Blended Learning and Teaching in Higher Education: An International Perspective

Non pertinent

Dialogic approach to the analysis of the meaning-making process in a blended setting

This paper analyses meaning-making processes in a blended setting—face-to-face interaction and web forum—purposely created for collaborative learning activity. The analysis focuses on one pair out of 14 dyads. The dyad comprises two female students aged 17 and 18 who attended a Brazilian third-year state secondary school. We envisioned intertextuality in a seamless thematic flux using a single theme—about everyday problems in the culture—by two different problem-solving tasks. Task#1 required discussing two polemic reports published in an online newspaper: one in favour of using digital technologies in class, the other against it. Task#2 involved perspective-taking, where students should imagine the school in 20 years. Afterwards, the pair participated in an episodic interview focusing on their participation in both tasks. The interactions were video recorded. To map the meaning-making processes, we applied the dialogic thematic analysis looking for centripetal and centrifugal forces. A semantic map was drawn and discussed. Altogether, the paired and grouped collaborative activities in blended learning promoted authorial production. Our dyad achieved reflective meta-analysis when they compared their viewpoints with the perspective of their colleagues by using justifications and explanations grounded in their production, generating reflexivity and agency in dialogue

Building intersubjectivity in blended problem-solving tasks

This paper aims to shed light on the process of building intersubjectivity between student-student dyads in a blended educational context. Three girls and five boys, 17 to 18 years old, participated in two types of problem-solving tasks. They formed four dyads and were required to negotiate aloud what to post in a web-forum. Dyads were video recorded, with eight sessions in total. The same pairs participated in both tasks. We are interested in understanding how the intersubjective processes were affected by the tasks and by the dyads. The two tasks differ concerning the structure of the problems. The first task was based on two short papers – one pro and other con – referring to a problem close to students' real life: the use of digital devices in class. The second problem was based on perspective-taking: dyads were required to imagine “How would the school of the future look in 20 years.” Data were analysed through a purpose-built codebook, comprising five macro-categories and 21 subcategories. Altogether, our results indicate an effect of both the type of task and of dyads' specific style of interaction. Nevertheless, a five-step process featuring intersubjectivity was found. Practical implications for teachers and educators are highlighted

Blending academic and professional learning in a university course for future e-learning specialists: The perspective of company tutors

Blended learning usually refers to the combination of online/offline instructional methods. In this paper, we describe a university course in “E-learning Psychology” designed to blend not only modes of teaching, tools, and media, but also learning contexts; specifically, academic and professional contexts. To achieve an effective blend of learning contexts, students were monitored by academic and company tutors through an instant messaging app (WhatsApp). The unique contribution of the company tutor to the blending of academic and professional contexts is explored. By qualitatively analyzing (i) process data (four WhatsApp log chats) and (ii) self-report data (interviews with six company tutors), we found that the company tutor contributed to both the traditional blended dimension (mixing online and offline) and to the blend of the academic and professional contexts. When company tutors participated in the chat, students moved from an organizational dynamic, featuring chats monitored by only the academic tutor, toward a more collaborative and reflective dynamic. The company tutors considered the opportunity to blend academic and professional contexts as the best aspect of the course for both themselves as educators/company representatives, and for the students. This paper offers insights into the ongoing discussion about what blended is—or should be—and the role of company tutors in blending educational contexts

MODEL PCC: constructive participation and collaborative online

Este trabajo describe un modelo de didáctica online para del desarrollo de cursos, con el fin de obtener una participación activa y constructiva por parte de estudiantes universitarios. El modelo, denominado Participación Constructiva y Colaborativa (PCC), considera el aprendizaje como una co-construcción del conocimiento y tiene como objetivo acercar a los estudiantes para elaborar nuevas ideas mediante la realización de productos ya sea individuales o de grupo. A tal fin, se prevee una alternancia de actividades individuales y de grupo, siempre con el objetivo de hacer construir productos. De este modo se aprovecha el potencial de interacción colaborativa y contructiva de la red y de las diferentes posibilidades del trabajo online. El modelo ha sido elaborado en el ámbito diferentes cursos universitarios. Será presentado describiendo en primer lugar las teorías tomadas como inspiración, luego las actividades realizadas en linea y, por último, algunos análisis que demuestran su eficacia.This paper describes a model for developing online teaching courses in order to obtain an active and constructive participation by college students. The model, named Constructive and Collaborative Participation (CCP) considers learning as a co-construction of knowledge and intends to bring students closer to develop new ideas by performing products either individual or group work. For that purpose, it is envisaged to do alternative individual and group activities, always with the aim of making build products. In that way, the potential of collaborative and constructive interaction of network and the different possibilities of online work is used. The model has been created in different college courses. Firstly, it will be presented describing the theories taken as inspiration; then, the online activities and, finally, some analyzes that demonstrate its effectiveness

