Analysis and evaluation of lecturers’ activity in Learning Management Systems: Subjective and objective perceptions

Learning Management Systems (LMS) have become the principal resource for the distribution of educational material and collaboration among lecturers and students in Higher Education. The potential of these platforms does not limit to a simple manager of contents, but they also offer a wide range of tools that support the development of different methodologies according to the learning modality, namely on-campus, blended or online. This work analyzes the use of LMS and the interactions with their different tools from the lecturers’ point of view, in order to detect possible incidents, check the tools’ utility and evaluate their complexity. All these metrics represent valuable information to the Degree Coordinators, if they are presented in a suitable manner, to detect and resolve deficiencies in the methodology. For the analysis of the teaching activity two methods are employed: (1) surveys, to measure the subjective perception of lecturers when using LMS tools; and (2) visual analysis of the real lecturer’s activity through OnlineData, a graphical analytic tool developed as part of our work to monitor LMS tools metrics. The results of both methods show differences among the perceived self-usage and actual usage, especially for the e-learning methodologies     

Reliability and stability of anthropometric and performance measures in highly-trained young soccer players: effect of age and maturation

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to assess both short-term reliability and long-term stability of anthropometric and physical performance measures in highly-trained young soccer players in relation to age and maturation. Data were collected on 80 players from an academy (U13–U18, pre- (n = 14), circum- (n = 32) and post- (n = 34) estimated peak height velocity, PHV). For the reliability analysis, anthropometric and performance tests were repeated twice within a month. For the stability analysis, these tests were repeated 12 times over a 4-year period in 10 players. Absolute reliability was assessed with the typical error of measurement, expressed as a coefficient of variation (CV). Relative reliability and long-term stability were assessed using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). There was no clear age or maturation effect on either the CVs or ICCs: e.g., Post-PHV vs. Pre-PHV: effect size = –0.37 (90% confidence limits (CL):-1.6;0.9), with chances of greater/similar/lower values of 20/20/60%. For the long-term stability analysis, ICCs varied from 0.66 (0.50;0.80) to 0.96 (0.93;0.98) for 10-m sprint time and body mass, respectively. The short-term reliability of anthropometry and physical performance measures is unlikely to be affected by age or maturation. However, some of these measures are unstable throughout adolescence, which questions their usefulness in a talent identification perspective.     

Three strikes and you’re out: culture,facilities, and participation among LGBTQ youth in sports

ABSTRACT

School-based sports and physical education play an important role in the development of youth (Jones, Edwards, et al., 2017), but participation in athletics is unequal for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) youth compared to their straight/cisgender peers [Greenspan, S. B., Griffith, C., & Murtagh, E. F. (2017). LGBTQ youths’ school athletic experiences: A 40-year content analysis in nine flagship journals. Journal of LGBT Issues in Counseling, 11(3), 190–200]. Sport cultures, generally, recreate dynamics of exclusion for marginalized youth. However, there are opportunities to transform these spaces into more inclusive and positive environments to support positive growth for all young people [Newman, T., Alvarez, A., & Kim, M. (2017). An experiential approach to sport-based positive youth development. Journal of Experiential Education, 40(3), 308–322]. Our study uses a data set of adolescents, collected as part of a community-based participatory action research project led by high school students in southeast Michigan, USA. Respondents reported their sexual and gender identities, as well as experiences in youth sport, as well as safety using sex-segregated facilities (i.e., bathrooms and locker-rooms). Using mediation models based on linear regression, we found evidence that LGBQ high school students play sports at a significantly lower rate compared to straight students, and among those who play sports, LGBTQ respondents felt significantly less safe compared to straight and cisgender students. Opposite to the LGBQ and trans youth in this study, straight/cisgender youth also reported feeling safer using all facilities. The mediation models suggest that these inequalities help to explain disparities in rates of sports participation and feelings of safety while participating. These findings have important implications for policy, practice, and future research.     

