The effect of mobile technology as an active student response system on the acquisition of U.S. history content of secondary students with specific learning disabilities

Students with specific learning disabilities (SLD) typically learn less history content than their peers without disabilities and show fewer learning gains. Even when they are provided with the same instructional strategies, many students with SLD struggle to grasp complex historical concepts and content area vocabulary. Many strategies involving technology have been used in the past to enhance learning for students with SLD in history classrooms. However, very few studies have explored the effectiveness of emerging mobile technology in K-12 history classrooms. ^ This study investigated the effects of mobile devices (iPads) as an active student response (ASR) system on the acquisition of U.S. history content of middle school students with SLD. An alternating treatments single subject design was used to compare the effects of two interventions. There were two conditions and a series of pretest probesin this study. The conditions were: (a) direct instruction and studying from handwritten notes using the interactive notebook strategy and (b) direct instruction and studying using the Quizlet App on the iPad. There were three dependent variables in this study: (a) percent correct on tests, (b) rate of correct responses per minute, and (c) rate of errors per minute. ^ A comparative analysis suggested that both interventions (studying from interactive notes and studying using Quizlet on the iPad) had varying degrees of effectiveness in increasing the learning gains of students with SLD. In most cases, both interventions were equally effective. During both interventions, all of the participants increased their percentage correct and increased their rate of correct responses. Most of the participants decreased their rate of errors. ^ The results of this study suggest that teachers of students with SLD should consider a post lesson review in the form of mobile devices as an ASR system or studying from handwritten notes paired with existing evidence-based practices to facilitate students’ knowledge in U.S. history. Future research should focus on the use of other interactive applications on various mobile operating platforms, on other social studies subjects, and should explore various testing formats such as oral question-answer and multiple choice. ^

The pedagogical content knowledge of Danish geography teachers in a changing schooling context

This study examines the self-reported, topic-specific professional knowledge (TSPK) of Danish geography teachers seen as an aspect of their pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) when teaching weather formation and climate change. This topic is considered representative of geography teaching in Denmark. In the last ten years Danish primary and lower-secondary schooling has undergone several significant changes, including the introduction of a final multiple-choice exam in geography in 2007, and a fundamental reconstruction of the curriculum in 2014. These changes are expected to influence the TSPK of geography teachers in ways that potentially have an impact on their classroom practice. Teachers´ responses to specific questions relating to their choice of learning goals and the content and organisation of their lessons show that geography teachers take into account not only the knowledge aspects which point to the final multiple-choice exam, but also the ‘bildung’ perspectives of the subject equipping students to develop their own opinions when dealing with socio-scientific issues (SSI).

Why Physical Geography? An analysis of justifications in teacher magazines in Germany

School geography is often quite different from academic geography and there are good reasons for that, as school is preparing young people to be able to lead the life they value instead of just training them to learn specific subject contents. In some countries school geography is understood as being mainly a social science. Nonetheless physical geography often plays an important part in textbooks and in everyday teaching in these countries. This presentation will examine how physical geography topics are justified in specialist teacher magazines in Germany. Are they justified by simply pointing at the value of the academic knowledge itself? Are they justified by claiming students’ special interest in these topics? Or are they justified by showing the value of physical geography in promoting social aims such as sustainable development, freedom or equality?

How textbook design may influence learning with geography textbooks

This paper investigates how textbook design may influence students’ visual attention to graphics, photos and text in current geography textbooks. Eye tracking, a visual method of data collection and analysis, was utilised to precisely monitor students’ eye movements while observing geography textbook spreads. In an exploratory study utilising random sampling, the eye movements of 20 students (secondary school students 15–17 years of age and university students 20–24 years of age) were recorded. The research entities were double-page spreads of current German geography textbooks covering an identical topic, taken from five separate textbooks. A two-stage test was developed. Each participant was given the task of first looking at the entire textbook spread to determine what was being explained on the pages. In the second stage, participants solved one of the tasks from the exercise section. Overall, each participant studied five different textbook spreads and completed five set tasks. After the eye tracking study, each participant completed a questionnaire. The results may verify textbook design as one crucial factor for successful knowledge acquisition from textbooks. Based on the eye tracking documentation, learning-related challenges posed by images and complex image-text structures in textbooks are elucidated and related to educational psychology insights and findings from visual communication and textbook analysis.

