Creation, development and assessment tests standards-based application results to diagnose math and reading skills to university entrance

El artículo presenta el proceso de creación y desarrollo de pruebas de evaluación de las competencias en Matemática y Lectura para el nivel de ingreso a la Universidad y su aplicación a los ingresantes a los Centros Universitarios Regionales de la Universidad de la República (Uruguay) que atraen a un perfil de estudiantes con vulnerabilidad social y académica. La metodología utilizada para el desarrollo de las pruebas implicó la creación y establecimiento de estándares de contenido a través de grupos de expertos. La clasificación en los estándares de desempeño se obtuvo a través de un método nuevo propuesto por García et al. (2013) basado en la Teoría de Respuesta al Ítem (TRI). Se obtuvieron dos pruebas unidimensionales, con muy buena consistencia interna, validadas y calibradas mediante TRI que clasificaron a los estudiantes en tres niveles de desempeño (insuficiente, suficiente y avanzado). El 22% superó la suficiencia en la prueba de Matemática y el 53% lo logró en la prueba de Lectura. Aunque la proporción de estudiantes que alcanzaron la suficiencia es baja, estos resultados son coherentes con otras investigaciones e impulsaron líneas de acción que incluyeron la creación de grupos académicos en Lectura y Matemática para el diseño de programas de apoyoThe article presents the process of creation and development of assessment tests in Math and Reading skills for entry level to university and its application to entrants to Regional University Centers of the University of the Republic (Uruguay) that attract a profile of students with social and academic vulnerability . Methodology used for tests development involved creation and establishment of content standards through expert groups. Performance standards’ classification was obtained through a new method proposed by Garcia et al. (2013) based on the Item Response Theory (IRT). Two one-dimensional tests were obtained, with very good internal consistency, validated and calibrated by IRT that classified students in three performance levels (insufficient, sufficient and advanced). The 22% overcame the sufficiency in Math test and 53% it reached in Reading test. Although students’ proportion of achieving proficiency is low, these results are consistent with other research and it promoted action lines that included the creation of academic groups in Reading and Mathematics for the design of support program

Thermalization of an isotropic quantum harmonic oscillator

This work describes the most important states used in the field of quantum information: coherent states. We start with the definition of a Hamiltonian for a two-dimesional harmonic oscillator from which we construct the eigenstates called Hermite-Gauss states and Laguerre-Gauss states, which allow to describe the modes of a beam system. We continue describing the main coherent and thermal states that can be defined from the same Hamiltonian, this time they are visualized as eigenstates of the SU(1, 1) group generators and then for SU(2). Subsequently, a theoretical system involving the input of a thermal state and an empty state in a beam splitter is discussed and experimentally compared.El presente trabajo cubre los estados más destacados que se utilizan en el ámbito de la información cuántica: los estados coherentes. Se inicia definiendo un hamiltoniano para un oscilador armónico bidimensional del cual se construyen los eigenestados llamados estados de Hermite- Gauss y estados de Laguerre-Gauss, los cuales permiten describir los modos de un sistema de haces. Continuamos describiendo los principales estados coherentes y termicos que se pueden definir a partir del mismo hamiltoniano, esta vez se visualizan como eigenestados de los generadores del grupo SU(1, 1) y luego para SU(2). Posteriormente se aborda un sistema teórico que implica el ingreso de un estado térmico y un estado vacío en un divisor de haces el cual se logra comparar experimentalmente.Departamento de Física Teórica, Atómica y ÓpticaMáster en Físic

The regularity of a toric variety

We give a method for computing the degrees of the minimal syzygies of a toric variety by means of combinatorial techniques. Indeed, we complete the explicit description of the minimal free resolution of the associated semigroup algebra, using the simplicial representation of Koszul homology which appeared in A. Campillo and C. Marijuán (1991, Sém. Théor. Nombres Bordeaux3, 249–260). As an application, we obtain an algorithm for computing the Castelnuovo–Mumford regularity of a projective toric variety. This regularity is explicitly bounded by means of the semigroup generators which parametrize the variety

Efficient explicit finite volume schemes for the shallow water equations with solute transport

This work is concerned with the design and the implementation of efficient and novel numerical techniques in the context of the shallow water equations with solute transport, capable to improve the numerical results achieved by existing explicit approaches. When dealing with realistic applications in Hydraulic Engineering, a compromise between accuracy and computational time is usually required to simulate large temporal and spatial scales in a reasonable time. With the aim to improve the existent numerical methods in such a way to increase accuracy and reduce computational time. Three main contributions are envisaged in this work: a pressure-based source term discretization for the 1D shallow water equations, the analysis and development of a Large Time Step explicit scheme for the 1D and 2D shallow water equations with source terms and the numerical coupling between the 1D and the 2D shallow water equations in a 1D-2D coupled model. The first improvement roughly consists of exploring the pressure and bed slope source terms that appear in the 1D and 2D shallow water equations to discretize them in an intelligent way to avoid extremely reductions in the time step size. On the other hand, the implementation of a Large Time Step scheme is carried out. In order to relax the stability condition associated to explicit schemes and to allow large time step sizes, reducing consequently the numerical diffusion associated to the original explicit scheme. Finally, two 1D-2D coupled models are developed. They are demonstrated to be fully conservative and are able to approximate well the results obtained by a fully 2D model in terms of accuracy, while the computational effort is clearly reduced. All the advances are analysed by means of different test cases, including not only academic configurations but also realistic applications, in which the numerical results achieved by the new numerical techniques proposed in this work are compared with the conventional approaches

