Teaching skills in virtual and blended learning environments

Universities are currently immersed in what is known as the process of European convergence to create the European Higher Education Area (EHEA). The aim is to establish a standardized, compatible and flexible European university system that enables graduates and undergraduates to move easily from one institution to another within Europe. As a result of evaluation mechanisms, the system will be transparent and of high quality, which will make it attractive and competitive internationally in a globalized world. In this paper, we focus on two distance learning modes that will become more important as a result of this change in universities: e-learning and b-learning. These basically involve the virtualization of learning processes through the use of computer equipment. We carried out a qualitative study using the case study method. The results indicate that teaching staff use information and communication technology (ICT) to improve student learning. Similarly, a high percentage (78%) of lecturers use some form of digital platform as a support for teaching. In conclusion, training policies should strengthen university teachers’ skills in the use of ICT equipment, tools and resources related to blended and virtual learning

La revista en los centros abiertos: una forma de trabajar el éxito educativo y la inclusión

Treballs Finals de Grau de Pedagogia, Facultat d'Educació, Universitat de Barcelona, Curs:2015-2016 ,Tutor: Rosa Borràs MedinaLa exclusión social es un tema que con el paso de los años ha ido adquiriendo más importancia en nuestra sociedad. Poco a poco han ido surgiendo cada vez más movimiento sociales y entidades destinadas a mejorar la situación de aquellos colectivos más desfavorecidos ya que, de alguna forma u otra, todos nos convertimos en responsables de su situación. La educación es un arma muy potente de influencia, por lo que debemos enfocar el proceso educativo como un movimiento de transformación social con el que ayudar al crecimiento individual de todas las personas, independientemente de su condición, etnia o religión. En esta línea, aparecen metodologías y herramientas encaminadas a potenciar el trabajo de estas entidades que luchan por la igualdad social. En el presente trabajo expongo el proceso realizado para la elaboración de una revista escolar en el ámbito de un centro abierto, con la que poder trabajar la inclusión social y académica de una forma cooperativa en un grupo de adolescentes, demostrando así la efectividad que puede generar un cambio en la metodología de trabajo.Social exclusion is an issue that over the years has gained more importance in our society. Gradually social movements and organizations have been emerging to improve the situation of those most disadvantaged because, in some way or another, we all become responsible for their situation. Education is a powerful weapon of influence, so we must focus the educational process as a movement of social transformation with which help the individual growth of all persons, regardless of their status, ethnicity or religion. In this line, methodologies and tools appear for aimed at enhancing the work of these entities that fight for social equality. In this document I describe the process undertaken for the development of a school magazine to the field of an open centre, with which to work the social and academic inclusion in a cooperative manner in a group of teenagers, to demonstrate the effectiveness that can generate a change in methodology

Teaching skills in virtual and blended learning environments

Actualmente las universidades están inmersas en lo que se conoce como el proceso de «convergencia europea» y que llevará al Espacio Europeo de Educación Superior (EEES). El objetivo es dotar a Europa de un sistema universitario homogéneo, compatible y flexible que permita a los estudiantes y titulados universitarios europeos una mayor movilidad, así como ofrecer al sistema universitario europeo unos niveles de transparencia y calidad, mediante sistemas de evaluación, que le hagan atractivo y competitivo en el ámbito internacional dentro del actual proceso de globalización. En este artículo, interesa centrar la reflexión en dos de las modalidades de la educación a distancia que asumirán importancia en ese cambio universitario: el e-learning y el b-learning, que consisten básicamente en la virtualización de los procesos de aprendizaje a través del uso de equipos informáticos. Para ello se ha realizado una investigación cualitativa con metodología de estudio de casos. De entre los resultados se destaca el uso de las TIC por parte del profesorado para conseguir un mejor aprendizaje en los estudiantes, de igual forma un porcentaje importante de los profesores 78% utiliza alguna plataforma virtual como apoyo a la docencia. Como conclusión se resalta que las políticas de formación deberían fortalecer las competencias del profesorado universitario en el uso de dispositivos telemáticos, recursos e instrumentos relacionados con el aprendizaje semipresencial y virtual._________________________________________Universities are currently immersed in what is known as the process of European convergence to create the Euro - pean Higher Education Area (EHEA). The aim is to establish a standardized, compatible and flexible European university system that enables graduates and undergraduates to move easily from one institution to another within Eu - rope. As a result of evaluation mechanisms, the system will be transparent and of high quality, which will make it attractive and competitive internationally in a globalized world. In this paper, we focus on two distance learning modes that will become more important as a result of this change in universities: e-learning and b-learning. These basically involve the virtualization of learning processes through the use of computer equipment. We carried out a qualitative study using the case study method. The results indicate that teaching staff use information and communication technology (ICT) to improve student learning. Similarly, a high percentage (78%) of lecturers use some form of digital platform as a support for teaching. In conclusion, training policies should strengthen university teachers’ skills in the use of ICT equipment, tools and resources related to blended and virtual learning

