LdShake: learning design solutions sharing and co-edition

Two important challenges that teachers are currently facing are the sharing and the collaborative authoring of their learning design solutions, such as didactical units and learning materials. On the one hand, there are tools that can be used for the creation of design solutions and only some of them facilitate the co-edition. However, they do not incorporate mechanisms that support the sharing of the designs between teachers. On the other hand, there are tools that serve as repositories of educational resources but they do not enable the authoring of the designs. In this paper we present LdShake, a web tool whose novelty is focused on the combined support for the social sharing and co-edition of learning design solutions within communities of teachers. Teachers can create and share learning designs with other teachers using different access rights so that they can read, comment or co-edit the designs. Therefore, each design solution is associated to a group of teachers able to work on its definition, and another group that can only see the design. The tool is generic in that it allows the creation of designs based on any pedagogical approach. However, it can be particularized in instances providing pre-formatted designs structured according to a specific didactic method (such as Problem-Based Learning, PBL). A particularized LdShake instance has been used in the context of Human Biology studies where teams of teachers are required to work together in the design of PBL solutions. A controlled user study, that compares the use of a generic LdShake and a Moodle system, configured to enable the creation and sharing of designs, has been also carried out. The combined results of the real and controlled studies show that the social structure, and the commenting, co-edition and publishing features of LdShake provide a useful, effective and usable approach for facilitating teachers' teamwork.

Adaptive learning in models with lagged variables

In this work I study the stability of the dynamics generated by adaptivelearning processes in intertemporal economies with lagged variables. Iprove that determinacy of the steady state is a necessary condition for the convergence of the learning dynamics and I show that the reciprocal is not true characterizing the economies where convergence holds. In the case of existence of cycles I show that there is not, in general, a relationship between determinacy and convergence of the learning process to the cycle. I also analyze the expectational stability of these equilibria.

Am��lcar Cabral: estrat��gias pol��ticas e culturais para independ��ncia da Guin�� e Cabo Verde

Nascido na Guin�� portuguesa, educado em Cabo Verde e na universidade de portuguesa, profissional no campo da agronomia em Portugal e nos territ��rios colonizados, Cabral apelido que hoje dispensa muitas apresenta����es na historiografia africana, foi actor de um percurso ��nico sedimentado nos tempos duros da domina����o colonial portuguesa, quando fora de Portugal e do seu imp��rio, movimentos intelectuais, ideias pol��ticas e ac����es culturais procuravam libertar o homem colonizado africano das malhas do colonialismo e da opress��o. �� com base nesta breve descri����o que ressaltamos a necessidade de analisar as estrat��gias pol��ticas e culturais de Cabral para a conquista da independ��ncia da Guin�� e Cabo Verde, procurando o que foi produto da coloniza����o portuguesa, mas sobretudo apurar como integrou contribui����es te��ricas internacionais e africanas, que em meados do s��culo XX marcaram as escolhas e pr��ticas dos intelectuais e pol��ticos africanos integrados no processo de luta de liberta����o e independ��ncia. Procuramos estudar neste trabalho, a forma como este not��vel pol��tico africano estruturou as suas aprendizagens, e reflex��es articulando a realidades guineenses e caboverdeanas do s��culo XX, e as correntes marcantes do pensamento libertador africano. Tentaremos tamb��m perceber as diversas din��micas que possam ter contribu��do de alguma maneira especial para constru����o da sua identidade que resultou na sua entrega �� luta de liberta����o nacional. Cabral, as suas estrat��gias pol��ticas e culturais, o seu impacto nos territ��rios africanos constituiu o eixo central desta investiga����o a que titulamos ��Am��lcar Cabral: Estrat��gias pol��ticas e culturais para a independ��ncia da Guin�� e Cabo Verde��.

Student experiences in a course blended learning

Fascination is a project for design students, developed jointly by the Technical University of Catalonia (UPC) and the University of Technology Thonburi (KMUTT), which works with two groups of students, one group of participants in Spain and another group in Thailand where, hands-on activities, a range of technologies are used to prepare students for the lessons, through learning activities and content. This research paper presents the test of both a general model and a tool for measuring the participants��� experiences in a course that uses a blended learning methodology, with the aim of collecting empirical evidence to justify the effort of applying this methodology, based on the participants��� satisfaction. The procedure used in the conceptualization of the survey, the generation of topics, the collection of data, and the validation of the scale of various items are described here. The information, provided by the 26 people surveyed about the course and the virtual environment that was used, was analyzed to measure their perceptions and explore possible relations. Finally the conclusions of the research and the future work are presented.

Aplicaciones educativas de la teor��a vygotskiana. El programa 'Key to learning' = Applications of vigotsky's theory to education. The 'Key to learning' proggram

En ciencias de la educaci��n, las ��ltimas d��cadas han estado marcadas por un inter��s en las ideas de Lev S. Vygotski. De hecho, a partir de esas ideas se han propuesto varias aplicaciones educativas. Una de ellas es el ���Key to learning���. El art��culo propone una visi��n general de este programa educativo desarrollado a partir de algunos trabajos e ideas de autores rusos contempor��neos. Primero, desarrollamos algunas ideas en torno a la noci��n de zona de desarrollo pr��ximo (ZpD). Despu��s, sugerimos la teor��a de las habilidades de aprendizaje. En este sentido, el objetivo principal de ���Key to learning��� es mejorar las habilidades de aprendizaje cognitivas, comunicativas y directivas de ni��os de entre 3 a 7 a��os de edad. Para este prop��sito son creadas 12 unidades curriculares que componen el programa. Para concluir se enfatiza la creaci��n de zonas de desarrollo pr��ximo estructuradas como parte de un sistema de ense��anza y aprendizaje que vincula la actividad, la asistencia y la agencia

