Instructional planning and new technologies in teacher education: the initial phase of a research project

The purpose of this work is to present the initial phase of a research project focused on the integration of technologies in the education of kindergarten and primary school student teachers through instructional planning. Firstly, we illustrate a tool designed for planning integrated learning units and describe the training path in which it was used. Secondly, we report the results of a preliminary study conducted with 96 students attending a university course that investigates two personal traits considered as prerequisites for using the tool: perceived proficiency in technology use, and opinions on the importance of each constituent element of the tool. With regard to both traits, some statistically significant variations emerged. The results obtained are an encouragement to continue the research project to verify whether the tool could be suitable to help student teachers develop an integrated planning procedure

Training kindergarten and primary education student teachers to plan learning units combining TPACK, LAT and multimodality

[EN] This contribution presents an educational proposal, which will be the prelude to an action research project aimed at the operative integration of technologies in the education and training of future kindergarten and primary school teachers. The contribution proposes, in particular, an instrument for planning learning units that has been developed according to specific theoretical models – TPACKTechnological Pedagogical And Content Knowledge (Mishra & Koehler, 2006), LAT-Learning Activity Types (Harris & Hofer, 2009), multimodality (Cope & Kalantzis, 2000) – and can be used in a learning path for the above-mentioned future teachers both as part of courses on educational technology as well as those for specific disciplines. This contribution illustrates and justifies the structure of such an instrument, the use of which could help enable future teachers to develop an integrated planning procedure that should be dynamic and open to refinements and improvements as they meet with different knowledge domains during their trainingMessina, L.; Tabone, S. (2015). Training kindergarten and primary education student teachers to plan learning units combining TPACK, LAT and multimodality. En 1ST INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON HIGHER EDUCATION ADVANCES (HEAD' 15). Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València. 349-356. https://doi.org/10.4995/HEAd15.2015.295OCS34935

PDRs4All II: JWST's NIR and MIR imaging view of the Orion Nebula

The JWST has captured the most detailed and sharpest infrared images ever taken of the inner region of the Orion Nebula, the nearest massive star formation region, and a prototypical highly irradiated dense photo-dissociation region (PDR). We investigate the fundamental interaction of far-ultraviolet photons with molecular clouds. The transitions across the ionization front (IF), dissociation front (DF), and the molecular cloud are studied at high-angular resolution. These transitions are relevant to understanding the effects of radiative feedback from massive stars and the dominant physical and chemical processes that lead to the IR emission that JWST will detect in many Galactic and extragalactic environments. Due to the proximity of the Orion Nebula and the unprecedented angular resolution of JWST, these data reveal that the molecular cloud borders are hyper structured at small angular scales of 0.1-1" (0.0002-0.002 pc or 40-400 au at 414 pc). A diverse set of features are observed such as ridges, waves, globules and photoevaporated protoplanetary disks. At the PDR atomic to molecular transition, several bright features are detected that are associated with the highly irradiated surroundings of the dense molecular condensations and embedded young star. Toward the Orion Bar PDR, a highly sculpted interface is detected with sharp edges and density increases near the IF and DF. This was predicted by previous modeling studies, but the fronts were unresolved in most tracers. A complex, structured, and folded DF surface was traced by the H2 lines. This dataset was used to revisit the commonly adopted 2D PDR structure of the Orion Bar. JWST provides us with a complete view of the PDR, all the way from the PDR edge to the substructured dense region, and this allowed us to determine, in detail, where the emission of the atomic and molecular lines, aromatic bands, and dust originate

