Use and Mastery of Virtual Learning Environment in Brazilian Open University

This paper describes and analyses the dynamics of the use and/or mastery of Virtual Learning Environments (VLEs) by educators and students Open University, important part of the Brazilian Educational System. A questionnaire with 32 items was answered by 174 students/instructors/coordinators of the Media in Education and Physics courses, of two federal universities, between 2011 and early 2012. The interview with a coordinator was transcribed and related to the data systematised in tables and graphs. Interpretative analysis, in an open dialogue with the references and with the data from the Universidade Aberta do Brasil (UAB - Open University of Brazil) site resulted in the final considerations. These suggest that the use and/or mastery of VLEs by students are important, and the specificities of these uses subsidise studies and publications, still in a small number in the literature in this area of knowledge. The work reflects the development of the Open Distance Education System, conducted with strong popular participation, as a response to the challenge posed to the educational policies for expanding the public provision of higher education, also using VLEs for this purpose

Contextual factors and contingent reward leadership: employer adoption of telecommuting

Using a contingency perspective, this paper examines the conditions under which telecommuting is most likely to be adopted with data obtained from a sample of 122 CEOs. We hypothesized that telecommuting fits better in younger organizations, firms with a higher proportion of women and international employees in workforce, and companies that offer variable pay. We found evidence that confirm the prediction that telecommuting, a high proportion of international employees, and the use of variable compensation as an internal control mechanism tend to go hand in hand.

Views from Inside a Pediatric Clinic: How Arizona's Political Climate Has Impacted Arizona's Youngest Latino Learners

This is the publisher's version, also available electronically from http://amaejournal.asu.edu/index.php/amae/article/view/126.It is critical that we examine impacts that recent immigration policies such as SB1070 are having on Arizona’s youngest Latino learners.The large number of Latinos under the age of five, and the impact that this upcoming generation of Latinos will have on all aspects of life in Arizona merits a closer look. In this qualitative study, we examined the perspectives of five adults working in an Arizona pediatric clinic (i.e., “Pediatrics Plus”). The themes of fear and community tension which arose throughout the interview data demonstrate that the health of our youngest learners as well as their access and ability to attend extended learning opportunities provided by community partners such as Pediatrics Plus, is being impacted by the wider anti-immigrant policies in Arizona. By taking a comprehensive approach using Bronfenbrenner’s ecological theory to examine the health and enrichment opportunities of Arizona’s youngest learners and how recent policies can impact young learner’s development, we can work with other stakeholders to improve their opportunities for healthier minds and bodies, for academic success, and for a brighter future

La contribución de la mujer en la economía rural de Castilla y León

La participación de la mujer en el tejido socioeconómico de las zonas rurales se ha visto frecuentemente infravalorada. Sin embargo, desde hace pocos años existe una clara conciencia por parte de los poderes públicos de que la inclusión de la mujer en las estrategias de dinamización socioeconómica del mundo rural es fundamental para fijar población y generar renta y empleo. El objetivo de este trabajo se centra en determinar la contribución económica de la mujer en el desarrollo del medio rural de la Comunidad Autónoma de Castilla y León. Para ello, se ha analizado la relación existente entre el grado de desarrollo de los municipios rurales y las características socioeconómicas de las mujeres que los habitan. Para alcanzar tal fin, se han empleado tres tipos de técnicas multivariantes: el análisis de componentes principales, la regresión múltiple y el análisis de conglomerados. Los resultados alcanzados permiten afirmar que la participación económica y social de la mujer en el medio rural de Castilla y León se configura como una condición indispensable para alcanzar un mayor bienestar y nivel de desarrollo en esas zonas.Género, desarrollo rural, métodos cuantitativos, Castilla y León (España)., Agricultural and Food Policy, J16, O18, R23,

La enseñanza del español para fines específicos (EFE) y su direccionamiento a la Diplomacia y las Relaciones Internacionales

