Second Chance Programmes: a response to educational needs in compulsory education

This paper asks whether the integrated training provision currently offered through the different Spanish Second Chance Programmes (SCPs) constitutes a valid response to the educational needs and deficits known to exist among those young people who do not satisfactorily complete the Compulsory Secondary Education stage (ESO). The objectives of the current Social Guarantee Programmes (SGPs) are examined, as are the characteristics of the young people who participate in them. The Programmes of Initial Vocational Qualification (PCPI) envisaged in the most recent educational legislation are also discussed. Having identified the key factors which the empirical studies suggest influence the effectiveness of these programmes in addressing the educational needs and training deficiencies of the young people involved, a number of proposals are presented in connection with the training needs of teaching staff. The paper concludes with a number of proposals for improving the educational response to the challenges that the new perspectives and expectations raise for the development of a system of inclusive education to overcome the education deficits of the young people concerned.     

A study of students' perceptions of the organisation and effectiveness of fieldwork in earth sciences education

This paper reports the findings of a preliminary evaluation of an in-service training programme designed for practising geology/earth science teachers in Portuguese high schools and intended to enhance the effectiveness of fieldwork activities organised by them for their students. Among the points particularly stressed during the in-service training were that students should be adequately prepared for fieldwork through classroom-based activities prior to the fieldwork itself and that to arrive at the maximum educational benefit for the students, they should be involved in collaborative group-based investigation. The findings, derived from an enquiry among students following their exposure to fieldwork, revealed that in both these aspects teachers failed to put theory into practice, probably as the result of a lack of confidence to implement novel procedures. On the positive side, the students reported that they enjoyed the social interaction with other students that the fieldwork made possible and the opportunity to work independently of the teachers.     

Synthetic hybrid indicators based on scientific collaboration to quantify and evaluate individual research results

Governmental initiatives around scientific policy have progressively raised collaboration to priority status. In this context, a need has arisen to broaden the traditional approach to the analysis and study of research results by descending to the group or even the individual scale and supplementing the output-, productivity-, visibility- and impact-based focus with new measures that emphasize collaboration from the vantage of structural analysis. To this end, the present paper proposes new hybrid indicators for the analysis and evaluation of individual research results, popularity and prestige, that combine bibliometric and structural aspects. A case study was conducted of the nine most productive departments in Carlos III University of Madrid. The findings showed hybridization to be a tool sensitive to traditional indicators, but also to the new demands of modern science as a self-organized system of interaction among individuals, furnishing information on researchers’ environments and the behaviour and attitudes adopted within those environments.     

Visualizing and monitoring effective interactions in online collaborative groups

Online education based on small self‐managing groups, with slight supervision by a professional tutor, is a strategically interesting methodology for lifelong learning. This solution may combine aspects of cost‐effectiveness (reducing tutors' work) with the demands for active and engaging learning methods based on the exchange and sharing of experiences. In such a context, how can information on collaborative attitudes and behaviour be gathered? A typical tool for online learning activities is the threaded web forum. This study proposes a methodology for assessing effective collaborative interactions within the add‐on module, Forum Plus, for the Moodle learning management system (LMS). The methodology here presented is able to supply an early overview of the level of effectiveness of the collaborative group and therefore it may provide a useful instrument to guide further qualitative observations conducted directly in the web forum.     

Effect of different velocity loss thresholds during a power-oriented resistance training program on the mechanical capacities of lower-body muscles

This study compared the effects of two velocity loss thresholds during a power-oriented resistance training program on the mechanical capacities of lower-body muscles. Twenty men were counterbalanced in two groups (VL10 and VL20) based on their maximum power capacity. Both groups used the same exercises, relative intensity and repetition volume, only differing in the velocity loss threshold of each set (VL10: 10% vs. VL20: 20%). Pre- and post-training assessments included an incremental loading test and a 15-m linear sprint to assess the force- and load-velocity relationships and athletic performance variables, respectively. No significant between-group differences (P > 0.05) were observed for the force-velocity relationship parameters (ES range = 0.15–0.42), the MPV attained against different external loads (ES range = 0.02–0.18) or the 15-m sprint time (ES = 0.09). A high between-participants variability was reported for the number of repetitions completed in each training set (CV = 30.3% for VL10 and 29.4% for VL20). These results suggest that both velocity loss thresholds induce similar changes on the lower-body function. The high and variable number of repetitions completed may compromise the velocity-based approach for prescribing and monitoring the repetition volume during a power-oriented resistance training program conducted with the countermovement jump exercise.     

