Approaches to OER Development

OER development is becoming more sophisticated as instructors and course specialists become more familiar with the environment. Most OER development approaches for online courses have been developed from those that were appropriate in the face-to-face context. However, the OER online environment opens up new possibilities for learning as well as holding particular limitations. This paper presents some approaches that OER implementers should bear in mind when initiating and supporting OER course development projects.1. Beg, borrow, or steal courseware. Don't reinvent the wheel.2. Take what exists and build the course around it.3. Mix and match. Assemble. Don't create.4. Avoid the "not invented here" syndrome. 5. Know the content -garbage in and garbage out.6. Establish deadlines. Work to deadlines, but don't be unrealistic. 7. Estimate your costs and then double them. Double them again. 8. Be realistic in scheduling and scoping.9. The project plan must be flexible. Be prepared for major shifts.10. Build flexibly for reuse and repurposing -generalizability reduces costs 11. Provide different routes to learning. 12. Build to international standards.There are necessary features in every OER, including introduction, schedule etc. but it is most important to keep the course as simple as possible. Extreme Programming (XP) methodology can be adapted from software engineering to aid in the course development process.

Context switching accounting mechanism

How many times a given process p preempts, either voluntarily or involuntarily, is an important threat to computer's processes throughput. Whenever running cpu-bound processes on a multi-core system without an actual system grid engine as commonly found on Grid Clusters, their performance and stability are directly related to their accurate implementation and the system reliability which is, to an extend, an important caveat most of the times so difficult to detect. Context Switching is time-consuming. Thus, if we could develop a tool capable of detecting it and gather data from every single performed Context Switch, we would beable to study this data and present some results that should pin-point at whatever their main cause could be.

A context-based methodology for integrating Web 2.0 services in learning scenarios

The emergence of the Web 2.0 technologies in the last years havechanged the way people interact with knowledge. Services for cooperation andcollaboration have placed the user in the centre of a new knowledge buildingspace. The development of new second generation learning environments canbenefit from the potential of these Web 2.0 services when applied to aneducational context. We propose a methodology for designing learningenvironments that relates Web 2.0 services with the functional requirements ofthese environments. In particular, we concentrate on the design of the KRSMsystem to discuss the components of this methodology and its application.

Some applications of FISST to wireless communications

This paper aims at illustrating some applications of Finite Random Set (FRS) theory to the design and analysis of wireless communication receivers, and at pointing out similarities and differences between this scenario and that pertaining to multi-target tracking, where the use of FRS has been traditionally advocated. Two case studies are considered, l.e., multiuser detection in a dynamic environment, and multicarrier (OFDM) transmission on a frequency-selective channel. Detector designand performance evaluation are discussed, along with the advantages of importing FRS-based estimation techniques to the context of wireless communications.

Characterization of intonation in Karṇāṭaka music by parametrizing context-based Svara Distributions

Intonation is a fundamental music concept that has a special relevance in Indian art music. It is characteristic of the rāga and intrinsic to the musical expression of the performer. Describing intonation is of importance to several information retrieval tasks like the development of rāga and artist similarity measures. In our previous work, we proposed a compact representation of intonation based on the parametrization of the pitch histogram of a performance and demonstrated the usefulness of this representation through an explorative rāga recognition task in which we classified 42 vocal performances belonging to 3 rāgas using parameters of a single svara. In this paper, we extend this representation to employ context-based svara distributions, which are obtained with a different approach to find the pitches belonging to each svara. We quantitatively compare this method to our previous one, discuss the advantages, and the necessary melodic analysis to be carried out in future.

