Analysis of teachers training for ICT Higher Education

Aquest document pretén recollir aportacions teòriques i pràctiques sobre les pràctiques pedagògiques que incorporen i promouen l'ús de les TIC per tal d'aclarir, facilitar i fer coherent el disseny de la formació dels professors d'educació superior en les TIC. El seu propòsit és trobar alternatives de formació que compleixin amb les necessitats educatives del professor, així com per superar o atenuar les dificultats i/o la manca de voluntat a les quals s'enfronta en la pràctica educativa en introduir aplicacions de les TIC.

Transnational study of roles/functions and associated ICT competencies for Higher Education teachers

Aquest estudi forma part del projecte eLene-TLC1 Virtual Campus (2007-2008) recolzat pel programa eLearning de la Comissió Europea. L'objectiu d'aquest projecte és que els professors i els estudiants facin el millor ús possible de les TIC en l'educació superior, preparant als professors per als estudiants de la generació xarxa, permetent als estudiants a la transferència de coneixements i pràctiques de la vida quotidiana per al seu aprenentatge i estimular tant la integració plena de pràctiques innovadores d'ensenyament i d'aprenentatge possibilitades per un entorn tecnològic en constant evolució. Per tal de cobrir part d'aquest objectiu general, es va concebre un estudi per examinar les competències en TIC professors d'Educació Superior en entorns d'aprenentatge en línia.

PERSONAL(ONTO) : Personalizing the Learning Process in Virtual Environments by means of Adaptive Formative Itineraries based on Reusable Learning Objects and Ontologies TIN2006-15107-C02

Personalization in e-learning allows the adaptation of contents, learning strategiesand educational resources to the competencies, previous knowledge or preferences of the student. This project takes a multidisciplinary perspective for devising standards-based personalization capabilities into virtual e-learning environments, focusing on the conceptof adaptive learning itinerary, using reusable learning objects as the basis of the system and using ontologies and semantic web technologies.

A Classification of Tools for Learning Logic

A table showing a comparison and classification of tools (intelligent tutoring systems) for e-learning of Logic at a college level.

Gènere i bilingüisme: connectant experiències i teories. Introductory paper in Santaemilia, José, Patricia Bou, Sergio Maruenda i Gora Zaragoza International Perspectives on Gender and Language

Peer-reviewed

Servicios de Información y Derechos de Autor :implicaciones y perspectivas de futuro en el entornodigital

En el desenvolupament del nostre treball diari, bibliotecaris i documentalistes duem a terme tasques d'identificació, localització, obtenció, reproducció, comunicació i distribució d'obres que majoritàriament estan protegides pels anomenats drets d'autor. És per això necessari que coneguem a fons aquesta matèria, i puguem identificar els drets a què estan subjectes les obres i els límits a aquests drets que conformen el marc en què podem operar de forma lícita.

El espacio como producto social: variables arqueológicas para un análisis de la organización social en prehistoria

El espacio social es un concepto ambiguo cuyo componente material está determinado por el carácter del componente social, puesto que la organización de los objetos en el espacio y el espacio mismo, responden a las normas sociales del comportamiento humano. Partimos de la premisa que los residuos generados durante el proceso de producción y del consumo tienden a tener una distribución relativamente regular en el espacio físico. La ausencia de la aleatoriedad en la dispersión de estos restos solo significa que habían sido acumulados y depositados como restos de acciones previamente planificadas no-aleatoriamente. En este trabajo planteamos estudiar la organización y la producción del espacio social de una sociedad cazadora-recolectora concreta – la sociedad yámana - a través del análisis de las actividades cotidianas que figuran en las fuentes etnográficas y en el registro arqueológico. Con este fin creamos una metodología de trabajo interdisciplinaria, basada en un enfoque etnoarqueológico, y a través del estudio de las fuentes etnográficas, los trabajos etnoarqueológicos previos y el registro arquelógico concreto, descubrimos cuáles son las posibilidades y limitaciones de este tipo de estudios. Pudimos reconocer la regularidad espacial de los procesos de producción y reproducción social y a resolver algunas preguntas acerca del estudio de la organización social en prehistoria trabajando con los datos etnoarqueológicos obtenidos en los yacimientos Lanashuaia y Túnel VII (Tierra del Fuego, Argentina), analizando el registro extraido y trabajado en varias campañas de excavaciones arqueológicas en ultimos 25 años. El presente trabajo al fondo es un experimento etnoarqueológico estándar: partiendo de la observación etnográfica registramos unas recurrencias específicas entre algunas variables (por ejemplo: mujer/lugar/tipo de trabajo), intentamos extraer las variables definitorias de esas recurrencias, y finalmente las buscamos en el espacio definido arqueológicamente.  