Gated Geiger mode avalanche photodiode pixels with integrated readout electronics for low noise photon detection

Avalanche photodiodes operated in the Geiger mode offer a high intrinsic gain as well as an excellent timing accuracy. These qualities make the sensor specially suitable for those applications where detectors with high sensitivity and low timing uncertainty are required. Moreover, they are compatible with standard CMOS technologies, allowing sensor and front-end electronics integration within the pixel cell. However, the sensor suffers from high levels of intrinsic noise, which may lead to erroneous results and limit the range of detectable signals. They also increase the amount of data that has to be stored. In this work, we present a pixel based on a Geiger-mode avalanche photodiode operated in the gated mode to reduce the probability to detect noise counts interfering with photon arrival events. The readout circuit is based on a two grounds scheme to enable low reverse bias overvoltages and consequently lessen the dark count rate. Experimental characterization of the fabricated pixel with the HV-AMS 0.35��m standard technology is also presented in this article.

Science, practice and patient needs: the work of the Plinius Maior Society.

The Plinius Maior Society is a European multinational, multidisciplinary group of clinicians and researchers in the alcoholism field, which strives for a comprehensive care concept in the management of alcoholism and alcohol-related problems. The Society, using evidence-based medicine, has developed a set of protocols, in the forms of guidelines, flow-charts, leaflets and booklets, for use as tools in research on and treatment of alcohol dependence, with a view to standardize clinical research procedures and to bridge the gap between the alcoholism researcher, practitioner and patient. These protocols or tools have been subjected to a review process during their preparation, and further comments on their validity will be integrated in their updates. Seven protocols have so far been developed, two of which, 'Guidelines on Evaluation of Treatment of Alcohol Dependence' and 'Detection and Management of Patients with Psychiatric and Alcohol Use Disorders', are aimed at the clinical researcher and specialists, whereas three others [in the form of decision trees (flow-charts)] are aimed at the general practitioner and other primary health care providers. These are entitled 'Alcohol Risk Assessment and Intervention in Primary Care', 'Withdrawal from Alcohol at Home' and 'Brief Intervention in Patients with Alcohol-Related Problems'. The remaining two tools are booklets aimed at the patient, one to support initiatives for detection of drinking problems and primary intervention, namely 'Do you have this Problem? Discuss it with your Doctor!', and the other to assist the patient in relapse prevention after the early stages of treatment, namely 'On the Way to Recovery'. The protocols for the general practitioners and patients have so far been produced in seven European languages, and, as with the Guidelines, feedback from target users will be collected and incorporated in future updates. The Society continually seeks to consider areas of clinical importance for its work and, as it enters the new millennium, it hopes to address and make a significant contribution to the most pressing problem in the management of alcohol dependence, namely relapse.

Integrated methodologies to study human transcriptional regulation from functional genomics data

Abstract : The human body is composed of a huge number of cells acting together in a concerted manner. The current understanding is that proteins perform most of the necessary activities in keeping a cell alive. The DNA, on the other hand, stores the information on how to produce the different proteins in the genome. Regulating gene transcription is the first important step that can thus affect the life of a cell, modify its functions and its responses to the environment. Regulation is a complex operation that involves specialized proteins, the transcription factors. Transcription factors (TFs) can bind to DNA and activate the processes leading to the expression of genes into new proteins. Errors in this process may lead to diseases. In particular, some transcription factors have been associated with a lethal pathological state, commonly known as cancer, associated with uncontrolled cellular proliferation, invasiveness of healthy tissues and abnormal responses to stimuli. Understanding cancer-related regulatory programs is a difficult task, often involving several TFs interacting together and influencing each other's activity. This Thesis presents new computational methodologies to study gene regulation. In addition we present applications of our methods to the understanding of cancer-related regulatory programs. The understanding of transcriptional regulation is a major challenge. We address this difficult question combining computational approaches with large collections of heterogeneous experimental data. In detail, we design signal processing tools to recover transcription factors binding sites on the DNA from genome-wide surveys like chromatin immunoprecipitation assays on tiling arrays (ChIP-chip). We then use the localization about the binding of TFs to explain expression levels of regulated genes. In this way we identify a regulatory synergy between two TFs, the oncogene C-MYC and SP1. C-MYC and SP1 bind preferentially at promoters and when SP1 binds next to C-NIYC on the DNA, the nearby gene is strongly expressed. The association between the two TFs at promoters is reflected by the binding sites conservation across mammals, by the permissive underlying chromatin states 'it represents an important control mechanism involved in cellular proliferation, thereby involved in cancer. Secondly, we identify the characteristics of TF estrogen receptor alpha (hERa) target genes and we study the influence of hERa in regulating transcription. hERa, upon hormone estrogen signaling, binds to DNA to regulate transcription of its targets in concert with its co-factors. To overcome the scarce experimental data about the binding sites of other TFs that may interact with hERa, we conduct in silico analysis of the sequences underlying the ChIP sites using the collection of position weight matrices (PWMs) of hERa partners, TFs FOXA1 and SP1. We combine ChIP-chip and ChIP-paired-end-diTags (ChIP-pet) data about hERa binding on DNA with the sequence information to explain gene expression levels in a large collection of cancer tissue samples and also on studies about the response of cells to estrogen. We confirm that hERa binding sites are distributed anywhere on the genome. However, we distinguish between binding sites near promoters and binding sites along the transcripts. The first group shows weak binding of hERa and high occurrence of SP1 motifs, in particular near estrogen responsive genes. The second group shows strong binding of hERa and significant correlation between the number of binding sites along a gene and the strength of gene induction in presence of estrogen. Some binding sites of the second group also show presence of FOXA1, but the role of this TF still needs to be investigated. Different mechanisms have been proposed to explain hERa-mediated induction of gene expression. Our work supports the model of hERa activating gene expression from distal binding sites by interacting with promoter bound TFs, like SP1. hERa has been associated with survival rates of breast cancer patients, though explanatory models are still incomplete: this result is important to better understand how hERa can control gene expression. Thirdly, we address the difficult question of regulatory network inference. We tackle this problem analyzing time-series of biological measurements such as quantification of mRNA levels or protein concentrations. Our approach uses the well-established penalized linear regression models where we impose sparseness on the connectivity of the regulatory network. We extend this method enforcing the coherence of the regulatory dependencies: a TF must coherently behave as an activator, or a repressor on all its targets. This requirement is implemented as constraints on the signs of the regressed coefficients in the penalized linear regression model. Our approach is better at reconstructing meaningful biological networks than previous methods based on penalized regression. The method is tested on the DREAM2 challenge of reconstructing a five-genes/TFs regulatory network obtaining the best performance in the "undirected signed excitatory" category. Thus, these bioinformatics methods, which are reliable, interpretable and fast enough to cover large biological dataset, have enabled us to better understand gene regulation in humans.