A noise-filtering event generator for PIDPlus controllers

In this paper we propose a new event generator, which has strong noise-filtering capabilities, to be used in event-based control systems with a PIDPlus controller. An approximate frequency analysis is performed in order to characterize the event generator system and tuning guidelines are provided for its design parameter. Simulation and experimental results obtained with a laboratory setup demonstrate the effectiveness of the methodology in providing a satisfactory performance related to set-point and load disturbance step responses with a total variation that is significantly reduced with respect to the standard cases.     

Protective effects of photobiomodulation against resistance exercise-induced muscle damage and inflammation in rats

We investigated whether low-level laser therapy (LLLT) prior to or post resistance exercise could attenuate muscle damage and inflammation. Female Wistar rats were assigned to non-LLLT or LLLT groups. An 830-nm DMC Laser Photon III was used to irradiate their hind legs with 2J, 4J, and 8J doses. Irradiations were performed prior to or post (4J) resistance exercise bouts. Resistance exercise consisted of four maximum load climbs. The load work during a resistance exercise bout was similar between Control (non-LLLT, 225 ± 10 g), 2J (215 ± 8 g), 4J (210 ± 9 g), and 8J (226 ± 9 g) groups. Prior LLLT did not induce climbing performance improvement, but exposure to 4J irradiation resulted in lower blood lactate levels post-exercise. The 4J dose decreased creatine kinase and lactic dehydrogenase levels post-exercise regardless of the time of application. Moreover, 4-J irradiation exposure significantly attenuated tumor necrosis factor alpha, interleukin-6, interleukin-1β, cytokine-induced neutrophil chemoattractant-1, and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1. There was minor macrophage muscle infiltration in 4J-exposed rats. These data indicate that LLLT prior to or post resistance exercise can reduce muscle damage and inflammation, resulting in muscle recovery improvement. We attempted to determine an ideal LLLT dose for suitable results, wherein 4J irradiation exposure showed a significant protective role.     

Effect of contact and no-contact small-sided games on elite handball players

This study aimed to investigate the effect of contact (C-SSG) and no-contact (NC-SSG) handball small-sided games (SSGs) on motion patterns and physiological responses of elite handball players. Twelve male handball players performed 10 C-SSG and 10 NC-SSG while being monitored through the heart rate (HR) and rate of perceived exertion (RPE) as physiological responses and time-motion activities profile using video-match analysis. Both game conditions resulted in similar HR responses (P > 0.05), but the NC-SSG led to a higher RPE scores. The time-motion activity analysis featured NC-SSG with a greater amount of walking (855.6 ± 25.1 vs. 690.6 ± 35.2 m) and backward movements (187.5 ± 12.3 vs. 142.5 ± 8.7 m) combined with fast running (232.3 ± 8.5 vs. 159.7 ± 5.7 m) and sprinting (79.5 ± 4.7 vs. 39.7 ± 3.7 m) activities (P < 0.001). Conversely, C-SSG had a higher percentage of jogging and sideway movements associated with greater frequency of jumping (0.87 ± 0.09 vs. 0.31 ± 0.06 nr) and physical contact (1.82 ± 0.55 vs. 0.25 ± 0.03 nr) events (P < 0.001). No between-regimen differences were found for the number of throws (P = 0.745). In addition, the RPE was significantly correlated with fast running relative distances (r = 0.909, P < 0.001) and sprinting relative distances (r = 0.939, P < 0.001). In conclusion, this investigation showed that both C-SSG and NC-SSG in team handball can effectively represent specifically oriented exercises, according to the sport-task and the performance demands.