Shoulder 3D range of motion and humerus rotation in two volleyball spike techniques: injury prevention and performance

Repetitive stresses and movements on the shoulder in the volleyball spike expose this joint to overuse injuries, bringing athletes to a career threatening injury. Assuming that specific spike techniques play an important role in injury risk, we compared the kinematic of the traditional (TT) and the alternative (AT) techniques in 21 elite athletes, evaluating their safety with respect to performance. Glenohumeral joint was set as the centre of an imaginary sphere, intersected by the distal end of the humerus at different angles. Shoulder range of motion and angular velocities were calculated and compared to the joint limits. Ball speed and jump height were also assessed. Results indicated the trajectory of the humerus to be different for the TT, with maximal flexion of the shoulder reduced by 10 degrees, and horizontal abduction 15 degrees higher. No difference was found for external rotation angles, while axial rotation velocities were significantly higher in AT, with a 5% higher ball speed. Results suggest AT as a potential preventive solution to shoulder chronic pathologies, reducing shoulder flexion during spiking. The proposed method allows visualisation of risks associated with different overhead manoeuvres, by depicting humerus angles and velocities with respect to joint limits in the same 3D space.     

Ecole et communaute au Portugal

Résumé Depuis 1974 le Portugal a fait l'expérience de changements spectaculaires dans les pratiques de l'enseignement au niveau local. L'école a été ouverte à la communauté et la communauté à l'école. Le programme de formation des enseignants comprend maintenant une nouvelle matière: l'étude de la communauté afin de les préparer au rôle actif d'ouvrir l'école à la communauté et de les aider à mieux comprendre les différents milieux sociaux dont sont issus leurs élèves. Parmi les innovations il convient de noter la publication de journaux ou bulletins d'information locale qui aide les enseignants et les élèves à mieux comprendre la communauté à laquelle ils appartiennent. La création d'un jardin scolaire où les élèves cultivent fleurs et légumes jette un pont supplémentaire entre l'école et la communauté. Autres exemples d'action de la communauté: les classes d'alphabétisation des adultes, la création de mouvements volontaires de femmes, l'organisation de clubs de jeunes, la constitution de coopératives, les initiatives locales comme d'acheter un vieux tramway pour le transformer en bibliothèque. Une des innovations les plus importantes a été l'introduction de 'l'Education Civique et Polytechnique' à l'école (classes de 13 à 16 ans). Deux heures par semaine devaient être consacrées à une intervention active de l'école dans la communauté locale, à l'engagement des jeunes, agents d'évolution, dans la vie de la société, à l'articulation entre les études scolaires et l'application pratique, au travail social et productif, et à la participation des jeunes à la solution des problèmes nationaux, en partant d'une connaissance concrète de la vie locale et régionale. Cependant, depuis 1976, la politique de l'enseignement au Portugal a pris une tournure plus conservatrice et ce n'est que dans localités où le consensus du corps enseignant a été très fort que les relations nouvelles entre l'école et la communauté ont pu être maintenues.

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Since 1974 Portugal has experienced some dramatic changes in educational practices at the local level. The school has been opened to the community and the community to the school. Teacher education now includes community studies, designed to prepare teachers for an active role in this process and for the better understanding of the social background of pupils. One new practice is the publication of local newspapers or news-sheets to enhance the understanding of the community by teachers and pupils. The development of a school garden for the cultivation of flowers and vegetables serves as another bridge between school and community. Other examples of community action are adult literacy classes, the creation of voluntary organisations for women, the running of youth clubs, the formation of co-operatives, and local projects like the purchase of an old tram-car to be converted into a library. The introduction of Civic and Polytechnic Education for 13–16 year olds was an important innovation. One half-day a week was to be devoted to the integration of the school with the locality, young people's participation in society as agents of change, the linking of study and productive work, and the involvement of young people in the solution of national problems, working from a concrete knowledge of local and regional life. However, since 1976 there has been a more conservative approach, and only in places with a strong consensus amongst teachers has the new relationship between school and community been maintained.

