Development and evaluation of a biomechanics concept inventory

To help instructors in evaluating innovations in biomechanics instruction, a standardised test of the key concepts taught in the introductory biomechanics course was developed. The Biomechanics Concept Inventory (BCI) consists of 24 questions that test four prerequisite competencies and eight biomechanics competencies. Three hundred and sixty seven students from ten universities throughout the United States took the test at the beginning and the end of the introductory biomechanics course. Analysis of a sub-sample of the students showed that the BCI was reliable with typical errors in internal consistency and test-retest conditions of 1.4 and 2.0 questions, respectively. Mean pre-test scores (8.5 +/- 2.0) significantly (p < 0.0001) improved to 10.5 +/- 3.2 in the posttest (n = 305). Typical biomechanics students could correctly answer half of the prerequisite questions on the pre-test. Instruction resulted in a mean normalised gain (g) of 13.0% of maximum possible improvement that was consistent with research on traditional instruction in introductory physics courses. It was concluded that the BCI could be an effective tool to evaluate the overall effect of pedagogical strategies on student learning of key biomechanical concepts in the introductory biomechanics course.     

Explicit and tacit knowledge conversion effects,in software engineering undergraduate students

This study evaluates the effect of conversion between tacit and explicit knowledge, and its influence on Software engineering and Software Process Improvement in the context of a small school software company in which undergraduate students participate as personnel. A survey measurement instrument was applied to the last three generations of students. The effect was measured from an interaction of the four modes of the SECI model knowledge conversion using regression analysis associated with four hypotheses study. The findings show that students are able to generate tacit and explicit knowledge in a similar way to software organizations. This study is considered a contribution of both academia and software industry that encourages this type of experiences in undergraduate students and prepares them as intellectual capital with an organizational culture that shares knowledge.     

Near-peer teaching in an anatomy course with a low faculty-to-student ratio

Near-peer teaching is an educational format which utilizes tutors who are more advanced in a curriculum's content to supervise students' activities and to act as instructors in laboratory settings. This format is often used in anatomy laboratory courses. The goal of the present study is to describe the design and implementation of near-peer teaching in an anatomy course and to evaluate students' perceptions of the program. A total of 700 students were registered for this anatomy course which employed near-peer instructors. Of enrolled students, 558 (79.7%) agreed to participate in this study. In general, the practical section (e.g., the clinical hour, image-based anatomy session, and gross anatomy laboratory) of the course was viewed more favorably compared to the theory section (54.8%, n = 306), with dissection and prosection in the laboratory rated as the most valued experiences (34.9%, n = 195). Near-peer teaching is a viable option that satisfies the demands of modern curricula using small groups. This format stimulates learning within courses that have large numbers of students and low faculty-to-student ratios.     

The structure of collaboration networks: Findings from three decades of co-invention patents in Chile

Collaboration networks have primarily been studied in developed economies. In this paper, we present a comprehensive analysis of co-inventor networks in a small but thriving OECD economy in Latin America: Chile. Using a dataset for patents granted in the country between 1989 and 2018, we study a variety of statistical properties for five different co-inventor networks. We show that these networks exhibit power-law, small-world, and preferential attachment properties, all of which have been used to describe networks in more advanced economies. We also highlight some apparent differences in collaboration patterns between networks (and inventors) and we reveal the precarious nature of the network of local inventors by confirming the community structure property. Evidence for strong positive autocorrelation between highly and lowly productive inventors is presented via methods used in spatial econometrics. Our results show that the inventor system in Chile is highly fragmented, which emphasizes the need for strong government intervention in steering research funding, and for more collaboration between inventors, especially local ones.     

Promoting Gypsy children's behavioural engagement and school success: Evidence from a four‐wave longitudinal study

Low schooling, high non‐attendance and school dropout rates are critical phenomena within disadvantaged groups, especially among the Gypsy community. For example, in the UK, 10%–25% of Gypsy children do not attend school regularly and have significantly higher levels of overall absence from school (percentage of half‐day sessions missed) than pupils from other ethnic groups. In Portugal, available data on Gypsy children is sparse, yet data from one geographic region of the country reports high school failure (45%) and dropout rates (15%) among this population. The present study assessed the efficacy of a four‐year intervention to promote Gypsy children's behavioural engagement and school success. Gypsy communities were contacted and 30 children participating in the four waves were randomly distributed into control and experimental groups. Every school day throughout four years, 16 children in the experimental group were called at home and invited to go to school. The effectiveness of the intervention was evaluated in four waves (at the end of each of the four school years), assessing behavioural engagement (i.e. school non‐attendance, classroom behaviour) and school achievement (i.e. mathematics achievement, student progression). Findings show the efficacy of the intervention on promoting behaviour engagement and academic success without devaluing Gypsy people's culture.