A challenge for vocational guidance in Peru

Previously University Director of Student Welfare and Students' Concerns at that university. Has also worked as Vocational Counsellor and teacher at several universities in Peru. Is interested in psychological research and in vocational and psychological guidance.     

Internal structure of virtual communications in communities of inquiry in higher education: Phases,evolution and participants' satisfaction

This study investigates the phases of development of synchronous and asynchronous virtual communication produced in a community of inquiry (CoI) by analyzing the internal structure of each intervention in the forum and each chat session to determine the evolution of their social, cognitive and teaching character. It also analyzes the participating higher education students' satisfaction with the activities, with the professors' actions, and with themselves. We use a mixed methodology that includes content analysis of the virtual communications by crossing two categorization systems: (1) type of communication according to the model adopted from Garrison, Anderson and Archer (social, cognitive and teaching presence) and (2) phases in the evolution of the communication (initiation, proposal, development, opinion/closing and good‐byes). The data are relevant to the students' satisfaction and grades earned. The results suggest differences in the quantity and content of the communication in each phase and an evolution from social to cognitive elements, ending with social contributions. The students are satisfied with the virtual communications related to both the activities and the professors and evaluate themselves positively.     

Type and degree of co-occurrence of the educational communication in a community of inquiry*

The study analyzes the type and quantity of co-occurrence of social, cognitive, and teaching presence in a Community of Inquiry (CoI). Content analysis of the virtual educational communication shows units of analysis that must be assigned to more than one category. By crossing the categories of the CoI model, we observe that Social Presence is involved in all of the crossings and that graphic, linguistic, and paralinguistic elements change the meaning of the communication in the social, cognitive, and teaching interaction. We demonstrate the communicative richness of the educational encounters in which Social Presence interacts with the other elements and draw conclusions about the importance of support for communication in virtual communication. We stress the need to analyze co-occurrences to achieve a full analysis of computer-mediated communication.     

Application of antigenic biomarkers for Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Journal of Zhejiang University-SCIENCE B - The study and characterization of biomolecules involved in the interaction between mycobacteria and their hosts are crucial to determine their roles in...     

Perception of democracy in computer-mediated communication: participation,responsibility, collaboration,and reflection

We present a case study to analyze how higher education students attending a Spanish University (N = 100) democratize the virtual classroom by assuming responsibility for their learning and that of the other members of the class; participate actively in social, cognitive, and teaching issues; and collaborate by creating a learning community and reflecting individually and as a group. Our mixed methodology includes the following: (1) content analysis with a categorization system adapted from the community of inquiry approach and (2) two questionnaires on students' perception of the democratic elements in the virtual classroom. The results show that the students assume democratic principles of responsibility, critique, participation, and collaboration. We observe the role that the teachers play in facilitating democratization of the classroom through flexible design of instruction, promotion of social relationships, and orientation of the debate toward the learning objectives. This investigation shows the implementation of democratic principles in the virtual classroom.     

On the Relationship between Objective Measures and Performance in Basketball: Selecting Teams of Seventh Grade Girls

Abstract

The present study examines the utility of several objective measures to predict which girls were selected for one of six junior high school basketball teams. One purpose of this research was to examine the extent to which differences between coaches' selection strategies might have contributed to the apparently contradictory results among previous attempts to identify correlates of coaches' ratings or team selections. Linear discriminant models of six coaches' team selections were constructed from measures of basketball and athletic skills, strength, physical measures, and competition anxiety obtained during the first week of practice. These models provided greater-than-chance agreement with coaches' player selection for each team (87%–93% correct classification). A cross-modeling procedure revealed that the six coaches' selections could be modeled in terms of one of three approaches to selection: a) Select the aspirants who possess the best basketball skills (three teams), b) select the aspirants with greatest size and strength and least competition anxiety (two teams), and c) select only the aspirants with both types of attributes (one team). The results indicate that it may be difficult to identify a single set of measures to select skillful or potentially skillful basketball players, because of differences in how coaches might choose to define these terms