Sistema Regional de Información
en línea para Revistas Científicas de América Latina,
el Caribe, España y Portugal

The study investigated attitudes towards computer and computer anxiety as determinants of computer self-efficacy among 2100 pre-service science, technology and mathematics (STM) teachers from the University of Lagos of Nigeria using the quantitative research method within the blueprint of the descriptive survey design. Data collected were analysed using the descriptive statistics of percentages, mean, and standard deviation and inferential statistics of independent samples t-test, Pearson product moment correlation coefficient and multiple regression analysis. Finding revealed significant correlations between computer attitudes, computer anxiety and computer self-efficacy. Gender differences in attitude toward computer, computer self-efficacy and computer anxiety among pre-service STM teachers were significant. Affective component, perceived control component, and perceived usefulness component, behavioural intention component, gender, and computer anxiety made statistically significant contributions to the variance in pre-service STM teachers’ computer self-efficacy. The study recommended among others that academic institutions should pay more attention to this computer anxiety and adopt proper ways of reducing the computer anxiety, so that positive e-learning experiences can be created for pre-service STM teachers.

El objetivo principal de este estudio es analizar las creencias de profesores de enseñanza media o bachillerato de la República Dominicana sobre la metodología basada en el aprendizaje colaborativo mediado por las TIC (CSCL). Se obtuvo una muestra de 542 docentes a los que se aplicó un cuestionario adaptado, compuesto por 33 ítems que miden diferentes aspectos relacionados con el proceso de enseñanza y aprendizaje en entornos de uso de CSCL. Los resultados ponen de manifiesto una alta valoración positiva sobre esta metodología por parte de los docentes, especialmente para mejorar su desarrollo profesional. No perciben, sin embargo, tantos beneficios al emplearla con los estudiantes, ya sea en la mejora del aprendizaje o del proceso de enseñanza en general. También se observan algunas diferencias entre los grupos en función básicamente de la variable años de experiencia docente. La sensibilización del profesorado sobre las ventajas de la metodología CSCL es una asignatura pendiente para la mejora de la calidad educativa; y ello exige el impulso de debates internos en las instituciones escolares por parte de las administraciones educativas, de modo que se promueva el uso de esta metodología en los procesos de enseñanza y aprendizaje y en el desarrollo profesional docente.

Descentralizar el aprendizaje de la institución formadora para que el estudiantado sea protagonista de su propio proceso es una acepción pedagógica vinculada a los Entornos Personales de Aprendizaje (PLE). El objetivo de este estudio es analizar tanto las herramientas que utilizan para crear contenido los estudiantes de último año de carreras de Educación de la Universidad Nacional de Costa Rica, como las finalidades y actividades que se generan con su uso.En el marco de un diseño ex post facto y transeccional, se aplicó un cuestionario construido ad hoc a una muestra de 381 estudiantes. Como principales hallazgos cabe destacar el escaso conocimiento y, por ende, la baja utilización, que los estudiantes realizan de ciertas herramientas de la web 2.0 para crear contenido. Se constata una mayor preferencia por los recursos de escritorio más tradicionales -como procesadores de texto y presentaciones-, lo que refleja un PLE limitado y poco evolucionado en el que no se aprovechan suficientemente las  potencialidades que ofrece la tecnología en el momento actual.  

In this paper we present an evaluation of an App for mobile devices, ‘Roteiro dos Descobrimentos’, as an educational digital resource for primary school students. The study involved the participation of 131 students and eight teachers. Data were collected from participant observation, students’ questionnaires and interviews to students and teachers. According to students, they learned new things, related with the topics explored, in an easy and funny way. Students also emphasized as positive aspects the fact that they had to face different challenges and the need to mobilize their knowledge to solve them. Teachers referred that students showed great interest and enthusiasm during the activities. As main gains, teachers stressed that the application fosters the relationship of students with the city, facilitates collaboration, and promotes students’ autonomy. In resume, it seems that the playful and interactive dimension of the App promoted the development of important skills such as the ability to interact with the environment, collaborative work, autonomy, and reading and interpretation skills. As a conclusion, there is a great receptivity to integrate mobile technologies in the teaching and learning process, but the role of the teacher can’t be dismissed, as a mediator and educator.