Natural variation in learning ability in "Drosophila melanogaster"

Learning is the ability of an organism to adapt to the changes of its environment in response to its past experience. It is a widespread ability in the animal kingdom, but its evolutionary aspects are poorly known. Learning ability is supposedly advantageous under some conditions, when environmental conditions are not too stable - because in this case there is no need to learn to predict any event in the environment - and not changing too fast - otherwise environmental cues cannot be used because they are not reliable. Nevertheless, learning ability is also known to be costly in terms of energy needed for neuronal synthesis, memory formation, initial mistakes. During my PhD, I focused on the study of genetic variability of learning ability in natural populations. Genetic variability is the basis on which natural selection and genetic drift can act. How does learning ability vary in nature? What are the roles of additive genetic variation or maternal effects in this variation? Is it involved in evolutionary trade-offs with other fitness-related traits?��I investigated a natural population of fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, as a model organism. Its learning ability is easy to measure with associative memory tests. I used two research tools: multiple inbred and isofemale lines derived from a natural population as a representative sample. My work was divided into three parts.��First, I investigated the effects of inbreeding on aversive learning (avoidance of an odor previously associated with mechanical shock). While the inbred lines consistently showed reduced egg-to-adult viability by 28 %, the effects of inbreeding on learning performance was 18 % and varied among assays, with a trend to be most pronounced for intermediate conditioning intensity. Variation among inbred lines indicates that ample genetic variance for learning was segregating in the base population, and suggests that the inbreeding depression observed in learning performance was mostly due to dominance rather than overdominance. Across the inbred lines, learning performance was positively correlated with the egg-to-adult viability. This positive genetic correlation contradicts previous studies which observed a trade-off between learning ability and lifespan or larval competitive ability. It suggests that much of the genetic variation for learning is due to pleiotropic effects of genes affecting other functions related to survival. Together with the overall mild effects of inbreeding on learning performance, this suggests that genetic variation specifically affecting learning is either very low, or is due to alleles with mostly additive (semi-dominant) effects. It also suggests that alleles reducing learning performance are on average partially recessive, because their effect does not appear in the outbred base population. Moreover, overdominance seems unlikely as major cause of the inbreeding depression, because even if the overall mean of the inbred line is smaller than the outbred base population, some of the inbred lines show the same learning score as the outbred base population. If overdominance played an important part in inbreeding depression, then all the homozygous lines should show lower learning ability than��outbred base population.��In the second part of my project, I sampled the same natural population again and derived isofemale lines (F=0.25) which are less adapted to laboratory conditions and therefore are more representative of the variance of the natural population. They also showed some genetic variability for learning, and for three other fitness-related traits possibly related with learning: resistance to bacterial infection, egg-to-adult viability and developmental time. Nevertheless, the genetic variance of learning ability did not appear to be smaller than the variance of the other traits. The positive correlation previously observed between learning ability and egg- to-adult viability did not appear in isofemale lines (nor a negative correlation). It suggests that there was still genetic variability within isofemale lines and that they did not fix the highly deleterious pleiotropic alleles possibly responsible for the previous correlation.��In order to investigate the relative amount of nuclear (additive and non-additive effects) and extra-nuclear (maternal and paternal effect) components of variance in learning ability and other fitness-related traits among the inbred lines tested in part one, I performed a diallel cross between them. The nuclear additive genetic variance was higher than other components for learning ability and survival to learning ability, but in contrast, maternal effects were more variable than other effects for developmental traits. This suggests that maternal effects, which reflects effects from mitochondrial DNA, epigenetic effects, or the amount of nutrients that are invested by the mother in the egg, are more important in the early stage of life, and less at the adult stage. There was no additive genetic correlation between learning ability and other traits, indicating that the correlation between learning ability and egg-to-adult viability observed in the first pat of my project was mostly due to recessive genes.��Finally, my results showed that learning ability is genetically variable. The diallel experiment showed additive genetic variance was the most important component of the total variance. Moreover, every inbred or isofemale line showed some learning ability. This suggested that alleles impairing learning ability are eliminated by selection, and therefore that learning ability is under strong selection in natural populations of Drosophila. My results cannot alone explain the maintenance of the observed genetic variation. Even if I cannot eliminate the hypothesis of pleiotropy between learning ability and the other fitness-related traits I measured, there is no evidence for any trade-off between these traits and learning ability. This contradicts what has been observed between learning ability and other traits like lifespan and larval competitivity.