Girl Connection, February, 2007

A monthly newsletter for Iowa Commission on the Status of Women

Girl Connection, June 2007

A monthly newsletter for Iowa Commission on the Status of Women

The FaceUOC Project : An Open Social Learning experience by the Open University of Catalonia

The possibilities and expansion of the use of Web 2.0 has opened up a world of possibilities in online learning. In spite of the integration of these tools in education major changes are required in the educational design of instructional processes.This paper presents an educational experience conducted by the Open University of Catalonia using the social network Facebook for the purpose of testing a learning model that uses a participation and collaboration methodology among users based on the use of open educational resources.- The aim of the experience is to test an Open Social Learning (OSL) model, understood to be a virtual learning environment open to the Internet community, based on the use of open resources and on a methodology focused on the participation and collaboration of users in the construction of knowledge.- The topic chosen for this experience in Facebook was 2.0 Journeys: online tools and resources. The objective of this 5 weeks course was to provide students with resources for managing the various textual, photographic, audiovisual and multimedia materials resulting from a journey.- The most important changes in the design and development of a course based on OSL are the role of the teacher, the role of the student, the type of content and the methodology:- The teacher mixes with the participants, guiding them and offering the benefit of his/her experience and knowledge.- Students learn through their participation and collaboration with a mixed group of users.- The content is open and editable under different types of license that specify the level of accessibility.- The methodology of the course was based on the creation of a learning community able to self-manage its learning process. For this a facilitator was needed and also a central activity was established for people to participate and contribute in the community.- We used an ethnographic methodology and also questionnaires to students in order to acquire results regarding the quality of this type of learning experience.- Some of the data obtained raised questions to consider for future designs of educational situations based on OSL:- Difficulties in breaking the facilitator-centred structure- Change in the time required to adapt to the system and to achieve the objectives- Lack of commitment with free courses- The trend to return to traditional ways of learning- Accreditation- This experience has taught all of us that education can happen any time and in any place but not in any way.

Basic life support knowledge of first-year university students from Brazil

We aimed to evaluate knowledge of first aid among new undergraduates and whether it is affected by their chosen course. A questionnaire was developed to assess knowledge of how to activate the Mobile Emergency Attendance Service - MEAS (Serviço de Atendimento Móvel de Urgência; SAMU), recognize a pre-hospital emergency situation and the first aid required for cardiac arrest. The students were also asked about enrolling in a first aid course. Responses were received from 1038 of 1365 (76.04%) new undergraduates. The questionnaires were completed in a 2-week period 1 month after the beginning of classes. Of the 1038 respondents (59.5% studying biological sciences, 11.6% physical sciences, and 28.6% humanities), 58.5% knew how to activate the MEAS/SAMU (54.3% non-biological vs 61.4% biological, P=0.02), with an odds ratio (OR)=1.39 (95%CI=1.07-1.81) regardless of age, sex, origin, having a previous degree or having a relative with cardiac disease. The majority could distinguish emergency from non-emergency situations. When faced with a possible cardiac arrest, 17.7% of the students would perform chest compressions (15.5% non-biological vs 19.1% biological first-year university students, P=0.16) and 65.2% would enroll in a first aid course (51.1% non-biological vs 74.7% biological, P<0.01), with an OR=2.61 (95%CI=1.98-3.44) adjusted for the same confounders. Even though a high percentage of the students recognized emergency situations, a significant proportion did not know the MEAS/SAMU number and only a minority had sufficient basic life support skills to help with cardiac arrest. A significant proportion would not enroll in a first aid course. Biological first-year university students were more prone to enroll in a basic life support course.

