Artes textiles canarias

En número dedicado a: Isla de Gran Canari

E-status: a web tool for learning by doing exercises

The paper introduces the project led by a team of teachers to assist students learn statistics. The goal is to build a tool able to present mathematical problems and to correct the students´ answers. The problems may include random data, so the solution cannot be previously known (if solved before) and the student can reconsider it if necessary. Pedagogical implications are commented, since the method can be effective on the basic and middle domains of learning, as well as on higher levels, specially if careful design of the problems is applied.Postprint (published version

Avaluació experimental de la millora de l’aprenentatge en estadística

Background: e-status is a web-based tool able to generate different statistical exercices and to provide immediate feed-back to students´ answers. Although the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) is widely extended in undergraduate education, there are few studies formally evaluating its learning effects. Method: all the students (121) from a dentistry introductory statistical course were randomly assigned to use the tool with one of two sets of 6 problems. The exam includes questions related with topics covered by both types of problems. Exam evaluator was masked to the problems set. Results: 94 students used the tool, solving more than 1400 exercises over six weeks. Providing e status exercises to students has a learning effect of 0.96 points (95% CI from 0.20 to 1.72) in a ten points scale. Among those 94 students who employed e status, effect size was 1.27 (0.35 to 2.19). Conclusion: providing e-status exercises to students has a direct effect on learning statistical mechanical operations. Further effects on higher cognitive levels still to be explored. It is feasible to formally assess the learning effect of an innovative tool

Factores de riesgo del abandono escolar desde la perspectiva del profesorado de Educación Secundaria Obligatoria en Andalucía (España)

El abandono escolar temprano (AET), supone un importante problema social al que hay que hacer frente. La Unión Europea marca como meta para 2020 situar la proporción de abandonos prematuros de la educación y formación por debajo del 10 % (Consejo de la Unión Europea, 2009). España es uno de los países de la Unión con una de las tasas más altas (en 2013 era del 23,6%) agravándose en algunas comunidades, como en el caso de Andalucía -tasa en torno al 28%- (INE, 2015). El presente artículo recoge los resultados del proyecto “Alumnado en riesgo de abandono” desarrollado en dicha comunidad. Analizamos los factores de riesgo de abandono escolar que el profesorado de esta comunidad identifica respecto al rendimiento académico, grado de compromiso y actitudes del alumnado en relación al estudio y comportamiento en el aula. La metodología empleada ha sido de carácter mixto, aunque en este trabajo presentamos los resultados de los análisis cuantitativos de los datos obtenidos mediante un cuestionario aplicado a una muestra representativa de 283 profesores/as. El valor de este estudio reside en haber logrado una radiografía, desde la visión del profesorado, de los posibles factores de riesgo de abandono en la población de alumnos de secundaria andaluces. Conocer dichos riesgos, nos va a permitir plantear medidas de prevención e intervención. Los mayores riesgos identificados, respecto al alumnado que tiene más probabilidad de abandonar prematuramente, son: tener dificultades en las materias instrumentales (matemáticas, lengua,…), no gustarles lo que trabajan en el instituto, bajos niveles de compromiso con el estudio y mostrar comportamientos inadecuados en el aula.High school dropout represents an important social issue, which governments and social institutions should face up. European Union countries have committed to reducing the average share of early school leavers to less than 10% by 2020 (European Union Commission, 2009). Spain has one of the highest dropouts’ rates of EU, being worse in some of Spain’s regions. This is the case of Andalusia community, which has around a 28% of early school leavers (INE, 2015). In the present work we describe some results of the research project “Students at risk for school dropout” which has been developed in Andalusia Community Spain. We used mixed methods, although in this work we only present quantitative results obtained through questionnaires, administered to 283 teachers (which is a representative sample). The value of this study lies in the fact that we have mapped the reality of secondary students in Andalusia (Spain), identifying risk factors. This research has also provided us with a range of aspects that could help us tackle and prevent early dropout. We analyzed risk factors identified by Middle School Teachers in several areas: academic performance, degree of commitment, attitudes and interest in school, and classroom behavior. Our main goal has been to study in depth, which are the most important risk factors, to establish new lines of action to decrease these data and prevent new cases. We conclude that the main risk factors are: difficulties in critical subjects (mathematics, language,…), dislike studying, low engagement and inappropriate classroom behavior

Can the life-history strategy explain the success of the exotic trees Ailanthus altissima and Robinia pseudoacacia in Iberian floodplain forests?