PDRs4All III: JWST's NIR spectroscopic view of the Orion Bar

(Abridged) We investigate the impact of radiative feedback from massive stars on their natal cloud and focus on the transition from the HII region to the atomic PDR (crossing the ionisation front (IF)), and the subsequent transition to the molecular PDR (crossing the dissociation front (DF)). We use high-resolution near-IR integral field spectroscopic data from NIRSpec on JWST to observe the Orion Bar PDR as part of the PDRs4All JWST Early Release Science Program. The NIRSpec data reveal a forest of lines including, but not limited to, HeI, HI, and CI recombination lines, ionic lines, OI and NI fluorescence lines, Aromatic Infrared Bands (AIBs including aromatic CH, aliphatic CH, and their CD counterparts), CO2 ice, pure rotational and ro-vibrational lines from H2, and ro-vibrational lines HD, CO, and CH+, most of them detected for the first time towards a PDR. Their spatial distribution resolves the H and He ionisation structure in the Huygens region, gives insight into the geometry of the Bar, and confirms the large-scale stratification of PDRs. We observe numerous smaller scale structures whose typical size decreases with distance from Ori C and IR lines from CI, if solely arising from radiative recombination and cascade, reveal very high gas temperatures consistent with the hot irradiated surface of small-scale dense clumps deep inside the PDR. The H2 lines reveal multiple, prominent filaments which exhibit different characteristics. This leaves the impression of a "terraced" transition from the predominantly atomic surface region to the CO-rich molecular zone deeper in. This study showcases the discovery space created by JWST to further our understanding of the impact radiation from young stars has on their natal molecular cloud and proto-planetary disk, which touches on star- and planet formation as well as galaxy evolution.Comment: 52 pages, 30 figures, submitted to A&

Global overview of the management of acute cholecystitis during the COVID-19 pandemic (CHOLECOVID study)

Background: This study provides a global overview of the management of patients with acute cholecystitis during the initial phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: CHOLECOVID is an international, multicentre, observational comparative study of patients admitted to hospital with acute cholecystitis during the COVID-19 pandemic. Data on management were collected for a 2-month study interval coincident with the WHO declaration of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic and compared with an equivalent pre-pandemic time interval. Mediation analysis examined the influence of SARS-COV-2 infection on 30-day mortality. Results: This study collected data on 9783 patients with acute cholecystitis admitted to 247 hospitals across the world. The pandemic was associated with reduced availability of surgical workforce and operating facilities globally, a significant shift to worse severity of disease, and increased use of conservative management. There was a reduction (both absolute and proportionate) in the number of patients undergoing cholecystectomy from 3095 patients (56.2 per cent) pre-pandemic to 1998 patients (46.2 per cent) during the pandemic but there was no difference in 30-day all-cause mortality after cholecystectomy comparing the pre-pandemic interval with the pandemic (13 patients (0.4 per cent) pre-pandemic to 13 patients (0.6 per cent) pandemic; P = 0.355). In mediation analysis, an admission with acute cholecystitis during the pandemic was associated with a non-significant increased risk of death (OR 1.29, 95 per cent c.i. 0.93 to 1.79, P = 0.121). Conclusion: CHOLECOVID provides a unique overview of the treatment of patients with cholecystitis across the globe during the first months of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. The study highlights the need for system resilience in retention of elective surgical activity. Cholecystectomy was associated with a low risk of mortality and deferral of treatment results in an increase in avoidable morbidity that represents the non-COVID cost of this pandemic

Il fare mediale. Ricerca su usi e concezioni di ragazzi di 10 e 11 anni in merito ai nuovi media (cellulare, computer, internet) in ambito domestico e percezioni dei comportamenti di mediazione genitoriale

