Aspirations and knowledge: How to explain that innovation in education can be disappointing? The case of reading comprehension

En estas páginas tratamos de aclarar por qué tenemos tantas dificultades para dar un tratamiento adecuado a la lectura y a la comprensión de textos en el aula. Tenemos un volumen importante de conocimientos sobre qué, cómo y cuándo enseñar a comprender, pero las evidencias reunidas en diferentes paises sugieren que la implantación en las aulas de estas ideas es muy escasa. El objetivo del artículo es mostrar tres limitaciones que podrían explicar esta frustrante situación. La primera y fundamental es que no siempre se distingue entre conocimientos y aspiraciones. Una indiferenciación que afecta a nuestra visión de lo que es una lectura experta, a nuestros conocimiento sobre la vida en el aula y el papel de los profesores. Ambos problemas, repercuten decisivamente en el papel adoptado por asesores y formadores. Para aclarar estas ideas y darles un fundamento empírico, resumimos seis estudios que hemos llevado a cabo durante los últimos años

The Decade 1989-1998 in Spanish Psychology: An Analysis of Research in Developmental and Educational Psychology.

Sin resume

Análisis de las motivaciones para la participación en la comunidad

En este artículo se describen y se analizan los tipos de motivación que conducen a los integrantes de una comunidad a participar en sus asociaciones. De una muestra de 274 estudiantes universitarios, 138 manifestaron pertenecer al menos a una asociación. Los participantes indicaron el nombre de la(s) asociación(es) y las incluyeron en diferentes categorías (política, cultural, asistencial, religiosa, deportiva, de ocio y otras). Cada participante expresó sus motivos para pertenecer a ella(s). Se realizó un análisis de contenido con sus respuestas, utilizando los diez tipos motivacionales de la teoría de los valores de Schwartz como categorías de codificación. Los resultados indican una diferente orientación por género para participar en las asociaciones. En general, los motivos colectivistas están más representados en la participación en la comunidad que los motivos individualistas.This paper aims to describe the motivation types driving people of a community to participate in its associations. Out of a sample of 274 university students, 138 reported they belonged to at least one association. Participants reported the name of the association(s) and included it/them in different categories (political, cultural, assistencial, religious, sporting, leisure and others). Every participant expressed his/her motives to participate there. A content analysis was made on their answers, using the ten motivational types of Schwartz's theory of values as coding categories. Results show a differential gender orientation to participate in different types of associations. In general, collectivist motives are more represented in community participation than individualist motives

An alternative Drum test method to UNECE Regulation 117 for measuring tyre/road noise under laboratory controlled conditions

Tyre/road sound emissions have been proved to be the main source of noise caused by road traffic when traveling at medium and high speeds (Sandberg and Ejsmont, 2002). Tyre/road noise has been widely studied among the last decades. However, an important part of this research has been focused, mainly, on track tests. Different track or road methods have been developed for measurement of tyre/road sound emissions. The most important ones are the Coast-By, the Close-Proximity, the Statistical Pass-By or the Controlled Pass-By methods. Among all of them, the Coast-By method has been raised in Europe as standard method concerning the approval of tyres with regard to tyre/road sound emissions as preconized in UNECE Regulation 117 (2007)[2]. However, all the above mentioned methods have several disadvantages such as the influence of environmental factors, the different results that can be obtained depending on the test track or the vehicle upon which the tests are carried out, the lack of repeatability or, the most important aspect, which is the limitation of the measured magnitude, the sound pressure level. A new methodology (Clar-Garcia et al., 2016) based on drum tests and the ISO 3744 (1994), which was developed in order to avoid these limitations, has been proved to be comparable to the Coast-By (CB) method. This paper describes how different tyres have been tested according to both the CB and the new Alternative Drum test method (A-DR) while their results have been compared. In order to be able to carry out this comparison, as the measured magnitudes and test conditions differ widely from one test to another, the standardised ISO 9613 sound propagation method (ISO 9613-2, 1996) has been applied to obtain the sound pressure value at 7.5 m from the sound power level of a tyre measured under laboratory-controlled conditions when rolling against a drum. Results have shown that both methods are not only comparable but also have remarkably similar sound spectra and, for that reason, the new methodology based on drum tests can be used in order to obtain tyre/road noise emission approved values

Preparing for generation Z:how can technology enhanced learning be firmly embedded in our students' learning experience? A case study from Abertay University

