Comparative education: Towards a basic theory

Former Vice-Rector in charge of Planning and former Dean of the Faculty of Philosophy and Literature at the National University, Heredia, Costa Rica. Former Unesco educational planning expert (Somalia, Central America). Consultant with the International Institute for Educational Planning (IIEP). Founding President of the Institute for Social Cybernetics Applied to Planning (ICSAP), Costa Rica. Author of several works on educational planning and administration and on comparative education.     

Brazilian Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations

This paper relates and analyses the experience of various Brazilian institutions organized in a consortium with the aim of providing integration and unified access, via a web gateway, to full-text electronic theses already available at different Brazilian universities. The rise and impact of free electronic academic publishing on scientific communication and the development of science is analyzed. The results of a pilot programme, developed under the coordination of IBICT, as well as technical and technological aspects of information system models adopted, are presented. Aspects such as metadata sets and formats, protocols for automatic gathering of metadata, union catalogue databases, user interfaces and integration with other Brazilian STI systems, are analyzed. Finally, future developments and the enlargement of the Brazilian Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations are discussed.     

Using the Flipped Classroom Model in Your Library Instruction Course

In the flipped classroom model, the pedagogical paradigm is reversed and the students learn the class lesson at home and do homework in class. Although much of the focus of the flipped model has been on the secondary education level, this model could be a viable way to teach library instruction sessions to college-level students as well as a way to preserve scarce class time. This article examines a project that was done at LIU Post, where an instructor of the Library Competency Workshop course flipped the classroom and compared test results to sections where the class was run in a traditional lecture classroom model as well as the experiences on how the instructor flipped the classroom.     

Relevant Changes in Scientific Publishing in Mathematics and Physics

Scientific publishing in mathematics and physics (as in other exact sciences) is rapidly changing, and it is important to identify and predict relevant changes and their potential consequences. To understand such changes, the authors begin with a brief history of scientific publishing and the rise of digital publishing. The study presents a qualitative comparison of the basic features of traditional and digital forms of publications (books, journals, libraries and databases, archives, webinars, forums, digital learning materials), on the basis of which relevant changes (specific for mathematics and physics) are identified and predicted. Several tables describing the most popular and useful scientific online tools for scientists, professors, students, and engineers are listed.     

A spectral analysis of team dynamics and tactics in Brazilian football

Abstract

The purposes of this study were to characterise the total space covered and the distances between players within teams over ten Brazilian First Division Championship matches. Filmed recordings, combined with a tracking system, were used to obtain the trajectories of the players (n = 277), before and after half-time. The team surface area (the area of the convex hull formed by the positions of the players) and spread (the Frobenius norm of the distance-between-player matrix) were calculated as functions of time. A Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) was applied to each time series. The median frequency was then calculated. The results of the surface area time series median frequencies for the first half (0.63 ± 0.10 cycles · min^?1) were significantly greater (P < 0.01) than the second-half values (0.47 ± 0.14 cycles · min^?1). Similarly, the spread variable median frequencies for the first half (0.60 ± 0.14 cycles · min^?1) were significantly greater (P < 0.01) than the second-half values (0.46 ± 0.16 cycles · min^?1). The median frequencies allowed the characterisation of the time series oscillations that represent the speed at which players distribute and then compact their team formation during a match. This analysis can provide insights that allow coaches to better control the team organisation on the pitch.     

Characteristics of extracurricular physical activity and cognitive performance in adolescents. The AVENA study

Abstract

The aim of this report was to examine the associations between some characteristics (i.e., structure and number) of extracurricular physical activity (EPA) and cognitive performance in adolescents. A total of 1662 adolescents (880 girls; 13.0–18.5 years) from 5 Spanish cities (Granada, Madrid, Murcia, Santander and Zaragoza) were included in this study. Structure (organised and non-organised) and number of EPAs, and participation at vigorous intensity during EPA were self-reported. Cognitive performance (verbal, numeric and reasoning abilities, and an overall score) was measured with the “SRA-Test of Educational Ability”. Results showed that vigorous EPA was positively associated with all cognitive variables. Adolescents who practiced an organised EPA had higher scores in 3 of the 4 cognitive variables than those who practiced a non-organised EPA (all P < 0.05). Likewise, the group who participated in more than one EPA had higher cognitive performance in all variables than the group who participated in only one EPA (all P < 0.05). Regardless of potential confounder variables, including vigorous EPA, both structure and number of EPAs were each other independently associated with cognitive performance. Therefore, structure and number of EPAs may positively influence cognitive performance in adolescents. Participating in multiple, organised EPA may have benefits for cognitive performance.     