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Zusammenfassung Ab 1974 hat Portugal auf örtlicher Ebene ein paar dramatische Veränderungen in der Bildungspraxis erfahren. Die Schule wurde für das Gemeinwesen aufgeschlossen und das Gemeinwesen für die Schule. Nunmehr umfaßt die Lehrerbildung Studien des Gemeinwesens, dazu bestimmt, die Lehrer auf eine aktive Rolle in diesem Prozeß und auf ein besseres Verständnis für die soziale Herkunft der Schüler vorzubereiten. Eine der neuen Praktiken ist die Veröffentlichung lokaler Zeitungen oder Mitteilungsblätter, damit Lehrer und Schüler das Gemeinwesen gründlicher verstehen lernen. Eine weitere Brücke zwischen Schule und Gemeinwesen schlägt die Anlage eines Schulgartens zur Anzucht von Blumen und Gemüse. Andere Beispiele von Aktivitäten für das Gemeinwesen sind Klassen zur Alphabetisierung Erwachsener, der Betrieb von Jugendklubs, die Schaffung von Kooperativen und örtliche Projekte wie der Ankauf eines alten Straßenbahnwagens, um ihn in eine Bibliothek umzuwandeln. Die Einführung einer staatsbürgerlichen und polytechnischen Bildung für 13- bis 16-jährige war eine wichtige Neuerung. In jeder Woche sollte ein halber Tag der Integration der Schule in die örtliche Umwelt gewidmet sein, der Mitwirkung junger Leute in der Gesellschaft als Agenten des Wandels, der Verknüpfung des Lernens mit der produktiven Arbeit und der Beteiligung junger Menschen an der Lösung nationaler Probleme aufgrund einer konkreten Kenntnis des örtlichen und regionalen Lebens. Allerdings kam es ab 1976 zu einem konservativeren Ansatz, und nur dort blieb die Neue Beziehung zwischen Schule und Gemeinwesen aufrechterhalten, wo ein starker Konsens der Lehrer untereinander bestand.

     

Transgenic learning for STEAM subjects and virtual containers for OER

Abstract

Transgenic learning is a disruptive approach in education. It encourages modification of moving parts of the educational chain. This article provides a view of transgenic learning focused on the delivery of enriched learning contents in STEAM areas. It discusses the mutagenic role that the virtual containers may play in current distance education. We focus on the containers’ technology and how it can bridge students, computing resources, teachers and specific IT needs. We also present an experiment carried out at UNIR University where we describe the transition from using conventional software distribution methods to the use of containers. Thanks to this virtualization approach, it is possible to deliver the necessary software-based lab scenarios. The results show that the participation and satisfaction of the students increased over time. Our experience shows that the combination of open educational resources, containers, and modern distribution channels can play a significant role in STEAM education.     

Determinants of withdrawal behavior: An exploratory study

Research on college persistence has typically classified nonreturnees as dropouts. Recently, this practice has been criticized by Tinto (1987) who argues that such a practice merges together different types of withdrawal behavior whose determinants may vary as a function of the particular departure behavior under consideration. This paper empirically examines whether the determinants of decisions to withdraw from the institution are similar to those affecting decisions to transfer to other institutions of higher education for the 1984 entering freshman class at a large southern institution. Results provide support for Tinto's proposition of differentiating between different types of voluntary withdrawal behavior. While institutional commitment, academic performance, finance attitudes, and student perceptions of faculty concern for student development and teaching discriminated between persisters and dropouts, only final institutional commitment and final goal commitment discriminated between persisters and transfers.An earlier version of this paper was presented before the 1990 American Educational Research Association annual meeting.     

Privatization And Vouchers In Colombia And Chile

The voucher model of financing schooling is becoming increasingly common throughout Latin America, with at least 12 countries using vouchers or voucher-like schemes. The present study focuses on the voucher models of Colombia and Chile, which have the most extensive programs of this type and those of the longest standing in the region. Using empirical evidence, the author compares the two models along four evaluative dimensions: educational quality, segregation, choice and socialization. After weighing the successes and weaknesses of each system, he concludes that, among other characteristics, the most effective and equitable voucher model features: (a) a flexible interpretation of educational quality; (b) financial grants which target solely the poor; (c) vouchers which cover the entire cost of tuition; (d) open enrolment at participating schools; (e) the participation of both secular and religious private schools; (f) accessible and meaningful information to parents; and (g) strong systems of accountability.     

Mario Bunge’s Scientific Realism

This paper presents and comments on Mario Bunge??s scientific realism. After a brief introduction in Sects. 1 and 2 outlines Bunge??s conception of realism. Focusing on the case of quantum mechanics, Sect. 3 explores how his approach plays out for problematic theories. Section?4 comments on Bunge??s project against the background of the current debate on realism in contemporary analytic philosophy.