La evaluación de programas en el marco de la educación de calidad

El artículo presenta una concepción de la evaluación caracterizada como integral, Integrada e Integradora, orientada por dos principios básicos: un enfoque radicalmente pedagógico, educativo, y un planteamiento unitario, armónico y coherente, tanto entre la evaluación de los diferentes objetos como entre ésta y el conjunto de elementos que integran los procesos educativos de calidad.____________________________________ This article shows a conception of the evaluation characterised as Integral, integrated and integrator, guided for two basic principles: a radical, pedagogical and educational approach and a harmonic, coherent and unitary approach, of the evaluation of the different objects and the elements that take part in the quality educational processes

¿Quo vadis, evaluación? Reflexiones pedagógicas en torno a un tema tan manido como relevante

This paper introduces some reflections on evaluation from truly pedagogical points of view, with a special focus on the implications which a particular view may have on the quality of education. The author stands for a unified, harmonious, coherent approach of evaluation of learning and teaching, as well as of programme evaluation and institutional evaluation, which may be applicable to other bodies such as university curricula and educationl systems. The latter, however, may have other implications which will not be addressed in the text.Keywords: quality of education, well-rounded education, conception of evaluation, integrated evaluation. En este artículo se presentan una serie de reflexiones sobre la evaluación desde perspectivas radicalmente pedagógicas en las que el autor pretende analizar las implicaciones que una determinada concepción de la misma, concretada en unos principios básicos, representan para un buen hacer al servicio de la calidad de la educación. El autor defiende un enfoque unitario, armónico y coherente de la evaluación del aprendizaje y de la enseñanza, de los programas y de los centros educativos, extensible a otras manifestaciones como pueden ser los currículos universitarios y los sistemas educativos, aunque estos últimos tengan otro tipo de implicaciones que aquí no corresponde abordar

La evaluación externa y sus implicaciones. Aspectos técnicos, prácticos y éticos

By Ramón Pérez Juste, Professor at the National University for Non-Attendant Students and President of the Spanish Society of Pedagogy. The present article, focused on external evaluation, has been written on special request of the magazine Managing Board. The author's outlook upon evaluation in pedagogical contexts regards evaluation as an essentially formative procedure, and, consequently, a type of permanent formation, focused on the improvement of every human segment with a part to play in Education, such as teachers, managing boards, families, staff at school and even students themselves as they realize their personal concern in their own qualification process. External evaluation must facilitate functions of control, accountability and permanent educational benefits to people with responsibility in educational systems or educational organizations. When so, external evaluation gains importance and defines itself as a kind of evaluation carried out by highly-experienced professionals whose duties must start by checking out the fulfilment of professional ethics and technical requirements which, in most cases are included in evaluation quality standards. The author suggests the convenience of setting a frame for external evaluation, with the aim of producing in the first place organizations committed to a permanent learning process, secondly, a tendency to unify external models, whenever it is possible, and finally, an approach between the latter and evaluating frames of educational organizations. According to him, this would facilitate an optimisation of funds and human resources, which would eventually contribute to the improvement of people, institutions and the educational system.El presente artículo, centrado en la evaluación externa, se escribe por invitación de los responsables de la revista. Para el autor, la evaluación en contextos pedagógicos debe ser eminentemente formativa y, por tanto, continua, y orientada a la mejora de los destinatarios de todos los esfuerzos que realizan los poderes públicos, los profesionales de la educación (directivos, profesores y especialistas) las familias, el personal de los centros y hasta los propios educandos a partir del momento en que toman conciencia de su necesaria implicación en la propia formación. Sin embargo, la evaluación debe servir, también, a funciones de control, de rendición de cuentas y de servicio a los responsables de los sistemas educativos y de las organizaciones educativas. Ahí cobra protagonismo la evaluación externa, en principio una evaluación realizada por profesionales expertos, cuyo hacer debe estar presidido por el cumplimiento de determinadas exigencias técnicas y éticas, muchas de las cuales están contenidas en los estándares de calidad de las evaluaciones. El autor pasa revista a la problemática apuntada, sugiriendo la conveniencia de formativizar, en lo posible, la evaluación externa, de orientarla a lograr organizaciones que aprenden, de buscar, hasta donde sea posible, la convergencia de los modelos externos y, todavía más, de estos con los modelos evaluativos de organizaciones educativas, facilitando así la optimización de medios y recursos y el logro de contribuciones relevantes a la mejora de las personas, de las instituciones y del sistema educativo

Diet induced changes in the microbiota and cell composition of rabbit gut associated lymphoid tissue (GALT)