Ailanthus altissima and Robina pseudoacacia are two successful invasive species of floodplains in central Spain. We aim to explain their success as invaders in this habitat by exploring their phenological pattern, vegetative and sexual reproductive growth, and allometric relations, comparing them with those of the dominant native tree Populus alba. During a full annual cycle we follow the timing of vegetative growth, flowering, fruit set, leaf abscission and fruit dispersal. Growth was assessed by harvesting two-year old branches at the peaks of vegetative, flower and fruit production and expressing the mass of\ud current-year leaves, stems, inflorescences and infrutescences per unit of previous-year stem mass. Secondary growth was\ud assessed as the increment of trunk basal area per previous-year basal area. A. altissima and R. pseudoacacia showed\ud reproductive traits (late flowering phenology, insect pollination, late and long fruit set period, larger seeds) different from P. alba and other native trees, which may help them to occupy an empty reproductive niche and benefit from a reduced competition for the resources required by reproductive growth. The larger seeds of the invaders may make them less dependent on gaps for seedling establishment. If so, these invaders may benefit from the reduced gap formation rate of flood-regulated rivers of the study region. The two invasive species showed higher gross production than the native, due to the higher size of pre-existing stems rather than to a faster relative growth rate. The latter was only higher in A. altissima for stems, and in R. pseudoacacia for reproductive organs. A. altissima and R. pseudoacacia showed the lowest and highest reproductive/vegetative mass ratio, respectively. Therefore, A. altissima may outcompete native P. alba trees thanks to a high potential to overtop coexisting plants whereas R. pseudoacacia may do so by means of a higher investment in sexual reproduction

Contrasting secondary growth and water use efficiency patterns in native and exotic trees co-occurring in inner Spain riparian forests

Aim of study: The invasive trees Ailanthus altissima and Robinia pseudoacacia are widely spreading in inner Spain riparian forests, where they co-occur with the natives Fraxinus angustifolia and Ulmus minor. In a climate change context, we aimed to identify some of the species traits that are leading these species to success (Basal Area Increment (BAI) and water-use efficiency (iWUE)).  We also aimed to describe the main environmental variables controlling studied species BAI. Area of study: Riparian forests of centralSpain.Material and Methods: We measured tree-ring width and converted it to basal area increment (BAI); intrinsic water-use efficiency (iWUE) was estimated from tree ring carbon isotopes (δ13C). We compared the BAI and iWUE of the last 20 years between origins (native vs exotic) and among species. For each species, we evaluated iWUE and BAI relationships. Linear mixed-effect models were performed to identify the main environmental variables (temperature, precipitation, river flow) affecting BAI.Main result: Native trees showed higher mean BAI than invaders, mainly due to the rising growth rate of U. minor. Invaders showed higher mean iWUE than natives. We did not find significant correlations between iWUE and BAI in any case. Warm temperatures in autumn positively affected the BAI of the natives, but negatively that of the invaders.Research highlights: The contrasting effect of autumn temperatures on native and invasive species BAI suggests that invaders will be more hampered by the rising temperatures predicted for this century. The higher iWUE found for the invaders did not translate into increased radial growth, suggesting that drought stress may have prevented them of taking advantage of increased atmospheric CO2 for a faster growth. These findings point out that neither climate change nor rising CO2 seem to enhance the success of study invasive species over the natives in riparian forests of central Spain. Furthermore, the low BAI of R. pseudoacacia, and its climate-growth model suggest that climate change may especially hamper the success of this invader.Key words: Invasive plants; Mediterranean ecosystems; Ulmus minor; Fraxinus angustifolia; Ailanthus altissima; Robinia pseudoacacia; basal area increment