Through Eurocentric logics : The construction of difference in foreign news discourse on Venezuela

This study aims to explore the construction of difference in foreign news discourse on culturally similar but politically different non-Western subjects. Applying critical discourse analysis (CDA) together with a critique of Eurocentrism, the study examines difference in newspaper constructions of government supporters and oppositional groups in Venezuela. Discursive differences are evident in the strategies used for constructing the two groups with regard to political rationality and violence. Government supporters are associated with social justice, Venezuela’s poor, dogmatic behavior, and the use of political violence. The opposition, in contrast, is constructed as following a Western democratic rationale that stresses anti-authoritarianism. This group is primarily associated with victims of violence. While the opposition is conveyed as being compatible with Eurocentric values and practices, government supporters to great extent deviate from these norms. Such constructions serve to legitimize politico-ideological undercurrents of Eurocentrism, as the defense of liberalism.

Action en santé mentale au travail et syndicalisme québécois : l’expérience de représentants syndicaux

Dans certains milieux syndicaux québécois, des initiatives porteuses destinées à prévenir les problèmes de santé mentale au travail ont vu le jour. Des représentants syndicaux pionniers ont mis en place des structures d’entraide opérantes, obtenu des jurisprudences importantes et développé des approches innovantes pour corriger ou bonifier l’organisation du travail, et ce depuis plus de trois décennies. Alors que la montée de l’idéologie néolibérale et les principes d’organisation du travail qu’elle sous-tend engendrent une intensification du travail qui fragilise la psyché des travailleurs et que le rapport de force des syndicats s’effrite, il apparaît porteur d’interroger l’expérience de ces représentants syndicaux pour mieux comprendre comment se structure l’action syndicale en santé mentale au travail. Cette thèse fait l’étude de réalisations syndicales québécoises en matière de santé mentale au travail visant à prévenir et à corriger les problèmes de détresse psychologique, d’épuisement professionnel, de harcèlement, de dépression, de violence, de suicides reliés au travail, etc. Pour ce faire, un cadre théorique mixte a été utilisé. D’une part, une perspective large a été adoptée pour comprendre les enjeux entourant les rapports humains au travail et l’action. Pour ce faire, quatre auteurs influents de la philosophie des Lumières et de la philosophie contemporaine ont été sélectionnés, soit Thomas Hobbes, Adam Smith, Karl Marx et Hannah Arendt. Dégager ces différentes perspectives du monde, de l’action et du lien social avait pour objectif de mettre en place une grille d’analyse susceptible de relier l’expérience de représentants syndicaux à ces visions du monde. Il est apparu essentiel de mieux saisir les bases idéologiques sur lesquelles ces derniers ont construit leur action pour comprendre comment elles ont influencé leur démarche singulière et collective. D’autre part, la théorie de l’expérience sociale a été retenue (Dubet, 2009; 1994) pour analyser plus finement le travail des représentant syndicaux. Celle-ci distingue trois logiques d’action complémentaires et en tension avec lesquelles doivent composer les acteurs sociaux : une logique d’intégration, une logique stratégique et logique appuyée sur la subjectivation. La coexistence de ces trois logiques signifie que l’expérience que les individus font du monde n’est pas une simple reproduction de déterminismes qui les précèdent. Les acteurs sont aussi sujets de leur expérience et capables de prendre une distance du social pour comprendre les significations de leur agir; ils s’inscrivent dans le monde dans une dialectique critique. Cette théorie apporte un éclairage permettant de dégager à la fois ce qui freine et ce qui facilite l’action individuelle et collective en matière de santé mentale au travail et de décrire comment des représentants syndicaux se mobilisent pour répondre aux nombreuses attentes des membres. Cette recherche qualitative s’est appuyée sur une méthodologie de récit de vie (Rhéaume 2008; Bertaux 2006). Vingt représentants syndicaux ont témoigné de la souffrance au travail (Dejours, 2008) vécue par leurs membres et ont présenté des actions déployées pour leur venir en aide. Les réalités décrites par les participants montrent comment certains éléments de l’organisation du travail sont associés à des expériences de domination (Martuccelli, 2004): les méfaits du productivisme et de l’hyperflexibilité, les accidents de travail, les maladies professionnelles et les situations d’horreur au travail, les rapports sociaux au travail devenus délétères et les utilisations abusives de l’appareil judiciaire. L’étude démontre aussi à quel point des initiatives portées par des représentants syndicaux contribuent à une résolution de problèmes dans une perspective d’interdépendance, de développement du pouvoir d’agir, de justice sociale et de lutte pour la dignité. Quatre catégories d’initiatives ont été retenues : l’entretien du lien social dans l’entraide au quotidien, la défense juridique et légale des membres, les clauses de convention collective et les actions sur l’organisation du travail. Enfin, la recherche dégage trois profils de représentants syndicaux : la militance qui tente de former un nous, la professionnalisation qui tente de faire reconnaitre son utilité et sa compétence, et l’entraide qui cherche à développer une action engageant le Je. Leur rencontre laisse entrevoir le développement d’une praxis syndicale qui vise à promouvoir et protéger la dignité du travail et des travailleurs.

