Design thinking : el futuro de la educaci??n, una nueva forma de trabajo

Se pone en com??n un modelo de pensamiento e innovaci??n, denominado Design Thinking, usado por las grandes empresas y negocios del siglo XXI, cercano al campo del marketing, de la econom??a o la ingenier??a. Se plantea el aprovechamiento de este modelo de trabajo, en el campo de la educaci??n, que permite resolver cuestiones importantes con soluciones reales y adaptadas a las necesidades de la comunidad educativa en general. As??, si hacemos uso de esta nueva metodolog??a podremos resolver, por ejemplo, cuestiones relacionadas con la dinamizaci??n de la biblioteca de un centro, sin hacer uso de soluciones tradicionales.

ARX, model thinking: taxonomy and operativity of an architectural process

The purpose of this work was to establish a taxonomy of hand made model construction as a platform for an approach to project an operative method in architecture. It was therefore studied and catalogued in a systematic approach a broad model production in the work of ARX. A wide range of families and sub-families of models were found, with different purposes according to each phase of development, from searching steps for a new possible configuration to detailed refined decisions. This working method revealed as most relevant characteristics, the grounds for a potential personal reflection and open discussion on project method, its flexibility on space modeling, an accuracy on the representation of real construction situations and its constant and stimulating opening to new suggestions. This research helped on a meta-reflection about this method, having been useful on creating a consciousness of processes that pretend to become an autonomous language, knowledge that might become useful to those who pretend to implement a haptic modus operandi in the work of an architectural project.

Age and flexible thinking: an experimental demonstration of the beneficial effects of increased cognitively stimulating activity on fluid intelligence in healthy older adults

The disuse hypothesis of cognitive aging attributes decrements in fluid intelligence in older adults to reduced cognitively stimulating activity. This study experimentally tested the hypothesis that a period of increased mentally stimulating activities thus would enhance older adults' fluid intelligence performance. Participants (N = 44, mean age 67.82) were administered pre- and post-test measures, including the fluid intelligence measure, Cattell's Culture Fair (CCF) test. Experimental participants engaged in diverse, novel, mentally stimulating activities for 10-12 weeks and were compared to a control condition. Results supported the hypothesis; the experimental group showed greater pre- to post-CCF gain than did controls (effect size d = 0.56), with a similar gain on a spatial-perceptual task (WAIS-R Blocks). Even brief periods of increased cognitive stimulation can improve older adults' problem solving and flexible thinking.

Thinking skills in the early years: a literature review

Since 1999, thinking skills have been included in the National Curriculum alongside ‘key skills’ such as those to do with communication and information and communications technology (ICT). Thinking skills are expected to be developed at all key stages and centre on: information-processing skills, reasoning skills, enquiry skills, creative thinking skills and evaluation skills. This literature review consisted of three phases based on the following research questions: 1. What pedagogical approaches to developing generic thinking skills currently exist for children between the ages of three and seven? 2. What are the generic thinking skills that children are able to demonstrate at this age? 3. What is the relationship between these thinking capabilities and those that the pedagogical approaches aim to develop? The review covered post-2000 literature in the area of thinking skills in the early years. It provides an update of the evidence base upon which thinking skills approaches have been established, suggests areas where more evidence is needed and makes some practical recommendations for researchers, policy makers and practitioners.

Are you thinking what I’m thinking? Peer group similarities in adolescent hostile attribution tendencies

A bias towards attributing hostile intent to others has been linked to aggression. In an adolescent sample, we investigated whether peer group homophily exists in the tendency towards attributing hostile intent. We assessed hostile attribution tendencies and self-reported aggressive behaviours in a normative sample of 910 adolescents, and computed average peer group scores based on nominated friend scores. Results indicated that adolescents showed significant correlations between their own level of hostile attributions and that of their peer group. Further analyses indicated that this effect occurred specifically in reciprocal friendships, and was retained even once own and peer group level of aggression were controlled.