Conference report: 18th conference on computer-assisted qualitative data analysis (CAQD) 2016: MAXQDA user conference

During the first week of March 2016, 120 researchers from 12 different countries, including Syria, Japan, the USA and Turkey, met in Berlin (Germany) to learn more about their computer-assisted qualitative data analysis skills. The 18th Conference on Computer-Assisted Qualitative Data Analysis (CAQD) offered several workshops, a research methods poster session, and the opportunity to share and discuss best practice between attendees, trainers and speakers (informally and through the user forum). The conference also hosted three seminal keynote speakers in two presentations: John CRESWELL, and Udo KUCKARTZ and Stefan RÄDIKER, who shared, respectively, the state of the art of mixed methods and the ways that software can support these approaches

Knowledge and Influence of MOOC Courses on Initial Teacher Training

The impact of MOOC courses in the processes of distance learning has been extremely important from the very beginning. They offer an innovative model of massive teaching, which exploits in a paradigmatic manner the potential and relevance that ICT's currently have in modern society. The present article has as its primary objective the analysis of the presence of these courses and the role that they represent in teacher training, and their knowledge and influence on the future teachers that are currently being formed at university level. A case study has been carried out with descriptive not experimental methodology, from a quantitative base. The sample study has been undertaken in Spain (n=200). Its main result being the determination of the minimal impact that the MOOC phenomenon has had on the students polled. Equally, a significant lack of knowledge has been revealed in all its dimensions (professional, pedagogical, structural, etc.), with only a minority of those in the sample group having indicated that they have studied any of the courses, or know to some extent the main platforms of the world in which they are offered. A large number of those surveyed therefore are unaware of the existence of these courses. As a result, it has been established that, regardless of the quality of the learning and the didactic and methodological characteristics that the MOOC courses offer, their study and analysis is considered necessary for future educational professionals. It is imperative that at the level of Higher Education, and especially in the faculties of teacher training, that the most recent advances in the field of ICT's are introduced in the study plan and in the academic programs, for they constitute the base of modern society.Comment: 19 pages, 4 figure

Discovering New Sentiments from the Social Web

A persistent challenge in Complex Systems (CS) research is the phenomenological reconstruction of systems from raw data. In order to face the problem, the use of sound features to reason on the system from data processing is a key step. In the specific case of complex societal systems, sentiment analysis allows to mirror (part of) the affective dimension. However it is not reasonable to think that individual sentiment categorization can encompass the new affective phenomena in digital social networks. The present papers addresses the problem of isolating sentiment concepts which emerge in social networks. In an analogy to Artificial Intelligent Singularity, we propose the study and analysis of these new complex sentiment structures and how they are similar to or diverge from classic conceptual structures associated to sentiment lexicons. The conjecture is that it is highly probable that hypercomplex sentiment structures -not explained with human categorizations- emerge from high dynamic social information networks. Roughly speaking, new sentiment can emerge from the new global nervous systems as it occurs in humans

Cross sections of X-ray production induced on Ti, Fe, Zn, Nb and Ta by O, Cl, Cu and Br ions with energies between 4 MeV and 40 MeV

Differential cross section of X-ray production induced by O, Cl, Cu and Br ions with energies between 4 MeV and 40 MeV have been measured for thin targets of Ti, Fe, Zn, Nb and Ta in a direct way. A fully characterized silicon drift diode was used as X-rays detector. Beam currents have been measured by a system of two Faraday cups. Corrections for target thickness effects have been applied to the raw data. Experimental cross sections are compared both with theory and with previously published results. Experimental results from other authors are in reasonable agreement with ours over a wide energy range. Theory produces consistent results in the case of oxygen ions but gives cross sections even orders of magnitude below the experimental ones for heavier ions (ECPSSR-UA) or contrasting results (PWBA) depending on the ion-target combination.Comment: 13 pages, 2 Tables, 4 Figures. Submitted to NIM

A combination of SEM and EDX studies on a clay-based natural composite with animal fibre and its mechanical implications

A variety of natural fibres are nowadays being utilized as soil reinforcement. Test results demonstrate the positive effects of adding natural fibres to soils, in that they decrease shrinkage, reduce curing time and enhance compressive, flexural and shear strength if an optimum reinforcement ratio can be utilised. This paper describes a study which uses a Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) and an Energy Diffraction Analysis of X-rays (EDX) technique on clay-based composites stabilized with natural polymer and fibres. Different dosages of fibres and several types of soils have been used in this study with the aim of determining advantageous properties for building material applications. SEM and EDX test results reveal the degree of bonding between the particles of soil and the natural fibers. This has enabled a better understanding of the micro-morphology of the natural fibers and their effect on the overall composite material structure. Microscopic analysis was combined with mechanical tests to establish the different strength characteristics of every soil