Propuesta de aplicación de nuevos enfoques de análisis de competencias y perfiles profesionales digitales

El objetivo principal de esta tesis es proponer un nuevo enfoque para el análisis de competencias y perfiles profesionales en el ámbito de las tecnologías de la Información y las Comunicaciones (TIC). La revisión de los métodos de investigación de las contribuciones existentes en el área revela limitaciones y oportunidades de mejora de los resultados del análisis de perfile TIC. Los principales problemas detectados que provocan baja precisión y representatividad en los resultados de análisis de perfiles profesionales son: a) ausencia de terminología y conceptos homogéneos y bien definidos vinculados a modelos o marcos competenciales estándar o ampliamente aceptados, b) limitaciones en la variedad de las fuentes de información y de tamaño y representatividad de los conjuntos de datos para el análisis, c) limitaciones en el diseño y la eficiencia de la recogida de datos, excesivamente basada en métodos manuales y d) análisis excesivamente básico de los datos recogidos con cuestionarios. Por suerte, especialmente en la Unión Europea, el marco de referencia laboral europea ESCO y el estándar EN16234 permiten contar con una terminología homogénea y bien definida en cuanto a competencias, habilidades, conocimientos y actitudes para perfiles profesionales TIC. El modelo Skills Match resultante de un proyecto europeo ofrece una sólida referencia para soft skills. La herramienta OVATE de CEDEFOP permite el análisis de millones de ofertas de trabajo en línea con terminología ESCO y la replicación de la base de datos de ESCO permite consultas sofisticadas de la información de esta clasificación para los perfiles TIC. La aplicación de estas opciones y de otras mejoras metodológicas ha permitido confirmar la mejora de los análisis presentados en tres publicaciones de impacto, con mayor representatividad y tamaño de los datos, una estrecha vinculación a los modelos de referencia existentes y una generación de resultados más sofisticados en forma de marcos competenciales. Gracias a esta confirmación se abre una línea de trabajo para ampliar el alcance y la solidez de los estudios de los perfiles profesionales TIC

Perfil e competências do profissional da informação para a gestão de dados em massa (Big Data)

Neste artigo discute-se o perfil e as competências para o profissional da informação face ao fenómeno dos dados em massa (Big data). O conceito de gestão de dados em massa é utilizado no âmbito da informação e documentação e sistemas de informação. Considera-se que os dados em massa são uma tendência no futuro que deve ser percebida pelas instituições privadas e públicas. Apresenta-se uma revisão bibliográfica de introdução ao tema de investigação para sistematização do conhecimento sobre esta matéria e realiza-se uma revisão crítica da literatura sobre as competências específicas para a gestão de dados em massa, revendo o projeto europeu EDISON Data Science Competences Framework. Discute-se as transformações indispensáveis ao perfil e às competências para o profissional da informação e por fim apontam-se caminhos para uma investigação futura

Employability skills: Profiling data scientists in the digital labour market

In the current scenario, data scientists are expected to make sense of vast stores of big data, which are becoming increasingly complex and heterogeneous in nature. In the context of today's rapid technological development and its application in a growing array of fields, this role is evolving simultaneously. The present study provides an insight into the current expectations of employers seeking to hire individuals with this job title. It is argued that gaining a better understanding of data scientists’ employability criteria and the evolution of this professional role is crucial. The focus is placed on the desired prerequisites articulated through job advertisements, thus deriving relevant means for furthering theory and practice. It was achieved by harvesting relevant data from job advertisements published on US employment websites, which currently attract the US market's highest recruitment traffic. The key contribution of this study is to have identified means of systematically mapping skills, experience, and qualifications sought by employers for their data scientists, thus providing a data-driven pathway for employability and avoiding skills gaps and mismatches in a profession that is pivotal in the Industry 4.0

The case for the development and use of "ecologically valid" measures of executive function in experimental and clinical neuropsychology