Rapport à l’école et aux savoirs scolaires de jeunes d'origine haïtienne en contexte scolaire défavorisé à Montréal

La recherche explore le rapport à l’école et aux savoirs scolaires de jeunes d’origine haïtienne en contexte scolaire défavorisé. Considérant des trajectoires contrastées d’élèves en réussite scolaire, d’élèves vulnérables et de jeunes décrocheurs, elle examine les processus qui concourent à la réussite socioscolaire des uns et à la moindre réussite des autres en interrogeant le sens que les jeunes accordent à l’école et à l’acte d’apprendre. La recherche documente par ailleurs la manière dont ce sens s’est construit dans la trajectoire socioscolaire depuis la maternelle. Cette approche basée sur des entretiens approfondis à caractère biographique permet d'avoir des hypothèses explicatives sur un résiduel non expliqué par les recherches quantitatives. Elle bonifie aussi la perspective de Charlot (2001) jugée trop centrée sur l'élève (Thésée, 2003). L’élève est au centre de la démarche, mais son rapport aux savoirs scolaires est analysé à travers l’exploration de la trajectoire de socialisation scolaire, familiale et communautaire et en croisant les regards des jeunes, des parents, enseignants et autres personnes significatives sur cette trajectoire. Selon les résultats de notre recherche, le rapport à l’école et aux savoirs scolaires semble plus complexe et critique chez les élèves en réussite qui identifient la valeur formative, qualifiante et socialisante de l’école. Ces derniers se mobilisent fortement dans leur apprentissage. En comparaison, les élèves en difficulté mettent plutôt l’accent sur la socialisation et la qualification et ils font preuve d’une moindre mobilisation scolaire. Certains d’entre eux se rapprochent des jeunes décrocheurs avec un rapport aux savoirs de non-sens et de désengagement. Mais au-delà de ces grandes lignes, le rapport à l’école et aux savoirs scolaires se décline différemment d’un jeune à l’autre, suivant des caractéristiques personnelles, familiales et sociales spécifiques et suivant le savoir/apprentissage scolaire considéré et son mode de transmission par l’enseignant. Les résultats de la recherche mettent en évidence le rôle d’acteur de l’élève dans son apprentissage, mais aussi celui des principaux contextes dans lesquels il évolue. L’école est particulièrement interpellée. Les élèves dénoncent la forme scolaire scripturale, perçue monotone lourde et rigide, et certaines pratiques enseignantes qui ne favorisent pas l’apprentissage (Fabre, 2007 ; Pépin, 1994). Les familles sont aussi interpellées quant à leurs valeurs, pratiques et cohésion. Enfin, la recherche souligne l’influence du réseau des pairs et des milieux communautaires. Apprendre et réussir à l’école se révèlent un enjeu individuel et social qui implique une mobilisation collective.

''Maria da Penha vai à escola?'' Representações sociais de jovens do ensino médio sobre a violência doméstica contra a mulher

RESUMO:Este trabalho teve como objetivo identificar as Representações Sociais dos jovens do Ensino Médio sobre a Violência Doméstica Contra a Mulher. A metodologia deste estudo investigativo foi pautada sobre os pilares da pesquisa qualitativa de caráter exploratório e descritivo. A primeira série do ensino médio, de duas escolas localizadas no centro da cidade de João Pessoa, uma da instância pública estadual e outra de capital privado, constituiu o universo da pesquisa. Os sujeitos 12 meninos e 12 meninas abrangeram a faixa etária entre 14 e 20 anos de idade. O marco teórico foi sistematizado de forma a atender os questionamentos pertinentes à pesquisa e composto de estudiosos e pesquisadores nas áreas das Representações Sociais, da Violência Doméstica Contra a Mulher e sobre a Lei Maria da Penha. O grupo focal, a entrevista semi-estruturada e a análise de conteúdo foram os instrumentos utilizados para a coleta e análise dos dados recolhidos. As informações e dados coletados foram organizados de acordo com as técnicas de grupo realizadas nas oficinas de ideias dos dois encontros do grupo focal e as entrevistas individuais. A partir da análise dos resultados verificou-se nas representações sociais dos jovens da 1ª série do ensino médio sobre a violência doméstica contra a mulher que eles têm consciência da gravidade social que esta conduta delitiva representa. Mostram estar cientes das causas e consequências deste tipo de violência, sabendo também apontar medidas preventivas em âmbito escolar e social de um modo geral além de saber atribuir competências a órgãos públicos nesta tarefa. ABSTRACT: This work was developed to identify the Social Representations of young high school students about domestic violence against women. The methodology of this investigative study was based on qualitative research pillars of exploratory and descriptive kind. The first year of high school, from two schools located in the centre of João Pessoa city, one public and another private composed the search universe. The subjects were 12 boys and 12 girls from the age of 14 to 20. The theoretical mark was systematized to meet relevance to research inquiries and was composed by scholars and researchers in the areas of Social Representations Theory, Domestic Violence Against Women and Maria da Penha Law. Focus group, semi-structured interview and analysis content were instruments used for compilation and analysis of data collected. The information and data collected have been organized according to techniques of group performed in the workshops of ideas during the two focal group meetings and individual interviews. Based on the analysis of results found through Social Representations Theory in young people of 1st grade high school about domestic violence against women, they are aware of the social gravity that this delictive conduct represents, demonstrate to be conscious of causes and consequences of this kind of violence and make out preventive measures in scholastic and social reach in a general view, besides the attribution of skills to public agencies concerning this task.