Learning/ teaching of Spanish is on the rise, from an economic and methodological perspective.The advancement and development of new language teaching methodologies generally improve the quality of language teaching, giving positive results in teaching-learning. The applicants for these courses are usually professionals or university students from a specific area who need to communicate effectively with native Spanish speakers in a specific area. In the case of Spanish in the field of business, commerce, tourism or health, it is easy to find materials; however, the situation is a bit more complex in the teaching of Spanish for Specific Purposes for Diplomacy and International Relations, an area in which courtesy and pragmatics play an important role.La enseñanza aprendizaje del español está al alza, tanto desde la perspectiva económica como metodológica. El aumento de estudiantes y la mejora en las técnicas didácticas ha provocado un aumento de las solicitudes de cursos de español general y, progresivamente, el incremento de solicitudes en cursos de español para fines específicos (EFE). Los demandantes de estos últimos suelen ser profesionales o estudiantes universitarios de un área determinada que necesitan comunicarse eficazmente con hablantes de la lengua española de un ámbito concreto. En el caso de la enseñanza de EFE en el campo de los negocios, comercio, turismo o salud es fácil encontrar materiales; sin embargo, la situación es un poco más compleja en la enseñanza de EFE dirigido a la Diplomacia y Relaciones Internacionales, área en la que cuestiones de cortesía y pragmatica juegan un papel importante.  O ensino-aprendizagem do espanhol está aumentando, tanto desde a perspectiva econômica como metodológica. O crescimento do número de estudantes e a melhora nas técnicas didáticas tem provocado um aumento das solicitações de cursos de espanhol em geral e, progressivamente, o incremento de solicitações em cursos de espanhol para fins específicos (EFE). Os demandantes destes últimos costumam ser profissionais ou estudantes universitários de uma determinada área que necessitam se comunicar eficazmente com falantes da língua espanhola de um âmbito concreto. No caso do ensino do  EFE no campo dos negócios, comércio, turismo ou saúde é fácil encontrar materiais; no entanto, a situação é um pouco mais complexa no ensino de EFE dirigido à Diplomacia e Relações Internacionais, área na qual questões de cortesia e pragmática têm um papel importante

The background of professors in health fields that use simulation as a teaching strategy

Neste trabalho, relata-se os resultados obtidos no primeiro momento de uma pesquisa que objetiva conhecer o perfil e a formação de professores da área da saúde que usam a simulação como estratégia didática no Laboratório de Habilidades (LabHab) da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo. Com previsão de dois anos, a pesquisa busca contribuir para uma proposta de formação docente que observe as prioridades e a relevância da simulação nas suas atividades didáticas. A ideia é analisar como esse profissional recria seus conhecimentos em grupo para trabalhar a simulação na atuação clínica e observar como ele percebe o alcance dos processos de simulação aprimorados pela tecnologia e pelas propostas de inovação educativa.This article reports the results of the first stage of a study aimed at evaluating the profile and training of professors from the health fields that use simulation as a learning strategy in Laboratory Skills (LabHab) at the University of São Paulo School of Medicine. Scheduled to last two years, the study seeks to contribute to a proposal for teacher training that meets the priorities and relevance of simulation in teaching activities based on an analysis of how medical professors recreate their knowledge to work with simulation in clinical practice and how they perceive the scope of technology-enhanced simulation processes and proposals for educational innovations

Reivindicando as contribuições pedagógicas de Paulo Freire frente à financeirização da educação

In the census of 2008, the Instituto Nacional de Estudos e Pesquisas Educativas Anísio Teixeira [National Institute for Educational Studies and Research) appreciates that from a total of 60 million basic education students nearly 6 million entered college education, and from these about one million and five hundred thousand are studying in public institutions while almost 4 million and a half are in private institutions, in both presence-based and distance modes. The higher education degree is estimated in 90% of private institutions and in 10% of public institutions. The law Nr. 9394/96 called Lei de Diretrizes e Bases da Educação Nacional [Law of Directives and Principles of the National Education] does not hinder the private sector. Art. 209 of the National Constitution of 1988 states that the private sector is allowed to operate in the educational area as long as authorization and quality appreciation have been duly observed. A tendentious interpretation would lead to the assertion that all of the private institutions have a mercantilist mission and that their only aim would be to find financial reward. This study however refers only to the growth in offering education by groups that operate with market transactions and that expand through buying universities or smaller college departments in order to achieve profitable activities in this sector. Financialization is giving shape to educational processes, raising the question if this is the education we want to have. The bibliographic reference procedure allows us to establish relationships and understand the educational changes that occurred in the last five years of broad financialization. In this study these questions are being discussed, as well as some experiences of higher education distance learning [DL] and the virtualization of college education, which can become one of the tendencies of this process for which we lay claim to some of the pedagogical principles of Paulo Freire.No censo de 2008 o Instituto Nacional de Estudos e Pesquisas Educativas Anísio Teixeira estima que, de um total de mais de 60 milhões de alunos da educação básica, quase seis milhões iniciaram a educação superior, dos quais um milhão e quinhentos mil aproximadamente estudam em instituições públicas e quase quatro milhões e meio em instituições privadas, na modalidade presencial ou a distância. Estima-se que a rede de educação superior está representada em 90% por instituições privadas e em 10% por instituições públicas. A Lei de Diretrizes e Bases da Educação Nacional nº 9394/96 não impede a iniciativa privada. A Constituição Nacional de 1988, no Artigo 209 afirma que no ensino se permite a iniciativa privada sempre que se respeitem a autorização e a avaliação da qualidade. Uma interpretação tendenciosa levaria a afirmar que todas as instituições privadas têm uma missão mercantilista e que se mobilizam exclusivamente em busca de ganhos financeiros. O trabalho refere-se somente ao crescimento da oferta de educação por parte de grupos que operam com transações no mercado e que se expandem comprando universidades ou faculdades menores, para realizar atividades rentáveis no setor. A financeirização está configurando os processos educativos a ela relacionados e leva a questionar se é essa a educação desejada. O procedimento da consulta bibliográfica permite estabelecer relações e compreender as mudanças educacionais ocorridas nos últimos cinco anos de ampla financeirização e apresentar considerações a respeito. Neste trabalho são discutidas essas questões, bem como o surgimento de algumas experiências de educação superior a distância (EaD) e a virtualização da educação superior, a que pode chegar a ser uma das vertentes desse processo diante do qual se reivindicam alguns princípios pedagógicos de Paulo Freire como uma alternativa pedagógica