��L'apprentissage repr��sente la capacit�� d'un organisme �� s'adapter aux changement de son environnement au cours de sa vie, en r��ponse �� son exp��rience pass��e. C'est une capacit�� tr��s r��pandue dans le r��gne animal, y compris pour les animaux les plus petits et les plus simples, mais les aspects ��volutifs de l'apprentissage sont encore mal connus. L'apprentissage est suppos�� avantageux dans certaines conditions, quand l'environnement n'est ni trop stable - dans ce cas, il n'y a rien �� apprendre - ni trop variable - dans ce cas, les indices sur lesquels se reposer changent trop vite pour apprendre. D'un autre c��t��, l'apprentissage a aussi des co��ts, en terme de synth��se neuronale, pour la formation de la m��moire, ou de co��ts d'erreur initiale d'apprentissage. Pendant ma th��se, j'ai ��tudi�� la variabilit�� g��n��tique naturelle des capacit��s d'apprentissage. Comment varient les capacit��s d'apprentissage dans la nature ? Quelle est la part de variation additive, l'impact des effets maternel ? Est-ce que l'apprentissage est impliqu�� dans des interactions, de type compromis ��volutifs, avec d'autres traits li��s �� la fitness ?��Afin de r��pondre �� ces questions, je me suis int��ress��e �� la mouche du vinaigre, ou drosophile, un organisme mod��le. Ses capacit��s d'apprentissage sont facile �� ��tudier avec un test de m��moire reposant sur l'association entre un choc m��canique et une odeur. Pour ��tudier ses capacit��s naturelles, j'ai d��riv�� de types de lign��es d'une population naturelle: des lign��es consanguines et des lign��es isofemelles.��Dans une premi��re partie, je me suis int��ress��e aux effets de la consanguinit�� sur les capacit��s d'apprentissage, qui sont peu connues. Alors que les lign��es consanguines ont montr�� une r��duction de 28% de leur viabilit�� (proportion d'adultes ��mergeants d'un nombre d'oeufs donn��s), leurs capacit��s d'apprentissage n'ont ��t�� r��duites que de 18%, la plus forte diminution ��tant obtenue pour un conditionnement mod��r��. En outre, j'ai ��galement observ�� que les capacit��s d'apprentissage ��tait positivement corr��l��e �� la viabilit�� entre les lign��es. Cette corr��lation est surprenante car elle est en contradiction avec les r��sultats obtenus par d'autres ��tudes, qui montrent l'existence de compromis ��volutifs entre les capacit��s d'apprentissage et d'autres traits comme le vieillissement ou la comp��titivit�� larvaire. Elle sugg��re que la variation g��n��tique des capacit��s d'apprentissage est due aux effets pleiotropes de g��nes r��cessifs affectant d'autres fonctions li��es �� la survie. Ces r��sultats indiquent que la variation pour les capacit��s d'apprentissage est r��duite compar��e �� celle d'autres traits ou est due �� des all��les principalement r��cessifs. L'hypoth��se de superdominance semble peu vraisemblable, car certaines des lign��es consanguines ont obtenu des scores d'apprentissage ��gaux �� ceux de la population non consanguine, alors qu'en cas de superdominance, elles auraient toutes d�� obtenir des scores inf��rieurs.��Dans la deuxi��me partie de mon projet, j'ai mesur�� les capacit��s d'apprentissage de lign��es isofemelles issues de la m��me population initiale que les lign��es consanguines. Ces lign��es sont issues chacune d'un seul couple, ce qui leur donne un taux d'h��t��rozygosit�� sup��rieur et ��vite l'��limination de lign��es par fixation d'all��les d��l��t��res rares. Elles sont ainsi plus repr��sentatives de la variabilit�� naturelle. Leur variabilit�� g��n��tique est significative pour les capacit��s d'apprentissage, et trois traits li��s �� la fois �� la fitness et �� l'apprentissage: la viabilit��, la r��sistance �� l'infection bact��rienne et la vitesse de d��veloppement. Cependant, la variabilit�� des capacit��s d'apprentissage n'appara��t cette fois pas inf��rieure �� celle des autres traits et aucune corr��lation n'est constat��e entre les capacit�� d'apprentissage et les autres traits. Ceci sugg��re que la corr��lation observ��e auparavant ��tait surtout due �� la fixation d'all��les r��cessifs d��l��t��res ��galement responsables de la d��pression de consanguinit��.��Durant la troisi��me partie de mon projet, je me suis pench��e sur la d��composition de la variance observ��e entre les lign��es consanguines observ��e en partie 1. Quatre composants ont ��t�� examin��s: la variance due �� des effets nucl��aires (additifs et non additifs), et due �� des effets parentaux (maternels et paternels). J'ai r��alis�� un croisement diall��le de toutes les lign��es. La variance additive nucl��aire s'est r��v��l��e sup��rieure aux autres composants pour les capacit��s d'apprentissage et la r��sistance �� l'infection bact��rienne. Par contre, les effets maternels ��taient plus importants que les autres composants pour les traits d��veloppementaux (viabilit�� et vitesse de d��veloppement). Ceci sugg��re que les effets maternels, dus �� G ADN mitochondrial, �� l'��pistasie ou �� la quantit�� de nutriments investis dans l'oeuf par la m��re, sont plus importants dans les premiers stades de d��veloppement et que leur effet s'estompe �� l'��ge adulte. Il n'y a en revanche pas de corr��lation statistiquement significative entre les effets additifs des capacit��s d'apprentissage et des autres traits, ce qui indique encore une fois que la corr��lation observ��e entre les capacit��s d'apprentissage et la viabilit�� dans la premi��re partie du projet ��tait due �� des effets d'all��les partiellement r��cessifs.��Au, final, mes r��sultats montrent bien l'existence d'une variabilit�� g��n��tique pour les capacit��s d'apprentissage, et l'exp��rience du diall��le montre que la variance additive de cette capacit�� est importante, ce qui permet une r��ponse �� la s��lection naturelle. Toutes les lign��es, consanguines ou isofemelles, ont obtenu des scores d'apprentissage sup��rieurs �� z��ro. Ceci sugg��re que les all��les supprimant les capacit��s d'apprentissage sont fortement contre-s��lectionn��s dans la nature N��anmoins, mes r��sultats ne peuvent pas expliquer le maintien de cette variabilit�� g��n��tique par eux-m��me. M��me si l'hypoth��se de pl��iotropie entre les capacit��s d'apprentissage et l'un des traits li��s �� la fitness que j'ai mesur�� ne peut ��tre ��limin��e, il n'y a aucune preuve d'un compromis ��volutif pouvant contribuer au maintien de la variabilit��.

