Activity-related typologies and longitudinal change in physical activity and sedentary time in children and adolescents: The UP&DOWN Study

Background: Children and adolescents can be distinguished by different typologies (clusters) of physical activity and sedentary behavior. How physical activity ...     

Social engagement and regional theatre: patterns of theatre attendance

This paper assesses the degree to which a typical regional theatre engages with society. It uses postcodes from theatre booking data and compares the socioecenomic profiles of these postcodes with postcodes from which no theatregoers are drawn. A re-working of recent theories of class provides a conceptual context, whilst discriminant analysis is used to identify the socioecenomic factors of postcodes associated with theatre and non-theatre attendance. Education factors were the principal determinants of attendance, with occupational categories being important, but lower socioecenomic groups were less likely to engage with theatre. However, social engagement and factors determining attendance varied by type of show: comedy, drama, family and Shakespearian productions.     

New concepts in reassessing mining heritage: A study and its implications from the Ancient Iron Mine of Llumeres (North Spain)

The possibility of giving a continuing value to an abandoned historic mine is not only of academic interest but can be a crucial economic and heritage issue for regions with long mining traditions but which are now severely affected by mine closures. This article suggests a different perspective on the rationale for studying, preserving and developing our mining heritage as an educational facility. To illustrate the case, the ancient iron mine of Llumeres, in the Asturias region, in North Spain, is presented as an example. A key point of our thesis is that a closed mine is not a ‘dead entity’ but simply in transition to another useful state and that after the closure, another organism arises, with very different appearance and vital signs. We suggest that this new organism be recognised for its high patrimonial value and that this heritage value be preserved. Accepting this point of view would mean an increase in efforts to identify and appropriately manage these vital signs. We propose that the particular mining-related aspects (which are usually viewed as negative, such as subsidence or groundwater modification), be considered as part of the heritage of the mining activity, considered in the widest sense. To facilitate understanding, these are discussed in comparison to those for a prehistoric cave, for which there is a broader experience and solid knowledge and recognition of heritage value. We have also analyzed the importance of recognising the geometric and functional relationships between the underground workings and the superficial signatures, in defining an extended patrimonial entity, which has been recently presented to the cultural and political authorities. For the case of the iron mine of Llumeres, we explain the methodology required to analyze and classify the documents in order to investigate and reconstruct the 3D geometric structure of the mine and how this can be integrated into a Geographical Information System (GIS) to improve management and editing of the information. Additionally, the historic mining technological methods employed in the underground workings of Llumeres have been studied and all the information integrated into a 3D visualization package and made available as a free 3D video sample of the subsurface information. In summary, this work represents a major step forward in improving our knowledge of the ancient iron mine of Llumeres and, as a consequence, it has been possible, for the first time, to consider the underground mining heritage in the framework of the better known (but as yet unrecognised) overground heritage. This new patrimonial entity offers enhanced possibilities for acceptance and recognition in a societal context and to aid that acceptance, we propose a radical conceptual change of perspective, pointing out new elements requiring research.     

Adequate Policies and Unintended Effects in Spanish Higher Education

Recent developments in Spanish higher education have been very positive.Universities have become autonomous and are more in tune to regionalneeds, their internal structure has become flexible, the whole systemhas become open and accessible, funds have been poured into the system as never before and market forces have started to play a relevant role.Nevertheless, some perverse effects have begun to emerge. We will focus on some of these negative aspects that deserve deeper consideration: the inadequate adaptation to a mass higher education system, and the negativeconsequences of the collegial model for governing universities and ofregionalization.     

