Is undergraduate programme accreditation influenced by educational public policy quality indicators? An exploratory study of the Chilean Higher Education quality assurance system

In Chile, as well as in most of Latin America, public policies for higher education have recently adopted a focus on quality assurance and accreditation systems. Uncertainty, however, still exists in terms of the quality assurance consistency in the current Chilean accreditation system, especially in terms of the relation between public policy quality indicators for higher education and their relation to accreditation outcomes. Therefore, the aim of this study was to make a first explorative attempt to investigate the relationships between these indicators and the results of undergraduate programme accreditation. We hypothesised that the public policy quality indicators of first-year drop-out rate, employment at graduation and ratio of actual to expected time to graduation would be strongly correlated to undergraduate programme accreditation as well as largely explaining its accreditation-year variance. By means of correlation and multiple regression analyses, we found small-sized associations, being first-year drop-out the only significant predictor of programme accreditation, explaining a 9.4% of its variance. These results raise questions regarding the consistency between the aims of public policy for higher education and the current accreditation system. This study should be of value to policy makers, managers and curriculum developers in terms of this initial analysis of the consistency between quality indicators and the accreditation system. Further research is necessary to make a systematic and in-depth assessment of the impact of quality assurance mechanisms to provide better rationale for making important decisions such as when defining the characteristics of the accrediting institutions as well as for establishing effective ways to achieve the proposed public policy objectives

The Complementary effect of internal learning capacity and absorptive capacity on performance: the mediating role of innovation capacity

Organisations are finding it increasingly more difficult to keep abreast with the pace of change. The continuous rise in the number of business opportunities and the increase in global competition require firms to combine internal and external learning processes to renew and reconfigure existing capabilities and knowledge to enable them to meet environmental demands and to innovate. This study aims to unravel the complex linkage between internal learning capacity and absorptive capacity and at exploring the joint effect of both knowledge generation processes on innovation capacity. This study also proposes innovation capacity as an antecedent of business performance. Using data from 952 industrial Spanish firms and the technique of structural equation modelling, we provide evidence on the joint effect of internal learning capacity and absorptive capacity on innovation capacity. We also show that innovation capacity acts as a catalyst for the effect of learning capacities on business performanc

Atributos de una docencia de calidad en la educación superior: una revisión sistemática

a presente revisión analiza de forma sistemática los atributos de una docencia de calidad en la educación superior, extrayendo información sobre características y cualidades que constituyen una docencia de 'excelencia'. La búsqueda documental se llevó a cabo a través de la triangulación de diversas fuentes, identificando 25 artículos. Mediante un análisis temático, dos autores de forma independiente analizaron y codificaron los atributos de un docente de calidad, clasificándolos en tres competencias: las genéricas (características personales, actitudinales y comunicativas); las pedagógicas (estrategias de enseñanza-aprendizaje y de planificación-gestión); y las disciplinares. Se presentan sus implicancias y sus indicadores específicos. Las características identificadas son factibles de ser modificadas, aprendidas y entrenadas. Estudiantes y profesores resaltan la necesidad fundamental de prepararse para ser profesor universitario, teniendo presente el papel crucial que juegan las variables de tipo genéricas, pedagógicas y disciplinares, tanto en la interacción profesor-estudiante como en la facilitación del aprendizaje

Closing the gap between business undergraduate education and the organisational environment: A Chilean case study applying experiential learning theory

In response to the continuous changes in Latin American higher education and the increasing demands for better prepared professionals, the Learning Connected to the Organisational Environment method was introduced in the course of Marketing at one public University in Chile. This was aimed as an integrated approach to education, providing pedagogical and social value by connecting organisations and real challenges with the learning objectives. This paper describes its design, implementation and initial impact on students’ learning process. Results on the impact of the LCOE method show that students valued learning with this new initiative (n = 158) and showed higher performance and improved quality of their written reports, along with higher evaluations of the teaching staff compared to students in the same course learning with traditional methods (n = 158). Discussion is centred on the value of this initiative and on suggestions for transference and future research

Introduction to Journal of South American Earth Sciences special issue on “Magmatism of southernmost South America”