Formación interactiva en entornos virtuales : una experiencia en screencasting

L'objectiu de la comunicació és donar a conèixer un estudi sobre els requisits que han de tenir els materials formatius en línia de les biblioteques, i difondre l'experiència pilot que s'ha dut a terme per a elaborar uns materials de formació en format vídeo a la Biblioteca Virtual de la Universitat Oberta de Catalunya.El punt de partida de l'estudi ha estat la necessitat de crear uns materials de formació nous, adaptats a les necessitats dels usuaris en un entorn virtual i en el marc de l'EEES, en el qual els estudiants cada vegada han de ser més autònoms i en què les competències informacionals són bàsiques. Tots aquests aspectes ens han portat a repensar els nostres materials formatius.

Electronic voting system for computer supported collaborative learning

The EVS4CSCL project starts in the context of a Computer Supported Collaborative Learning environment (CSCL). Previous UOC projects created a CSCL generic platform (CLPL) to facilitate the development of CSCL applications. A discussion forum (DF) was the first application developed over the framework. This discussion forum was different from other products on the marketplace because of its focus on the learning process. The DF carried out the specification and elaboration phases from the discussion learning process but there was a lack in the consensus phase. The consensus phase in a learning environment is not something to be achieved but tested. Common tests are done by Electronic Voting System (EVS) tools, but consensus test is not an assessment test. We are not evaluating our students by their answers but by their discussion activity. Our educational EVS would be used as a discussion catalyst proposing a discussion about the results after an initial query or it would be used after a discussion period in order to manifest how the discussion changed the students mind (consensus). It should be also used by the teacher as a quick way to know where the student needs some reinforcement. That is important in a distance-learning environment where there is no direct contact between the teacher and the student and it is difficult to detect the learning lacks. In an educational environment, assessment it is a must and the EVS will provide direct assessment by peer usefulness evaluation, teacher marks on every query created and indirect assessment from statistics regarding the user activity.

Effective diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease by means of large margin-based methodology.

BACKGROUND Functional brain images such as Single-Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT) and Positron Emission Tomography (PET) have been widely used to guide the clinicians in the Alzheimer's Disease (AD) diagnosis. However, the subjectivity involved in their evaluation has favoured the development of Computer Aided Diagnosis (CAD) Systems. METHODS It is proposed a novel combination of feature extraction techniques to improve the diagnosis of AD. Firstly, Regions of Interest (ROIs) are selected by means of a t-test carried out on 3D Normalised Mean Square Error (NMSE) features restricted to be located within a predefined brain activation mask. In order to address the small sample-size problem, the dimension of the feature space was further reduced by: Large Margin Nearest Neighbours using a rectangular matrix (LMNN-RECT), Principal Component Analysis (PCA) or Partial Least Squares (PLS) (the two latter also analysed with a LMNN transformation). Regarding the classifiers, kernel Support Vector Machines (SVMs) and LMNN using Euclidean, Mahalanobis and Energy-based metrics were compared. RESULTS Several experiments were conducted in order to evaluate the proposed LMNN-based feature extraction algorithms and its benefits as: i) linear transformation of the PLS or PCA reduced data, ii) feature reduction technique, and iii) classifier (with Euclidean, Mahalanobis or Energy-based methodology). The system was evaluated by means of k-fold cross-validation yielding accuracy, sensitivity and specificity values of 92.78%, 91.07% and 95.12% (for SPECT) and 90.67%, 88% and 93.33% (for PET), respectively, when a NMSE-PLS-LMNN feature extraction method was used in combination with a SVM classifier, thus outperforming recently reported baseline methods. CONCLUSIONS All the proposed methods turned out to be a valid solution for the presented problem. One of the advances is the robustness of the LMNN algorithm that not only provides higher separation rate between the classes but it also makes (in combination with NMSE and PLS) this rate variation more stable. In addition, their generalization ability is another advance since several experiments were performed on two image modalities (SPECT and PET).

¿Es posible tratar una fractura supraintercondilea de codo por artroscopia?

This paper presents a new approach to the treatment of acute fractures in the elbow area, with the support of arthroscopic equipment. There are only a few studies that describe the indications, techniques and results of the arthroscopy-assisted treatment of these pathologies. The authors believe that this tool can be useful for achieving a precise definition of the type of bone-ligament injuries in an elbow joint, thus optimizing treatment and supporting early functional recovery.