Predictors of onset of depression and anxiety in the year after diagnosis of breast cancer

Background Depression and anxiety are common after diagnosis of breast cancer. We examined to what extent these are recurrences of previous disorder and, controlling for this, whether shame, self-blame and low social support after diagnosis predicted onset of depression and anxiety subsequently. Method Women with primary breast cancer who had been treated surgically self-reported shame, self-blame, social support and emotional distress post-operatively. Psychiatric interview 12 months later identified those with adult lifetime episodes of major depression (MD) or generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) before diagnosis and onset over the subsequent year. Statistical analysis examined predictors of each disorder in that year. Results Of the patients, two-thirds with episodes of MD and 40% with episodes of GAD during the year after diagnosis were experiencing recurrence of previous disorder. Although low social support, self-blame and shame were each associated with both MD and GAD after diagnosis, they did not mediate the relationship of disorder after diagnosis with previous disorder. Low social support, but not shame or self-blame, predicted recurrence after controlling for previous disorder. Conclusions Anxiety and depression during the first year after diagnosis of breast cancer are often the recurrence of previous disorder. In predicting disorder following diagnosis, self-blame and shame are merely markers of previous disorder. Low social support is an independent predictor and therefore may have a causal role.

Interdisciplinaridade e contextualização no novo ensino médio: conhecendo obstáculos e desafios no discurso dos professores de ciências

Nessa pesquisa discuto os desafios do novo ensino médio na ótica dos professores de ciências, sobretudo os que dizem respeito à proposta de ensino pautado na interdisciplinaridade e na contextualização. Para tanto, esse estudo foi desenvolvido tendo em vista responder como os professores estão lidando no contexto de suas práticas com os novos princípios do ensino médio e que desafios precisam ser enfrentados para a implementação da interdisciplinaridade e da contextualização no ensino, na percepção dos professores de ciências. Para abordar as questões norteadoras e atingir os objetivos propostos neste estudo, lancei mão da pesquisa documental, objetivando a leitura da legislação que deu suporte à refonna do ensino médio, e da pesquisa bibliográfica para abordar os conceitos centrais dessa pesquisa. Além disso, entrevistei professores das disciplinas Química, Física e Biologia através da entrevista estruturada. Os resultados da investigação evidenciaram relativo desconhecimento dos princípios da reforma preconizados nos documentos oficiais, pela maioria dos entrevistados. Entretanto, os professores não se mostraram alheios às discussões relacionadas à interdisciplinaridade e a contextualização, o que não significa que esses sujeitos revelem formas complexas de lidar com esses conceitos ou que implementem ações conscientemente elaboradas, tendo em vista o ensino interdisciplinar e contextualizado. Predomina, nas concepções dos professores, uma visão instrumental da interdisciplinaridade e da contextualização, em consonância com a concepção apresentada nos textos oficiais. Quanto aos desafios percebidos pelos professores para a implementação da interdisciplinaridade e da contextualização no ensino, estes ficaram circunscritos à sua dimensão contextual, isto é, os problemas estruturais da escola pública e os limites de espaço e tempo. A dimensão conceitual dos termos em questão, bem como os limites advindos da formação dos educadores, foram perifericamente problematizados.

