació intercultural i tractament de la diversitat per a l’ensenyament secundari obligatori = The writing of I, an intercultural educational proposal and treatment of diversity for Compulsory Secondary Education

The writing of I is a project that starts an itinerary through past, present and future experiences of each of our students based on following research activities. Reading, creation and recreation of text and other items that turn essentially around autobiographical writing and culminate with the elaboration of a free autobiography

La incorporación y enseñanza de la lengua extranjera

Tradicionalment, el sistema educatiu espanyol ha presentat carències importants respecte al desenvolupament de competències lingüístiques en una o més llengües estrangeres