Neurological, cognitive and learning evaluation of students who were born preterm

ABSTRACT Objective: To evaluate the cognitive and academic profile of preterm newborns at school age and to determine the factors related to prematurity and sociodemographic profile that influence these results. Methods: Patients aged 6-14 years old that were assisted in the preterm follow-up clinic were recruited. The cognitive, academic, and neurological capacities were accessed through a detailed evaluation with a child neurologist, a neuropsychologist and a psychopedagogue. Neonatal data were collected from patient records. Results: 97 children were included and 14 were excluded from the study, resulting in 83 children. Gestational age (GA) was 30±3 weeks and weight at birth was 1138g (605 to 4185g). Poor performance was shown in 38.4% for writing, 57.5% for reading and 42.5% for mathematics. The mean total intelligence quotient (IQ) was 96±14.9 points, and 10.9% were considered altered. Children with unstructured families presented 78.3% of failure in reading tests (p=0.029). The multivariate analysis showed association between GA at birth and classic mini-mental score (p=0.043), total IQ (p=0.047), perceptual organization IQ (p=0.035), and processing speed IQ (p=0.036). There was also association between weight at birth and the classic (p=0.004) and adapted (p=0.007) mini-mental scores; invasive mechanic ventilation duration and classic mini-mental (p=0.049); and lower maternal age and processing speed IQ (p=0.033). Conclusions: Preterm infants at school age had high frequency of failure in cognitive and academic evaluation tests. Learning difficulties are high among them. Multiple neonatal variables are related with altered cognitive and students development.

Course Crediting and Academic Evaluation System of The College of Communication and Information Technology

The study aimed to develop a Course Crediting and Academic Evaluation System of the College of Communication and Information Technology (CCIT) in President Ramon Magsaysay State University – Iba Campus to offer an online system to ease the procedures of crediting and evaluation of the student academic records. Descriptive research design and descriptive statistics were utilized in this study. The dean, program chairpersons, and students of Bachelor of Science in Computer Science, Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering and Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering are the respondents of the study. The findings revealed that the respondents evaluated the software quality of the system using the International Organization for Standardization and the International Electrotechnical Commission (ISO/IEC): 25010:2011 as excellent. The respondents evaluated as strongly recommended on the degree of recommendation of the acquisition and implementation of the system. The Course Crediting and Academic Evaluation System is recommended to implement to improve the present procedures. Training to the end-users is advised to be conducted to know how to use the system. The maintenance and continuous enhancement of the system to adapt to the changing trends in information technology.

Proposal for academic evaluation at the School of Mining Engineering due to the Covid-19 effect

This research proposes an alternative to the academic evaluation system, in the School of Engineering in Mines, of the University of Azuay (Ecuador), due to the Covid-19 pandemic, declared in 2020 by the WHO. Initially, a system was established, in which two components are established -contribution and final-, based on a rating of 50 points. The first component, over 30 points, qualifies aspects of attendance, compliance and performance. The final component, over 20 points, establishes an asynchronous evaluation, in which the teacher applies various assessment instruments and finally a synchronous evaluation. After two periods with this system, the research was carried out with a universe of 90 students, based on surveys, focus groups and using matrices, boolean algebra and sets, changes were proposed in the way of evaluating. The results are interesting and involve a pedagogical mediation, so it must be considered in the corresponding entities. Keywords: Evaluation, qualification, mining, pandemic. References [1]Situation report-70, 2020, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland. [2]Acuerdo Ministerial No. 126, publicado en el Suplemento del Registro Oficial Nº 160 de 12 de marzo de 2020, MSP, Ecuador. [3]Organización de la Naciones Unidas para la Educación, la Ciencia y la Cultura y la Oficina Regional de Educación para América Latina y el Caribe. Sistemas educativos de América Latina en respuesta a la Covid-19: Continuidad educativa y evaluación., 17. Santiago de Chile, 2020. [4]E. Diez-Gutiérrez and K. Gajardo-Espinoza, “Educar y Evaluar en Tiempos de Coronavirus: la situación en España”, Multidisciplinary Journal of Educational Research, vol. 10, no. 2, junio de 2020. doi: 10.4471/remie.2020.5604. [5]Universidad del Azuay, Resolución 1109, Aprobación del sistema de evaluación excepcional para el período de la pandemia COVID-19, 2020. [6]P. Feijoo Calle and G. Román Celi, “El Trapecio lógico en el proceso enseñanza-aprendizaje universitario: Una propuesta metodológica”, UCT, vol. 23, no. 93, agosto de 2019. [7]J. Sandí Delgado and M. Cruz Alvarado, “Propuesta metodológica de enseñanza y aprendizaje para innovar la educación superior”, InterSedes, vol. 17, no. 36, noviembre de 2016. https://dx.doi.org/10.15517/isucr.v17i36.27100. [8]M. Sánchez. Diseño de medios y recursos didácticos. México: Limusa, 2016. [9]F. Ciampolini. Didáctica Breve y Didáctica Global. Ecuador: Cooperazione Internazionale, 1991. [10]M. Sánchez and A. Martínez. Evaluación del y para el aprendizaje: instrumentos y estrategias. México: UNAM, 2020. [11]R. Grimaldi. Matemáticas Discreta y Combinatoria. México: Prentice Hall, 1998. [12]R. Johnsonbaugh. Matemáticas Discretas. México: Prentice Hall, 1997.