Novos formatos escolares para novas demandas sociais : O Ensino Médio Integrado

When it comes to reflecting on the Brazilian educational system , secondary education is what causes the most controversial debates . For a long time , enrollment rates in secondary school were embarrassing , what has changed in recent decades . It became mandatory and expanded significantly the enrollment , but keep the high level of failure and dropout . Historically, the definition of options for secondary education and particularly vocational education , has been in Brazil for conflict of interests and positions , which is expressed in the diversity of curricular proposals presented throughout the twentieth century and the beginning of this XXI century. Currently, the line adopted by the federal government is to encourage states and municipalities to implement the method of integrated secondary school , thus seeking to establish links between the academic and professional learning . The topic of this article is precisely this choice of integrated education . It is within the framework of the Brazilian educational scenario and its late development compared to other countries in the region under review debate and educational policies aimed to integrate the high school and the working world

Novos formatos escolares para novas demandas sociais : O Ensino Médio Integrado

When it comes to reflecting on the Brazilian educational system , secondary education is what causes the most controversial debates . For a long time , enrollment rates in secondary school were embarrassing , what has changed in recent decades . It became mandatory and expanded significantly the enrollment , but keep the high level of failure and dropout . Historically, the definition of options for secondary education and particularly vocational education , has been in Brazil for conflict of interests and positions , which is expressed in the diversity of curricular proposals presented throughout the twentieth century and the beginning of this XXI century. Currently, the line adopted by the federal government is to encourage states and municipalities to implement the method of integrated secondary school , thus seeking to establish links between the academic and professional learning . The topic of this article is precisely this choice of integrated education . It is within the framework of the Brazilian educational scenario and its late development compared to other countries in the region under review debate and educational policies aimed to integrate the high school and the working world

Novos formatos escolares para novas demandas sociais : O Ensino Médio Integrado

When it comes to reflecting on the Brazilian educational system , secondary education is what causes the most controversial debates . For a long time , enrollment rates in secondary school were embarrassing , what has changed in recent decades . It became mandatory and expanded significantly the enrollment , but keep the high level of failure and dropout . Historically, the definition of options for secondary education and particularly vocational education , has been in Brazil for conflict of interests and positions , which is expressed in the diversity of curricular proposals presented throughout the twentieth century and the beginning of this XXI century. Currently, the line adopted by the federal government is to encourage states and municipalities to implement the method of integrated secondary school , thus seeking to establish links between the academic and professional learning . The topic of this article is precisely this choice of integrated education . It is within the framework of the Brazilian educational scenario and its late development compared to other countries in the region under review debate and educational policies aimed to integrate the high school and the working world

Low-income first time mothers: Effects on advanced practice nurse (APN) follow up telephone calls on maternal and infant health and health care charges

The United States has over 4 million births annually. Currently healthy women with non-complicated deliveries receive little to no routine postpartum support when discharged from the hospital. This is especially problematic if mothers are first time mothers, poor, have language barriers and little to no social support after giving birth. The purpose of this randomized clinical trial was to compare maternal and infant health outcomes, and health care charges between 2 groups of mothers and newborns. A control ( n = 69) group received routine posthospital discharge care. An intervention group (n = 70) received routine posthospital discharge care plus follow up telephone calls by advanced practice nurses (APNs) on days 3,7,14,21,28 and week 8. Both groups were followed for the first 8 weeks posthospital discharge following delivery to examine maternal health outcomes (perceived maternal stress, social support and perceived maternal physical health), infant health outcomes (routine medical follow up visits immunizations, weight gain), morbidity (urgent care visits, emergency room visits, rehospitalizations), health care charges (urgent care visits, emergency room visits, rehospitalizations) in both groups and charges for APN follow up in the intervention group only. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and two-sample t-tests. Study findings indicated that intervention group had significantly lower perceived maternal stress, significantly higher rating of perceived maternal health and higher levels of social support and by the end of the 2nd month posthospital discharge compared to control group mothers. Infants in the intervention group had: increased number of immunizations; fewer emergency room visits; and 1 infant rehospitalization compared to 3 infant rehospitalizations in the control group. The intervention groups' health care charges were significantly lower compared to the control group $14,333/$497 vs. $70,834/$1,068. These study results indicate that an intervention of APN follow up telephone calls in this sample of first time low-income culturally diverse mothers was an effective, safe, low cost, easy to apply intervention which improved mothers' and infants' health outcomes and reduced healthcare charges.