The Effect of Stereoscopic Augmented Reality Visualization on Learning Anatomy and the Modifying Effect of Visual-Spatial Abilities: A Double-Center Randomized Controlled Trial

Monoscopically projected three-dimensional (3D) visualization technology may have significant disadvantages for students with lower visual-spatial abilities despite its overall effectiveness in teaching anatomy. Previous research suggests that stereopsis may facilitate a better comprehension of anatomical knowledge. This study evaluated the educational effectiveness of stereoscopic augmented reality (AR) visualization and the modifying effect of visual-spatial abilities on learning. In a double-center randomized controlled trial, first- and second-year (bio)medical undergraduates studied lower limb anatomy with stereoscopic 3D AR model (n = 20), monoscopic 3D desktop model (n = 20), or two-dimensional (2D) anatomical atlas (n = 18). Visual-spatial abilities were tested with Mental Rotation Test (MRT), Paper Folding Test (PFT), and Mechanical Reasoning (MR) Test. Anatomical knowledge was assessed by the validated 30-item paper posttest. The overall posttest scores in the stereoscopic 3D AR group (47.8%) were similar to those in the monoscopic 3D desktop group (38.5%; P = 0.240) and the 2D anatomical atlas group (50.9%; P = 1.00). When stratified by visual-spatial abilities test scores, students with lower MRT scores achieved higher posttest scores in the stereoscopic 3D AR group (49.2%) as compared to the monoscopic 3D desktop group (33.4%; P = 0.015) and similar to the scores in the 2D group (46.4%; P = 0.99). Participants with higher MRT scores performed equally well in all conditions. It is instrumental to consider an aptitude–treatment interaction caused by visual-spatial abilities when designing research into 3D learning. Further research is needed to identify contributing features and the most effective way of introducing this technology into current educational programs.     

Learning Environment Perceptions of European University Students

This article describes a study of the experiences of 610 Dutch students and 241 European students who studied at least three months abroad within the framework of an international exchange program. The Dutch students went to a university in another European country and the foreign students went to a Dutch university. Using a new questionnaire called the Inventory of Perceived Study Environment (IPSE), students, perceptions of eight characteristics of the university learning environment were measured concerning the home university, the host university and the ideal learning environment. With this instrument, the learning environment can be described in terms analogous to the learning strategies performed. Large differences were found between the different countries in university learning environments, but students from different countries had strikingly similar opinions concerning their desired learning environment. There was a strong preference for activating instruction with a low threshold in teacher-student interaction and more room for student alternatives.     

PUBLIC EXPENDITURE ON HIGHER EDUCATION: A COMPARATIVE STUDY IN THE EC‐MEMBER STATES, 1975‐1990

This article is an exercise in cross‐national comparative research on the financing of higher education, the countries involved being the EC countries. Before relevant comparisons could be made, agreement had to be reached as to what “higher education” is and what “students” are. It was then necessary to find some way of making accurate comparisons of monetary units and of dealing with contradictory ways in which educational statistics were and still are collected and collated. A research strategy was developed using existing sources, a specially developed questionnaire, and consultation with national experts. The results displayed biases for which corrections had to be made. They also, however, displayed a wide variety in the level of higher education expenditure in the EC countries. The project gave rise to the creation of the first comprehensive database that covers public expenditure on higher education in the twelve member states of the EC. It can be regarded as the first step in the creation of the “perfect database” on higher education expenditure which in turn would be a most valuable tool for higher education policy‐makers.

     

A methodological approach for object-relational database design using UML

The most common way of designing databases is by means of a conceptual model, such as E/R, without taking into account other views of the system. New object-oriented design languages, such as UML (Unified Modelling Language), allow the whole system, including the database schema, to be modelled in a uniform way. Moreover, as UML is an extendable language, it allows for any necessary introduction of new stereotypes for specific applications. Proposals exist to extend UML with stereotypes for database design but, unfortunately, they are focused on relational databases. However, new applications require complex objects to be represented in complex relationships, object-relational databases being more appropriate for these requirements. The framework of this paper is an Object-Relational Database Design Methodology, which defines new UML stereotypes for Object-Relational Database Design and proposes some guidelines to translate a UML conceptual schema into an object-relational schema. The guidelines are based on the SQL: 1999 object-relational model and on Oracle8i as a product example.