Qualitat de vida i centres d'educació especial: una aproximació a la seva conceptualització i avaluació

La qualitat de vida s’està convertint en un concepte clau i unificador en l’atenció i educació de les persones amb discapacitat intel•lectual. Així mateix, la percepció actual sobre les persones amb discapacitat ha canviat substancialment. En el moment actual, cal plantejar-se quines són les aplicacions i les implicacions que tenen per l’atenció i educació de les persones amb discapacitat intel•lectual els principis derivats del nou concepte de discapacitat i de la qualitat de vida. Aquesta investigació pretén essencialment elaborar un conjunt d’instruments que permetin avaluar la qualitat de les pràctiques educatives dels centres d’educació especial. Amb aquest objectiu s’ha seguit un procediment estructurat i ordenat en l’elaboració dels instruments com en la seva valoració inicial. Per avaluar la qualitat dels centres d’educació especial es proposen una sèrie qüestionaris tant pels professionals, les famílies i els alumnes. Els resultats indiquen que el conjunt d’instruments d’avaluació permeten recollir informació àmplia i variada de les pràctiques d’un centre d’educació especial, determinar les seves fortaleses i debilitats i servir de base per establir plans de millora estretament relacionats amb el context particular del centre i amb el que es considera una bona pràctica educativa.

Understanding the development of the ESDP: Perspectives and insights from historical institutionalism and theories of learning

How can we best understand the emergence of the European Security and Defence Policy (ESDP)? This paper applies the theories of historical institutionalism and experiential learning to offer a dynamic conceptualisation of moves towards an ESDP which highlights some of the causal factors that a more temporally-restricted analysis would miss. It firstly shows how the institutional and functional expansion of European Political Cooperation (EPC) over the course of the 1970s and 80s gave rise to a context in which the development of a security and defence dimension came to be viewed as more logical and even necessary. It then goes on to analyse some of the external factors (in the form of actors, events and institutions) that further pushed in this direction and proved to influence the policy’s subsequent evolution. The paper is therefore intended to act as a first-step to understanding the ESDP’s development from this perspective.

Social Determinants of Child Health in Colombia: Can Community Education Moderate the Effect of Family Characteristics?

Contextual effects on child health have been investigated extensively in previous research. However, few studies have considered the interplay between community characteristics and individual-level variables. This study examines the influence of community education and family socioeconomic characteristics on child health (as measured by height and weight-for-age Z-scores), as well as their interactions. We adapted the Commission on Social Determinants of Health (CSDH) framework to the context of child health. Using data from the 2010 Colombian Demographic and Health Survey (DHS), weighted multilevel models are fitted since the data are not self-weighting. The results show a positive impact of the level of education of other women in the community on child health, even after controlling for individual and family socioeconomic characteristics. Different pathways through which community education can substitute for the effect of family characteristics on child nutrition are found. The interaction terms highlight the importance of community education as a moderator of the impact of the mother’s own education and autonomy, on child health. In addition, the results reveal differences between height and weight-for-age indicators in their responsiveness to individual and contextual factors. Our findings suggest that community intervention programmes may have differential effects on child health. Therefore, their identification can contribute to a better targeting of child care policies.

Disseny i elaboració de materials d'educació ambiental per a Mexicali (Baixa Califòrnia, Mèxic)

El present treball aporta el disseny d'un nou material d'educació ambiental (EA) adequat a l'alumnat de la ciutat de Mexicali, capital de la Baixa Califòrnia (Mèxic), que s'ajusti a les necessitats d'aquesta tenint en compte els escassos recursos de personal tècnic i econòmics de que disposa la ONG Desarrollo Integral Comunitario de Mexicali A.C. Al finalitzar el projecte, després d'un ampli treball de recerca documental i de camp, s'ha elaborat un material didàctic d'EA pels nivells educatius de primària, secundària i preparatòria (l'equivalent al batxillerat més el 4t d'ESO) adequat al context de la zona.

Salience theory of choice under risk

We present a theory of choice among lotteries in which the decision maker's attention is drawn to (precisely defined) salient payoffs. This leads the decision maker to a context-dependent representation of lotteries in which true probabilities are replaced by decision weights distorted in favor of salient payoffs. By endogenizing decision weights as a function of payoffs, our model provides a novel and unified account of many empirical phenomena, including frequent risk-seeking behavior, invariance failures such as the Allais paradox, and preference reversals. It also yields new predictions, including some that distinguish it from Prospect Theory, which we test.

