Design and validation of a questionnaire for the evaluation of educational experiences in the metaverse in Spanish students (METAEDU)

The aim of this study is to design and validate an instrument that allows the evaluation of educational experiences and formative assessment in the metaverse from a holistic perspective. Hence, a research design based on the development of a scale has been used. Three hundred and sixty-two Spanish secondary school students participated in the study, selected through purposive sampling. The instrument created has been subjected to an analysis of content validity, validity by expert judgment, construct validity, and reliability. For data analysis, the SPSS and AMOS programs have been used. An exploratory factor analysis and a confirmatory factor analysis have been performed to determine the construct validity. In addition, the Cronbach's alpha has been calculated to verify the internal consistency of the tool. The results reveal several findings that position the resulting questionnaire as a valid and reliable instrument to evaluate educational experiences and practices in the metaverse. In short, this study has led to the development of a comprehensive evaluation tool at the service of educators or any institution interested in implementing its educational praxis within the metaverse, a field of research that has yet to be explored.GOAL! Teaching Methodology for the Transformation of Learning in the METAVERSE 2211

Identification of the best-performing novel microbial strains from naturally-aged graffiti for biocleaning research

Microorganisms that can act as biocleaning agents can potentially be isolated from existing graffiti. In this study, a total of 30 different isolates of bacteria, fungi and yeasts were obtained from black, blue, red and silver graffiti coatings exposed outdoors conditions for 10 years. An additional strain was obtained from samples of black powdered graffiti exposed under laboratory conditions for 5 years. Each of the isolates from the most prolific sources (i.e. red and silver graffiti coatings and black powdered graffiti) was evaluated alone and in combination with Tween® 20, to determine their potential as biocleaning agents, in test tube assays. Two strains isolated from the red graffiti coating (identified as "Candida parapsilosis") and one strain isolated from the black powered graffiti (identified as "Rhodococcus erythropolis") performed best alone. The quantity of live cells throughout the trials and biofilm formation indicated that both strains were able to utilize the paint as a substrate. When the microorganisms isolated were combined with Tween® 20, the quantity of live cells increased notably throughout the incubation time, and turbidity and graffiti discoloration were observed. Infrared spectroscopic examination revealed that "R. erythropolis" performed the best alone, while the addition of Tween® 20 to "C. parapsilosis" enhanced the oxidative degradation of the graffiti.Financiado para publicación en acceso aberto: Universidade de Vigo/CISUGMinisterio de Economía, Industria y Competitividad | Ref. IJCI-2017-3277Xunta de Galicia | Ref. ED431C 2018/3

Moving toward Smart Cities: Evaluation of the Self-Cleaning Properties of Si-Based Consolidants Containing Nanocrystalline TiO2 Activated by Either UV-A or UV-B Radiation

This study evaluated the self-cleaning ability and durability of Si-based consolidants (an ethyl silicate consolidant and a consolidant based on nanosized silica) spiked with nanocrystalline TiO2 activated by either UV-A radiation (spectral region between 340 and 400 nm, and main peak at 365 nm) or UV-B radiation (spectral region between 270 and 420 nm, and main peak at 310 nm). Granite samples were coated with consolidant, to which nanocrystalline TiO2 was added at different concentrations (0.5, 1, and 3%, by wt.). Diesel soot was then applied to the coated surfaces, and the samples were exposed to UV-A or UV-B radiation for 1650 h. The surface color changes, relative to the color of untreated granite, were determined every 330 h by color spectrophotometry. Slight color changes indicated a recovery of the reference color due to the degradation of the soot. The final surfaces of both the untreated and treated surfaces were compared by stereomicroscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The main findings were that: (1) In general, the consolidant containing nanosized silica induced the most intense photocatalytic activity. In the more compact xerogel coating formed by the nanosized silica, more TiO2 nanoparticles were available to interact with the radiation. (2) For all consolidant mixtures, soot degradation remained constant or decreased over time, except with ethyl silicate with 0.5 wt % TiO2 (no self-cleaning capacity). (3) Soot degradation increased with the concentration of TiO2. (4) The UV-B radiation was the most effective in terms of soot degradation, except for the surface coated with the ethyl silicate and 3% wt. TiO2J.S. Pozo-Antonio was supported by the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness, Government of Spain (grant IJCI-2017-32771). P. Sanmartín is grateful for the financial support from the Xunta de Galicia (grant ED431C 2018/32). This research was performed within the framework of the teaching innovation group ODS Cities and Citizenship from University of Vigo (Spain)S

Co-word analysis and academic performance from the Australasian Journal of Educational Technology in Web of Science

