Critical thinking and its importance in the present days for social workers

Critical thinking is multidimensional, it encompasses the intellectual (logic, rationality), psychological (self-awareness, empathy), sociological (in terms of socio-historical context), ethics (norms and moral evaluation) and philosophical (meaning of nature and the human being). As a competency, or set of competencies, critical thinking can be developed and assessed. In this sense, the exploratory study that we intend to present aims to contribute to the evaluation of the importance that students attribute to critical thinking, as well as to the evaluation of critical thinking as a competence in the present situation. Before the pandemic situation we conducted a study with a universe of the 1st year social work students recently graduated, whose training included the critical thinking curricular unit in their study plan, we used as a data collection technician, a questionnaire with likert scale to measure the students opinions. The results were very positive and students admit that it helped them to analyze information (the importance of details), to practice curiosity and skepticism (to ask questions and compare with other sources) and to question (particularly, their own beliefs), including problem solving or decision making. With this recent challenge, consequence of Covid-19, it was necessary to alter all the previous model and adjust it to the pandemic situation through distance learning. Due to the characteristics of this curricular unit, we understand that in addition to the contents and usual dynamic, it was important to support students in adapting to the new methods and use this situation in favor of the benefits of thinking critically. Being a new situation for all (teachers and students) systematic evaluations were made to perceive if the results of the changes introduced were promoting the desired effect. Subsequently, in a total of 6 classes, with about 35 students each, we selected a non-probabilistic sample of 2 students of each class and each student was asked to make a critical assessment of the impact of this curricular unit in their learning process. Among other results that we intend to present, the key was to achieve a balance between the need for security and the need to know other ways of doing or thinking and classifying the critical thinking skills acquired as potentialities to support the uncertainty of the moment. This is where critical reflection (especially involving others) can play a key role in building trust by analyzing strengths-based practice, but it also allows considering alternative options, points of view, increase their ability to assess and position themselves in different contexts and learn to be prepared for unexpected situations.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio

Scanning Gate Spectroscopy of transport across a Quantum Hall Nano-Island

We explore transport across an ultra-small Quantum Hall Island (QHI) formed by closed quan- tum Hall edge states and connected to propagating edge channels through tunnel barriers. Scanning gate microscopy and scanning gate spectroscopy are used to first localize and then study a single QHI near a quantum point contact. The presence of Coulomb diamonds in the spectroscopy con- firms that Coulomb blockade governs transport across the QHI. Varying the microscope tip bias as well as current bias across the device, we uncover the QHI discrete energy spectrum arising from electronic confinement and we extract estimates of the gradient of the confining potential and of the edge state velocity.Comment: 13 pages, 3 figure

Transport and Strong-Correlation Phenomena in Carbon Nanotube Quantum Dots in a Magnetic Field

Transport through carbon nanotube (CNT) quantum dots (QDs) in a magnetic field is discussed. The evolution of the system from the ultraviolet to the infrared is analyzed; the strongly correlated (SC) states arising in the infrared are investigated. Experimental consequences of the physics are presented -- the SC states arising at various fillings are shown to be drastically different, with distinct signatures in the conductance and, in particular, the noise. Besides CNT QDs, our results are also relevant to double QD systems.Comment: 5 pages, 5 figure

Vorton Formation

In this paper we present the first analytic model for vorton formation. We start by deriving the microscopic string equations of motion in Witten's superconducting model, and show that in the relevant chiral limit these coincide with the ones obtained from the supersonic elastic models of Carter and Peter. We then numerically study a number of solutions of these equations of motion and thereby suggest criteria for deciding whether a given superconducting loop configuration can form a vorton. Finally, using a recently developed model for the evolution of currents in superconducting strings we conjecture, by comparison with these criteria, that string networks formed at the GUT phase transition should produce no vortons. On the other hand, a network formed at the electroweak scale can produce vortons accounting for up to 6% of the critical density. Some consequences of our results are discussed.Comment: 41 pages; color figures 3-6 not included, but available from authors. To appear in Phys. Rev.

High-field Electron Spin Resonance of Cu_{1-x}Zn_{x}GeO_{3}

High-Field Electron Spin Resonance measurements were made on powder samples of Cu_{1-x}Zn_{x}GeO_{3} (x=0.00, 0.01, 0.02, 0.03 and 0.05) at different frequencies (95, 110, 190, 220, 330 and 440 GHz) at low temperatures. The spectra of the doped samples show resonances whose positions are dependent on Zn concentration, frequency and temperature. The analysis of intensity variation of these lines with temperature allows us to identify them as originating in transitions within states situated inside the Spin Peierls gap. A qualitative explanation of the details of the spectra is possible if we assume that these states in the gap are associated with "loose" spins created near the Zn impurities, as recently theoreticaly predicted. A new phenomenon of quenching of the ESR signal across the Dimerized to Incommensurate phase-boundary is observed.Comment: 4 pages, 5 ps figures in the text, submitted to Phys. Rev. Let

Preparing students to apply transversal skills a case study in higher education – 2nd phase

A diverse vocational offer, with a stronger emphasis on key competences, including transversal ones, can provide much needed routes for individuals to improve their qualifications and thus access the labour market. One of the main purposes of the current education and learning efforts is to equip students with competences that are transferable across contexts and that lie beyond approaches to content or areas of knowledge. This study goes through two phases, the first one already published, aimed to devise a profile of transversal skills of the education professional, able to guide the training work in the higher education institutions, support the tasks of evaluation and certification of the said competences and promote the personal and professional development of 1st cycle students A focus group was guide structured based on the objective of this exploratory study (Teaching, learning and evaluation strategies that differentiate the teacher of transversal competences), had five questions and was applied to the traversal skills teachers. The Profile was developed around the following key values and areas of competence: Valuing diversity - difference is considered a resource and a value for education; Working with others - collaboration and teamwork are essential methodologies for all teachers; Professional and personal development - teaching is a learning activity and teachers are responsible for a lifelong learning and Participation - means that all students are involved in learning activities that are meaningful to them. Access to higher education alone is not enough. In this second phase, based on the results previously found, we try to know the perception that the students of transversal competences courses have about this question. To do this, and based on the variables previously identified, we inquired a sample of students, to compare the results obtained with those of the 1st phase and also add to the results of the 1st phase perception about this issue. This study improves the identification and characterization of the requirements to teach transversal competences, and contributes to improve the processes of teacher selection and training.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio

Origin of Spin Incommensurability in Hole-doped S=1 Y2−xCaxBaNiO5\rm Y_{2-x}Ca_x Ba Ni O_5 Chains

Spin incommensurability has been recently experimentally discovered in the hole-doped Ni-oxide chain compound $\rm Y_{2-x}Ca_x Ba Ni O_5$ (G. Xu {\it al.}, Science {\bf 289}, 419 (2000)). Here a two orbital model for this material is studied using computational techniques. Spin IC is observed in a wide range of densities and couplings. The phenomenon originates in antiferromagnetic correlations ``across holes'' dynamically generated to improve hole movement, as it occurs in the one-dimensional Hubbard model and in recent studies of the two-dimensional extended t-J model. The close proximity of ferromagnetic and phase-separated states in parameter space are also discussed.Comment: RevTex, 4 pages, 4 figures (eps