Supervision of master theses based on Scrum: A case study

Education and Information Technologies - The success rate of a master program on Information Systems and Computer Engineering (MEIC) in a Portuguese university is very unsatisfactory, showing that...     

The Piagetian <Emphasis Type="Italic">Schème</Emphasis>: a Framework to Study Professional Learning Through Conceptualization

Different theories of learning have been used in vocational education studies and Piaget is a common source of reference. Our intent is to present a specific and original way in which the Piagetian theory of schèmes has been developed since the 1990s in studies called “vocational didactics”. Developed in French-speaking countries and mostly unknown to an international audience, this approach offers a specific use of Jean Piaget’s theory of learning, which has been applied to adult learning and vocational education. We will first develop the theoretical foundation of the theory of schèmes as developed by Vergnaud (1989, Recherches en didactique des mathématiques, 10(2–3), 133–170, 1990, 1996, 2001) and others after Piaget (1947). Then, we will present the methodological perspective of this approach. We will finally present significant research results to illustrate outcomes and practical implications for vocational training.     

Lower limb muscle activity during table tennis strokes

This study aimed to compare the muscle activity of lower limbs across typical table tennis strokes. Fourteen high-level players participated in this study in which five typical strokes (backhand top, forehand top, forehand spin, forehand smash, flick) were analysed. Surface electromyography activity (EMG) of eight muscles was recorded (gluteus maximus, biceps femoris, vastus medialis, vastus lateralis, rectus femoris, gastrocnemius medialis, gastrocnemius lateralis, soleus) and normalised to the maximal activity measured during squat jump or isometric maximal voluntary contractions. The forehand spin, the forehand top and the forehand smash exhibited significant higher EMG amplitude when compared with other strokes. Both biceps femoris and gluteus maximus were strongly activated during the smash, forehand spin and forehand top (from 62.8 to 91.7% of maximal EMG activity). Both vastii and rectus femoris were moderately to strongly activated during the forehand spin (from 50.4 to 62.2% of maximal EMG activity) whereas gastrocnemii and soleus exhibited the highest level of activity during the smash (from 67.1 to 92.1% of maximal EMG activity). Our study demonstrates that offensive strokes, such as smash or forehand top, exhibit higher levels of activity than other strokes.     

Clustering performances in the NBA according to players’ anthropometric attributes and playing experience

The aim of this study was: (i) to group basketball players into similar clusters based on a combination of anthropometric characteristics and playing experience; and (ii) explore the distribution of players (included starters and non-starters) from different levels of teams within the obtained clusters. The game-related statistics from 699 regular season balanced games were analyzed using a two-step cluster model and a discriminant analysis. The clustering process allowed identifying five different player profiles: Top height and weight (HW) with low experience, TopHW-LowE; Middle HW with middle experience, MiddleHW-MiddleE; Middle HW with top experience, MiddleHW-TopE; Low HW with low experience, LowHW-LowE; Low HW with middle experience, LowHW-MiddleE. Discriminant analysis showed that TopHW-LowE group was highlighted by two-point field goals made and missed, offensive and defensive rebounds, blocks, and personal fouls; whereas the LowHW-LowE group made fewest passes and touches. The players from weaker teams were mostly distributed in LowHW-LowE group, whereas players from stronger teams were mainly grouped in LowHW-MiddleE group; and players that participated in the finals were allocated in the MiddleHW-MiddleE group. These results provide alternative references for basketball staff concerning the process of evaluating performance.     

The AGTR2 rs11091046 (A>C) polymorphism and power athletic status in top-level Brazilian athletes

The main purpose of this study was to investigate if the rs11091046 (A>C) polymorphism in AGTR2 gene is associated with athletic status in top-level athletes from Brazil. Since the AGTR2 gene is located on the X chromosome, the case-control association study was done separately for women and men. The female cohort was composed of 205 athletes and 241 non-athletes, and the male cohort was composed of 419 athletes and 490 non-athletes. We did not identify an association between the C-allele and the endurance phenotype. However, power athletes had a higher frequency of the A-allele. In women, A/A genotype was overrepresented in international-level power group compared with non-athletes or international-level endurance athletes (23.2% vs. 16.6% or 8.8%, respectively; p < 0.05). In men, the A-allele frequency observed in power athletes or international-level power athletes was statistically different from that observed in non-athletes (51.6% or 57.8% vs. 40.4%; p < 0.009). Furthermore, men sprinters with the A-allele showed significantly faster personal best times for the 100 m than those with the C-allele (10.56 ± 0.32 s vs. 10.93 ± 0.49 s; p < 0.02). In conclusion, it was found that the AGTR2 A-allele is a candidate genetic marker for top-level power athletes.     