Contrapuntos de la invención

Un instrumento musical implica la presencia de un registro sonoro que afecta tanto a la organización de los sonidos, silencios y ruidos, como a la disposición corporal que con él se va forjando. Desde esta consideración, la organización de la música llevada a cabo con las tecnologías eléctricas y electrónicas supone una profunda modificación de ambos aspectos. La llegada de la electricidad implica una tripledislocación: respecto a la transmisión de lo sonoro, a su posibilidad de reproducción y a la escucha. Estas dislocaciones son puestas en relación con invenciones que, desde el órgano de Ctesibios hasta el clavecín ocular de Castel, nos dibujan un marco en el que música, técnica, sensibilidad y sistemaeconómico-social, tejen sus nexos. A lo largo de este recorrido se trazan lo que se ha denominado contrapuntos de la invención, que pueden tomar en las figuras de J.S. Bach y de J. Cage sus ejemplos más prominentes

Telehealth system (e-CUIDATE) to improve quality of life in breast cancer survivors: rationale and study protocol for a randomized clinical trial.

BACKGROUND Breast cancer survivors suffer physical impairment after oncology treatment. This impairment reduces quality of life (QoL) and increase the prevalence of handicaps associated to unhealthy lifestyle (for example, decreased aerobic capacity and strength, weight gain, and fatigue). Recent work has shown that exercise adapted to individual characteristics of patients is related to improved overall and disease-free survival. Nowadays, technological support using telerehabilitation systems is a promising strategy with great advantage of a quick and efficient contact with the health professional. It is not known the role of telerehabilitation through therapeutic exercise as a support tool to implement an active lifestyle which has been shown as an effective resource to improve fitness and reduce musculoskeletal disorders of these women. METHODS / DESIGN This study will use a two-arm, assessor blinded, parallel randomized controlled trial design. People will be eligible if: their diagnosis is of stages I, II, or IIIA breast cancer; they are without chronic disease or orthopedic issues that would interfere with ability to participate in a physical activity program; they had access to the Internet and basic knowledge of computer use or living with a relative who has this knowledge; they had completed adjuvant therapy except for hormone therapy and not have a history of cancer recurrence; and they have an interest in improving lifestyle. Participants will be randomized into e-CUIDATE or usual care groups. E-CUIDATE give participants access to a range of contents: planning exercise arranged in series with breathing exercises, mobility, strength, and stretching. All of these exercises will be assigned to women in the telerehabilitation group according to perceived needs. The control group will be asked to maintain their usual routine. Study endpoints will be assessed after 8 weeks (immediate effects) and after 6 months. The primary outcome will be QoL measured by The European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire Core 30 version 3.0 and breast module called The European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Breast Cancer-Specific Quality of Life questionnaire. The secondary outcomes: pain (algometry, Visual Analogue Scale, Brief Pain Inventory short form); body composition; physical measurement (abdominal test, handgrip strength, back muscle strength, and multiple sit-to-stand test); cardiorespiratory fitness (International Fitness Scale, 6-minute walk test, International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Short Form); fatigue (Piper Fatigue Scale and Borg Fatigue Scale); anxiety and depression (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale); cognitive function (Trail Making Test and Auditory Consonant Trigram); accelerometry; lymphedema; and anthropometric perimeters. DISCUSSION This study investigates the feasibility and effectiveness of a telerehabilitation system during adjuvant treatment of patients with breast cancer. If this treatment option is effective, telehealth systems could offer a choice of supportive care to cancer patients during the survivorship phase. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01801527.

Lactococcus garvieae endocarditis in a native valve identified by MALDI-TOF MS and PCR-based 16s rRNA in Spain: A case report.

Lactococcus garvieae is a Gram-positive, catalase negative coccus arranged in pairs or short chains, well-known as a fish pathogen. We report a case of Infective Endocarditis (IE) by L. garvieae in a native valve from a 68-year-old male with unknown history of contact with raw fish and an extensive history of heart disease. This case highlights the reliability of MALDI-TOF MS compared to conventional methods in the identification of rare microorganisms like this.

Autonomía comunitaria y caciquismo: identidad étnica, control social y violencia en una comunidad mixe de Oaxaca

La etnografía de la comunidad mixe de Salto de la Tuxpana y del grave conflicto que se produjo entre 2005 y 2007 es el punto de partida del presente artículo. La investigación realizada arrojó como resultado más destacado el descubrimiento de un violento cacicazgo, legitimado ideológicamente en la autonomía comunitaria, la identidad étnica y el reclamo de una jurisdicción propia, y asentado firmemente sobre tres mecanismos de control social: protección a través de la Policía Comunitaria Armada, acceso a la tierra y acceso a los programas de «desarrollo». El caciquismo se define como el régimen político personalista, basado en estructuras clientelares, que monopoliza y controla recursos y votos. También se propone la hipótesis de que la mayor parte de la violencia desplegada por los caciques es el resultado del proceso de reproducción social del mismo sistema político, cuando se genera una faccionalización simétrica de la comunidad, después de un periodo de estabilidad complementaria.