Abertay is a relatively small, modern university (undergraduate population of around 4000) with a wide portfolio and a diverse student population. Around 35% of our students are direct entry from local partner colleges to years 2 and 3 of our programmes and a significant number are first generation higher education within their families. As such, partnership working with colleges and support to aid student transitions are key aspects of Abertay’s provision. Since 2013/14, the university has developed and implemented a new Teaching and Learning Enhancement strategy that has catalysed wholescale transformation across the institution. This paper provides an overview of technology enhanced learning at the university with the drivers for change being to the quality of our students' learning experience, improve student retention and progression and enhance learners’ engagement

Development of phonological awareness of dyslexic student evaluated after 20 years being diagnosed

[ES]El objetivo de este estudio es conocer cuál es la evolución de la conciencia fonológica de un grupo de sujetos que hace veinte años fueron diagnosticados como disléxicos fonológicos. En los años noventa, estos alumnos fueron seleccionados y sometidos a un programa de instrucción en habilidades de análisis de la palabra a lo largo de dos cursos académicos y evaluados en cuatro ocasiones. Hoy, veinte años después, realizamos una quinta medida del nivel de conciencia fonológica que poseen. En el estudio original de los años noventa participan 18 sujetos. En la actualidad hemos localizado y evaluado a cuatro de aquellos sujetos. Los resultados obtenidos, nos permiten constatar que los disléxicos, hoy adultos, conservan los logros que adquirieron gracias a la intervención. No obstante, estos sujetos siguen percibiéndose como personas, hoy adultos, con dificultades lecto-escritoras. Les sigue costando realizar tareas que implican conciencia fonológica y lo hacen con bajo grado de automatización. Entendemos que esta situación sigue repercutiendo en dificultades en la aplicación automática del código alfabético y en la fluidez en lectura y escritura

Deriving Robust Bayesian Premiums under Bands of Prior Distributions with Applications

We study the propagation of uncertainty from a class of priors introduced by Arias-Nicolás et al. [(2016) Bayesian Analysis, 11(4), 1107–1136] to the premiums (both the collective and the Bayesian), for a wide family of premium principles (specifically, those that preserve the likelihood ratio order). The class under study reflects the prior uncertainty using distortion functions and fulfills some desirable requirements: elicitation is easy, the prior uncertainty can be measured by different metrics, and the range of quantities of interest is easily obtained from the extremal members of the class. We illustrate the methodology with several examples based on different claim counts models

Analysis of the spoken word as an instrument for the rehabilitation of dyslexia

[ES]El objetivo de este trabajo ha sido diseñar y comprobar empíricamente el efecto que tiene una Instrucción en Habilidades de Análisis de la palabra sobre la mejora en el aprendizaje lectoescritor de niños disléxicos. Los resultados obtenidos muestran que la instrucción produce una mejora significativa en la escritura al dictado de frases sueltas y en el dictado de textos. Los entrenamientos favorecieron la adquisición del metalenguaje (tareas de inversiones, adiciones, omisiones). Y no se alcanzaron resultados satisfactorios en el nivel de lectura de los niños con ninguno de los tipos de instrucciones. [EN] The aim of this research was to determine and establish empirically the effects of instruction in word analysis skills on the improvement of learning to read and write in dyslexic children. The results showed that instruction produces a significant improvement on the subjects’ ability to write down dictated sentences and passages. Although training favoured the acquisition of metalinguistics (tasks such as reversal, addition, and omissions of phonetic sounds), the children’s reading level did not improve

Human pressures on two estuaries of the Iberian Peninsula are reflected in food web structure

As a result of the increased urban and agricultural development in coastal environments, estuaries are among the most modified and threatened aquatic ecosystems. This study used stable isotopes to examine the effects of human impacts by contrasting the food web structures of two Iberian estuaries exposed to different degrees of human pressure. More complex feeding pathways were found in the more altered estuary (Guadalquivir). Greater spread among species along the carbon axis suggests that the primary consumers exploit organic matter with various origins, whereas different nitrogen signals of the secondary consumers suggest that they feed on different suites of prey. In contrast, the similar isotopic signals of secondary consumers in the relatively little influenced estuary (Guadiana) suggests similarity in diet composition and feeding on the same organic matter sources. Understanding trophic interactions in estuaries is vital for defining proper management and conservation, and the preliminary data provided here are one step in this direction