El modelo PCC: participación constructiva y colaborativa online

This paper describes a model for developing online teaching courses in order to obtain an active and constructive participation by college students. The model, named Constructive and Collaborative Participation (CCP) considers learning as a co-construction of knowledge and intends to bring students closer to develop new ideas by performing products either individual or group work. For that purpose, it is envisaged to do alternative individual and group activities, always with the aim of making build products. In that way, the potential of collaborative and constructive interaction of network and the different possibilities of online work is used. The model has been created in different college courses. Firstly, it will be presented describing the theories taken as inspiration; then, the online activities and, finally, some analyzes that demonstrate its effectiveness.Este trabajo describe un modelo de didáctica online para del desarrollo de cursos, con el fin de obtener una participación activa y constructiva por parte de estudiantes universitarios.  El modelo, denominado Participación Constructiva y Colaborativa (PCC), considera el aprendizaje como una co-construcción del conocimiento y tiene como objetivo acercar a los estudiantes para elaborar nuevas ideas mediante la realización de productos ya sea individuales o de grupo. A tal fin, se prevee una alternancia de actividades individuales y de grupo, siempre con el objetivo de hacer construir productos. De este modo se aprovecha el potencial de interacción colaborativa y contructiva de la red y de las diferentes posibilidades del trabajo online. El modelo ha sido elaborado en el ámbito diferentes cursos universitarios. Será presentado describiendo en primer lugar las teorías tomadas como inspiración, luego las actividades realizadas en linea y, por último, algunos análisis que demuestran su eficacia

Her2 signaling and breast cancer stem cells: The bridge behind her2-positive breast cancer aggressiveness and therapy refractoriness

HER2 overexpression/amplification occurs in 15–20% of breast cancers (BCs) and identifies a highly aggressive BC subtype. Recent clinical progress has increased the cure rates of limited-stage HER2-positive BC and significantly prolonged overall survival in patients with advanced disease; however, drug resistance and tumor recurrence remain major concerns. Therefore, there is an urgent need to increase knowledge regarding HER2 biology and implement available treatments. Cancer stem cells (CSCs) represent a subset of malignant cells capable of unlimited self-renewal and differentiation and are mainly considered to contribute to tumor onset, aggressiveness, metastasis, and treatment resistance. Seminal studies have highlighted the key role of altered HER2 signaling in the maintenance/enrichment of breast CSCs (BCSCs) and elucidated its bidirectional communication with stemness-related pathways, such as the Notch and Wingless/β-catenin cascades. d16HER2, a splice variant of full-length HER2 mRNA, has been identified as one of the most oncogenic HER2 isoform significantly implicated in tumorigenesis, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT)/stemness and the response to targeted therapy. In addition, expression of a heterogeneous collection of HER2 truncated carboxy-terminal fragments (CTFs), collectively known as p95HER2, identifies a peculiar subgroup of HER2-positive BC with poor prognosis, with the p95HER2 variants being able to regulate CSC features. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the current evidence regarding HER2-/d16HER2-/p95HER2-positive BCSCs in the context of the signaling pathways governing their properties and describes the future prospects for targeting these components to achieve long-lasting tumor control

Targeting the CBM complex causes Treg cells to prime tumours for immune checkpoint therapy.

Solid tumours are infiltrated by effector T cells with the potential to control or reject them, as well as by regulatory T (Treg) cells that restrict the function of effector T cells and thereby promote tumour growth1. The anti-tumour activity of effector T cells can be therapeutically unleashed, and is now being exploited for the treatment of some forms of human cancer. However, weak tumour-associated inflammatory responses and the immune-suppressive function of Treg cells remain major hurdles to broader effectiveness of tumour immunotherapy2. Here we show that, after disruption of the CARMA1-BCL10-MALT1 (CBM) signalosome complex, most tumour-infiltrating Treg cells produce IFNγ, resulting in stunted tumour growth. Notably, genetic deletion of both or even just one allele of CARMA1 (also known as Card11) in only a fraction of Treg cells-which avoided systemic autoimmunity-was sufficient to produce this anti-tumour effect, showing that it is not the mere loss of suppressive function but the gain of effector activity by Treg cells that initiates tumour control. The production of IFNγ by Treg cells was accompanied by activation of macrophages and upregulation of class I molecules of the major histocompatibility complex on tumour cells. However, tumour cells also upregulated the expression of PD-L1, which indicates activation of adaptive immune resistance3. Consequently, blockade of PD-1 together with CARMA1 deletion caused rejection of tumours that otherwise do not respond to anti-PD-1 monotherapy. This effect was reproduced by pharmacological inhibition of the CBM protein MALT1. Our results demonstrate that partial disruption of the CBM complex and induction of IFNγ secretion in the preferentially self-reactive Treg cell pool does not cause systemic autoimmunity but is sufficient to prime the tumour environment for successful immune checkpoint therapy

Understanding I/We positions in a blended university course: Polyphony and chronotopes as dialogical features.

This paper uses Dialogical Self Theory to explore university students’ I/We positions before and after participating in a blended course with both individual and collaborative learning activities. Two focus group discussions were held; one at the beginning and the other one at the end (18 students in total; 3 M, 15F; average age 24 years old). The focus groups were analyzed through discursive analysis by referring to the Bakhtinian concepts of chronotope and polyphony, as dialogical features of positioning. Results show that at the end of the course the polyphony became richer, including also technology. This was initially “suppressed” and became later a voice supporting both We-position and collaborative learning. A shift from initial I-positions rooted in a broad chronotope (including past, present and future) toward We-positions placed in the specific and situated chronotope of the course occurred. This result poses the question of sustainability and transferability of innovation