complex magmatic history due to the occurrence of multiple large-scalegeological processes that include mantle plumes impingements, slabwindows opening, collisional episodes, normal and flat subductionevents, mantle transition zone-derived melts ascent, slab break-offevents, etc. (e.g., Mpodozis and Kay, 1992; Gorring et al., 1997; Rileyet al., 2001; Pankhurst et al., 2006; Kay et al., 2007; Ramos, 2008;Breitsprecher and Thorkerlson, 2009; Arag´on et al., 2013; Gianni et al.,2018; Navarrete et al., 2019; 2020; Iannelli et al., 2020). Although thismagmatic history began during the Neoproterozoic, the igneous activityof the last 300 Myr has been remarkably intense and voluminous,constituting one of the most distinctive geological features of this region.So much so that three Phanerozoic Large Igneous Provinces (LIPs) havebeen proposed (Kay et al., 1989; Pankhurst et al., 1998; Kay et al., 2007;Bastías-Mercado et al., 2020 ? this special issue). The first of them linkedto the Permian-Triassic subduction events (Choiyoi SLIP - Bastías-Mercado et al. this especial issue, and references therein; Oliveroset al., 2019), although there are also proposals that have suggested anorigin related to slab-breakoff episodes (e.g., Mpodozis and Kay, 1992;Pankhurst et al., 2006). The second would have been generated by theJurassic Karoo mantle plume impingement added to the paleo-pacificsubduction during the beginning of the Gondwana breakup (ChonAike SLIP - e.g., Kay et al., 1989; Pankhurst et al., 1998), whereas theorigin of the Oligocene-Miocene third province (Somuncura LIP ? Kayet al., 2007) is still under discussion. There are proposals that invoke amantle plume impingement (Kay et al., 2007), a lithospheric delaminationevent (Remesal et al., 2012), as well as the mantle transitionzone-derived melts ascent due to the Farallon slab stagnation (Navarreteet al., 2020), between others. In this special issue, most of the articles arelinked to these Permian-Triassic, Jurassic and mid-Cenozoic LIPs(Fig. 1), although multiple subduction-related magmatic events are alsoincluded, such as the formation of the Patagonian Batholith (e.g., Pankhurstet al., 1999) and the eruption of the volcanic products linked tothe magmatism of the Andean subduction zone (e.g., Rapela et al., 1984;1988).From the economic point of view, the socio-economic developmentof Chile and Argentina was marked by the magmatism of the southernmostSouth American region. In this sense, the Jurassic magmatismof Patagonia gave rise to numerous precious metals hydro-thermal largemineral deposits (e.g., Schalamuk et al., 1997; Echavarría et al., 2005;Guido and Campbell, 2011; Permuy Vidal et al., 2016; Tassara et al.,2017), whereas the Cenozoic intraplate magmatism of Patagoniafavored the hydrocarbon maturation in Patagonian oil and gas producingMesozoic basins (e.g., Rodriguez and Littke, 2001; Spacapan et al.,2018). Also, giant porphyry copper deposits were produced by theMeso-Cenozoic subduction-related magmatism in the Andean region (e.g., Mpodozis and Cornejo, 2012; Lee and Tang, 2020).Therefore, new contributions that improve the comprehension of thelarge magmatic episodes of southernmost South America are highlyrelevant for the general geological knowledge of this region, and theirinterest exceeds that of the academic geological community.Fil: Navarrete Granzotto, César Rodrigo. Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia "San Juan Bosco"; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Zaffarana, Claudia Beatriz. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Patagonia Norte. Instituto de Investigación en Paleobiología y Geología; Argentin

Actividad procoagulante del factor tisular plaquetario en pacientes con diabetes mellitus tipo II asociados a eventos cardiovasculares

Tesis (Tecnólogo Médico, mención bioanálisis clínico, inmunohematología y banco de sangre)La diabetes mellitus se asocia al aumento de riesgo de eventos cardiovasculares debido a que produce diversas alteraciones que llevarían a un estado protrombótico, tales como: cambios en la función plaquetaria, daño endotelial, aumento de los mediadores inflamatorios (TNFα, IL-1, IL-6 y otros) y del Factor Tisular plasmático. Dentro de las alteraciones nombradas, una de las principales es la que compromete la función plaquetaria, ya que las plaquetas tienen un rol predominante en la hemostasia, debido a que aportan una barrera física que impide la pérdida de sangre y participan en las etapas iniciales de formación del trombo. El factor tisular tiene un papel crítico en la hemostasia, especialmente en la iniciación de la coagulación. Tradicionalmente se ha considerado a los monocitos o células mononucleares de sangre periférica como fuente predominante de factor tisular, sin embargo, nuevas investigaciones indican la relevancia de las plaquetas en la expresión y aporte de factor tisular activo. Por esta razón estudiamos la actividad procoagulante dependiente de factor tisular plaquetario en pacientes con diabetes mellitus tipo II y que además hayan estado asociados a eventos cardiovasculares, para determinar si la hipercoagulabilidad se debe al aporte de factor tisular circulante por parte de las plaquetas. Se estudiaron 20 pacientes con Diabetes Mellitus tipo II con eventos cardiovasculares, 16 pacientes con diabetes mellitus tipo II sin eventos cardiovasculares y 15 controles sanos, pareados por sexo y edad. A los tres grupos se les determinó la actividad procoagulante dependiente de factor tisular en plaquetas lavadas y generación de trombina en plasma rico en plaquetas activadas con agonistas plaquetarios. Además se realizaron estudios de función 7 plaquetaria, marcadores plasmáticos de activación de la coagulación, inflamación, daño endotelial y estrés oxidativo. No se obtuvo diferencia significativa en marcadores de inflamación, daño endotelial y estrés oxidativo ni en la actividad procoagulante dependiente de factor tisular plaquetario entre ambos grupos. Sin embargo, la medición de generación de trombina, tiempo de lisis del coágulo, función plaquetaria y Anexina V (citometría de flujo) mostró diferencias estadísticamente significativas entre los grupos en estudio. El tratamiento con estatinas pudo influir en la escasa diferencia encontrada en los parámetros estudiados para los distintos grupos, ya que estos medicamentos disminuyen tanto los parámetros de inflamación como de APC-TF en plaquetas

