Process of internationalization of business schools in Latin America: the case of EAESP/FGV,Brazil

This article analyzes the theoretical and practical aspects of the academic internationalization process, through the main events and pathways developed over the 60 years of the EAESP/FGV, the São Paulo Business School of the Getulio Vargas Foundation (Brazil). A survey was conducted of former directors, coordinators of the main international programs and all school faculty (266 professors) about their training and international activities. EAESP/FGV has developed a diverse and consolidated international career, surpassing the activities related to teaching and student mobility. However, there are some opportunities to deepen internationalization as a strategic brand of the institution.     

The Effectiveness of Concept Maps in Teaching Physics Concepts Applied to Engineering Education: Experimental Comparison of the Amount of Learning Achieved With and Without Concept Maps

A study was conducted to quantify the effectiveness of concept maps in learning physics in engineering degrees. The following research question was posed: What was the difference in learning results from the use of concept maps to study a particular topic in an engineering course? The study design was quasi-experimental and used a post-test as a measuring instrument. The sample included 114 university students from the School of Industrial Engineering who were divided into two equivalent homogeneous groups of 57 students each. The amount of learning attained by the students in each group was compared, with the independent variable being the teaching method; the experimental group (E.G.) used concept maps, while the control group (C.G.) did not. We performed a crossover study with the two groups of students, with one group acting as the E.G. for the topic of optical fibers and as the C.G. for the topic of the fundamental particles of matter and vice versa for the other group. For each of the two topics studied, the evaluation instrument was a test of 100 dichotomous items. The resulting data were subjected to a comparative statistical analysis, which revealed a significant difference in the amount of learning attained by the E.G. students as compared with the C.G. students. The results allow us to state that for the use of concept maps, the average increment in the E.G. students’ learning was greater than 19 percentage points.     

Engaging pedagogy: One student's lesson in teaching and learning

The semester José‐Luis Riera spent on both sides of the desk—as a student and an instructor‐opened his eyes to the challenges and responsibilities of both roles in the process of engaged learning.     

Centre of pressure correlates with pyramid performance in acrobatic gymnastics

Acrobatic gymnasts need excellent balance control to execute pyramids where one gymnast is supported by another. The objectives of this study were: (1) to describe balance performance by assessing the centre of pressure displacement in a group of acrobatic gymnasts executing pyramids; (2) to determine the relationship between the parameters describing the centre of pressure oscillations and pyramid score; and (3) to examine the role of each foot in providing a solid base of support to maintain the balance of the pyramid. Sixteen acrobatic gymnasts grouped in pairs performed a Half pyramid and a Straddle pyramid held for 7 s on two force platforms. Path length, variance, range trajectory, and surface area of the centre of pressure of each foot were examined to analyse the balance of the pyramid. The path length was correlated with the pyramid score (Straddle: p = 0.692 [large]; Half: p = 0.407 [moderate]). There were differences in the functions of each leg to maintain balance, with the non-preferred leg supporting a higher weight of the pyramid while the preferred leg performed control movements to maintain balance. The results suggested that quantitative analysis of balance can provide important information on pyramid performance.     

Aspiraciones profesionales en alumnos de EGB

Resumen

En este artículo, los autores estudian las aspiraciones profesionales de un grupo de alumnos de EGB, con especial referencia a tres niveles—ideal, real, rechazo—y presentan el programa de orientación profesional que, a partir de dicho estudio, han elaborado.     

Dislexia fonémica: decodificación-codificación fonémica y comprensión lectora silenciosa

Resumen

Se estudiaron los procesos fonémicos de decodificación y codificación en relaáón a la comprensión lectora en una muestra de 49 disléxicos de 10 a 12 años, comparándolos con un grupo de 32 lectores normales, pareados por edad, curso y nivel socio-económico. Todos los niños tenían un CI normal y se les aplicó cuatro tests verbales estandarizados, más tareas experimentales de percepción, discriminación e integración auditivo-fonémica y de comprensión.

Se pudo delimitar, dentro de los disléxicos, un subgrupo de ellos con un rendimiento inferior en decodificación de pseudo-palabras, perceptión auditivo-fonémica, comprensión verbal oral y comprensión lectora silenciosa, lo que confirmó la hipótesis principal del estudio. Las diferencias entre disléxicos y lectores normales también fueron significativas. Los procesos fonémicos más estrechamente relaáonados con lectura y deletreo de pseudopalabras fueron discriminación auditiva de palabras similares e inversión oral de secuencias de letras CVC (trigramas). Esta investigación forma parte de un estudio de seguimiento.     

The study of the pupil’s cognitive structure: the concept of angle

The present research approached a problem which has a twofold aspect: the concept of angle and the techniques needed to represent how pupils construct that concept in their cognitive structure during their years in school. In order to access the knowledge of the concept of angle, we used the pathfinder associative networks. This technique provided us with the data of the 458 networks of the participating students, using 11 concepts related to the general concept of angle. We used quantitative indicators on the network characteristics: coherence, complexity, and similarity with others. Results showed how the pupil’s cognitive structure evolutioned during instruction and what were the most relevant concepts for them. On the basis of the results, we have proposed what we call the “Theory of Nuclear Concepts” which offers a new focus to understanding how the processes of teaching and learning occur.     

Expanding Integrated Pest Management Capacity: Rwanda Case Study

Abstract

Purpose

Rwanda is developing its agricultural capacity to meet the needs of national food security while addressing food demands and requirements of regional and international markets. The Rwanda Horticultural Export Standards Initiative was developed by the Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources in collaboration with Michigan State University to strengthen Rwanda's ability to meet both public and private standards for exports of food and agricultural products through capacity building.