This study has been funded by the I+D+i project: Active methodologies for learning through technological resources for the development of society; code: CNT 4315.Since its inception in 1985, the Australasian Journal of Educational Technology (AJET) has been dedicated to the diffusion of studies on the integration of technology in higher education. Its track record in this field has placed it in the first quartile of the Scimago Journal & Country Rank. The objective of the study was to reveal to the scientific community the journey and evolution that this journal has had throughout its existence in Web of Science. A bibliometric methodology was used, supported by a scientific mapping from a unit of analysis of 798 documents. For this reason, a co-word analysis can be a fundamental tool for understanding the characteristics of their production and their impact on the scientific community. There is an evident progressive evolution of the studies published in the Australasian Journal of Educational Technology, with a first phase focused on the design and implementation of educational technology in learning environments, a second phase focused on the enrichment of technology and its acceptance within the processes of teaching and learning, and finally a stage focused on student and teacher perceptions of the implementation of technology in the educational context.I+D+i project: Active methodologies for learning through technological resources for the development of society CNT 431

Attitudes Towards the Development of Good Practices with Augmented Reality in Secondary Education Teachers in Spain

The attitude of the teaching staff is positioned as a fundamental aspect for the development of good training practices. These good practices are essential when applied within an innovative techno-pedagogical methodology: augmented reality in education. The objectives of this study are to analyze the development of good teaching practices with augmented reality and to discover the factors that influence their quality. A descriptive and correlational design has been carried out. A total of 1490 Spanish Secondary Education teachers have participated. The instrument used was the adaptation to the Spanish context of the questionnaire of the Attitude Scale of Augmented Reality Applications. The results reveal that teachers show a positive attitude towards the use of augmented reality. As for the aspects that influence the good attitude of teachers are age, the number of devices teachers use, the time they dedicate to technological resources and teaching experience. However, ICT training is what determines a direct influence on the attitude of teachers, as well as satisfaction with reliabilityUniversity of Granada/CBUAI + D + i Project OTRI-University of Granada with financing code number 4995EducaTech XXI Research Group (SEG-666) of the University of Granad

Beneficios de utilizar el sistema de gestión de aprendizaje basado en la metodología de aprendizaje invertido

Among the different tools that can be used in the implementation of flipped learning, learning management systems stand out as one of the educational technology systems that best solve problems related to usability, accessibility, and evaluation. The objective of this study is to analyze the academic impact of flipped learning through LMS platforms versus the use of flipped learning in other non-interactive digital media, as traditional learning. For this, a quasi-experimental design was used in a sample of 231 Spanish secondary school students. A questionnaire was used to collect the data. The results show that students who have followed the teaching-learning process with flipped learning obtain better results than those who only apply the flipped learning method. It is concluded that the use of an LMS during the application of the flipped learning methodology contributes to an optimization of the general teaching-learning process.Entre las diferentes herramientas que se pueden utilizar a la hora de implementar el aprendizaje invertido, destacan los sistemas de gestión de aprendizaje (LMS) como uno de los sistemas tecnológicos educativos que mejor resuelven problemas relacionados con la usabilidad, accesibilidad y evaluación. El objetivo del presente estudio consiste en analizar el impacto académico del aprendizaje invertido a través de plataformas de aprendizaje invertido, frente al uso del aprendizaje invertido en otros medios digitales no interactivos, a modo de aprendizaje tradicional. Para ello, se siguió un diseño cuasi-experimental con una muestra de 231 alumnos españoles de educación secundaria. Se utilizó un cuestionario para recopilar los datos. Los resultados muestran que los alumnos que siguieron el proceso de enseñanza-aprendizaje con aprendizaje invertido obtienen mejores resultados que aquellos que aplican únicamente el método del aprendizaje invertido. Se concluye que el uso de un LMS durante la aplicación de la metodología del aprendizaje invertido contribuye a una optimización del proceso general de enseñanza-aprendizaje

Flipped Learning and E-Learning as Training Models Focused on the Metaverse

Virtual Learning Environments (EVA) have acquired special importance in the educational field in recent years. The metaverse has been constructed as a learning space with enormous potential. As such, the immersion possibilities of the metaverse increase when compared to other methodologies that already implement technology, such as flipped learning and e-learning. In these learning environments, students require a set of specific abilities and skills. Therefore, this study aims to understand which training approach (flipped learning or e-learning) helps students acquire better skills through a teaching and learning process in the metaverse. This thesis used a pre-post quasi-experimental design of a group containing 173 Spanish high school students to achieve its aim. The data collection has been carried out by the Teaching and Learning Experiences Questionnaire (ETLQ). Among the obtained results, it is discovered that in all the dimensions analyzed, a significant relationship is observed. The greatest difference in means occurs in the LO dimension, meaning that these educational experiences directly impact the student’s academic results. It is concluded that both training approaches are adequate in preparing students for training processes carried out in the metaverse since they complement each other. Therefore, as preliminary instruction, the sequential use of these approaches is necessary when familiarizing students with a new learning reality such as the metaverse. Doi: 10.28991/ESJ-2022-SIED-013 Full Text: PD

