An ontology to automated learning scenarios? an approach to its knowledge domain

Automation or semi-automation of learning scenariospecifications is one of the least exploredsubjects in the e-learning research area. There isa need for a catalogue of learning scenarios and atechnique to facilitate automated retrieval of stored specifications. This requires constructing anontology with this goal and is justified inthis paper. This ontology must mainlysupport a specification technique for learning scenarios. This ontology should also be useful in the creation and validation of new scenarios as well as in the personalization of learning scenarios or their monitoring. Thus, after justifying the need for this ontology, a first approach of a possible knowledge domain is presented. An example of a concrete learning scenario illustrates some relevant concepts supported by this ontology in order to define the scenario in such a way that it could be easy to automate.

Coming from outside the Academy. Values of 2.0 culture in higher education

This article reflects on how some values, interests, and particularities of 2.0 culture enter on higher and postgraduate education institutions. Through theidentification of the features of 2.0, this document visualizes some of the resistances, obstacles, possibilities, and opportunities detected in these institutions, many of them focusing on the core of the higher education and postgraduate institutions (i.e. strategic vision, methodology, role of teachers and students, relation between formal and informal learning, contents and assessment). Responsibility in the training and updating of current and future professionals places these institutions under the discussion and decision-making process related to the role that 2.0 tools should play. We wonder if it implies a crossroad which affects the whole set of attitudes and values on the role of training institutions in the context of the construction of socialized knowledge.

Kranaatinheitinkouluttajien AHJO-ammunnanhallintajärjestelmän osaamisen rakentuminen

Tämä tutkimus osallistuu organisaation oppimiseen liittyvästä osaamisen jalkauttamisesta käytävään akateemiseen ja käytännön johtamisen keskusteluun. Tutkimuksen tavoitteena on kuvata ja ymmärtää, miten kranaatinheitinkouluttajien AHJO-ammunnanhallintajärjestelmän käytön osaaminen rakentuu Puolustus-voimissa. Tutkimuskysymystä lähestytään analysoimalla viittä asiantuntijahaastat-telua ja 58 kirjallista tutkimuskyselyvastausta. Tutkimuksen mukaan AHJO-osaaminen rakentuu yksilötasolla formaalien, non-formaalien ja informaalien oppimismenetelmien vuorovaikutuksessa. Peruskoulutuksen aikainen formaali opetus vaikuttaa korostuvan perusosaamisen rakentamisessa, kun taas syvemmän osaamisen kehittämisen edellytyksenä vaikuttaa olevan informaali harjaantuminen. Non-formaalin täydennyskoulutuksen merkitys korostuu vähemmän harjaantuneen henkilöstön osaamisen rakentamisessa sekä järjestelmän käyttöönottokynnyksen madaltamisessa.

Pró-vitaminas A em hortaliças comercializadas no mercado formal e informal de Viçosa (MG), em três estações do ano

Para fornecer dados sobre a influência climática e a forma de comercialização sobre carotenóides de vegetais, este estudo pesquisou o conteúdo de alfa e beta-caroteno e o valor de vitamina A de sete hortaliças (batata-doce, cenoura, moranga, pimentão, quiabo, tomate e vagem), na cidade de Viçosa (MG), utilizando a Cromatografia Líquida de Alta Eficiência. Compararam-se hortaliças comercializadas nos mercados formal (mercados locais) e informal (feira livre) durante primavera, verão e outono. A cenoura apresentou os teores mais elevados de alfa e beta-caroteno (31,17 e 58,18 µg/g, respectivamente), seguida pela moranga (4,33 e 23,16 µg/g, respectivamente), enquanto a batata-doce apresentou o teor mais reduzido de beta-caroteno (0,51 µg/g). O valor de vitamina A variou conforme o perfil de alfa e beta-caroteno. Com exceção da cenoura e do quiabo, não houve influência significativa do local de comercialização sobre o conteúdo de carotenóides. A variação do conteúdo de carotenos nas estações do ano foi inexpressiva, sendo que apenas o pimentão apresentou valores significativamente diferentes. Porções de 100 g das hortaliças analisadas fornecem entre 3 e 78% da recomendação de vitamina A.