Vitamin C supplementation does not influence plasma and blood mononuclear cell IL-6 and IL-10 levels after exercise

Abstract

The aim of this study was to determine whether the highest vitamin C supplementation associated with complete bioavailability influences the plasma and blood mononuclear cell IL-6 and IL-10 response to exercise. A double-blinded study of supplementation with vitamin C was performed. After 15 days of supplementation with vitamin C (500 mg · day^?1, n = 16) or a placebo (n = 15), participants in the study completed a 15-km run competition. Blood samples were taken before and after competition. Oxidative stress markers, antioxidants, cortisol, IL-6 and IL-10 were determined in plasma or serum. IL-6 and IL-10 protein and mRNA levels were measured in blood mononuclear cells. Although higher plasma and blood mononuclear cell vitamin C levels were observed in the supplemented group when compared with the placebo one, the two groups showed identical exercise-induced changes in all the measured parameters. Exercise induced increased IL-6 and IL-10 levels in plasma and blood mononuclear cells. IL-6 and IL-10 mRNA levels in blood mononuclear cells increased after the competition. After recovery, IL-6 mRNA returned to basal levels and IL-10 mRNA levels remained elevated. In conclusion, exercise induced increased IL-6 and IL-10 production in blood mononuclear cells. However, vitamin C supplementation did not influence IL-6 and IL-10 response to exercise.     

Landing techniques in volleyball

Abstract

Knee injuries such as anterior cruciate ligament lesions and patellar tendonitis are very frequent in volleyball, and are often attributed to micro traumas that occur during the landing phase of airborne actions. The aim of the present study was to compare different jumping activities during official men's and women's volleyball games. Twelve top-level matches from the Italian men's and women's professional leagues were analysed. The jumps performed during the games were classified according to the landing technique used by the player (left or right foot or both feet together), court position, and ball trajectory. Chi-square analyses were performed to detect differences in landing techniques between the sexes, court positions, and trajectories when serving, attacking, blocking, and setting. Significant differences (P < 0.05) were found between the sexes for block, set, and spike but not for the jump serve. The frequency of landings on one foot was related to court position and the trajectory of the sets: when spiking faster sets, the players were more likely to use a one-footed landing. The present results should help coaches and physiotherapists to devise appropriate training and prevention programmes, and reveal the need for further detailed biomechanical investigations of the relationships between landings and knee injuries.     

The relationship between approaches to teaching, approaches to e-teaching and perceptions of the teaching situation in relation to e-learning among higher education teachers

This study extends prior research on approaches to teaching and perceptions of the teaching situation by investigating these elements when e-learning is involved. In this study, approaches to teaching ranged from a focus on the teacher and the taught content to a focus on the student and their learning, resembling those reported in previous investigations. Approaches to e-teaching ranged from a focus on information transmission to a focus on communication and collaboration. An analysis of perceptions of the teaching situation in relation to e-learning identified key themes influencing adopted approaches: control of teaching, institutional strategy, pedagogical and technological support, time required, teacher skills for using e-learning, and student abilities and willingness for using learning technology. Associations between these elements showed three groups of teachers: one focusing on transmission of information teaching both face-to-face and online while having a general negative perception of the teaching situation in relation to e-learning; a second focusing on student learning both face-to-face and online while having a general positive perception; and a third presenting unexpected patterns of associations. These results may be helpful for supporting different groups of teachers in employing e-learning in their on-campus units of study. At the same time, further research is proposed for inquiring into specific approaches in different disciplines and different university contexts.