Cracks in consolidants containing TiO2 as a habitat for biological colonization: A case of quaternary bioreceptivity

The recently proposed concept of quaternary bioreceptivity applies to substrates treated with coating materials and it is considered in the present study with the alga Bracteacoccus minor and the cyanobacterium Nostoc sp. onto granite specimens treated with ethyl silicate and nano-sized silica doped with different amounts of TiO2 (0, 0.5, 1 and 3 wt%). The findings showed a lack of correlation between the amount of TiO2 and the level of colonization (main bioreceptivity estimator) to the presence of cracks on the surface, which annul the biocidal power of TiO2. Crack formation, which depends on the mechanical properties, greatly influences the bioreceptivity of the material. Thus, the cracks provided anchor points where water is retained, in turn strongly influencing the early stages of colonization kinetics, to a greater extent than the biocidal power of TiO2, which will probably increase as the biofilm develops over the entire surface. In addition, although the cracks were more abundant and wider in the ethyl silicate-based consolidant, the nano-sized silica provided better anchoring points, making the material treated with the corresponding consolidant more bioreceptiveS

Uses and integration of augmented reality in the educational cooperatives of Andalusia (Spain)

The use of mobile devices in classrooms is becoming more and more common. The introduction of these resources to produce learning is part of the mobile learning methodology. Among the possibilities of these devices provide we can find, as an emerging technology, augmented reality, which combines elements of the real world with virtual images. The purpose of this paper is to know the impact of the augmented reality in the educational cooperatives of Andalusia. In this regard, educational cooperatives are centers characterized in their origin by promoting the development of methodologies based on Information and Communication Technologies (ICT). The data collection instrument used in this questionnaire is a quantitative methodology of a descriptive nature. The questionnaire was prepared ad hoc according to the existing literature and the answers coded on a Likert scale. The results show that only a minority of teachers implement the augmented reality in their classes. In addition, there are statistically significant differences in terms of professional experience, so that younger teachers tend to implement methodologies based on the use of emerging mobile technologies such as augmented reality. Finally, it is emphasized that despite the constant technological advance of mobile devices in society, their application in the classroom occurs slowlyPeer Reviewe

Eficácia da aprendizagem invertida e realidade aumentada na nova normalidade educacional da era Covid-19

Flipped learning and augmented reality have become two emerging didactic proposals today in the field of education. This study analyzes the effectiveness of flipped learning and augmented reality in various dimensions related to the learning process. A quasi-experimental design has been carried out in a sample of 116 students from Spain, of the third level of Secondary Education. A questionnaire has been used to collect the research data. The results show that there is a high appreciation by students of both educational experiences, although differences in various dimensions are present. Those who have received teaching based on flipped learning show significance in the dimensions teacher-student, autonomy, deepening and classtime. On the other hand, those who have developed the experience with augmented reality show significance in the dimensions of motivation, interrelation with content and students, and resolution. In conclusion, both the application of an emerging methodology based on flipped learning and the use of educational technology with augmented reality contributes positively to the optimization of learning processes in the Mathematics classroom.A aprendizagem invertida e a realidade aumentada tornaram-se duas propostas didáticas emergentes hoje no campo da educação. O objetivo do estudo é analisar a eficácia da aprendizagem invertida e da realidade aumentada nas várias dimensões relacionadas com o processo de aprendizagem. Para isso, foi realizado um desenho quase experimental em uma amostra de 116 alunos espanhóis do terceiro nível do ensino médio. Os dados foram coletados por meio de questionário. Os resultados mostram que há uma alta avaliação pelos alunos de ambas as experiências educacionais, embora existam diferenças em várias dimensões. Aqueles que receberam ensino com base na aprendizagem invertida mostram significados nas dimensões professor-aluno, autonomia, aprofundamento e tempo de aula. Por outro lado, aqueles que desenvolveram a experiência com a realidade aumentada mostram significância nas dimensões motivação, aluno-conteúdo, aluno-aluno e resolução. Concluindo, tanto a aplicação de uma metodologia emergente baseada na aprendizagem invertida quanto o uso de tecnologia educacional com realidade aumentada contribuem positivamente para a otimização dos processos de aprendizagem em aulas de Matemática