TENCompetence: Construyendo la Red Europea para el Desarrollo Continuo de Competencias

Burgos, D., Herder, E., & Olmedilla, D. (2007). TENCompetence: Construyendo la Red Europea para el Desarrollo Continuo de Competencias. Inteligencia Artificial, Revista Iberoamericana de Inteligencia Artificial (AEPIA).El proyecto TENCompetence (The European Network for Lifelong Competence Development) apoya a personas e instituciones europeas en el desarrollo de competencias profesionales más allá de la formación reglada oficial. El desarrollo de habilidades específicas y competencias laborales que enriquecen un curriculum y mejoran la valoración del individuo y sus capacidades profesionales centran el núcleo del proyecto. Como tal, existen dos áreas de trabajo principales: por un lado la implementación e integración de una estructura de servicios; por otro, la investigación de nuevas soluciones y técnicas a los problemas habituales en la materia. Específicamente, en referencia a la investigación, existen cuatro áreas complementarias de actuación, con diferente grado de granularidad: 1) Compartición y Administración de Recursos de Conocimiento, 2) Actividades y Unidades de Aprendizaje, 3) Programas de Desarrollo de Competencias, y 4) Redes para el Desarrollo de Competencias. Este artículo presenta los principales problemas por resolver para el desarrollo contínuo de competencias y describe las líneas de investigación definidas en el proyecto TENCompetence para abordarlos, incluyendo las principales técnicas en uso o de aplicación inmediata.This work has been sponsored by the EU project TENCompetence [www.tencompetence.org

Realizing interoperability of e-learning repositories

Tesis doctoral inédita. Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Escuela Politécnica Superior, marzo 200

Zerber+R: Top-k Retrieval from a Confidential Index

Zerr, S., Olmedilla, D., Nejdl, W., & Siberski, W. (2009). Zerber+R: Top-k Retrieval from a Confidential Index. Proceedings of the 12th International Conference on Extending Database Technology: Advances in Database Technology (pp. 439-449). March, 24-26, 2009, Saint Petersburg, Russia (ISBN: 978-1-60558-422-5).Privacy-preserving document exchange among collaboration groups in an enterprise as well as across enterprises requires techniques for sharing and search of access-controlled information through largely untrusted servers. In these settings search systems need to provide confidentiality guarantees for shared information while offering IR properties comparable to the ordinary search engines. Top-k is a standard IR technique which enables fast query execution on very large indexes and makes systems highly scalable. However, indexing access-controlled information for top-k retrieval is a challenging task due to the sensitivity of the term statistics used for ranking. In this paper we present Zerber+R -- a ranking model which allows for privacy-preserving top-k retrieval from an outsourced inverted index. We propose a relevance score transformation function which makes relevance scores of different terms indistinguishable, such that even if stored on an untrusted server they do not reveal information about the indexed data. Experiments on two real-world data sets show that Zerber+R makes economical usage of bandwidth and offers retrieval properties comparable with an ordinary inverted index.The work on this publication has been sponsored by the TENCompetence Integrated Project that is funded by the European Commission's 6th Framework Programme, priority IST/Technology Enhanced Learning. Contract 027087 [http://www.tencompetence.org

Efectos de un programa de formulación de objetivos y moldeamiento del pase en jóvenes jugadores de fútbol