Construal level as a moderator of the role of affective and cognitive attitudes in the prediction of health-risk behavioural intentions

In two preliminary control checks it was shown that affective attitudes presented greaterabstraction than cognitive attitudes. Three further studies explored how construal levelmoderated the role of affective and cognitive attitudes in predicting one health-promoting behaviour (exercising) and two risk behaviours (sleep debt and binge drinking). There was astronger influence of affective attitudes both when participants were in abstract (vs.concrete) mindsets induced by a priming task in Studies 1a and 1b, and when behaviouralintentions were formed for the distant (vs. near) future in Study 2. In the case of concretemindsets, the results were inconclusive; the interaction between construal level andcognitive attitudes was only marginally significant in Study 1b. The present researchsupports the assertion that in abstract mindsets (vs. concrete mindsets) people use moreaffective attitudes to construe their behavioural intentions. Practical implications forhealth promotion are discussed in the framework of construal-level theoryThis research was supported by grant PSI 2011-28720

Factors affecting diabetic patient’s long-term quality of life after simultaneous pancreas-kidney transplantation: a single-center analysis

[Purpose]: Pancreas transplantation (PT) is one of the few ways to restore euglycemia within diabetic patients; however, the high morbidity caused by surgical complications and the need for immunosuppressive therapy has raised controversy about PT improving the health-related quality-of-life (HRQoL). The aim of this study is to assess the long-term (≥ 5 years after PT) HRQoL and to identify the factors affecting it.[Methods]: A single-center, cross-sectional study of 49 sequential PT was performed. All patients conducted a telephone interview to fulfill the modification of Medical Outcome Health Survey Short Form questionnaire (SF-36v2) and were compared to similar post-PT studies from the literature.[Results]: Patients with a history of replacement renal therapy (RRT) or neuropathy undergoing a PT were associated to a worse bodily pain (P = 0.03) and physical function (P = 0.04), respectively, whereas those with retinopathy showed an improved Role Emotional (P = 0.04). Multivariate analysis revealed the presence of RRT as the only independent prognostic factor for a worse bodily pain [relative risk = 3.9; 95% confidence interval (1.1–14.6)], (P = 0.04). Furthermore, nearly all PT recipients (91.8%) claimed an overall better health than prior to PT.[Conclusion]: Our study confirms that PT recipients’ HRQoL improves after PT, showing similar HRQoL scores across different populations and suggests that patients in predialysis could benefit from an improved HRQoL if transplanted on the early stages of the disease

Clima Organizacional y Bienestar Psicológico en Funcionarios de la Municipalidad de Hualañé

72 p.Se analizó la relación entre bienestar psicológico y clima organizacional a 39 trabajadores de la Municipalidad de Hualañé. Se administraron dos instrumentos, el Cuestionario de Clima Organizacional Koys & Decottis (Chiang, Salazar, Huerta y Nuñez, 2008) y el Cuestionario de Salud General de Goldberg (GHQ)( Mañas, Salvador, Boada, González y Agulló, 2007), además de un registro de antecedentes sociodemográficos. Los resultados indican que la media de los trabajadores, tanto en clima organizacional (M = 3,68; DS = 0,58), como en bienestar psicológico (M = 3,34; DS = 0,3) es alta, sin embargo, no existe relación significativa entre las variables mencionadas. En cuanto a las dimensiones de clima, se encontró una correlación significativa con bienestar psicológico en solo una de las 8 dimensiones del instrumento, en cohesión (r = 0,4; sig = 0,01). Se realizó, además, una comparación de los resultados obtenidos entre grupos con diferentes características sociodemográficas (sexo, antigüedad en el cargo, jerarquía organizacional, nivel educacional y tipo de contrato), determinando que estas características no influyen en los puntajes obtenidos. Como conclusión se pude decir que en la población estudiada no existe relación entre el clima organizacional y el bienestar psicológico, sin embargo, se encontró que existe un buen estado tanto de clima como de bienestar en los empleados de la Municipalidad de Hualañé. Palabras claves: Clima Organizacional, Bienestar Psicológico, Instituciones Públicas y Empleados Municipales