Using Megaplanning in CSO Projects— Bringing Social Sectors Together for Measurable and Sustainable Social Impact

ABSTRACT Civil Society Organizations (CSO) can improve their effectiveness and add measurable value to society by using a megaplanning approach as the guiding criteria for their organizational planning. This article shows how Asociación Conciencia, a leading Argentinean CSO, has used megaplanning to clarify its vision, mission, align its goals and programs and update its mission and programs over more than twenty years of critical social changes in Argentina.     

Event,currere, and the ignorant schoolmaster

PROSPECTS - The Covid-19 pandemic has transformed the higher education systems in ways that make visible problems that already existed but that previously were not fully noticed. The pandemic can...     

Time-course of running treadmill adaptation in novice treadmill runners

ABSTRACT

Studies on running biomechanics and energetics are usually conducted on a treadmill. To ensure that locomotion on a treadmill is comparable to locomotion overground, participants need to be expert in the use of the device. This study aimed to identify the number and duration of sessions needed to obtain stable measurements for spatiotemporal and metabolic parameters in unexperienced treadmill runners. Fourteen male recreational runners performed three 15-min treadmill running trials in different days at a submaximal speed. Spatiotemporal and metabolic parameters were registered at minutes: 5, 10, 15 and their within-trial and between-trial changes were analysed using a two-way repeated measures ANOVA and Bonferroni post-hoc test. Within-trial differences were found in step frequency (decreased over time), Step Length and Contact Time (increased), reaching stability at different time points. Ventilator parameters increased, reaching stability after 5–10 min, while heart rate increased progressively over time. The only between-trial differences were an increase in step length and a decrease in step frequency at min 1, between trials 1 and 3. In conclusion, at least three running trials of 15 min are required to familiarize with the device. The last 5 min of the third trial can be regarded as stable measurements.     

Study and Conservation of the St. Nicola's Basilica Mosaics (Bari,Italy) by Photogrammetric Survey: Mapping of Polychrome Marbles,Decorative Patterns and Past Restorations

ABSTRACT

This present work focuses on the mapping of marbles, decorative patterns and area of the mosaics of the St. Nicola’s Basilica in Bari (Italy) by their photogrammetric survey. The extraordinary importance of these mosaics is due to the stylistic uniqueness and the undisputed workmanship and to the employed materials for tesserae. These mosaics include the white and polychrome marbles, used in the Roman age and reused in medieval artistic production, and imitation stones used as substitutes during the past restorations. The digital survey was realised by the photogrammetric reconstruction of mosaics collecting a photo dataset, after the mosaics redrawing by an image processing software and finally implemented it with lithological identification marbles. It allowed to obtain a punctual mapping of materials, through which to identify original areas and restoration areas, decorative patterns, recurring geometries. The research carried out, supported by the photogrammetric reconstruction as established method for high resolution digital reproduction and mapping, not only ensures the conservation and improvement of the enjoyment of the mosaic floors of the St. Nicola’s Basilica, but allows to conduct studies on materials, decorative patterns and restoration areas directly on the digitized product.     

Differently structured advance organizers lead to different initial schemata and learning outcomes

Does the specific structure of advance organizers influence learning outcomes? In the first experiment, 48 psychology students were randomly assigned to three differently structured advance organizers: a well-structured, a well-structured and key-concept emphasizing, and a less structured advance organizer. These were followed by a sorting task, a text study phase, and a posttest. The results indicated that differently structured advance organizers lead to different proto-schemata before and different learning outcomes after the text study phase. The second experiment replicated and extended these findings with 53 mathematics students. As in experiment 1, three differently structured advance organizers were used; but to rule out alternative explanations, the sorting task between the advance organizer and the text study phase was omitted. The results showed strong beneficial effects of well-structured advance organizers on near and far transfer tasks. Taken together, both experiments support the claim that the structure of advance organizers has an effect on preliminary schemata and learning outcomes. On a general level, the results indicate that advance organizers can support the generation of proto-schemata and thus can be more than the activation of “existing” concepts in long-term memory. With regard to education, this implies that educators should not only think about whether prior domain-specific knowledge is present, but also about how to scaffold the generation of proto-schemata at the beginning of instruction.     

The effect of social programs and exposure to professionals on the educational aspirations of the poor

Investment in human capital is an important tool for reducing poverty. However, the poor may lack the capacity to aspire, which often results in underinvestment in their children's education. This paper studies the effect of a social program on the educational aspirations poor parents have for their children, and explores the role of exposure to educated professionals as a possible channel for increasing these aspirations. First, using differences-in-differences, we show that the Mexican antipoverty program PROGRESA raises the educational aspirations of beneficiary parents for their children of a third of a school year. Then, exploiting PROGRESA's mandated differential exposure to professionals, using triple differences, we find evidence suggesting that educational aspirations for children from high-exposure households are almost half of a school year higher six months after the start of the program. Finally, we show that there is a positive correlation between parental aspirations and children's educational attainment.     

Teaching Clinical Social Work in Spanish: Cultural Competency in Mental Health

We have developed a new graduate elective in the MSW degree program called Evaluación e Intervención en Español (Assessment and Intervention in Spanish). This class, taught entirely in Spanish, is designed to train Spanish-speaking MSW students in culturally and linguistically competent clinical practice with Hispanic clients. In this case study, we summarize the course.     

Emotional education program for adolescents (PREDEMA): evaluation from the perspective of students and effects on socio-affective competences / Programa de educación emocional para adolescentes (PREDEMA): valoración desde la perspectiva de los participantes y sus efectos en las competencias socio-afectivas

The literature reveals multiple benefits of emotional education in adolescents’ development. This study examines the effects perceived by participants in the Emotional Education Programme for Adolescents (PREDEMA), which is based on the ability model of emotional intelligence and assumes a dialogical paradigm geared at meaningful learning. A total of 293 students aged 11 to 15 participated in the programme. A mixed methodology was used to evaluate the intervention, analysing participants’ perceived learning and exploring their subjective experience in depth. The results indicate significant learning in all four emotional competences described by the emotional intelligence model, as well as in related areas. The contribution of the qualitative methodology in combination with quantitative analysis is discussed to explore the effects of emotional education programmes that promote adolescents’ emotional awareness.     

Understanding parental views of adolescent sexuality and sex education in Ecuador: a qualitative study

Parents' contribution to sex education is increasingly receiving research attention. This growing interest stems from recognition of the influence that parental attitudes may have both on young people's sexual attitudes and behaviour, and on school-based sex education. Studies regarding parental attitudes towards sexuality are, however, still rare. The two main objectives of this study were to explore parental views about sexuality and to understand parental attitudes towards sex education. Four focus group discussions were conducted with parents from high schools in Cuenca, Ecuador. Data were analysed using thematic analysis. The study revealed that parents held a restricted view about sex education, grounded in traditional religious ideas about sexuality, which led parents to understand it as a morally and physically dangerous activity. Although parents expressed a willingness to make good quality sex education available to their children, they reported having insufficient personal resources to fulfil that objective. The results of this study provide important information about the need to develop and adapt sex education to each specific cultural context, thereby confirming the importance of knowing about the cultural traditions and religious beliefs that may form obstacles to effective sex education for young people in Ecuador.