The checkpoint-dependent nuclear accumulation of Rho1p exchange factor Rgf1p is important for tolerance to chronic replication stress

This article is available to the public under an Attribution–Noncommercial–Share Alike 3.0 Unported Creative Commons License.Guanine nucleotide exchange factors control many aspects of cell morphogenesis by turning on Rho-GTPases. The fission yeast exchange factor Rgf1p (Rho gef1) specifically regulates Rho1p during polarized growth and localizes to cortical sites. Here we report that Rgf1p is relocalized to the cell nucleus during the stalled replication caused by hydroxyurea (HU). Import to the nucleus is mediated by a nuclear localization sequence at the N-terminus of Rgf1p, whereas release into the cytoplasm requires two leucine-rich nuclear export sequences at the C-terminus. Moreover, Rgf1p nuclear accumulation during replication arrest depends on the 14-3-3 chaperone Rad24p and the DNA replication checkpoint kinase Cds1p. Both proteins control the nuclear accumulation of Rgf1p by inhibition of its nuclear export. A mutant, Rgf1p-9A, that substitutes nine serine potential phosphorylation Cds1p sites for alanine fails to accumulate in the nucleus in response to replication stress, and this correlates with a severe defect in survival in the presence of HU. In conclusion, we propose that the regulation of Rgf1p could be part of the mechanism by which Cds1p and Rad24p promote survival in the presence of chronic replication stress. It will be of general interest to understand whether the same is true for homologues of Rgf1p in budding yeast and higher eukaryotes. © 2014 Muñoz et al.P.G. was supported by a fellowship from the Junta de Castilla y León, and S.M. acknowledges support from a JAE-PreDoc fellowship granted by the Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Spain. The text was revised by N. Skinner. This work was supported by grants BFU2008-00963/BMC and BFU2011-24683/BMC from the Comisión Interdepartamental de Ciencia y Tecnología, Spain, and GR231 from the Junta de Castilla y León, as well as by grant 10-0633 from the Swedish Cancer Fund to P.S. I.B.F.G. acknowledges the institutional support granted by the Ramón Areces Foundation during 2011–2012.Peer Reviewe

The checkpoint-dependent nuclear accumulation of Rho1p exchange factor Rgf1p is important for tolerance to chronic replication stress

This article is available to the public under an Attribution–Noncommercial–Share Alike 3.0 Unported Creative Commons License.Guanine nucleotide exchange factors control many aspects of cell morphogenesis by turning on Rho-GTPases. The fission yeast exchange factor Rgf1p (Rho gef1) specifically regulates Rho1p during polarized growth and localizes to cortical sites. Here we report that Rgf1p is relocalized to the cell nucleus during the stalled replication caused by hydroxyurea (HU). Import to the nucleus is mediated by a nuclear localization sequence at the N-terminus of Rgf1p, whereas release into the cytoplasm requires two leucine-rich nuclear export sequences at the C-terminus. Moreover, Rgf1p nuclear accumulation during replication arrest depends on the 14-3-3 chaperone Rad24p and the DNA replication checkpoint kinase Cds1p. Both proteins control the nuclear accumulation of Rgf1p by inhibition of its nuclear export. A mutant, Rgf1p-9A, that substitutes nine serine potential phosphorylation Cds1p sites for alanine fails to accumulate in the nucleus in response to replication stress, and this correlates with a severe defect in survival in the presence of HU. In conclusion, we propose that the regulation of Rgf1p could be part of the mechanism by which Cds1p and Rad24p promote survival in the presence of chronic replication stress. It will be of general interest to understand whether the same is true for homologues of Rgf1p in budding yeast and higher eukaryotes. © 2014 Muñoz et al.P.G. was supported by a fellowship from the Junta de Castilla y León, and S.M. acknowledges support from a JAE-PreDoc fellowship granted by the Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Spain. The text was revised by N. Skinner. This work was supported by grants BFU2008-00963/BMC and BFU2011-24683/BMC from the Comisión Interdepartamental de Ciencia y Tecnología, Spain, and GR231 from the Junta de Castilla y León, as well as by grant 10-0633 from the Swedish Cancer Fund to P.S. I.B.F.G. acknowledges the institutional support granted by the Ramón Areces Foundation during 2011–2012.Peer Reviewe

