A Qualitative Study on Book Clubs and Dialogic Literary Gatherings in Spain and Brazil

Some organizations in Spain that seek to foster innovation in reading are keen to establish book clubs or dialogical literary gatherings. However, there are notable differences between these two practices that are not always clear. This paper presents the results of an observational study based on participant observation and interviews with key informants that tackle their similarities and differences in school and social settings. The results show that their differences lie in origin, purpose, methodology, and coordination, among others. The conclusions show different paradigms behind these practices, and organizations should opt for one or the other.     

Reversible atransferrinemia in a patient with chronic enteropathy: is transferrin mandatory for iron transport?

Herein, we report the case of a 42-year-old woman, hospitalized in a French tertiary hospital for a relapse of a chronic enteropathy, who was found on admission to have no detectable serum transferrin. Surprisingly, she only exhibited mild anaemia. This atransferrinemia persisted for two months throughout her hospitalization, during which her haemoglobin concentration remained broadly stable. Based on her clinical history and evolution, we concluded to an acquired atransferrinemia secondary to chronic undernutrition, inflammation and liver failure. We discuss the investigations performed in this patient, and hypotheses regarding the relative stability of her haemoglobin concentration despite the absence of detectable transferrin.     

Cerilla,mechero, fuego: claves de recuperación y recuerdo infantil

Resumen

Esta investigarón tiene como objeto averiguar el efecto de claves visuales que representan diversas relaciones específicas entre objetos, en pruebas de memoria aplicadas a 611 niños de siete años de edad, divididos en seis grupos experimentales. Los resultados sugieren un mejor recuerdo de las asociaciones sintagmáticas frente a las asociaciones paradigmáticas. Este hecho puede interpretarse como un dominio de la memoria episódica sobre la semántica en una determinada etapa evolutiva (aunque una interpretación alternativa sugiere que la interacción entre tarea y prueba tiene más peso que la interacción entre tarea y sujeto). Si se acepta el dominio de la memoria episódica en una cierta etapa evolutiva, queda pendiente de averiguar si este dominio se mantiene o no a lo largo de etapas posteriores y, en caso afirmativo, cuáles serían las implicaciones.     

The Adidactic Interaction with the Procedures of Peers in the Transition from Arithmetic to Algebra: A Milieu for the Emergence of New Questions

The purpose of the present article is to give an account of the emergence of knowledge pertaining to the transition from arithmetic to algebra in the course of a debate in a grade 7 classroom. This debate follows two other instances of work: (1) the adidactic interaction between each student and a given problem, (2) the adidactic interaction of each student with the procedures generated by other students during stage 1. The two kinds of processes – adaptation to a milieu and social interactions – play a critical role in the change of “rationality” required for the move from arithmetic to algebra. Both the design of the initial mathematical problem given to the students and the organization of the interactions leading to the debate under study in this article are based on this hypothesis. The research presented in this article is set in a broader work of didactic engineering that aims at studying didactic conditions for making a connection between arithmetic practices and algebraic practices.     

Learning Fractions by Splitting: Using Learning Analytics to Illuminate the Development of Mathematical Understanding

The struggle with fraction learning in kindergarten through Grade 12 in the United States is a persistent problem and one of the major stumbling blocks to succeeding in higher mathematics. Research into this problem has identified several areas where students commonly struggle with fractions. While there are many theories of fraction learning, none of the research on these theories employs samples large enough to test theories at scale or nuanced enough to demonstrate how learning unfolds over time during instructional activities based on these theories. The work reported here uses learning analytics methods with fine-grained log data from an online fraction game to unpack how splitting (i.e. partitioning a whole into equal-sized parts) impacts learning. Study 1 demonstrated that playing the game significantly improved students’ fraction understanding. In addition, a cluster analysis suggested that exploring splitting was beneficial. Study 2 replicated the learning results, and a cluster analysis showed that compared to early game play, later game play showed more optimal splitting strategies. In addition, in looking at the types of transitions that were possible between a student’s early cluster categorization and later cluster categorization, we found that some types of transitions were more beneficial for learning than others.     

Evaluation of an Augmented Reality Application for Learning Neuroanatomy in Psychology

Neuroanatomy is difficult for psychology students because of spatial visualization and the relationship among brain structures. Some technologies have been implemented to facilitate the learning of anatomy using three-dimensional (3D) visualization of anatomy contents. Augmented reality (AR) is a promising technology in this field. A mobile AR application to provide the visualization of morphological and functional information of the brain was developed. A sample of 67 students of neuropsychology completed tests for visuospatial ability, anatomical knowledge, learning goals, and experience with technologies. Subsequently, they performed a learning activity using one of the visualization methods considered: a 3D method using the AR application and a two-dimensional (2D) method using a textbook to color, followed by questions concerning their satisfaction and knowledge. After using the alternative method, the students expressed their preference. The two methods improved knowledge equally, but the 3D method obtained higher satisfaction scores and was more preferred by students. The 3D method was also more preferred by the students who used this method during the activity. After controlling for the method used in the activity, associations were found between the preference of the 3D method because of its usability and experience with technologies. These results found that the AR application was highly valued by students to learn and was as effective as the textbook for this purpose.     

La adquisición del lenguaje matemático: un difícil equilibrio entre el rigor y el significado

Que las matemáticas se refieren en último término a una realidad concreta y que su formalismo exige pese a todo un contenido es una de las tesis defendida en este artículo. Otra tesis adicional es que estos formalismos no se construyen interna e individualmente, sino externamente y en la interacción social. De ambas tesis, la autora extrae una mejor comprensión de los problemas del niño con las matemáticas y de lo que se puede hacer para resolverlos.