La enseñanza universitaria actual requiere de estudiantes motivados para alcanzar un aprendizaje de tipo comprensivo, y que asuman en mejores condiciones, su nuevo rol activo en la adquisición de las competencias necesarias para afrontar con éxito sus desafíos profesionales, y donde el aprendizaje autónomo ha adquirido un notable valor.  En la formación de los profesionales que ejercen la Arquitectura Técnica, la adquisición de competencias en el área de la Expresión Gráfica resulta fundamental. Se propone como contribución a esta tarea, una experiencia que trata la utilización de Objetos de Aprendizaje basados en TIC, diseñados específicamente para este área y su aplicación como recurso de apoyo a la docencia en una asignatura del grado universitario que forma estos profesionales. Los resultados muestran que tras la intervención mejora significativamente la motivación intrínseca de los estudiantes, lo que resulta fundamental de cara a conseguir un aprendizaje más significativo, que garantice la necesaria comprensión, retención y transferencia de lo aprendido, y que por tanto, facilita la adquisición de las competencias en el área de la Expresión Gráfica.

This article explores the results of a rubric-based formative assessment of an eportfolio task as part of a pedagogical subject on a weekly basis during the first year in the Teacher Education programme of the University XXX. The study aims to explore the possibilities of the rubric usage for formative assessment as an answer to all student learning needs. The literature review briefly covers research on closely related concepts such as formative assessment and feedback along with process eportfolios for reflective tasks, which are all aimed at achieving higher-level cognitive skills and, eventually, self-regulated learning. Data, which is obtained from students’ performance, reveals evidence of the general improvement of results throughout the semester with the majority of students moving from lower to higher levels. Conclusions reflect on challenging implications for sustainable transferrable practices, self-regulated learning and formative assessment for all. 

Within the pediatric consultation in dentistry, fear, dental anxiety and behavior arise as determinants of success or failure of treatment. This article describes the levels of anxiety and fear presented by pediatric patients undergoing dental caries removal using the Brix 3000 method and conventional method; in the same way the type of behavior and its modification are presented at the beginning of the consultation and during the application of the Brix 3000. For the accomplishment of this investigation it was necessary to perform a cross-sectional observational descriptive study, in which children were selected between The ages of four to 11 attending the Pure Child Clinics of the second semester of 2016 at the University of Magdalena, 32 children belonging to pediatric dentistry clinics were included. This allowed us to glimpse the level of fear and anxiety in pediatric patients, resulting in anxiety over fear, and these levels increased with age and experience prior to a dental consultation, with a prevalence of 63.3% of females over males. The behavior modification was satisfactory; only 6.25% of the population to e study present negative behavior.

A qualitative ethnomethodological study was carried out, which aimed to describe the ethical dilemmas present in the professional practice of the psychologist. The sample consisted of eleven psychologists graduated from a public university, occupationally linked to the institution. As a data collection technique, a semi-structured interview was conducted. Thematic analysis was applied to the data analysis, based on Atlas.ti software. The results allowed identifying three categories (Ethics, Professional Ethics and Ethical Dilemmas), twelve subcategories, and ninety-four codes. It can be concluded that one of the main causes for which professionals face ethical dilemmas is due to ignorance of ethical principles.

Climate change is one of the environmental phenomena attributed to human activity, which has affected economic activities, population welfare and ecosystems. This study aims to identify and describe the direct and indirect effects of climate change on the health of the population residing in Colombia through morbidity and mortality associated with variability climate, climate and hydrometeorological events in Colombia. A retrospective and descriptive bibliometric study was conducted. This research carried out the review of the official website of 33 national scientific journals in the area of Medical and Health Sciences indexed in the Publindex National Bibliographic Index. The results indicate that high rainfall, drought and temperature fluctuations have effects on vector disease transmission. Air pollution is associated with increased respiratory infections and high temperatures are considered a risk factor in people diagnosed with cerebrovascular and heart disease.

The objective proposed in this report is to test the theoretical hypothesis that the time of attention sustained by students in the classroom can be measured by the autonomic response of the VFC. 10 subjects participated in the experiment. HRV was observed by means of the analysis of time series in segments of five (5) minutes until completing the observation window for simple moving averages of 60 minutes. The RR series were analyzed in the time, frequency and non-linear index domains.