Effectiveness of MOOCs for teachers in safe ICT use training

Despite the efforts made, there is still an alarming difference between the digital competence that teachers have and the one they should have in order to develop their students' digital competence. The lack of teacher training in safe and responsible use of ICT is a special cause for concern. Online courses in MOOC format meet all the required conditions to offer a possible solution to the unavoidable and urgent need for initial and in-service teacher training in this area of digital competence. However, there is currently no evidence in the literature on the effectiveness of these courses for this purpose. This study examines the instructional effectiveness of courses in MOOC format for teacher training in the safe and responsible use of ICT by analysing three different official courses. The courses were analysed using three different methods: a questionnaire to measure participants’ perceptions, pre-tests and post-tests to measure the knowledge acquired, and LORI (Learning Object Review Instrument) to measure the quality of digital educational resources created by the participants. The results suggest that online courses in MOOC format are an effective way to train teachers in the safe and responsible use of ICT, and that these courses can enable the development of digital competence in the area of content creation

Effectiveness of MOOCs for teachers in safe ICT use training

Despite the efforts made, there is still an alarming difference between the digital competence that teachers have and the one they should have in order to develop their students' digital competence. The lack of teacher training in safe and responsible use of ICT is a special cause for concern. Online courses in MOOC format meet all the required conditions to offer a possible solution to the unavoidable and urgent need for initial and in-service teacher training in this area of digital competence. However, there is currently no evidence in the literature on the effectiveness of these courses for this purpose. This study examines the instructional effectiveness of courses in MOOC format for teacher training in the safe and responsible use of ICT by analysing three different official courses. The courses were analysed using three different methods: a questionnaire to measure participants’ perceptions, pre-tests and post-tests to measure the knowledge acquired, and LORI (Learning Object Review Instrument) to measure the quality of digital educational resources created by the participants. The results suggest that online courses in MOOC format are an effective way to train teachers in the safe and responsible use of ICT, and that these courses can enable the development of digital competence in the area of content creation

Errores de desarrollo y errores fosilizables en el aprendizaje de E/LE. tratamiento didáctico

El título de esta comunicación asume que los llamados errores son índices de los estadios por los que el aprendiz tiene que pasar en el camino de apropiarse de la nueva lengua. Nos situamos pues en el marco de los estudios de Interlengua, que considera a cada uno de esos estadios como un sistema con sus reglas propias y donde los errores no serían tales, sino frases idiosincrásicas de esa interlengua, fruto de una reglas que poseen la especifidad de ser variables o permeables hasta el momento en que se alcanza la lengua meta o se fosiliza

Probioticos: potencial para prevenir y curar

The History of probiotics soars to ancient times, when there wasn´t even a term to name several nourishments which had beneficial, almost curative effects on the organism. Nowadays, microorganisms whose effects are preventive of some pathologies or which decrease the damage caused by some illnesses are called “probiotics”. Probiotic microorganisms must verify certain specific characteristics such as innocuity, stability, real efficacy, easy administration, digestive tropism or colonization capacity, power to constitute a barrier against infections and improvement of immune usefulness. They are usually consumed preventively since they work by improving the nourish process and producing essential vitamins. However, its real reach is based on specific clinical practice, such as the treatment of digestive, genitourinary or immune pathologies. They even try to palliate the effects of cance

The International Monetary Fund and its role as a guarantor of global financial stability

Artículo de revistaGiven the growing real and financial integration of economies worldwide, there is a need for the presence of supranational mechanisms to address crisis situations. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is the multilateral institution at the core of the global financial safety net (GFSN). The swift development of other elements of this net since the last global financial crisis, such as the regional financing arrangements, has made the system sounder but also poses fresh challenges. The broad membership of the IMF, the volume of its resources and its accumulated global experience in crisis management make the organisation key to shoring up global monetary and financial stability. However, the IMF is subject to recurrent discussions about its governance and lending policies, including the size and composition of its resources, and the distribution of power within the organisation. The IMF is currently immersed in the Fifteenth General Review of Quotas. The backdrop to this negotiation is the risk that, in the absence of a satisfactory agreement on the size and distribution of its resources, the IMF’s financial sufficiency and its degree of representativeness among its members may be diminished in the coming years. This might significantly undermine the stabilising capacity of the GFS

Imagen exogrupal de adolescentes autóctonos e inmigrantes latinos: influencia del contacto intergrupal y la edad

Se presentan dos estudios cuyo objetivo es conocer la imagen exogrupal de 471 adolescentes autóctonos y 333 inmigrantes de origen latinoamericano residentes en Madrid, y analizarla en función de su edad y del grado de contacto con miembros del exogrupo. Para evaluar la percepción grupal se elaboró un instrumento compuesto por descripciones proporcionadas por adolescentes de similares características en un estudio preliminar con grupos de discusión. El instrumento resultante presenta igual estructura y propiedades psicométricas adecuadas en ambos grupos de participantes y permite evaluar la imagen exogrupal total y sus componentes positivo y negativo. En consonancia con las investigaciones existentes, los adolescentes latinos tienen una imagen más positiva de los españoles que viceversa; además, presentan puntuaciones más altas tanto en imagen exogrupal positiva como negativa. Los adolescentes con mayor contacto exogrupal presentan mejor imagen exogrupal total y positiva, pero los efectos sobre la negativa difieren en función del estatus del grupo (mayoritario o minoritario). El análisis de diferencias en función de la edad no ofrece resultados concluyentes. Los resultados de este estudio contribuyen a mejorar el conocimiento del fenómeno de la percepción intergrupal en la adolescencia, etapa evolutiva en la que los estudios en nuestro país son aún escasos