Flood lamination strategy based on a three-flood-diversion-area system management

The flood lamination has for principal objective to maintain a downstream flow at a fixed lamination level. For this goal, it is necessary to proceed to the dimensioning of the river system capacity and to make sure of its management by taking into account socio-economic and environmental constraints. The use of flood diversion areas on a river has for main interest to protect inhabited downstream areas. In this paper, a flood lamination strategy aiming at deforming the wave of flood at the entrance of the zone to be protected is presented. A transportation network modeling and a flow optimization method are proposed. The flow optimization method, is based on the modeling of a Min-Cost-Max-flow problem with a linear programming formulation. The optimization algorithm used in this method is the interior-point algorithm which allows a relaxation of the solution of the problem and avoids some non feasibility cases due to the use of constraints based on real data. For a forecast horizon corresponding to the flood episode, the management method of the flood volumes is evaluated on a 2D simulator of a river equipped with a three-flood-diversion- area system. Performances show the effectiveness of the method and its ability to manage flood lamination with efficient water storage

Elaboración de una propuesta de aprendizaje en red para estudiantes de licenciatura en el ITESO

Como parte de una ruta de formación docente ofrecida por el Centro de Aprendizaje en Red del Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Occidente (ITESO) se le presentó a una profesora el reto de elaborar una propuesta experimental de aprendizaje en red. Como encargada de la materia Actividad física y estilos de vida saludable, tuvo el desafío de diseñar una situación de aprendizaje de este tipo para ayudar a los estudiantes a reflexionar y mantener un estilo de vida sana. As part of a teacher training course offered by the Networked Learning Center of Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Occidente (ITESO), a professor faced the challenge to develop an experimental approach of networked learning. As teacher of the "Physical activity and healthy lifestyles" class, she had the task to design a learning situation of such kind, to help students reflect and maintain a healthy lifestyle.ITESO, A.C

Concentración de inmigrantes y mercado inmobiliario en la ciudad de Barcelona

Diferentes autores mantienen que el sistema de precio de suelo y vivienda existente es un factor que perpetúa la segregación residencial y la desigualdad, situación que se agrava cuando se refiere a algunos grupos de inmigrantes que terminan alojándose en espacios degradados con características por debajo de las mínimas legales de habitabilidad (CORTÉS, 2000; MUSTERD, 2003). Se parte de la hipótesis que la población inmigrante del municipio de Barcelona, se ubica principalmente en esas zonas de menor calidad de vivienda y, que estas zonas de concentración de inmigrantes y menor calidad coinciden con las viviendas de menor precio. Se construyó el Índice de Calidad (iQviv) y el Índice de Características (iCviv) de viviendas. Observando su relación con el Índice de Concentración de Inmigrantes y la evolución del valor de la vivienda 2004-2010 en Barcelona se constató que no siempre las zonas con menor índice de calidad de vivienda y donde se concentran los inmigrantes coincide con las que presentan los precios inmobiliarios más bajos. El mercado inmobiliario es un factor determinante de la estructura socio-espacial de la ciudad, a través del cual se puede modificar el modelo de ciudad que se desea alcanzar respecto a la concentración de colectivos y segregación social. La estrategia residencial gubernamental (localización, régimen de tenencias, diversidad de usos) debe orientar las ciudades hacia la mixtura socio-espacial, la convivencia y el desarrollo social. Y tener mayor incidencia sobre el mercado residencial a fin de evitar una sobrevaloración de la vivienda y especulación de la misma aprovechándose de la necesidad y posibilidades de acceso a la vivienda reducidas de la población más desfavorecida.Different authors have linked the existing land and housing price system as a factor that perpetuates residential segregation and inequality, this situation is exacerbated when it comes to some immigrant groups that end in degraded areas with characteristics below the minimum legal for habitability (CORTÉS, 2000; MUSTERD, 2003). The hypothesis is that immigrant population of Barcelona city is located primarily in those areas of lower quality housing and that this immigrants concentration areas with lower quality housing index matches with the lower housing prices. On this research it was made the Housing Quality Index (iQviv), and the Housing Characteristics Index (iCviv), and it was observed their correlation with the Immigrant Concentration Index (ICI) and the evolution of the Housing Value from 2004-2010, in Barcelona. Observing that the areas with lower housing quality index and where immigrants are concentrated not always matches with the areas that have the lower real estate prices. The housing market is a determinant factor of the social-spatial structure of the city, through which it can be changed the city model to be achieved related with concentration of groups and social segregation. The government residential strategy (in terms of location, tenure arrangements, diversity of uses) should guide the city towards socio-spatial mix, coexistence, and social development of the population. Also it should have a greater impact on the residential market in order to avoid housing speculation and overvaluation, instead of taking advantage of the immigrant population needs, and therefore reducing their possibilities of housing access to.Peer Reviewe