Some Notes about Academic Evaluation: New Challenges for Accounting Scholars in Italy

This paper aims to analyze the recent evolution in the Italian accounting academic environment, discussing the behavioral, motivational and performance effects of such evolutions. In particular, the paper focus on the reforms in the area of academic evaluation in Italy in order to explain how it is changing, and why the local context can play an important role on the academic environment.

An Integrative Multi-Dimensional Model of Culturally Relevant Academic Evaluation for the 21st Century

Due to Covid-19, the world has encountered new challenges regarding pedagogy, learning, assessment, and evaluation. In meeting these challenges, there have been rapid changes in learning, and the gap between pedagogy and evaluation has grown. The purpose of this paper is to develop a new evaluative model suitable for the technologically enhanced, multicultural environment of the 21st century. In this article, we develop a unique multidimensional model of Culturally Relevant Academic Evaluation (CRAE) that fills a gap in the scientific literature on evaluation in higher education. The model depicts evaluation as an integrated process of four dimensions: two of them based on the well-established dimensions of learning and curriculum, and two based on the novel dimensions of inclusive multiculturalism and technology. We consider evaluation in its broad context in higher education, and we analyze the interrelations between the four dimensions of the evaluation process, discussing their contribution to the enhancement of evaluation in higher education.

Differences in Citation Patterns across Areas, Article Types and Age Groups of Researchers

The evaluation of research proposals and academic careers is subject to indicators of scientific productivity. Citations are critical signs of impact for researchers, and many indicators are based on these data. The literature shows that there are differences in citation patterns between areas. The scope and depth that these differences may have to motivate the extension of these studies considering types of articles and age groups of researchers. In this work, we conducted an exploratory study to elucidate what evidence there is about the existence of these differences in citation patterns. To perform this study, we collected historical data from Scopus. Analyzing these data, we evaluate if there are measurable differences in citation patterns. This study shows that there are evident differences in citation patterns between areas, types of publications, and age groups of researchers that may be relevant when carrying out researchers’ academic evaluation.

Career Difficulties That Chinese Academic Journal Editors Face and Their Causes

The purpose of this article is twofold: 1) to analyse common career difficulties experienced by academic journal editors in China and explain their causes; and 2) to identify how stakeholders in Chinese scholarly publishing can support editors. Thirty-two academic journal editors were surveyed, and fourteen of those were subsequently interviewed. We found that a deficit of high-quality manuscripts, a large number of laborious tasks at work, limited opportunities for professional advancement, and low job satisfaction were the main career difficulties, of which the two most common were a deficit of high-quality manuscripts and low job satisfaction. The key causes of these difficulties were an unbalanced academic evaluation system that rewarded indexed over non-indexed journals and the marginal status of journal offices at their affiliated institutions. The forms of support most desired by respondents were recognition for their work, salary increases, greater opportunities for continued learning, easier job title promotion, and more scholarly communication with their peers.

Four Generations For Generations: A Pow Wow Story to Transform Academic Evaluation Criteria

Within this article, I share a story of four generations of my family and community coming together through pow wow dancing. I present the storying and re-storing of Indigenous scholarly engagement through pow wow regalia making and dance to accomplish two things: 1) to center Indigenous knowledge, kinship and community work through scholarship; and 2) to generate merit and value in the good work in which Indigenous scholars engage. Our creative and cultural selves are often excluded in terms of what receives value and merit in collective agreements. The academy wants us to teach, publish, and engage in community service. My community service is often within Indigenous kinship and community service where I engage in creativity and expressive arts. Evaluations of our tenure attribute value, credit, and merit for work produced, service generated, and research conducted steeped in a eurowestern definition of scholarly work. We theorize about the significance and importance of our culture and traditions; however, our families and communities’ practices are regarded as external and outside of the eurowestern academic contexts. This article brings together the knowledge of preparing for and dancing in a pow wow as valued and good work of Indigenous scholars within the academy. It calls attention to a need to revise systems of value and merit in a manner that benefits Indigenous scholars’ whole knowledge systems.