Conceptual navigation in knowledge management environments using NavCon

This article presents conceptual navigation and NavCon, an architecture that implements this navigation in World Wide Web pages. NavCon architecture makes use of ontology as metadata to contextualize user search for information. Based on ontologies, NavCon automatically inserts conceptual links in Web pages. By using these links, the user may navigate in a graph representing ontology concepts and their relationships. By browsing this graph, it is possible to reach documents associated with the user desired ontology concept. This Web navigation supported by ontology concepts we call conceptual navigation. Conceptual navigation is a technique to browse Web sites within a context. The context filters relevant retrieved information. The context also drives user navigation through paths that meet his needs. A company may implement conceptual navigation to improve user search for information in a knowledge management environment. We suggest that the use of an ontology to conduct navigation in an Intranet may help the user to have a better understanding about the knowledge structure of the company.     

Analyzing ICT adoption and use effects on knowledge creation: An empirical investigation in SMEs

This paper investigates the influence of the adoption and use of information and communication technology (ICT) on organizational learning (OL). The focus is on knowledge, creation, as an articulated construct for the OL concept, and the SECI (Socialization, Externalization, Combination and Internalization) model is used as a reference for knowledge, creation. ICT use is seen here as consisting of three different orientations: informative, communicative and workflow. The results, based on a sample of around 300 Spanish small- and, medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), indicate that ICT has a significant positive influence on the, four processes for creating knowledge. ICT oriented to communication and workflow is found, to produce a significant positive impact on knowledge creation processes, except for, socialization process, while ICT use for information does not influence any of the processes for, creating knowledge and OL.     

Public policies towards Research Joint Venture: Institutional design and participants’ characteristics

In this paper, we present several insights regarding the influence of institutional design on the process of Research Joint Venture (RJV) formation. Our results are obtained with a firm-level dataset on RJVs formed under the umbrella of the Eureka initiative and of the European Union’s Framework Programmes (EU-FPs) for science and technology. We focus on firms that are known to have a high probability of forming RJVs, with the latter identified as firms with a past experience in collaborative research. The results indicate that EU-FP RJVs are consistent with a “top-down” and “mission oriented” research policy. By contrast, Eureka RJVs appear as more market driven and “bottom-up”.     

Teaching-learning methods and their effect on professional development and the development of graduates’ competencies / Métodos de enseñanza-aprendizaje y su efecto en el desarrollo profesional y competencial de los egresados

This article analyses the effect of the teaching-learning methods used in Spanish universities on three measures of educational output: average mark, graduates’ assessment of their professional performance in different dimensions, and their assessment of the acquisition of professional competencies and skills. Multi-level models were used in which graduates (first level) are grouped by field of study (second level). The Class attendance and Written work methods have the most influence on the average mark but influence the graduates’ working future the least, as measured with assessments of professional aspects or competencies. In contrast, Problem-based learning, In-company internships and Practical and methodological knowledge are the methods that bear the most influence on the graduates’ professional careers and their development of specific professional competencies.     

Academics’ participation in quality assurance: does it reflect ownership?

Academics’ support for quality assurance (QA) depends on several factors, including their sense of ownership, which seems to be influenced by academics’ participation in QA’s implementation. This paper aims to understand whether this participation is indeed contributing to academics’ ownership of QA. Findings from a survey of Portuguese academics’ on their participation in study programmes accreditation suggests that this may not be the case. Academics present a partial withdrawal towards effective participation in study programmes’ accreditation, especially regarding external assessment. Furthermore, they do not seem willing to enhance this participation nor are they very critical about it. Since academics’ sense of ownership is essential for the successful implementation of QA, these results may represent a challenge for both institutions and QA agencies.     

Foot strike pattern in preschool children during running: sex and shod–unshod differences

Purpose: This study aims to determine the foot strike patterns (FSPs) and neutral support (no inversion [INV]/eversion [EVE] and no foot rotation) in preschool children, as well as to determine the influence of shod/unshod conditions and sex. Methods: A total of 1356 children aged 3–6 years (673 boys and 683 girls) participated in this study. A sagittal and frontal-plane video (240?Hz) was recorded using a high-speed camcorder to record the following variables: rearfoot strike (RFS), midfoot strike (MFS), forefoot strike (FFS), inversion/ eversion (INV/EVE) and foot rotation on initial contact. Results: There were no between-sex significant differences in both shod and unshod conditions in RFS. In the unshod condition, there was a significant reduction (p?Conclusion: In preschool children, no between-sex differences were found in relation to prevalence of RFS and neutral support (no INV/EVE). Shod running alters FSP of running barefoot, producing a significant increase of RFS prevalence.     

Physical activity and school recess time: differences between the sexes and the relationship between children's playground physical activity and habitual physical activity

The aims of this study were: (1) to observe participation in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) during school recess periods; (2) to determine the relative importance of physical activity during recesses to overall daily physical activity; and (3) to examine differences in physical activity between the sexes during unstructured recess periods. The participants were 22 school children (10 boys, 12 girls) aged 8 - 10 years (mean = 8.9, s = 0.7) in the third and fourth grades. Daily totals for the physical activity variables were calculated by summing the values for each hour of 14 h of physical activity measurements (08:00 to 22:00 h). Recess times (minutes) were as follows: morning 10:30 to 11:00 h and afternoon 15:30 to 16:00 h. We did not differences between boys and girls in daily total accelerometer counts or the overall time spent in MVPA. However, girls were significantly (P < 0.05) more involved (38%) in MVPA during recess time than boys (31%). Participation in MVPA during recess contributes significantly more (P < 0.05) for girls (19%) than boys (15%) to the total amount of physical activity suggested by international health-related physical activity guidelines, while the percentage of time engaged in MVPA during recess time at school accounts for a small amount of the daily MVPA (6% for boys and 8% for girls). The results of this study suggest that school recess time is an important setting to promote MVPA and contributes to daily physical activity in young children, especially in girls.     

Les conferences internationales de l'instruction publique

Sans résumé     

STRUCTURE OF PRIMARY MATHEMATICS TEACHER EDUCATION PROGRAMS IN SPAIN

Spain was 1 of the 17 countries that participated in the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement’s Teacher Education and Development Study in Mathematics (TEDS-M 2008). In this paper, we explore and describe the structure of Spanish primary mathematics teacher education programs. We analyzed the documents collected from the 48 sampled Spanish institutions that participated in TEDS-M. Our approach to the syllabus analysis focused on the established content dimension of curriculum in educators’ syllabi. These contents are structured into 4 knowledge domains—school mathematics, advanced mathematics, general pedagogy, and mathematics pedagogy—and categorized into subjects and topics. The results show that Spanish teacher education programs are diverse across institutions, but follow a basic structure that emphasizes the teaching of general pedagogy subjects.