Relatos y Redes de Política Pública de Niñez en Colombia 1991 - 2014

El presente estudio describe los cambios en la políticas públicas de niñez en Colombia entre 1991 y 2014, mediante el análisis tanto de las narrativas y contranarrativas de política gestadas en este periodo de tiempo, como de los factores que propiciaron la conformación de una red de política pública y el posterior desarrollo de diversos modos de interacción entre los grupos de actores identificados. Parte esta investigación de situar antecedentes y factores relevantes que permiten contrastar, por un lado, contenidos y perspectivas entre diferentes periodos de tiempo, y por otro lado, el número, tipo, y dinámica de relaciones entre los diversos actores involucrados en este campo antes de 1991, y posterior a este año hasta 2014. En síntesis, a través de los hallazgos y análisis realizados se busca no solo plantear qué se transformó entre 1991 y 2014 respecto a la construcción de la niñez como referente de políticas públicas, sino también, cómo se gestó esta transformación, con el fin de proveer elementos que permitan comprender principalmente los énfasis y las variaciones que han tenido las políticas públicas de niñez en el país, pero también, algunas continuidades por periodos más específicos de tiempo.

Cartas imaginarias a Freud y otros ensayos

"Las cinco cartas imaginarias a Freud recogidas en este libro son su columna vertebral y los efectos que producirán en la comunidad psicoanalítica están aún por verse. Pero las cartas no agotan los aportes de esta obra. Alberto Fergusson, médico, psiquiatra y psicoanalista, tiene toda una historia vital dedicada al estudio y el tratamiento de pacientes psicóticos. En los años ochenta creó el Instituto de Autorrehabilitación Acompañada, inspirado en las premisas del freudomarxismo de la Escuela de Frankfurt y en el mal llamado "movimiento antipsiquiátrico" (mal llamado en la medida en que no se opone a la psiquiatría, sino más bien a una mala práctica psiquiátrica) y en los trabajos y experiencias de Laing, Cooper, Basaglia y Szasz. La materialización de los conceptos del Instituto se produjo en una singular experiencia denominada Fungrata, pero conocida en el mundo académico y profesional como "La granja". Esa institución, pionera en nuestro país, sigue produciendo asombro en varias partes del mundo por haber llegado, desde ya hace décadas, adonde muchos otros dispositivos dedicados a la intervención psicosocial con pacientes psicóticos hoy aspiran llegar". (Extracto del "prólogo") Miguel Gutiérrez-Peláez

La educación y la libertad al servicio del desarrollo: una lectura de la política educativa colombiana a la luz de Paulo Freire

La educación y el desarrollo han sido conceptos aliados desde hace más de 50 años. Esta monografía retoma a autores como Paulo Freire, Manfred Max-Neef, Amartya Sen y Martha Nussbaum para analizar cómo el desarrollo determina la forma como se estructuran los proyectos educativos en el contexto colombiano. Las consideraciones de teóricos de la economía y educadores se complementan alrededor de la idea que estructura este trabajo: la búsqueda del desarrollo orienta el sentido de la educación en proyectos como el del Plan Nacional de Lectura y Escritura y determina el concepto de libertad en el proyecto educativo de instituciones como el Colegio Rural Quiba Alta en Bogotá. Explicar por qué el desarrollo tiene un papel protagónico en este contexto es solo una parte del proceso, aquí también se quiere mostrar cómo el ideal de libertad y una visión particular de la educación se ven limitadas ante la búsqueda del crecimiento económico.