The presence and the rapid diffusion in Italian children’s life of new media, such as mobile phone, personal computer and the Internet, is broadly recognized both by statistical surveys (Censis, 2007; Istat, 2008; 2009) and by the research. Among national and international studies, three inquiry path particularly interesting from an educational point of view emerge: one deals with the mapping of media uses, stated by frequency, length and function approached (Pira & Marrali, 2007; Mussinelli, 2009); one deals with conceptions about usage, or the meaning children give to their media practices (Downes & Reddacliff, 1997; Leung & Wei, 2000; Livingstone & Bovill, 2001b; Rivoltella, 2006); and the third one deals with the adults’ presence and the guidance or mediation activities of children’s media uses (Bybee et al., 1982; Nathanson, 2001; Nikken & Jansz, 2004; Livingstone, 2007). Many of these aspects are considered into the domestic context, as the family is the first place where meanings, norms and values on media use are supposed to be socialized and negotiated (Pasquier, 2001), according also to the “domestication” theory (Silverstone et al., 1992). The exploratory study here presented investigates the relationships between children and the media – mobile phone, computer and the Internet - inside the domestic context. The research pursues three aims. The first one is finding similarities and differences between the dimensions of meanings that accompany children usage of mobile phone, computer and the Internet. The second one is finding similarities and differences between the dimensions of parental mediation on children’s usage of the three media considered. The third one is finding possible correlations between children’s usage conceptions and their perception of parental mediation activities, to understand if children perceive an educational intervention by parents or if they perceive that parents do not interfere in their interactions with the media, in line with the research on the “bedroom culture” (Bovill & Livingstone, 2001), or with a more general lack of educational presence. Through a closed format questionnaire, self-completed by 272 tweens (Tufte et al., 2005) aged 10 and 11 years, the research surveys practical uses of mobile phone, computer and the Internet, conceptions about media personal experiences and practices, and perceptions about interventions of mediation by parents. All of these aspects are inquired in relation to all the media considered. The data obtained by analyses (percentage frequencies, factor analysis, analysis of variance and analysis of correlation) show: different levels of ownership and media usage, the prevailing media functions experienced, the presence of “others” during the appropriation of the media and in the current use, some dimensions underlying children’s media practices, some dimensions perceived by children of parental mediation, different variables that affect these dimensions, and some relationships among the factors emerged by usage conceptions and by perceptions of parental mediation activity analyses.La presenza e la rapida diffusione nella vita dei ragazzi italiani dei nuovi media, come il cellulare, il personal computer e Internet, sono ampiamente attestate sia da indagini statistiche (Censis, 2007; Istat, 2008; 2009) sia dalla ricerca scientifica. In merito a quest'ultima, negli studi in ambito nazionale e internazionale si possono individuare tre aree di studio particolarmente interessanti da un punto di vista educativo: una riguarda la mappatura degli usi mediali da parte dei minori, tramite la rilevazione di frequenza, durata e funzioni esperite (Pira & Marrali, 2007; Mussinelli, 2009); un’altra si rivolge alle concezioni legate all’uso, o al senso che i ragazzi attribuiscono alle loro pratiche mediali (Downes & Reddacliff, 1997; Leung & Wei, 2000; Livingstone & Bovill, 2001; Rivoltella, 2006); mentre la terza si occupa di rilevare la presenza degli adulti e delle loro attività di guida - o mediazione - in merito all’uso dei media da parte dei ragazzi (Bybee et al., 1982; Nathanson, 2001; Nikken & Jansz, 2004; Livingstone, 2007). Molti di questi aspetti vengono trattati all’interno del contesto domestico, dal momento che, anche in accordo con la teoria della domestication (Silverstone et al., 1992), la famiglia è il primo luogo in cui significati, norme e valori sull’uso dei media sono socializzati e negoziati (Pasquier, 2001). La ricerca presentata in questo lavoro indaga le relazioni dei ragazzi con i media più diffusi: cellulare, computer e Internet, all’interno del contesto domestico, e persegue tre obiettivi. Il primo consiste nel rilevare analogie e differenze tra le dimensioni di senso che accompagnano il fare mediale dei ragazzi rispetto ai tre media suddetti. Il secondo tende a rilevare analogie e differenze nelle percezioni di mediazione genitoriale riguardo all’utilizzo di tali media da parte dei ragazzi. Il terzo è volto a individuare possibili relazioni tra le concezioni dei ragazzi e le loro percezioni delle attività di mediazione genitoriale, al fine di comprendere se i ragazzi avvertano un intervento educativo dei genitori nel loro rapporto con i media, in linea con la teoria della bedroom culture (Bovill & Livingstone, 2001). Attraverso un questionario auto compilato da 272 tweens (Tufte et al., 2005), ragazzi di 10 e 11 anni, la ricerca indaga: usi di cellulare, computer e Internet, concezioni in merito alle personali esperienze e pratiche con i tre media e percezioni dei ragazzi degli interventi di mediazione genitoriali. L’analisi dei dati - frequenze percentuali, analisi fattoriale, analisi di varianza e analisi di correlazione – evidenzia: diversi livelli di possesso e utilizzo dei tre media da parte dei ragazzi, le principali funzioni esperite, la presenza di “altri” in fase di appropriazione dei media e nell’uso attuale, le dimensioni attorno a cui si aggregano le loro concezioni sull’uso dei media e le loro percezioni della mediazione genitoriale, l’incidenza di alcune variabili indipendenti su queste dimensioni e le principali relazioni tra concezioni d’uso e percezioni di mediazione