The fission yeast cell wall stress sensor-like proteins Mtl2 and Wsc1 act by turning on the GTPase Rho1p but act independently of the cell wall integrity pathway

This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License.Sensing stressful conditions that affect the cell wall reorganization is important for yeast survival. Here, we studied two proteins SpWsc1p and SpMtl2p with structural features indicative of plasma membrane-associated cell wall sensors. We found that Mtl2p and Wsc1p act by turning on the Rho1p GTPase. Each gene could be deleted individually without affecting viability, but the deletion of both was lethal and this phenotype was rescued by overexpression of the genes encoding either Rho1p or its GDP/GTP exchange factors (GEFs). In addition, wsc1Δ and mtl2Δ cells showed a low level of Rho1p-GTP under cell wall stress. Mtl2p-GFP (green fluorescent protein) localized to the cell periphery and was necessary for survival under different types of cell wall stress. Wsc1p-GFP was concentrated in patches at the cell tips, it interacted with the Rho-GEF Rgf2p, and its overexpression activated cell wall biosynthesis. Our results are consistent with the notion that cell wall assembly is regulated by two different networks involving Rho1p. One includes signaling from Mtl2p through Rho1p to Pck1p, while the second one implicates signaling from Wsc1p and Rgf2p through Rho1p to activate glucan synthase (GS). Finally, signaling through the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) Pmk1p remained active in mtl2Δ and wsc1Δ disruptants exposed to cell wall stress, suggesting that the cell wall stress-sensing spectrum of Schizosaccharomyces pombe sensor-like proteins differs from that of Saccharomyces cerevisiae.S. Cruz was supported by a fellowship from BSCH (Banco Santander Central Hispano), P. García was supported by a fellowship from the Junta de Castilla y León, and S. Muñoz acknowledges support from a fellowship JAE-PreDoc granted by the CSIC, Spain. This work was supported by grants BFU2008-00963/BMC and BFU2011-24683/BMC from the CICYT, Spain and GR231 from the Junta de Castilla y León. IBFG acknowledges the institutional support granted by the Ramón Areces Foundation during 2011-2012.Peer Reviewe

Reparación del canal del sector XVI y entubamiento de las acequias XVIA, XVIB y XVIC, de la zona regable del Alagón (Cáceres)

La red de canales de la zona regable del Alagón se finalizó en el año 1966 tras la construcción de la presa de Valdeobispo. Ese mismo año se crearon las comunidades de regantes de la margen derecha y de la margen izquierda, encargadas de la gestión del agua. Desde entonces solo se han realizado mejoras puntuales en algunas acequias pero en su mayor parte presentan un estado de conservación malo. Debido a las pérdidas de agua, que provocan encharcamientos, malas hierbas y gasto de agua para el riego, se ha optado por entubar las acequias XVI-­‐A,XVI-­‐B y XVI-­‐C La modernización de la actual red de riego se ha proyectado siguiendo las siguientes actuaciones básicas: - Instalación de filtración en la estación de bombeo al comienzo del sector XVI - Demolición de los cajeros de las acequias correspondientes. - Colocación de las tuberías correspondientes en zanja - Instalación de tubería en las acequias existentes para regar a presión las parcelas cuyas cotas topográficas así lo permitan. - Instalación de reguladores de caudal al inicio de las tomas. - Instalación de contadores de caudal para cada una de las tomas. - Cubrición del acueducto principal con suelo de seguridad. - Impermeabilización del acueducto principal