Analysis of Needs and Resources

The initial aim of the CareMan project was to develop a joint degree programme that combined and utilised the strengths of the five collaborating universities that were already involved in delivering social and health care management education. Because the project was to be implemented in collaboration between education- al institutions, the collaboration had to be based on a detailed understanding of the national and institutional specifics of each of the individual academic enti- ties. During this process it was recognised that, due to a number of regulation issues, achieving the original aim would not be possible; ultimately, following a series of analytical works, which are presented below, it was decided that a set of three master’s level modules should be developed. One of the reasons was that the Finnish law on master’s degrees at universities of applied sciences (UAS) stated that the requirement for entry to a UAS master’s programme was a bachelor degree from a UAS or equivalent, plus a minimum of three years of work experience in an appropriate field. The three years’ work experience is also required from international students. In practice this meant that the participating Finnish UASs, Lahti and HAMK, could not award a diploma for foreign students without this work experience. The other European universities do not have the work experience requirement, although some take it as a bonus for admission (FHS UK). There were also other differences in law (e.g., requirements for mini - mum standards in Social Work education at FHS UK) that could not have been overcome during the period of project realisation. Consequently, the outcome was the development of only three common educational modules, each for 10 ECTS, which were developed, delivered and assessed during the lifetime of the project. The intention was that these would be integrated into the current masters’ level provision in each of the universities

Historical landmarks of decent work

Structured Abstract Purpose: this article systemizes the main historical milestones which led to the current concept of decent work and presents some implications for business. Approach: after presenting the scenario which gives a special meaning and importance to decent work, the historical landmarks are systematized until the definition of the Decent Work Agenda. Findings: Decent work is a concept that has evolved since the ILO Foundation in 1919 and had several important steps throughout its development: Philadelphia Declaration in 1944, ILO constitution update in 1946, Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948, Human Development Report, first edition in 1990, World Summit for Social Development in 1995, ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work in 1998, World Economic Forum in 1999, Global Compact in 2000, United Nations Millennium Declaration in 2000, ILO Declaration on Social Justice for a Fair Globalization in 2008, Global Jobs Compact in 2009, and inclusion in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Throughout this development we can witness the refinement and operationalization of the concept, its institutionalization and its spread at political level, at least as an intention. Practical implications: the business area is a privileged forum to turn policies into practices and some examples are provided. Value: although decent work emerged in a very different social and economic scenario from the present time, it is claimed to be even more topical and relevant for the development of business and society today.

El pensamiento crítico de influencia cristiana en la historia de la filosofía latinoamericana desde la colonia hasta la independencia

In this reseach concerning the history of the ideas in our America, are mentioned the conspicuos men, who struggled for the liberation of the poor people and for the social justice and our political independence.

Greening the city: an ecosystem-based framework to support planning towards urban sustainability and resilience

Cities are small-scale complex socio-ecological systems, that host around 60% of world population. Ecosystem Services (ES) provided by urban ecosystems offer multiple benefits necessary to cope with present and future urban challenges. These ES include microclimate regulation, runoff control, as well as opportunities for mental and physical recreation, affecting citizen’s health and wellbeing. Creating a balance between urban development, land take containment, climate adaptation and availability of Urban Green Areas and their related benefits, can improve the quality of the lives of the inhabitants, the economic performance of the city and the social justice and cohesion aspects. This work starts analysing current literature around the topic of Ecosystem Services (ES), Green and Blue Infrastructure (GBI) and Nature-based Solutions (NBS) and their integration within current European and International sustainability policies. Then, the thesis focuses on the role of ES, GBI and NBS towards urban sustainability and resilience setting the basis to build the core methodological and conceptual approach of this work. The developed ES-based conceptual approach provides guidance on how to map and assess ES, to better inform policy making and to give the proper value to ES within urban context. The proposed interdisciplinary approach navigates the topic of mapping and assessing ES benefits in terms of regulatory services, with a focus on climate mitigation and adaptation, and cultural services, to enhance wellbeing and justice in urban areas. Last, this thesis proposes a trans-disciplinary and participatory approach to build resilience over time around all relevant urban ES. The two case studies that will be presented in this dissertation, the city of Bologna and the city of Barcelona, have been used to implement, tailor and test the proposed conceptual framework, raising valuable inputs for planning, policies and science.

Growth, distributive justice and social policy

Includes bibliography