Les repre´sentations des futurs enseignants que´becois du primaire au regard de la formation initiale et des responsabilite´s des formateurs

Dans cet article, nous faisons état des résultats d'une recherche menée auprès des divers intervenants du processus de formation initiale à l'enseignement préscolaire et primaire à l'Université de Sherbrooke. L'objectif de la recherche était de dégager les représentations sociales des diverses catégories d'intervenants au regard des concepts de compétence, de pédagogie et de didactique, ainsi que sur la place et les fonctions attribuées par les étudiants aux différents types de formateurs. Les résultats suggèrent que les étudiants ont des positions beaucoup plus rapprochées de celles des enseignants du primaire que de celles des formateurs universitaires. Ils montrent également plusieurs distinctions quant à l'attribution des compétences de formation aux divers types d'intervenants et quant aux lieux privilégiés de formation. Ces constats soulignent l'importance d'établir un dialogue plus étroit entre les divers partenaires de la formation initiale des futurs enseignants. In this paper, we present various results of a piece of research undertaken with different partners involved in the teacher education programme offered by the University of Sherbrooke (Canada). The main purpose of the research was to identify the place and role that should be taken by various categories of trainer. Our results suggest that students align their behaviour far more closely to that of serving teachers than they do to those of academics. Results also reveal many distinctions between students' categories about what are the specific competencies of the trainers as well as what is the best training context. These results confirm the importance that should be given to improving dialogue between the various partners in programmes of teacher education. En este artículo tratamos de los resultados de una investigación realizada con los varios actores del proceso de formación inicial docente al preescolar y al primario en la Universidad de Sherbrooke. El objectivo central de esta investigación era de indicar las representaciones sociales de dichas categorías de actores a propósito de los conceptos de competencia, de pedagogía y de didáctica, asíque el lugar y la función atribuida, de parte de los estudiantes, a las varias categorias de formadores. Segun los resultados de la investigación, las representaciones de los estudiantes quedan mucho mas cercanas de aquellas compartidas por los docentes del medio (preescolar y primario) que de las representaciones de los docentes universitarios. Se notan también muchas diferencias en terminos de reconocimiento de unas competencias a la formación y de lugares de formación mas importantes atribuidas a las varias categorias de formadores. Estos logros van en el sentido de mejorar el diálogo entre los varios partenarios de la formación de los docentes. In diesem Artikel stellen wir die Ergebnisse einer wissenschaftlichen Forschungsarbeit gegenüber verschiedener Intervenienten im Entwicklungsprozess der Grundausbildung in der Kindergartenausbildung sowie in der Grundschulausbildung auf der Universität von Sherbrooke vor. Vorhaben dieser Forschung war es die sozialen Vorstellungen der verschiedenen Kategorien von Interventienten gegenüber der Vorstellung von Kompetenz, Pädagogik und Didaktik, sowie die Stellung und Funktion verschiedener Ausbildungstypen hervorzuheben. Die Ergebnisse lassen darauf schliessen dass der Standpunkt der Studenten näher an den der Grundschullehrer herankommt als an den der Universitätsausbilder. Sie zeigen auch grundlegende Unterschiede in der Zuteilung der Kompetenzen der Ausbildung in den verschiedenen Interventionstypen sowie in den bevorteiligten Ausbildungsorten. Diese Feststellung unterstreicht die Wichtigkeit eines engeren Dialogs zwischen den verschiedenen Partnern der Grundausbildung des zukünftigen Lehrpersonals.     

Using VR for Efficient Training of Forestry Machine Operators

This paper presents the results of two years of field trials of a 3D graphical simulator of forestry machines called processing harvesters, for the training of students in wood harvesting.It is a comparative study of the results between the traditional training where students go directly from the classroom to real machine operation in the woods and a new VR augmented training. The results indicate that the addition of 25 hours of hands-on VR training increases by 23% the volume of wood harvested and reduces by 26% the repair and maintenance costs during the first month of operation in forest.The use of VR also allowed precise recording and monitoring of the evolution of trainees' performance during their training sessions, showing learning curves that decrease with time for all the defined performance criteria (execution time, error rate and precision).The field trials were held in a training center with four classes of eleven students in wood harvesting and are the first known experiments concerning the use of virtual reality technologies for the training of students in forestry.     

Spatial learning by rats across visually disconnected environments

Experiments were designed in which some properties of spatial representations in rats could be examined. Adult subjects were trained to escape through a hole at a fixed position in a large circular arena (see Schenk, 1989). The experiments were conducted in the dark, with a limited number of controlled visual light cues, in order to assess the minimal cue requirement for place learning. Three light cues identical in shape, height, and distance from the table were used. Depending on the condition, they were either permanently on or alternatively on or off, contingent on the position of the rat in the field. Two questions were asked: (1) How many identical visual cues were necessary for spatial discrimination in the dark, and (2) could rats integrate the relative positions of separate cues, under conditions in which the rat was never allowed to perceive all three cues simultaneously. The results suggest that rats are able to achieve a place discrimination task even if the three cues necessary for efficient orientation can never be seen simultaneously. A dissociation between the discrimination of the spatial position of the goal and the capacity to reach it by a direct path suggests that, with a reduced number of cues, prolonged locomotion might be required for accurate orientation in the environment.