Integrating technology into instructional practices focusing on teacher knowledge

The research presented in this article addresses the matter of teacher training in technology and professional development, specifically in the scenario of an innovative project \u2013 Cl@sses 2.0 Action \u2013 promoted by the Italian Ministry of Education. Based on TPACK theoretical model (Mishra & Koehler, 2006) and LAT-Learning Activity Types (Harris & Hofer, 2009), the research inquiries into the level of TPACK development in a group of in-service teachers participating on a voluntary basis in order to find suitable ways to guide them in the integration of technology into their educational practices. The research involves two major threads of enquiry: 1) a survey of teachers\u2019 knowledge of content, teaching and technology, and the relations among these areas; 2) an application of such knowledge through the design of teaching units. In the former case, an adaptation of the questionnaire elaborated by Shmidt and Colleagues (2009) was administered to 11 class councils (110 lower secondary school teachers). In the latter case, following the approach of Hofer and Harris (2010) with some adaptations, a planning grid was proposed to the same subjects, but a feedback of only 2 full class councils (22 teachers) was received. The research findings show some weaknesses not only in teachers\u2019 technological knowledge, as literature highlights, but also in planning skills, mostly regarding teaching approaches, students\u2019 activities and knowledge forms. The necessity to invest in teacher training as a whole \u2013 and not only in their technological competency \u2013 is suggested

Integrating technology into instructional practices: A training research-intervention with in-service teachers

This article concerns a training intervention, based on the Technological, Pedagogical And Content Knowledge (TPACK) framework developed by Koehler and Mishra (2005; Mishra & Koehler, 2006), and involving 110 lower secondary school teachers in the Italian region of Veneto participating in the Cl@sses 2.0 Action. After a short introduction to the Cl@sses 2.0 Action and TPACK framework, the article presents results obtained through a questionnaire submitted to teachers, aimed at surveying their knowledge with respect to the areas of the TPACK framework. Finally, suggestions to guide teachers in implementing TPACK and developing flexible knowledge to integrate technologies into instructional practices are concisely presented

Personal uses of Internet and perceptions of parental mediation: A research with children 10 and 11 years old

none2The exploratory study here presented investigates the relation between children and Internet considered into the domestic context. Through a closed format questionnaire, self-completed by 272 Italian tweens aged 10 and 11 years, the research inquires practical uses of Internet, meanings given to personal practices and perceptions about parental mediation activities. The data analyses show different levels of Internet usage, the most often experienced functions, some prevailing dimensions of meaning related to use of Internet and perceptions of a partial parental mediation, and some differences between the two age groups regarding the dimensions of meaning and the perceptions of parental intervention.L'articolo, che indaga sul rapporto tra ragazzi e Internet, prende in considerazione anche un aspetto spesso trascurato e rilevante da un punto di vista educativo, consistente nella percezione che i ragazzi hanno del supporto parentale.mixedS. TABONE; L. MESSINATabone, Sara; Messina, Laur