Burnout y educación en línea: adaptación y validación de escala durante la pandemia

During the COVID-19 pandemic, online education represented a serious alternative to continuing working life in higher education institutions (HEIs). Teachers around the world embraced a new role, adopting and using a wide range of technological and virtual tools to continue performing their activities and with the aim to interact with students and to continue teaching.  For this reason, research related to seek and identify factors for the teachers’ well-being is essential for educational leaders. Regarding these ideas, this paper aims to test the construct validity of a Mexican version of the Maslach Burnout Inventory-Educators Survey (MBI-ES) of Maslach et al. (1997), adapted to online education. Participants consisted of 406 Mexican university teachers who emergently switched from traditional to online educational practices during the SARS-CoV-2 virus outbreak. In order to test the factor structure of three alternative models based on Szigeti et al. (2016), the authors performed exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses (Ferrando & Lorenzo-Seva, 2018). Results showed that the model with three domain factors has the best fit. Besides, our findings show that the three-factor structure of the Mexican adaptation of MBI-ES is valid and reliable for the analysis of online education because the loading of all factors was representative.   Keywords: Burnout, Teacher, Online Education, COVID-19, Pandemic, Scale Adaptation.La educación en línea representa una alternativa a la continuidad de la vida laboral en las instituciones de educación superior (IES). Los docentes adoptaron un nuevo rol al disponer de una serie de herramientas tecnológicas y virtuales para realizar sus actividades e interactuar con los alumnos.  Por esta razón, la búsqueda e identificación de factores para el bienestar de los profesores es esencial para los líderes educativos. Este trabajo tiene como objetivo probar la validez de constructo de una versión mexicana de la escala Maslach Burnout Inventory-Educators Survey (MBI-ES) de Maslach et al. (1997), adaptada a la educación en línea.  Los participantes consisten en 406 profesores universitarios mexicanos que cambiaron las prácticas educativas tradicionales por prácticas en línea durante la pandemia de COVID-19. Para probar la estructura factorial de tres modelos alternativos tomando como base a Szigeti et al. (2016), se realizaron análisis factoriales exploratorio y confirmatorio (Ferrando y Lorenzo-Seva, 2018). Los resultados mostraron que el modelo con tres factores de dominio tiene el mejor ajuste. Además, nuestros hallazgos muestran que la estructura de tres factores de la adaptación mexicana de MBI-ES es válida y confiable para el análisis de la educación en línea porque todas las cargas de los factores fueron representativas.   Palabras clave: Burnout, Docente, Educación en línea, COVID-19, Pandemia, Adaptación de escala

A metabolite profile reveals the presence of neurodegenerative conditions according to severity of hydrocephalus

Introduction: In obstructive congenital hydrocephalus, cerebrospinal fluid accumulation is associated with high intracranial pressure (ICP), ischemia/hypoxia, metabolic impairment, neuronal damage and astrocytic reaction. The hyh mutant mice exhibit two different forms of hydrocephalus evolution: severe and moderate. A study was carried out in hyh mice to detect a metabolite profile that define the tissue response in each hydrocephalus form. Methods: Metabolites levels in brain cortex were analyzed with 1H High Resolution Magic Angle Spinning Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (1H HR-MAS) spectroscopy. The study was complemented with ICP recording and histopathological analysis. Results: Mice with severe hydrocephalus were found to have higher ICP and stronger astrocytic reaction. Several metabolites including glutamate and glutamine were found to correlate with the severity of hydrocephalus. The whole metabolite profile may be explained based in differential astrocyte reactions, neurodegenerative and ischemic conditions. The glutamate transporter EAAT2 and the metabolite taurine were found as key histopathological markers for the damaged parenchyma. Conclusions: Spectroscopy allowed the detection of a metabolite profile related to intracranial pressure and hydrocephalus severity, and therefore can be useful to monitor the efficacy of experimental therapies. Supported by Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech, and PI15/0619 (ISCIII/FEDER).Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech. Supported by Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech, and PI15/0619 (ISCIII/FEDER)