Following the yellow brick road? The Euro, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland.

This paper uses a combination of VAR and bootstrapping techniques to analyze whether the exchange rates of some New Member States of the EU have been used as output stabilizers (those of the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland), during 1993-2004. This question is important because it provides a prior evaluation on the costs and benefits involved in entering the European Monetary Union (EMU). Joining the EMU is not optional for these countries but mandatory, although there is no definite deadline. Therefore, if the exchange rate works as a shock absorber, monetary independence could be retained for a longer period. Our main finding is that the exchange rate could be a stabilizing tool in Poland and the Czech Republic, although in Hungary it appears to act as a propagator of shocks. In addition, in these three countries, demand and monetary shocks account for most of the variability in both nominal and real exchange rates.EMU, exchange rate, Structural VAR, stationary bootstraps.

Technological sources of productivity growth in Japan, the U.S. and Germany

In this paper, we use a dynamic general equilibrium growth model to quantify the contribution of different technological sources to productivity growth in the three leading economies: Germany, Japan, and the U.S. The sources of technology are classified as representing either neutral progress or investment-specific progress. The latter can be split into two different types of equipment: information and communication technologies (ICT) and non-ICT equipment. We find that in the long run, neutral technological change is the main source of productivity growth in Germany. For Japan and the U.S., the main source of productivity growth is investment-specific technological change, mainly associated with ICT. We also find that a non negligible part of productivity growth has been due to technology specific to non-ICT equipment; this is mainly true after 1995.Productivity growth; Investment-specific progress; Neutral progress; Information and communication technology.

Following the yellow brick road? The Euro, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland

This paper uses a combination of VAR and bootstrapping techniques to analyze whether the exchange rates of some New Member States of the EU have been used as output stabilizers (those of the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland), during 1993-2004. This question is important because it provides a prior evaluation on the costs and bene?ts involved in entering the European Monetary Union (EMU). Joining the EMU is not optional for these countries but mandatory, although there is no de?nite deadline. Therefore, if the exchange rate works as a shock absorber, monetary independence could be retained for a longer period. Our main ?nding is that the exchange rate could be a stabilizing tool in Poland and the Czech Republic, although in Hungary it appears to act as a propagator of shocks. In addition, in these three countries, demand and monetary shocks account for most of the variability in both nominal and real exchange rates.EMU, exchange rate, Structural VAR, stationary bootstraps

A collaborative testing environment in JavaScript for Siette

En este proyecto nosotros vamos a hacer una pasada por un sistema colaborativo de resolución de test. En este entorno el estudiante resuelve preguntas en un grupo de estudiantes en tres fases diferentes (individual, colaborativa y final). Este sistema ha demostrado que los alumnos que resuelven los test en este entorno mejoran sus respuestas. Esto se debe a que los estudiante aprenden como sus compañeros se enfrentan a las cuestiones planteadas y como las resuelven. Este sistema esta actualmente funcionando en la plataforma siette, pero esta teniendo problemas de compatibilidad con algunos navegadores y esto presenta un problema para desarrollar nueva funcionalidad. Nosotros queremos resolver esto con la utilización de HTML5, CSS y JavaScript. Este Sistema será diseñado para funcionar en conjunto con la plataforma de resolución de tests (Siette) en un modo que llamaremos modo colaborativo que solo será usado para resolver test en grupo con otros compañeros. Siette nos propone un entorno donde trabajan profesores diseñando test y alumnos que testean su conocimiento

The Productivity Paradox and the New Economy: The Spanish Case

This paper studies the impact of the information and communication technologies (ICT) on economic growth in Spain using a dynamic general equilibrium approach. Contrary to previous works, we use a production function with six different capital inputs, three of them corresponding to ICT assets. Calibration of the model suggests that the contribution of ICT to Spanish productivity growth is very relevant, whereas the contribution of non-ICT capital has been even negative. Additionally, over the sample period 1995-2002, we find a negative TFP and productivity growth. These results together aim at the hypothesis that the Spanish economy could be placed within the productivity paradox.New economy, information and communication technologies, technological change, productivity paradox.

