Online interventions to help college students to improve the degree of integration of their argumentative synthesis.

Writing an argumentative synthesis is a common but demanding task, consequently undergraduates require some instruction. The objective of this study was to test the effectiveness of two interventions on integrative argumentation: one of them was focused on the product features of argumentative texts; and the other one on the processes involved in the written argumentation. Sixty-six undergraduate students participated voluntarily. As an academic task, they were asked to write a pre-test synthesis after reading two sources which presented contradictory positions about an educational issue, then to read two new texts about a different but equivalent issue, and write a post-test synthesis following one of two types of instructional virtual environments. The instructions, implemented in Moodle, presented similar tools, employing videos, graphic organizers, and exercises. The first condition (n = 33) focused on the linguistic features while the second (n = 33), focused on the process, including explicit instruction and a script with critical questions to guide the reading and writing processes. In this study we have also analyzed how the students in the process condition answered some of the critical questions. The results show that the level of integration of the written products improved in both conditions, although this improvement was more pronounced in the process intervention. Nonetheless, the products that achieved medium and maximum integration were still limited. Despite the lack of a relationship between how students answered the critical questions and the level of integration in their post-test, the case analysis highlights certain educational implications and further research. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11145-021-10248-0.

Infant, primary and secondary teachers' conceptions of learning and teaching and their relation to educational variables / Concepciones de enseñanza y aprendizaje de profesores de infantil, primaria y secundaria y la relación con las variables educativas

It has been established that teachers' conceptions of learning and teaching influence their instructional practices. Several authors maintain that these conceptions are based on certain implicit assumptions that give rise to different theories. Our view is that people have multiple alternative theories which they use depending on the context and the demands of the task. The main purpose of this study was to find out whether such representational plurality exists in teachers' conceptions and, if it does, whether this plurality can lead to the identification of different representational profiles. We were also interested in studying some of the teaching practice variables that might influence the nature of the representational profiles. Our results, obtained by means of a dilemma questionnaire answered by 1074 teachers from different educational levels and knowledge domains and with different ranges of experience, are consistent with the assumption of representational plurality, as they show that the same teacher may hold different conceptions that set up a conceptions profile. Moreover, the combination of the responses in each profile is not random. Teachers at the more advanced levels and with more teaching experience manifested more traditional conceptions. Furthermore, some knowledge domains were associated with certain conception profiles.

Se ha comprobado que las concepciones de aprendizaje y enseñanza de los profesores influyen en su práctica docente. Varios autores sostienen que estas concepciones se basan en ciertos supuestos implícitos que dan lugar a distintas teorías. Nuestra visión es que la gente dispone de multitud de teorías alternativas que pueden utilizar en función del contexto y las exigencias de la tarea. El objetivo principal del presente estudio es averiguar si esta pluralidad representativa existe en las concepciones de los profesores y, de ser así, si puede conducir a la identificación de distintos perfiles representacionales. Nos interesamos, asimismo, por el estudio de algunas de las variables de la práctica docente que pudieran influir en la naturaleza de dichos perfiles. Nuestros resultados - obtenidos mediante un cuestionario de dilemas realizado por 1074 profesores de distintos niveles educativos, ámbitos de conocimiento y experiencia- coinciden con la suposición de la pluralidad representativa, pues revelan que el mismo profesor podría forjar concepciones distintas que conforman un perfil de concepciones. Además, la combinación de respuestas en cada perfil no es aleatoria. Los profesores de niveles más altos y los más experimentados manifestaron unas concepciones más tradicionales. Igualmente, algunos campos de conocimiento se asociaron a perfiles de concepciones concretos.

Beneficios comunicativos de la implantación coclear bilateral. Estudio retrospectivo en niños de 12 años / Communication benefits of bilateral cochlear implantation. Retrospective study in 12-year-old children

Introducción y objetivos: Algunos estudios sugieren que la implantación coclear (IC) simultánea o secuencial en un corto periodo de tiempo aporta beneficios adicionales. Existe controversia acerca de la existencia de una edad límite a partir de la cual la segunda implantación aporta un beneficio menor en la adquisición de habilidades comunicativas. Los objetivos de nuestro estudio consisten en corroborar que la implantación coclear secuencial aporta beneficios sobre la unilateral, y estudiar si existen a los 12 años diferencias significativas según la edad en el momento de la segunda implantación. Métodos: Se trata de un estudio observacional descriptivo sobre una población de 12 años portadores de implante coclear (n = 69). Para evaluar los beneficios audiológicos se llevó a cabo una audiometría tonal liminar y un test de discriminación verbal a campo libre (bisílabos, frases cotidianas en contexto abierto, con y sin ruido). Resultados: Los resultados en términos de discriminación verbal fueron mejores en los pacientes implantados antes de los 2 años de edad, sin embargo no existen diferencias estadísticamente significativas (p > 0,5). Los usuarios de IC bilateral implantados antes de los 2 años y con un periodo entre interimplante inferior a 4 años muestran mejores porcentajes de discriminación verbal (p < 0,05). Conclusiones: La implantación coclear precoz y con un corto periodo interimplante demuestra en nuestra muestra proveer a los pacientes beneficios significativos en términos de inteligibilidad. Parece haber una edad y un periodo interimplante concreto a partir de la cual se reduce el beneficio auditivo sobre el primer implante (AU)

Introduction and objectives: Some studies suggest that simultaneous or sequential cochlear implantation in a short period of time offers additional benefits. There is controversy regarding the existence of an age limit after which a second implantation offers less benefit for the acquisition of communication skills. The objectives of this study were to confirm that sequential cochlear implantation offers benefits compared to unilateral implantation and to study whether, at 12 years of age, there are significant differences regarding the age at the time of the second implantation. Methods: Descriptive and observational study of a population of 12-year-old children carrying cochlear implants (n=69). A liminal pure tone audiometry and an open-field verbal discrimination test (disyllables, common phrases in an open context, with and without noise) were conducted to evaluate audiological benefits. Results: Verbal discrimination results were better among patients who had been implanted before the age of 2 years, although the differences were not statistically significant (P>0 . 5). Children who had received bilateral cochlear implants before the age of 2 years and with a period less than 4 years between both implants presented better verbal discrimination percentages (P<0 . 05). Conclusions: In our sample, early cochlear implantation with a short period between both implants provided significant benefits regarding intelligibility. There seem to be a specific age and interimplant period, after which the auditory benefit on the first implant becomes reduced (AU)

Communication benefits of bilateral cochlear implantation. Retrospective study in 12-year-old children.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: Some studies suggest that simultaneous or sequential cochlear implantation in a short period of time offers additional benefits. There is controversy regarding the existence of an age limit after which a second implantation offers less benefit for the acquisition of communication skills. The objectives of this study were to confirm that sequential cochlear implantation offers benefits compared to unilateral implantation and to study whether, at 12 years of age, there are significant differences regarding the age at the time of the second implantation. METHODS: Descriptive and observational study of a population of 12-year-old children carrying cochlear implants (n=69). A liminal pure tone audiometry and an open-field verbal discrimination test (disyllables, common phrases in an open context, with and without noise) were conducted to evaluate audiological benefits. RESULTS: Verbal discrimination results were better among patients who had been implanted before the age of 2 years, although the differences were not statistically significant (P>.5). Children who had received bilateral cochlear implants before the age of 2 years and with a period less than 4 years between both implants presented better verbal discrimination percentages (P<.05). CONCLUSIONS: In our sample, early cochlear implantation with a short period between both implants provided significant benefits regarding intelligibility. There seem to be a specific age and interimplant period, after which the auditory benefit on the first implant becomes reduced.