Cambios en el uso y la concepci��n de las TIC, implementando el Mobile Learning.

This research analyses the actual use and conception of the ICT mobility that a life long learning group of students have. The students have participated in a Mobile Learning experience along an online postgraduate course, which was designed under a traditional e-learning perspective. The students received a tablet PC (iPad) in order to work at the course and also to use it in their personal and professional life. A complete and original pre-test / post-test questionnaire was applied before and after the course. This instrument was scientifically validated. Thru the questionnaire, uses tendency and students perceptions were studied. Frequencies, purposes, habits of use and valuation, as well as the device"s integration into their personal, social and professional life were studied. The analysis intents to apply the 'Social Technographics Profile" by Bernoff (2010) to classify, by profile groups, the users of the actual Internet. Finally a reflexion of the reasons and limits of the theory, in this study, and also the relation to reality is presented. The Inter-coding reliability and validity shows the possibility of applying the instrument on wider samples in order to get a closer look to the uses and actual conceptions of the ubiquitous ICTs.

The european higher education area at work: Lights and shadows defining continuous assessment

The aim of this paper is to analyse how learning assessment, particularly the Continuous Assessment system, has been defined in the Public Administration and Management Diploma Course of the University of Barcelona (Spain). This course was a pioneering experiment at this university in implementing the guidelines of the European Higher Education Area (EHEA), and thus represents a good case study for verifying whether one of the cornerstones of the EHEA has been accomplished with success. Using data obtained from the Teaching Plans elaborated by the lecturers of each subject, we are able to establish that the CA system has been progressively accepted to such an extent that it is now the assessment formula used by practically all of the lecturers, conforming in this way to the protocols laid down by the Faculty of Law in which this diploma course is taught. Nevertheless, we find that high dispersion exists in how Continuous Assessment is actually defined. Indeed, it seems that there is no unified view of how Continuous Assessment should be performed. This dispersion, however, seems to diminish over time and raises some questions about the advisability of agreement on criteria, considering the potential which CA has as a pedagogical tool. Moreover, we find that the Unique Assessment system, which students may also apply for, is an option chosen only by a minority, with lecturers usually defining it as merely a theoretical and/or practical test, of little innovation in relation to traditional tests.

Applying machine learning methods to avalanche forecasting

Avalanche forecasting is a complex process involving the assimilation of multiple data sources to make predictions over varying spatial and temporal resolutions. Numerically assisted forecasting often uses nearest neighbour methods (NN), which are known to have limitations when dealing with high dimensional data. We apply Support Vector Machines to a dataset from Lochaber, Scotland to assess their applicability in avalanche forecasting. Support Vector Machines (SVMs) belong to a family of theoretically based techniques from machine learning and are designed to deal with high dimensional data. Initial experiments showed that SVMs gave results which were comparable with NN for categorical and probabilistic forecasts. Experiments utilising the ability of SVMs to deal with high dimensionality in producing a spatial forecast show promise, but require further work.

The european higher education area at work: Lights and shadows defining continuous assessment

The aim of this paper is to analyse how learning assessment, particularly the Continuous Assessment system, has been defined in the Public Administration and Management Diploma Course of the University of Barcelona (Spain). This course was a pioneering experiment at this university in implementing the guidelines of the European Higher Education Area (EHEA), and thus represents a good case study for verifying whether one of the cornerstones of the EHEA has been accomplished with success. Using data obtained from the Teaching Plans elaborated by the lecturers of each subject, we are able to establish that the CA system has been progressively accepted to such an extent that it is now the assessment formula used by practically all of the lecturers, conforming in this way to the protocols laid down by the Faculty of Law in which this diploma course is taught. Nevertheless, we find that high dispersion exists in how Continuous Assessment is actually defined. Indeed, it seems that there is no unified view of how Continuous Assessment should be performed. This dispersion, however, seems to diminish over time and raises some questions about the advisability of agreement on criteria, considering the potential which CA has as a pedagogical tool. Moreover, we find that the Unique Assessment system, which students may also apply for, is an option chosen only by a minority, with lecturers usually defining it as merely a theoretical and/or practical test, of little innovation in relation to traditional tests.