Se realizó un estudio cuasi-experimental con el propósito de analizar los efectos de un programa de entrenamiento de 4 semanas de duración para la mejora del pase en el fútbol a partir de la formulación progresiva de objetivos basados en la creación de esquemas mentales, y la aplicación de la técnica de moldeamiento mediante el feedback aportado a los jugadores. En el estudio participaron un total de 13 jugadores juveniles de fútbol pertenecientes a un equipos de categoría de formación del Club Real Murcia SAD, con una media de edad 15.67 (DE = 0.35). Se evaluaron las siguientes variables psicológicas: ansiedad cognitiva, autoconfianza y percepción de competencia en el pase. Se midieron asimismo variables de rendimiento en el pase (pases cortos, pases medios, pases largos, pases hacia delante, pases laterales, pases hacia atrás, pases a desmarque de apoyo, y pases a desmarque de ruptura). Los jugadores mostraron mejoras en la percepción de competencia en el pase, así como en el número de pases de distancia media utilizados y el número de pases realizados a desmarques de apoyo.A quasi-experimental study was conducted in order to analyze the effects of a goal setting program using the zapping technique aimed at passing in football from the progressive formulation of aims based on mental programs, which consisted of four weeks of training. The sample was made up of 13 players, with an average age of 15.67 years (SD = 0.35). Several psychological variables were measured: cognitive anxiety, self-confidence in soccer, and pass-related perceived competence. Moreover, performance variables related to passing were measured: (short distance passes, medium distance passes, long distance passes, forward passes, lateral passes, backward passes, come-to-feet passes, and running passes). The results show that players improved their pass-related perceived competence, as well as the number of medium distance passes, and come-to-feet passes.Realizou-se um estudo quase-experimental com o propósito de analisar os efeitos de um programa de treino com 4 semanas de duração para a melhoria do passe no futebol a partir da formulação progressiva de objectivos baseados na criação de esquemas mentais, e a aplicação da técnica de modelagem mediante feeedback fornecido aos jogadores. Participaram no estudo um total de 13 jogadores juvenis pertencentes a uma equipa dos escalões de formação do Club Real Murcia SAD, com uma média de idades de 15.67 (DP = 0.35). Foram avaliadas as seguintes variáveis psicológicas: ansiedade cognitiva, auto-confiança e percepção de competência no passe. De igual modo foram medidas variáveis de rendimento no passe (passes curtos, médios, longos, para a frente, laterais, para trás, passes a desmarcar apoio e passes de ruptura). Os jogadores revelaram melhorias na percepção de competência no passe, assim como no número de passes de distância média utilizados e o número de passses realizados a desmarcar apoio)

Preference Search Service - Specification and Implementation

While the growing number of learning resources increases the   choice for learners, it also makes it more and more difficult to   find suitable courses. Thus, improved search capabilities on   learning resource repositories are required.  In   this   document,   we   describe   the   implementation   of   our   approach for learning resource search based on preference   queries. The implementation comprises a Web Service as well  as a java package supporting the client development for the   service.   This   Web   Service   acts   as   one   part   of   the   TENCompetence Personalization Services developed in WP7.The work on this publication has been sponsored by the TENCompetence Integrated Project that is funded by the European Commission's 6th Framework Programme, priority IST/Technology Enhanced Learning. Contract 027087 [http://www.tencompetence.org

Conceptualising Smart Spaces for Learning

Abstract: Selecting appropriate learning services for a learner from the large number of heterogeneous knowledge sources is a complex and challenging task. This paper presents the idea of Smart Spaces for Learning. A Smart Space for Learning is defined as a distributed system (ie "space") that provides management support for the "smart" retrieval and consumption of heterogeneous learning services via Personal Learning Assistants. Personalisation and system interoperability play an important role for the realisation of a Smart Space for Learning. In this paper we illustrate and discuss how Semantic Web technologies such as RDF, TRIPLE, QEL and ontologies can be applied to create a Smart Space for Learning.Invited Commentary: McGreal, R. (2004) Commentary on: Simon, B., Dolog., P., Miklós, Z., Olmedilla, D. and Sintek, M. (2004). Conceptualising Smart Spaces for Learning. [PDF]Editors: Terry Anderson and Denise Whitelock

Higher pre-infection vitamin E levels are associated with higher mortality in HIV-1-infected Kenyan women: a prospective study

Background: Low vitamin E levels are often found in HIV-1 infection, and studies have suggested that higher levels may decrease the risk of disease progression. However, vitamin E supplementation has also been reported to increase CCR5 expression, which could increase HIV- 1 replication. We hypothesized that vitamin E levels at HIV-1 acquisition may influence disease progression. Methods: Vitamin E status was measured in stored samples from the last pre-infection visit for 67 Kenyan women with reliably estimated dates of HIV-1 acquisition. Regression analyses were used to estimate associations between pre-infection vitamin E and plasma viral load, time to CD4 count less than 200 cells/[micro]L, and mortality. Results: After controlling for potential confounding factors, each 1 mg/L increase in pre-infection vitamin E was associated with 0.08 log[sub]10 copies/mL (95% CI -0.01 to +0.17) higher set point viral load and 1.58-fold higher risk of mortality (95% CI 1.15�2.16). The association between higher preinfection vitamin E and mortality persisted after adjustment for set point viral load (HR 1.55, 95% CI 1.13�2.13). Conclusion: Higher pre-infection vitamin E levels were associated with increased mortality. Further research is needed to elucidate the role vitamin E plays in HIV-1 pathogenesis.This research was supported by National Institutes of Health grants AI-43844 and AI-38518 (all authors), and Fogarty International Center grant D43 TW000007 (SMG)