Psychological inflexibility and valuing happiness: Dangerous liaisons

Previous evidence has shown that excessive valuing happiness may relate to lower psychological wellbeing across cultures. Considering the lack of data with Spanish population, we examined the relation between tightly holding happiness emotion goals and subjective wellbeing in a sample of Spanish women, and explored the mediation role exerted by psychological inflexibility components (namely, cognitive fusion and experiential avoidance) in the relation between valuing happiness and subjective wellbeing. A female adult sample (n = 168) filled out measures of excessive valuing happiness, psychological inflexibility, positive affect, negative affect, and life satisfaction. Valuing happiness only showed positive total effects on negative affect and strong direct effects on both cognitive fusion and experiential avoidance. Analyses revealed the mediating roles exerted by psychological inflexibility components, with experiential avoidance leading to lower pleasure; and cognitive fusion leading to greater displeasure and lower life satisfaction. Psychological inflexibility components explained between 40 and 80% of the total effect of valuing happiness on our outcome variables. Our findings highlight the need for further research on the benefits of hedonic vs. values-based approaches to happiness

Implementación de un programa de mediación escolar: Análisis de las dificultades percibidas y propuestas de mejora

This research analyzes the implementation of a Mediation Program in a high school in Madrid, taking into consideration the group participants’ perception of the difficulties. During the academic year (2011-2012) meetings and training activities, as well as several focus groups were developed. Once the process was over some difficulties at different levels were observed (lack of involvement, internal and external coordination difficulties, among others aspects). On the other hand, the participants also expressed their satisfaction with the Mediation Program (as it facilitated a better coexistence in their school or the development of personal skills). Furthermore, some participants’ suggestions to improve the Mediation Program are presented. Finally, the necessity of contextualizing these projects within a long term perspective is pointed out. It seems a key factor to be able to prioritize short term objectives, and to consider at least a period of two years for a successful implementation of the program and to carry on with the process in spite of difficulties.La investigación realizada analiza la puesta en marcha de un Equipo de Mediación en un centro de Secundaria de la Comunidad de Madrid, en concreto, la percepción de las dificultades encontradas por los participantes en dicho equipo. Durante un curso académico (2011-2012) se asistió a reuniones internas, actividades de formación y se realizaron grupos de discusión. Se han observado dificultades en diversos niveles (falta de implicación, dificultades de coordinación interna y con otros órganos, etc.), así como alta satisfacción con otros aspectos (posibilidades de mejora de la convivencia o habilidades personales adquiridas). Como conclusiones se presentan las propias sugerencias de mejora del grupo para el próximo curso, y, de cara a la implantación en otros centros, la importancia de la contextualización y la adopción de una perspectiva a largo plazo. Parece determinante que las personas que en él se impliquen sean capaces de priorizar objetivos a corto plazo y tener en mente un periodo mínimo de implementación de dos años, para poder avanzar en el proceso y no desanimarse ante las dificultades

Oral bisphosphonates-associated osteonecrosis in rheumatoid arthritis

Adverse effects associated with the use of bisphosphonates are infrequent and consist of pyrexia, renal function impairment, and hypocalcemia. Bisphosphonates-associated osteonecrosis of the jaws is an uncommon but potentially serious complication of intravenous bisphosphonate therapy in cancer patients. The degree of risk for osteonecrosis in patients taking oral bisphosphonates, such as alendronate, is uncertain and warrants careful monitoring. Oral bisphosphonates-associated osteonecrosis can occur in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. We report a case of mandibular osteonecrosis in a patient who received alendronate for 3.8 years. The pathology improved after bisphosphonate therapy discontinuation and sequestrectomy. To our knowledge there are only three cases published in the literature relating bisphosphonates-associated osteonecrosis of the jaws in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. All the cases published, including our case, have reported association between methotrexate, prednisone and alendronate sodium (Fosamax®) therapy. Corticosteroid therapy and dental surgery could increase the risk of developing bisphosphonates-associated osteonecrosis of the jaws in these patients

Modeling Digital Twin Data and Architecture: A Building Guide with FIWARE as Enabling Technology

The use of Digital Twins in the industry has become a growing trend in recent years, allowing to improve the lifecycle of any process by taking advantage of the relationship between the physical and the virtual world. Existing literature formulates several challenges for building Digital Twins, as well as some proposals for overcoming them. However, in the vast majority of the cases, the architectures and technologies presented are strongly bounded to the domain where the Digital Twins are applied. This article proposes the FIWARE Ecosystem, combining its catalog of components and its Smart Data Models, as a solution for the development of any Digital Twin. We also provide a use case to showcase how to use FIWARE for building Digital Twins through a complete example of a Parking Digital Twin. We conclude that the FIWARE Ecosystem constitutes a real reference option for developing DTs in any domain.Comment: 7 pages, 3 figure