The european higher education area at work: Lights and shadows defining continuous assessment

The aim of this paper is to analyse how learning assessment, particularly the Continuous Assessment system, has been defined in the Public Administration and Management Diploma Course of the University of Barcelona (Spain). This course was a pioneering experiment at this university in implementing the guidelines of the European Higher Education Area (EHEA), and thus represents a good case study for verifying whether one of the cornerstones of the EHEA has been accomplished with success. Using data obtained from the Teaching Plans elaborated by the lecturers of each subject, we are able to establish that the CA system has been progressively accepted to such an extent that it is now the assessment formula used by practically all of the lecturers, conforming in this way to the protocols laid down by the Faculty of Law in which this diploma course is taught. Nevertheless, we find that high dispersion exists in how Continuous Assessment is actually defined. Indeed, it seems that there is no unified view of how Continuous Assessment should be performed. This dispersion, however, seems to diminish over time and raises some questions about the advisability of agreement on criteria, considering the potential which CA has as a pedagogical tool. Moreover, we find that the Unique Assessment system, which students may also apply for, is an option chosen only by a minority, with lecturers usually defining it as merely a theoretical and/or practical test, of little innovation in relation to traditional tests.

Integrated application of geochemical and geophysical methods for hydrogeological impact assessment for tunneling in fractured rock