[EN] The gut associated lymphoid tissue (GALT) is the largest immune organ of the body. Although the gut transient and mucosa-associated microbiota have been largely studied, the microbiota that colonizes the GALT has received less attention. The gut microbiome plays an important role in competitive exclusion of pathogens and in development and maturation of immunity. Diet is a key factor affecting the microbiota composition in the digestive tract. To investigate the relation between diet, microbiota and GALT, microbial and cell composition of vermiform appendix (VA) and sacculus rotundus (SR) were studied in two groups of New Zealand white rabbits on different diets. Diet shifted the lymphoid tissue microbiota affecting the presence and/or absence of certain taxa and their abundances. Immunohistochemistry revealed that a higher fibre content diet resulted in M cell hyperplasia and an increase of recently recruited macrophages, whereas T-cell levels remained unaltered in animals on both high fibre and standard diets. These findings indicate that diet has an impact on the microbiota and cell composition of the GALT, which could act as an important microbial recognition site where interactions with beneficial bacteria can take place favouring microbiota replacement after digestive dysregulationsSIAuthors thank Félix Blanco, Sergio Ayuso and Fidel Goiri for animal care and handling. The research was funded by grant (AGL2012-39818-C02-02) from the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competiveness (MINECO), and by the Department of Economy and Infrastructures (DEI) of the Basque Government. RA held a pre-doctoral fellowship (BFI-2012-237) and a visiting fellowship (EP_2015_1_53) from the Department of Education, Universities and Research of the Basque Governmen

Molecular diagnosis of Theileria and Babesia species infecting cattle in Northern Spain using reverse line blot macroarrays

BACKGROUND: Piroplasmosis in cattle is caused by tick-borne haemoprotozoan parasites of the genera Theileria and Babesia. Molecular detection techniques offer higher sensitivity and specificity than microscopy examination methods and serological tests. A reverse line blot (RLB) macroarray that included generic and species-specific probes for Theileria annulata, Theileria buffeli, Babesia bovis, Babesia bigemina, Babesia divergens and Babesia major was used to study the presence and identity of the piroplasm species infecting 263 bovine blood samples from 79 farms, most of them in Northern Spain. Microscopy examination of blood smears and haematology were also performed whenever possible to identify animals with parasitaemia. RESULTS: RLB hybridisation identified infection in 54.0% of the samples, whereas only 28.8% were positive by microscopy examination. The most frequently found species was T. buffeli, present in 42.6% of the samples. T. annulata was found in 22 samples (8.4%) from 12 farms, including 9 farms (14 samples) located in Northern Spain where presence of the vector is not very common. Babesia infections were less frequently detected: B. major was found in 3.0% of the samples, B. bigemina in 2.7%, B. bovis in 2.3% and B. divergens in 1.1%. Mixed infections were detected in 14 samples, accounting for six different combinations of species. CONCLUSION: This is the first report in which B. major and B. divergens have been detected in Spain using molecular identification techniques and the first time that B. bovis has been detected in Northern Spain. The detection of T. annulata in Northern Spain suggests that the distribution of Mediterranean theileriosis might be changing. Samples with positive RLB hybridisation but negative microscopy had haematology values within the normal ranges suggesting that they corresponded to chronic carriers that may serve as reservoirs of the infection. In this sense, sensitive and specific laboratorial tests like RLB that clearly identify the parasite and can detect subclinical infections are essential to establish good control measures

Assessment of exposure to piroplasms in sheep grazing in communal mountain pastures by using a multiplex DNA bead-based suspension array

BACKGROUND: Piroplasms are tick-borne hemoprotozoans with a major impact on extensive management systems. Detection of sub-clinical low-level carriers, which can act as source of infection for vector ticks, is key to protect livestock trade and facilitate preventive control programs. The purpose of this study was to develop a method for the detection of ovine piroplasms and to use it in a field study aimed at investigating piroplasms infection in semi-extensive production systems in the Basque Country (northern Spain). METHODS: A DNA bead-based suspension array using the Luminex® xMAP technology that included a generic Theileria-Babesia control probe, 6 species-specific probes, and an internal control probe was developed to detect and identify piroplasms that infect sheep. To monitor piroplasm infection in clinically healthy sheep from 4 flocks that share communal mountain pastures, blood samples were collected during 2 grazing seasons. RESULTS: Piroplasms were detected in 48% (214/446) of blood samples, nearly half of them (49.1%, 105/214) as mixed infections. Five different piroplasms were identified: Theileria sp. OT3 in 34.8% of the samples, Theileria ovis in 20.9%, and at lower prevalences Babesia motasi (12.3%), Theileria luwenshuni/OT1 (10.5%) and Babesia ovis (6.3%). Despite differences among flocks associated to differences in management, an increasing trend in the incidence of piroplasm infection with increasing age of animals after increased tick exposure was observed. This increment could be attributed to continued re-infection associated with re-exposure to ticks at grazing. Ticks were collected from animals (4 species) and vegetation (8 species), and associations between tick abundance seasonality and risk of infection with the different piroplasms were established. CONCLUSION: The multiplex Luminex® xMAP procedure is a rapid and high throughput technique that provided highly specific and sensitive identification of single and mixed piroplasm infections in blood of sheep carriers. This study confirmed a situation of endemic stability for piroplasm infection in the region, where infection is present in the absence of clinical signs, and mountain grazing allows for sufficient inoculation rates to maintain such situation