Perceções docentes na atuação pedagógica

Teve-se como objetivo compreender a perceção de 12 professores de Educação Física (EF), entrevistados acerca da formação inicial, submetidas a análise de conteúdo, pelo sistema de categorização indutiva, enfoque descritivo interpretativo, numa abordagem qualitativa. Concluimos que existe a preocupação dos professores em redimensionar as suas práticas numa perspetiva interdisciplinar. Julgamos existir precária transferibilidade de saberes inerentes à docência da EF neste nível de ensinoFundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT) - Centro de Investigação em Estudos da Criança (CIEC), UM (UI 317

Teacher perceptions about initial training in pedagogic actuation: study of the case of the physical education teachers

O paradigma centrado no pensamento docente tem despertado interesses educativos. Neste estudo o objetivo proposto foi compreender a percepção docente acerca dos reflexos da formação inicial, com enfoque descritivo interpretativo, a partir de uma abordagem qualitativa. Trata-se de uma amostra formada por 12 professores de Educação Física, em três Colégios de Aplicação da região sul do Brasil, inquiridos por entrevistas semi-estruturadas. As respostas foram submetidas à análise de conteúdo, pelo sistema de categorização por via indutiva. As categorias vinculam-se à formação inicial e contínua e à relação teoria e prática. Infere-se, pelos resultados obtidos, a preocupação dos professores em redimensionar suas propostas e práticas pedagógicas numa perspectiva interdisciplinar. Relativamente à formação inicial, destaca-se a necessidade dos professores de enfatizar a aquisição de conhecimentos técnicos, em detrimento da construção de competências teórico-práticas. Julgamos existir precária transferência de saberes inerentes à docência da Educação Física neste nível de ensino.El paradigma centrado en el pensamiento docente despierta cada vez más intereses entre los investigadores de la educación. En esta investigación el objetivo propuesto ha sido comprender la percepción docente de la formación inicial desde un enfoque descriptivo interpretativo, a partir de un abordaje cualitativo. Se trata de una muestra formada por 12 profesores de Educación Física en tres Colégios de Aplicação de la región sur de Brasil, analizados a través de entrevistas semiestructuradas. Las respuestas fueron sometidas a un análisis de contenido por un sistema de categorización inductiva. Las categorías se vinculan a la formación inicial y continua, y relacionan teoría y práctica. Se deduce, a través de los resultados obtenidos, la preocupación de los profesores por redimensionar propuestas y prácticas pedagógicas desde una perspectiva interdisciplinar. En relación a la formación inicial se destaca la necesidad de los profesores de priorizar la adquisición de conocimientos técnicos en detrimento del desarrollo de competencias teórico-prácticas. Consideramos precaria la transferencia de saberes inherentes a la docencia de la Educación Física.The paradigm focused on teaching thought awakens more interest amongst the researches in education. In this research the proposed objective was to understand the perception of teaching of the initial training from a descriptive approach interpretative from a qualitative approach. The sample is formed by 12 physical education teachers in three implementation schools in the southern region of Brazil, analysed through semi-structured interviews. The responses were subjected to a content analysis by an inductive categorization system. The categories are linked to the initial and continuing training, and relations theory and practice. It is deducted, through the results obtained, the concern of teachers for resizing the pedagogical practices and approaches from the interdisciplinary perspective. In relation to the initial training its emphasized in the teaching staff the need to prioritize the acquisition of technical skills to the detriment of the theoretical-practical competencies development. We consider precarious the transfer of knowledge inherent to the Physical Education teaching.Bolsa ALBANFundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT) - CIEC - unidade de investigação 31

Tunable resistivity exponents in the metallic phase of epitaxial nickelates

We report a detailed analysis of the electrical resistivity exponent of thin films of NdNiO3 as a function of epitaxial strain. Thin films under low strain conditions show a linear dependence of the resistivity versus temperature, consistent with a classical Fermi gas ruled by electron-phonon interactions. In addition, the apparent temperature exponent, n, can be tuned with the epitaxial strain between n = 1 and n = 3. We discuss the critical role played by quenched random disorder in the value of n. Our work shows that the assignment of Fermi/Non-Fermi liquid behaviour based on experimentally obtained resistivity exponents requires an in-depth analysis of the degree of disorder in the material