Tunable telephoto: governable Fourier spectrum anamorphic scaling

We discuss the Gaussian design of a device that controls the scale, in an anamorphic fashion, of Fraunhofer diffraction patterns. The device uses two pairs of varifocal cylindrical lenses. For spherical lenses, the optical powers can be predicted by using a previously known high-level solution. We emphasize the anamorphic capabilities, by considering the case My = 1/ Mx. The proposed device does not introduce vignetting, and it does not alter the axial location of the Fraunhofer diffraction patterns. Since the composing elements work at fixed inter-lens separation, the device does not require mechanical compensation

Mejora de la comprensión lectora desde la materia pensamiento integral en estudiantes de octavo grado del colegio San José de Cajicá

98 Páginas.La presente investigación es una intervención pedagógica bajo la modalidad de Investigación-Acción. A partir de un diagnóstico realizado en la materia de Pensamiento Integral, se estableció la necesidad de ayudar a mejorar el nivel de comprensión lectora en los estudiantes de octavo grado del Colegio San José de Cajicá, debido a que se observó que estos estudiantes tenían dificultades significativas a la hora de abordar un material textual, encontrando sus mayores problemas en: identificar el sentido global de un texto, inferir información, identificar ideas principales y secundarias, extraer el significado de una palabra en base a un contexto e identificar la intención del autor, entre otros. Por consiguiente, se aplicaron tres estrategias integradas: Evaluación preliminar del nivel de comprensión lectora “Guía de evaluación lectora AGAEVE”, Aplicación de estrategias de lectoescritura y comprensión lectora y Evaluación de avances del proceso comprensivo; con el fin de analizar el procedimiento de aprendizaje de cada estudiante del grupo focal escogido, revisar los problemas y dificultades de sus procesos, ayudarlos a afianzar herramientas que les permitieran desarrollar habilidades comprensivas y constructivas de manera consciente en su proceso lector, incentivando en ellos los procesos de planificación, determinación de objetivos, supervisión, reconocimiento de aciertos y errores y la autoevaluación del nivel de comprensión alcanzado

Implications Of Attitudes On Environmental Challenges: Understanding The Human Dimensions Of Invasive Insects In New England Landowners

Many scientists argue that the threat of invasive insects is one of the most pressingenvironmental issues of our time. Decades of research quantify the threat and risk invasive species pose to the New England Forest, yet there is little research combining both the ecological impacts of invasive insects and human attitudes of the potential threats they pose. This dissertation aims to understand the current attitude of landowners in the New England region that are experiencing the threat of hemlock woolly adelgid, emerald ash borer, or Asian longhorned beetle. This dissertation includes three different studies focusing on social psychology frameworks and theories to analyze survey data and will result in management decisions and implications of such attitudes. The first study focuses on understanding individuals’ attitude towards the threat of these invasive insects, and how exposure to the threat of invasive insects may influence these attitudes. The second study is to explore the relationship between New England landowners and their values and beliefs towards ecological services the land provides, and towards invasive insects. The third study analyzes landowner’s acceptability towards different management practices towards invasive insects. The combined results of this dissertation will provide key opportunities in our understanding of attitudes and invasive insects and expand the knowledge of attitude formation, and invasion ecology