ICT-specific technological change and productivity growth in the US 1980-2004

This paper studies the impact of the information and communication technologies (ICT) on U.S. economic growth using a dynamic general equilibrium approach. We use a production function with six different capital inputs, three of them corresponding to ICT assets and other three to non-ICT assets. We find that the technological change embedded in hardware equipment is the main leading non-neutral force of the U.S. productivity growth and accounts for about one quarter of it during the period 1980-2004. As a whole, ICT-specific technological change accounts for about 35% of total labor productivity growth.New economy, information and communication technologies, specific-technological change, neutral-technological change.

Demand Shocks and Trade Balance Dynamics

This paper studies the current account dynamics in the G-7 countries plus Spain. We estimate a SVAR model which allows us to identify three different shocks: supply shocks, real demand shocks and nominal shocks. We use a different identification procedure from previous work based on a microfounded stochastic open-economy model in which the real exchange rate is a determinant of the Phillips curve. Estimates from a structural VAR show that real demand shocks explain most of the variability of current account imbalances, whereas, contrary to previous findings, nominal shocks play no role. The results we obtain are consistent with the predictions of a widely set of open-economy models and illustrate that demand policies are the main responsible of trade imbalances.Current account, SVAR.

Proyectos y experiencias TIC en alumnado hospitalizado = Projects and ICT experiences in hospitalized student

El presente texto trata de la implementación de las Tecnologías de la Comunicación e Información (TIC) en las aulas hospitalarias. Dichas aulas constituyen un marco educativo diferenciado, con unas características organizativas propias y donde se desarrollan una serie de interacciones y experiencias de éxito vehiculadas a través de sistemas y aplicaciones tecnológicas. Desde esta vertiente, hemos realizado un análisis de diferentes proyectos internacionales con otras experiencias nacionales donde se combinan factores sanitarios, psicoeducativos y tecnológicos, con el objetivo de reflexionar sobre los avances más significativos en la investigación. Entre los resultados destacamos el aumento de la integración de proyectos educativos mediados con TIC, el aumento de dotación de ordenadores portátiles y la introducción de aplicaciones como los videojuegos en el marco educativo hospitalario. Concluyendo, tras el análisis, señalando la modificación de los modelos educativos para incluir la educación online, a través de un aprendizaje basado en métodos colaborativos, empleando las redes y las comunicaciones. This article deals with the implementation of Communication and Information Technologies (ICT) in the hospital classrooms. These classrooms constitute a differentiated educational framework, with their own organizational characteristics and where a series of interactions and successful experiences are developed through of technological systems and applications. From this perspective, we have carried out an analysis of different international projects with other national experiences where combining facts as health, psychoeducational and technological factors, with the aim of reflecting on the most significant advances in research. Among the results, we have highlighted the increase in the integration of ICT-mediated educational projects, the increase in the number of laptops and the introduction of applications such as video games in the hospital educational. Concluding, after the analysis, indicating the modification of educational models to include online education, through of learning based on collaborative methods, using networks and communications

Las unidades pedagógicas hospitalarias y el aprendizaje por proyectos de trabajo

El presente artículo trata de reflexionar sobre los procesos de enseñanza y aprendizaje que se desarrollan en las Unidades Pedagógicas Hospitalarias de la Comunidad Valenciana. Estas aulas constituyen un marco educativo diferenciado, con unas características organizativas propias y donde se desarrollan una serie de interacciones educativas singularizadas por las características del contexto hospitalario. En este se combinan los factores psicoeducativos con los de carácter sanitario, para tratar de garantizar la calidad de un sistema educativo adaptado al alumnado con necesidades específicas de apoyo educativo. Se analiza la evolución de las aulas hospitalarias, junto con el concepto de pedagogía hospitalaria y los distintos ámbitos de actuación educativa, y se estudian los proyectos de trabajo, que por sus características resultan adecuados para la enseñanza en un alumnado heterogéneo. Entre las conclusiones se señala que las aulas hospitalarias son un factor esencial para el desarrollo educativo, formativo y afectivo del niño hospitalizado