Patrons d'incorporació sociolaboral immigració llatinoamericana en dos contestos urbans, Barcelona i Manchester

La present memòria de treball presenta les principals conclusions del projecte titulat “Patrons d'incorporació sociolaboral immigració llatinoamericana en dos contestos urbans, Barcelona i Manchester" finançat per la convocatòria Projectes Batista i Roca PBR 2009 i executat pels grups de recerca GEDIME (Grup d’estudis de migracions i minories ètniques) de la UAB, i el Global Urban Research Centre (GURC-University of Manchester). El projecte s’aproxima, des d’un pla estructural i des d’una anàlisi comparativa, al context de recepció d’ambdós territoris (context institucional, social i econòmic), que determina l’estructura d’oportunitats dels immigrants i condiciona les seves estratègies com agents socials, en interacció amb les diferents situacions de cada immigrant (nivell educatiu, situació familiar, cicle vital, classe social, etc.). A través dels seminaris i workshops realitzats en ambdues universitats participants, s'ha establert vincles de col•laboració estable entre els dos grups de recerca implicats en el projecte. Aquest marc de cooperació es valora com una iniciativa que ha de transcendir el temps de desenvolupament d’aquest estudi i que ha de donar lloc a la presentació de nous projectes competitius, publicacions conjuntes, etc. Aquesta opció, valorada com a fonamental pels dos centres de recerca, ha servit per generar un flux d’informació científica permanent entre ambdós centres de recerca.

Multi-sample analysis of moment-structures: Asymptotic validity of inferences based on second-order moments

In moment structure analysis with nonnormal data, asymptotic valid inferences require the computation of a consistent (under general distributional assumptions) estimate of the matrix $\Gamma$ of asymptotic variances of sample second--order moments. Such a consistent estimate involves the fourth--order sample moments of the data. In practice, the use of fourth--order moments leads to computational burden and lack of robustness against small samples. In this paper we show that, under certain assumptions, correct asymptotic inferences can be attained when $\Gamma$ is replaced by a matrix $\Omega$ that involves only the second--order moments of the data. The present paper extends to the context of multi--sample analysis of second--order moment structures, results derived in the context of (simple--sample) covariance structure analysis (Satorra and Bentler, 1990). The results apply to a variety of estimation methods and general type of statistics. An example involving a test of equality of means under covariance restrictions illustrates theoretical aspects of the paper.

On the bicanonical map of irregular varieties

From the point of view of uniform bounds for the birationality of pluricanonical maps, irregular varieties of general type and maximal Albanese dimension behave similarly to curves. In fact Chen-Hacon showed that, at least when their holomorphic Euler characteristic is positive, the tricanonical map of such varieties is always birational. In this paper we study the bicanonical map. We consider the natural subclass of varieties of maximal Albanese dimension formed by primitive varieties of Albanese general type. We prove that the only such varieties with non-birational bicanonical map are the natural higher-dimensional generalization to this context of curves of genus $2$: varieties birationally equivalent to the theta-divisor of an indecomposable principally polarized abelian variety. The proof is based on the (generalized) Fourier-Mukai transform.

Redefining dropping out in online higher education: a case study from the UOC

In recent years, studies into the reasons for dropping out of higher education (including online education) have been undertaken with greater regularity, parallel to the rise in the relative weight of this type of education, compared with brick-and-mortar education. However, the work invested in characterising the students who drop out of education, compared with those who do not, appears not to have had the same relevance as that invested in the analysis of the causes. The definition of dropping out is very sensitive to the context. In this article, we reach a purely empirical definition of student dropping out, based on the probability of not continuing a specific academic programme following several consecutive semesters of "theoretical break". Dropping out should be properly defined before analysing its causes, as well as comparing the drop-out rates between the different online programmes, or between online and on-campus ones. Our results show that there are significant differences among programmes, depending on their theoretical extension, but not their domain of knowledge.

Belleza y elocuencia, o la rendición por los sentidos (Lucianus, Scyth. 11)

In Lucian Scythian (§11), all previous editors have corrected the word ¢p£xetai as it appears in the manuscripts to p£xetai. We aim to justify the restoration of the original text because, obviously, it is possible in terms of form, and, besides, it seems more appropriate to the context. The verb ¢p£gomai implies the notion of being moved from one place to another, while p£gomai expresses only the notion of simple attraction which does not involve actual movement. This notion of true surrendering through the senses seems to match the idea developed here by Lucian; loci paralleli in Lucian himself and other Attic authors help us to confirm this interpretation.