The interaction of tunneling with groundwater is a problem both from an environmental and an engineering point of view. In fact, tunnel drilling may cause a drawdown of piezometric levels and water inflows into tunnels that may cause problems during excavation of the tunnel. While the influence of tunneling on the regional groundwater systems may be adequately predicted in porous media using analytical solutions, such an approach is difficult to apply in fractured rocks. Numerical solutions are preferable and various conceptual approaches have been proposed to describe and model groundwater flow through fractured rock masses, ranging from equivalent continuum models to discrete fracture network simulation models. However, their application needs many preliminary investigations on the behavior of the groundwater system based on hydrochemical and structural data. To study large scale flow systems in fractured rocks of mountainous terrains, a comprehensive study was conducted in southern Switzerland, using as case studies two infrastructures actually under construction: (i) the Monte Ceneri base railway tunnel (Ticino), and the (ii) San Fedele highway tunnel (Roveredo, Graubiinden). The chosen approach in this study combines the temporal and spatial variation of geochemical and geophysical measurements. About 60 localities from both surface and underlying tunnels were temporarily and spatially monitored during more than one year. At first, the project was focused on the collection of hydrochemical and structural data. A number of springs, selected in the area surrounding the infrastructures, were monitored for discharge, electric conductivity, pH, and temperature. Water samples (springs, tunnel inflows and rains) were taken for isotopic analysis; in particular the stable isotope composition (δ2Η, δ180 values) can reflect the origin of the water, because of spatial (recharge altitude, topography, etc.) and temporal (seasonal) effects on precipitation which in turn strongly influence the isotopic composition of groundwater. Tunnel inflows in the accessible parts of the tunnels were also sampled and, if possible, monitored with time. Noble-gas concentrations and their isotope ratios were used in selected locations to better understand the origin and the circulation of the groundwater. In addition, electrical resistivity and VLF-type electromagnetic surveys were performed to identify water bearing fractures and/or weathered areas that could be intersected at depth during tunnel construction. The main goal of this work was to demonstrate that these hydrogeological data and geophysical methods, combined with structural and hydrogeological information, can be successfully used in order to develop hydrogeological conceptual models of the groundwater flow in regions to be exploited for tunnels. The main results of the project are: (i) to have successfully tested the application of electrical resistivity and VLF-electromagnetic surveys to asses water-bearing zones during tunnel drilling; (ii) to have verified the usefulness of noble gas, major ion and stable isotope compositions as proxies for the detection of faults and to understand the origin of the groundwater and its flow regimes (direct rain water infiltration or groundwater of long residence time); and (iii) to have convincingly tested the combined application of a geochemical and geophysical approach to assess and predict the vulnerability of springs to tunnel drilling. - L'interf��rence entre eaux souterraines et des tunnels pose des probl��mes environnementaux et de g��nie civile. En fait, la construction d'un tunnel peut faire abaisser le niveau des nappes pi��zom��triques et faire infiltrer de l'eau dans le tunnel et ainsi cr��er des probl��me pendant l'excavation. Alors que l'influence de la construction d'un tunnel sur la circulation r��gionale de l'eau souterraine dans des milieux poreux peut ��tre pr��dite relativement facilement par des solution analytiques de mod��les, ceci devient difficile dans des milieux fissur��s. Dans ce cas-l��, des solutions num��riques sont pr��f��rables et plusieurs approches conceptuelles ont ��t�� propos��es pour d��crire et mod��liser la circulation d'eau souterraine �� travers les roches fissur��es, en allant de mod��les d'��quivalence continue �� des mod��les de simulation de r��seaux de fissures discr��tes. Par contre, leur application demande des investigations importantes concernant le comportement du syst��me d'eau souterraine bas��es sur des donn��es hydrochimiques et structurales. Dans le but d'��tudier des grands syst��mes de circulation d'eau souterraine dans une r��gion de montagnes, une ��tude compl��te a ��t�� fait en Suisse italienne, bas��e sur deux grandes infrastructures actuellement en construction: (i) Le tunnel ferroviaire de base du Monte Ceneri (Tessin) et (ii) le tunnel routi��re de San Fedele (Roveredo, Grisons). L'approche choisie dans cette ��tude est la combinaison de variations temporelles et spatiales des mesures g��ochimiques et g��ophysiques. Environs 60 localit��s situ��es �� la surface ainsi que dans les tunnels soujacents ont ��t�� suivi��s du point de vue temporel et spatial pendant plus de un an. Dans un premier temps le projet se focalisait sur la collecte de donn��es hydrochimiques et structurales. Un certain nombre de sources, s��lectionn��es dans les environs des infrastructures ��tudi��es ont ��t�� suivies pour le d��bit, la conductivit�� ��lectrique, le pH et la temp��rature. De l'eau (sources, infiltration d'eau de tunnel et pluie) a ��t�� ��chantillonn��s pour des analyses isotopiques; ce sont surtout les isotopes stables (δ2Η, δ180) qui peuvent indiquer l'origine d'une eaux, �� cause de la d��pendance d'effets spatiaux (altitude de recharge, topographie etc.) ainsi que temporels (saisonaux) sur les pr��cipitations m��t��oriques , qui de suite influencent ainsi la composition isotopique de l'eau souterraine. Les infiltrations d'eau dans les tunnels dans les parties accessibles ont ��galement ��t�� ��chantillonn��es et si possible suivies au cours du temps. La concentration de gaz nobles et leurs rapports isotopiques ont ��galement ��t�� utilis��es pour quelques localit��s pour mieux comprendre l'origine et la circulation de l'eau souterraine. En plus, des campagnes de mesures de la r��sistivit�� ��lectrique et ��lectromagn��tique de type VLF ont ��t�� men��es afin d'identifier des zone de fractures ou d'alt��ration qui pourraient interf��rer avec les tunnels en profondeur pendant la construction. Le but principal de cette ��tude ��tait de d��montrer que ces donn��es hydrog��ologiques et g��ophysiques peuvent ��tre utilis��es avec succ��s pour d��velopper des mod��les hydrog��ologiques conceptionels de tunnels. Les r��sultats principaux de ce travail sont : i) d'avoir test�� avec succ��s l'application de m��thodes de la tomographie ��lectrique et des campagnes de mesures ��lectromagn��tiques de type VLF afin de trouver des zones riches en eau pendant l'excavation d'un tunnel ; ii) d'avoir prouv�� l'utilit�� des gaz nobles, des analyses ioniques et d'isotopes stables pour d��terminer l'origine de l'eau infiltr��e (de la pluie par le haut ou ascendant de l'eau remontant des profondeurs) et leur flux et pour d��terminer la position de failles ; et iii) d'avoir test�� d'une mani��re convainquant l'application combin��e de m��thodes g��ochimiques et g��ophysiques pour juger et pr��dire la vuln��rabilit�� de sources lors de la construction de tunnels. - L'interazione dei tunnel con il circuito idrico sotterraneo costituisce un problema sia dal punto di vista ambientale che ingegneristico. Lo scavo di un tunnel pu�� infatti causare abbassamenti dei livelli piezometrici, inoltre le venute d'acqua in galleria sono un notevole problema sia in fase costruttiva che di esercizio. Nel caso di acquiferi in materiale sciolto, l'influenza dello scavo di un tunnel sul circuito idrico sotterraneo, in genere, pu�� essere adeguatamente predetta attraverso l'applicazione di soluzioni analitiche; al contrario un approccio di questo tipo appare inadeguato nel caso di scavo in roccia. Per gli ammassi rocciosi fratturati sono piuttosto preferibili