Alternative Vaccination Routes against Paratuberculosis Modulate Local Immune Response and Interference with Tuberculosis Diagnosis in Laboratory Animal Models

[EN] Paratuberculosis (PTB) is an enteric granulomatous disease caused by Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP) that mainly aects ruminants. Current vaccines have shown to be cost-eective control reagents, although they are restricted due to cross-interference with bovine tuberculosis (bTB). Therefore, novel vaccination strategies are needed and this study is focused on evaluating alternative vaccination routes and their eect on the local immune response. The MAP oral challenge rabbit model was used to evaluate and compare an experimental inactivated MAP vaccine through oral (VOR) and intradermal (VID) routes. The VID group presented the highest proportion of animals with no visible lesions and the lowest proportion of animals with MAP positive tissues. Immunohistochemistry analysis revealed that the VID group presented a dominantly M1 polarized response indicating an ability to control MAP infection. In general, all vaccinated groups showed lower calprotectin levels compared to the non-vaccinated challenged group suggesting less active granulomatous lesions. The VID group showed some degree of skin test reactivity, whereas the same vaccine through oral administration was completely negative. These data show that PTB vaccination has an eect on macrophage polarization and that the route influences infection outcome and can also have an impact on bTB diagnosis. Future evaluation of new immunological products against mycobacterial diseases should consider assaying dierent vaccination routesSIThe research was funded by the Department of Economy and Infrastructures (DEI) of the Basque Government and partially by grant RTA 2017-00089-00-00 of the National Institute for Agronomic Research (INIA). R.A. held a pre-doctoral fellowship (BFI-2012-237) from the Department of Education, Universities and Research of the Basque Government and IL is recipient of a pre-doctoral fellowship from the DEI of the Basque Governmen

Seroepidemiological study of Q fever in domestic ruminants in semi-extensive grazing systems

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Q fever, a worldwide zoonotic disease caused by <it>Coxiella burnetii</it>, is endemic in northern Spain where it has been reported as responsible for large series of human pneumonia cases and domestic ruminants' reproductive disorders. To investigate pathogen exposure among domestic ruminants in semi-extensive grazing systems in northern Spain, a serosurvey was carried out in 1,379 sheep (42 flocks), 626 beef cattle (46 herds) and 115 goats (11 herds). Serum antibodies were analysed by ELISA and positive samples were retested by Complement Fixation test (CFT) to detect recent infections.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>ELISA anti-<it>C. burnetii </it>antibody prevalence was slightly higher in sheep (11.8 ± 2.0%) than in goats (8.7 ± 5.9%) and beef cattle (6.7 ± 2.0%). Herd prevalence was 74% for ovine, 45% for goat and 43% for bovine. Twenty-one percent of sheep flocks, 27% of goat and 14% of cattle herds had a <it>C. burnetii </it>seroprevalence ≥ 20%. Only 15 out of 214 ELISA-positive animals reacted positive by CFT. Age-associated seroprevalence differed between ruminant species with a general increasing pattern with age. No evidence of correlation between abortion history and seroprevalence rates was observed despite the known abortifacient nature of <it>C. burnetii </it>in domestic ruminants.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Results reported herein showed that sheep had the highest contact rate with <it>C. burnetii </it>in the region but also that cattle and goats should not be neglected as part of the domestic cycle of <it>C. burnetii</it>. This work reports basic epidemiologic patterns of <it>C. burnetii </it>in semi-extensive grazed domestic ruminants which, together with the relevant role of <it>C. burnetii </it>as a zoonotic and abortifacient agent, makes these results to concern both Public and Animal Health Authorities.</p