This article considers the scientific process whereby new and better clinical tests of executive function might be developed, and what form they might take. We argue that many of the traditional tests of executive function most commonly in use (e.g., the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test; Stroop) are adaptations of procedures that emerged almost coincidentally from conceptual and experimental frameworks far removed from those currently in favour, and that the prolongation of their use has been encouraged by a sustained period of concentration on “construct-driven” experimentation in neuropsychology. This resulted from the special theoretical demands made by the field of executive function, but was not a necessary consequence, and may not even have been a useful one. Whilst useful, these tests may not therefore be optimal for their purpose. We consider as an alternative approach a function-led development programme which in principle could yield tasks better suited to the concerns of the clinician because of the transparency afforded by increased “representativeness” and “generalisability.” We further argue that the requirement of such a programme to represent the interaction between the individual and situational context might also provide useful constraints for purely experimental investigations. We provide an example of such a programme with reference to the Multiple Errands and Six Element tests

Big data for monitoring educational systems

This report considers “how advances in big data are likely to transform the context and methodology of monitoring educational systems within a long-term perspective (10-30 years) and impact the evidence based policy development in the sector”, big data are “large amounts of different types of data produced with high velocity from a high number of various types of sources.” Five independent experts were commissioned by Ecorys, responding to themes of: students' privacy, educational equity and efficiency, student tracking, assessment and skills. The experts were asked to consider the “macro perspective on governance on educational systems at all levels from primary, secondary education and tertiary – the latter covering all aspects of tertiary from further, to higher, and to VET”, prioritising primary and secondary levels of education

An examination of the Skills Framework for the Information Age (SFIA) version 7

The Skills Framework for the Information Age (SFIA) is a popular international skills framework for the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) sector for which version 7 was released in June 2018. This paper provides an overview of this most recent version of the framework and compares it to the previous version, version 6. Some potential issues with the framework are then discussed, perhaps the most important of which is that version 7 is not backwards compatible with version 6, which can lead to undesirable results when two users of the framework (e.g. an employer and job applicant) interact with one using version 6 and the other using version 7. Other issues examined are the lack of universal certification criteria for objective assessment of skills (which affects the portability of the framework between users), the complexity of the framework in terms of skill/proficiency mapping, the representation of soft or transferable skills and the limited scope for automating skill management tasks. Some solutions to these issues are offered, including structuring the skill definitions to include mappings between different SFIA versions and creating mappings to recognised formal qualifications, industry certifications and job experience

The creation of “Questions Bank" and introduction of 2.0. examination session

In the Institute of American Studies and Polish Diaspora Jagiellonian University, with the support of the Distance Learning Centre at the Jagiellonian University was introduced an innovative method of examination based on empowering the students. During the 2014 session, the students were invited to create test questions. Accepted by the lecturer questions were used on he exam. Extensive “Questions Bank” may be used in subsequent examinations 2.0. The authors of the paper present practical advice on how to prepare and carry out such an examination. They share know how of practical suggestions from pedagogical to technical aspect of moving from teaching to learning while using the idea of Questions Bank. They discuss the impact on the motivation and creativity of students, the principles of achievement and assessment, methods of verifying the content of the questions and technical measures to make questions and hindering cheating. The use of innovative methods of preparing and conducting the exam based on the Questions Bank had a positive impact on the mobilization and involvement of students, which resulted in a very good performance evaluation questionnaires of the lecture

Motivation to Participate in an Online Citizen Science Game: A Study of Foldit

Online citizen science projects have the potential to engage thousands of participants with scientific research. A small number of projects such as Foldit use an online computer game format. Motivation to participate in Foldit was investigated in a group of 37 players using an online survey, semistructured interviews, and participant observation. Results suggest that contributing to scientific research and an interest in science were among the most important motivations for participation. Interaction with others within the community of participants and the intellectual challenge of the game were also key for the continuing involvement of this group of regular contributors