soluzioni numeriche e, a tal proposito, sono stati proposti diversi approcci concettuali; nella fattispecie l'ammasso roccioso pu�� essere modellato come un mezzo discreto ο continuo ��quivalente. Tuttavia, una corretta applicazione di qualsiasi modello numerico richiede necessariamente indagini preliminari sul comportamento del sistema idrico sotterraneo basate su dati idrogeochimici e geologico strutturali. Per approfondire il tema dell'idrogeologia in ammassi rocciosi fratturati tipici di ambienti montani, �� stato condotto uno studio multidisciplinare nel sud della Svizzera sfruttando come casi studio due infrastrutture attualmente in costruzione: (i) il tunnel di base del Monte Ceneri (canton Ticino) e (ii) il tunnel autostradale di San Fedele (Roveredo, canton Grigioni). L'approccio di studio scelto ha cercato di integrare misure idrogeochimiche sulla qualit�� e quantit�� delle acque e indagini geofisiche. Nella fattispecie sono state campionate le acque in circa 60 punti spazialmente distribuiti sia in superficie che in sotterraneo; laddove possibile il monitoraggio si �� temporalmente prolungato per pi�� di un anno. In una prima fase, il progetto di ricerca si �� concentrato sull'acquisizione dati. Diverse sorgenti, selezionate nelle aree di possibile influenza attorno all�� infrastrutture esaminate, sono state monitorate per quel che concerne i parametri fisico-chimici: portata, conduttivit�� elettrica, pH e temperatura. Campioni d'acqua sono stati prelevati mensilmente su sorgenti, venute d'acqua e precipitazioni, per analisi isotopiche; nella fattispecie, la composizione in isotopi stabili (δ2Η, δ180) tende a riflettere l'origine delle acque, in quanto, variazioni sia spaziali (altitudine di ricarica, topografia, etc.) che temporali (variazioni stagionali) della composizione isotopica delle precipitazioni influenzano anche le acque sotterranee. Laddove possibile, sono state campionate le venute d'acqua in galleria sia puntualmente che al variare del tempo. Le concentrazioni dei gas nobili disciolti nell'acqua e i loro rapporti isotopici sono stati altresi utilizzati in alcuni casi specifici per meglio spiegare l'origine delle acque e le tipologie di circuiti idrici sotterranei. Inoltre, diverse indagini geofisiche di resistivit�� elettrica ed elettromagnetiche a bassissima frequenza (VLF) sono state condotte al fine di individuare le acque sotterranee circolanti attraverso fratture dell'ammasso roccioso. Principale obiettivo di questo lavoro �� stato dimostrare come misure idrogeochimiche ed indagini geofisiche possano essere integrate alio scopo di sviluppare opportuni modelli idrogeologici concettuali utili per lo scavo di opere sotterranee. I principali risultati ottenuti al termine di questa ricerca sono stati: (i) aver testato con successo indagini geofisiche (ERT e VLF-EM) per l'individuazione di acque sotterranee circolanti attraverso fratture dell'ammasso roccioso e che possano essere causa di venute d'acqua in galleria durante lo scavo di tunnel; (ii) aver provato l'utilit�� di analisi su gas nobili, ioni maggiori e isotopi stabili per l'individuazione di faglie e per comprendere l'origine delle acque sotterranee (acque di recente infiltrazione ο provenienti da circolazioni profonde); (iii) aver testato in maniera convincente l'integrazione delle indagini geofisiche e di misure geochimiche per la valutazione della vuln��rabilit�� delle sorgenti durante lo scavo di nuovi tunnel. - "La NLFA (Nouvelle Ligne Ferroviaire �� travers les Alpes) axe du Saint-Gothard est le plus important projet de construction de Suisse. En b��tissant la nouvelle ligne du Saint-Gothard, la Suisse r��alise un des plus grands projets de protection de l'environnement d'Europe". Cette phrase, qu'on lit comme pr��sentation du projet Alptransit est particuli��rement ��loquente pour expliquer l'utilit�� des nouvelles lignes ferroviaires transeurop��ens pour le d��veloppement durable. Toutefois, comme toutes grandes infrastructures, la construction de nouveaux tunnels ont des impacts in��vitables sur l'environnement. En particulier, le possible drainage des eaux souterraines r��alis��es par le tunnel peut provoquer un abaissement du niveau des nappes pi��zom��triques. De plus, l'��coulement de l'eau �� l'int��rieur du tunnel, conduit souvent �� des probl��mes d'ing��nierie. Par exemple, d'importantes infiltrations d'eau dans le tunnel peuvent compliquer les phases d'excavation, provoquant un retard dans l'avancement et dans le pire des cas, peuvent mettre en danger la s��curit�� des travailleurs. Enfin, l'infiltration d'eau peut ��tre un gros probl��me pendant le fonctionnement du tunnel. Du point de vue de la science, avoir acc��s �� des infrastructures souterraines repr��sente une occasion unique d'obtenir des informations g��ologiques en profondeur et pour ��chantillonner des eaux autrement inaccessibles. Dans ce travail, nous avons utilis�� une approche pluridisciplinaire qui int��gre des mesures d'��tude hydrog��ochimiques effectu��s sur les eaux de surface et des investigations g��ophysiques indirects, tels que la tomographic de r��sistivit�� ��lectrique (TRE) et les mesures ��lectromagn��tiques de type VLF. L'��tude compl��te a ��t�� fait en Suisse italienne, bas��e sur deux grandes infrastructures actuellement en construction, qui sont le tunnel ferroviaire de base du Monte Ceneri, une partie du susmentionn�� projet Alptransit, situ�� enti��rement dans le canton Tessin, et le tunnel routi��re de San Fedele, situ�� a Roveredo dans le canton des Grisons. Le principal objectif ��tait de montrer comment il ��tait possible d'int��grer les deux approches, g��ophysiques et g��ochimiques, afin de r��pondre �� la question de ce que pourraient ��tre les effets possibles d�� au drainage caus��s par les travaux souterrains. L'acc��s aux galeries ci-dessus a permis une validation ad��quate des enqu��tes men��es confirmant, dans chaque cas, les hypoth��ses propos��es. A cette fin, nous avons fait environ 50 profils g��ophysiques (28 imageries ��lectrique bidimensionnels et 23 ��lectromagn��tiques) dans les zones de possible influence par le tunnel, dans le but d'identifier les fractures et les discontinuit��s dans lesquelles l'eau souterraine peut circuler. De plus, des eaux ont ��t�� ��chantillonn��s dans 60 localit��s situ��es la surface ainsi que dans les tunnels subjacents, le suivi mensuelle a dur�� plus d'un an. Nous avons mesur��s tous les principaux param��tres physiques et chimiques: d��bit, conductivit�� ��lectrique, pH et temp��rature. De plus, des ��chantillons d'eaux ont ��t�� pr��lev��s pour l'analyse mensuelle des isotopes stables de l'hydrog��ne et de l'oxyg��ne (δ2Η, δ180). Avec ces analyses, ainsi que par la mesure des concentrations des gaz rares dissous dans les eaux et de leurs rapports isotopiques que nous avons effectu��s dans certains cas sp��cifiques, il ��tait possible d'expliquer l'origine des diff��rents eaux souterraines, les divers modes de recharge des nappes souterraines, la pr��sence de possible ph��nom��nes de m��lange et, en g��n��ral, de mieux expliquer les circulations d'eaux dans le sous-sol. Le travail, m��me en constituant qu'une r��ponse partielle �� une question tr��s complexe, a permis d'atteindre certains importants objectifs. D'abord, nous avons test�� avec succ��s l'applicabilit�� des m��thodes g��ophysiques indirectes (TRE et ��lectromagn��tiques de type VLF) pour pr��dire la pr��sence d'eaux souterraines dans le sous-sol des massifs rocheux. De plus, nous avons d��montr�� l'utilit�� de l'analyse des gaz rares, des isotopes stables et de l'analyses des ions majeurs pour la d��tection de failles et pour comprendre l'origine des eaux souterraines (eau de pluie par le haut ou eau remontant des profondeurs). En conclusion, avec cette recherche, on a montr�� que l'int��gration des ces informations (g��ophysiques et g��ochimiques) permet le d��veloppement de mod��les conceptuels appropri��s, qui permettant d'expliquer comment l'eau souterraine circule. Ces mod��les permettent de pr��voir les infiltrations d'eau dans les tunnels et de pr��dire la vuln��rabilit�� de sources et des autres ressources en eau lors de construction de tunnels.