Giving voice to lifelong learning in professional nursing practice

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to uncover the meaning of lifelong learning to nurses in an Academic Health Care setting. Six female pediatric nurses were interviewed and audiotaped in response to 2 main questions of interpretation and engagement in lifelong learning with respect to their nursing practice. Four additional probing questions elicited responses of further qualities and characteristics of the meaning of lifelong learning. The emergent themes uncovered the characteristics and nature of the journey of lifelong learning. The themes evolved into parallel characteristics developing into the concepts of personal empowerment and occupational authorship. The personal empowerment concept involved processes whereby the participants overcame or removed barriers to engage in personal lifelong learning. Participants utilized personal power and internal motivators to sustain their engagement in lifelong learning. The occupational authorship concept involved participants controlling their exploration into lifelong learning through collaboration and recognition of occupational demands to be met as a professional. The remaining themes revealed a seasoning journey. This journey entailed a process of mastery through the themes of engagement discord, discovery pilgrimage, transforming, and maturation. The engagement in this journey resulted in their lifelong learning to becoming more intuitive and a part oftheir being. The overall theme uncovered from the journeys was one of a vocation described as a call to thinking critically of nursing practice. The participants responded to lifelong learning as a call to be a good nurse by using critical thinking through reflection, transformative and constructionist learning processes. This study gave voice to the meaning of lifelong learning in their nursing practice as interpreted by -ao the nurse participants.

Preparing to teach : learning from an exploration of teachers' experiences of teaching in classrooms of difference

This qualitative study explores practicing teachers' experiences of teaching in classrooms of diversity, that is, classrooms where students represent a variety of differences including race, culture, ethnicity, and class. More specifically, this study investigates the types of curricular and pedagogical practices teachers employ in their classrooms. This study attempts to make a contribution to the scholarship of critical pedagogy by drawing upon the works of critical pedagogues to make sense of participants' descriptions oftheir curricular and pedagogical practices. Four participants were involved in this study. Participants were elementary teachers in classrooms of difference in Ontario who contributed the primary sources of data by engaging in 2 individual interviews. Additional sources of data included a focus group meeting that 2 ofthe participants were able to attend, school board curriculum resource documents assisting teachers in teaching critically, as well as a research journal which the researcher kept throughout the study. The scholarship of critical pedagogy (Ellsworth, 1992; Giroux, 1993; McLaren, 1989) informs the analysis of participants' descriptions of their teaching experiences. Many of the participants did not engage in a practice of critical pedagogy. This study explores some of the challenges and possibilities of using critical pedagogy to create spaces in classrooms where teachers can build connections between the curriculum mandated by the government and the multiple identities and experiences that students bring into the classroom. This study concludes with a discussion on what teachers need to know to be able to begin creating equitable and educational experiences in classrooms of difference.

Educaci??n formal, no formal e informal en el Espacio Europeo : nuevas exigencias para los procesos de formaci??n en educaci??n

Resumen tomado de la publicaci??n

The value of using short-format podcasts to enhance learning and teaching

This paper presents the findings of a podcasting trial held in 2007-2008 within the Faculty of Economics and Business at the University of Sydney, Australia. The trial investigates the value of using short-format podcasts to support assessment for postgraduate and undergraduate students. A multi-method approach is taken in investigating perceptions of the benefits of podcasting, incorporating surveys, focus groups and interviews. The results show that a majority of students believe they gained learning benefits from the podcasts and appreciated the flexibility of the medium to support their learning, and the lecturers felt the innovation helped diversify their pedagogical approach and support a diverse student population. Three primary conclusions are presented: (1) most students reject the mobile potential of podcasting in favour of their traditional study space at home; (2) what students and lecturers value about this podcasting design overlap; (3) the assessment-focussed, short-format podcast design may be considered a successful podcasting model. The paper finishes by identifying areas for future research on the effective use of podcasting in learning and teaching.

El cambio conceptual de los contenidos de historia local en contextos de aprendizaje formal e informal.

Contiene tablas y gráficas

La educación formal, no formal e informal y la función docente.

Se delimitan teóricamente los procesos de educación formal, no formal e informal pero se comprueba que, al analizar situaciones concretas, resulta difícil aplicar los criterios teóricos. Además, a partir de las analogías que pueden existir entre estos procesos se reivindican condiciones laborales similares entre educadores y profesores.

Aprendizaje formal e informal con medios.

Resumen basado en el de la publicación