A combination of transformative and authentic assessment through ICT in Physical Education (Combinando una evaluación auténtica y transformativa a través de las TIC en Educación Física)

This work analyses the results of an authentic assessment (AA) and transformative assessment (TA) experience and use of information and communication technology (ICT) in Physical Education (PE) classes in high school. The experience involves the use of the Plickers application, and the participation of the students in the evaluation (self-evaluation and peer evaluation processes). This study was carried out in a high school from Spain, as part of a didactic dance unit, with 38 students (15th years old). The AA and TA task was for small groups of students to create a video tutorial of salsa steps as a final product of a dance teaching unit; were self-assessed and peer-assessed using Plickers. Experience was also evaluated. Results: the use of AA and TA processes in PE in high school based on the use of ICT has been a very positive experience. For the students the video tutorial is a good method of learning and assessment and they value positively the peer-assessment and self-assessment processes they carried out, as well as the use of the Plickers. This study can be interesting to PE teachers interested in using AA, TA and ICT. Further research about this topic may be need. Resumen. Este trabajo analiza los resultados de una experiencia de evaluación auténtica (EA) y evaluación transformativa (ET) que utiliza las Tecnologías de la Información y la Comunicación (TIC) en Educación Física (EF) en Educación Secundaria. La experiencia implica la utilización de la aplicación “Plickers” y la participación del alumnado en la evaluación (procesos de autoevaluación y de evaluación entre iguales). El estudio se desarrolla en un instituto de educación secundaria español, como parte de una unidad didácica de danza, con 38 alumnos de 15 años. Las actividades de EA y ET se realizaron en pequeños grupos, que crearon un video-tutorial de pasos de salsa como producto final de la unidad didáctica, el cual fue autoevaluado y coevaluado utilizando la aplicación “Plickers”. Se evaluó también toda la experiencia. Los resultados muestran que la utilización de procesos de EA y ET a través de las TIC en EF en secundaria ha sido una experiencia muy positiva. Los alumnos lo consideran un buen método de aprendizaje y evaluación y valoran positivamente los procesos de evaluación entre iguales y autoevaluación utilizados, así como el uso de “Plickers”. El estudio puede ser de interés para el profesorado de EF interesado en utilizar EA, ET y TIC. Parece necesario realizar más investigación sobre la temática.

Exploring modality in multimodal macrogenre: A social semiotic analysis of EFL pedagogic materials in China

Given the evolving multimodal features in educational settings, modes other than language further enable the diversity in the realization of meanings and pedagogic goals. This paper explores modality in multimodal pedagogic materials for teaching English as a foreign language in China. Drawing upon the social semiotic approach to modality in visual media, this study provides a comparative analysis of modality markers in different elemental genres that constitute the macrogenre of a teaching unit, with a focus on explaining the underlying reasons for the different choices in terms of coding orientation. It is shown that different degrees of deviation from the accepted coding orientation are employed in different constituent genres of the macrogenre of a given text.

Design of a Methodological Intervention for Developing Respect, Inclusion and Equality in Physical Education

The following educational intervention proposal arises from the importance of implementing an education based on fostering values through physical education (PE) lessons. PE has certain characteristics that contribute to enhancing learning at a social, affective and psychological level, in addition to promoting adequate physical development. The proposed design is based on Donald Hellison’s personal and social responsibility model (TPSR), whose main objective is to achieve a teaching methodology that can convey values and skills in the lives of youth at risk of exclusion. Different sports modalities are used in the initiation phase, which make up a ten-week teaching unit and in which the game takes the leading role. The application of this program focuses specifically on students in compulsory secondary education, a stage in which significant changes are experienced in many aspects and levels. However, it is completely adaptable to other developmental stages. In this way, the main objective of this work is to create an intervention proposal that aims to promote, following a set of intervention units of sessions, the development of the three main values in which this work is based: respect, equality and inclusion.

Species complex of mosquitos captured by mechanical traps and an equine host

Field studies were conducted to evaluate the efficacy of commercially available mosquito traps to capture suspected West Nile Virus (WNV) vectors and compare the relative abundance, and species composition of mosquitoes captured by traps. Traps included the Mosquito Magnet (MM) Pro, MM-Liberty, MM-X, the CDC-1012, and the Home and Garden (HGM) prototype trap. In the first study, conducted at the University of Florida Horse Teaching Unit (HTU), Gainesville, FL, from May 17 to September 30, 2002, the CDC-1012 caught significantly more mosquitoes than the other traps. The HGM trap did not catch any mosquitoes and was replaced with a horse on July 17. Percentages of WNV vector species captured in traps and vacuumed from the horse, respectively, were Culex nigripalpus Theobald 85-91% and 27%, and Mansonia titillans (Walker) 2-5% and 40%. In the second study, performed for 5 days in April 2003, the MM-Pro, MM-X, and CDC-1012 traps caught significantly more mosquitoes than did the MM-Liberty trap. All traps captured primarily Cx. salinarius Coquillett, Cx. erraticus (Dyar and Knab), and Anopheles crucians Wiedemann. The horse attracted a greater percentage of Ma. titillans and less Cx. erraticus than did the mechanical traps. The mechanical traps may offer horses some degree of protection from suspected WNV species, however, a large number of Ma. titillans were recovered from the horse but the traps captured very few.

How much does it cost? Teaching physiology of energy metabolism in mice using an indirect calorimetry system in a practical course for veterinary students

In endothermic mammals total energy expenditure (EE) is composed of basal metabolic rate (BMR), energy spent for muscle activity, thermoregulation, any kind of production (such as milk, meat or egg production) and the thermic effect of feeding. The BMR is predominantly determined by body mass and the surface to volume ratio of the body. The EE can be quantified either by direct or indirect calorimetry. Direct calorimetry measures the rate of heat loss from the body, whereas indirect calorimetry measures oxygen consumption and carbon dioxide production and calculates heat production from oxidative nutrient combustion. A deep and sustainable understanding of EE in animals is crucial for veterinarians in order to properly calculate and evaluate feed rations, during special circumstances such as anaesthesia or in situations with increased energy demands as commonly seen in high yielding livestock. The practical class described in this manuscript provides an experimental approach to understand how EE can be measured and calculated by indirect calorimetry. Two important factors that affect the EE of animals (the thermic effect of feeding and the effect of ambient temperature) are measured. A profound knowledge about the energy requirements of animal life and its measurement is also relevant for education in general biology, animal and human physiology and nutrition. Therefore, this teaching unit can equally well be implemented in other areas of life sciences.

Evaluation of a Language Translation App in an Undergraduate Medical Communication Course: Proof-of-Concept and Usability Study

Background Language barriers in medical encounters pose risks for interactions with patients, their care, and their outcomes. Because human translators, the gold standard for mitigating language barriers, can be cost- and time-intensive, mechanical alternatives such as language translation apps (LTA) have gained in popularity. However, adequate training for physicians in using LTAs remains elusive. Objective A proof-of-concept pilot study was designed to evaluate the use of a speech-to-speech LTA in a specific simulated physician-patient situation, particularly its perceived usability, helpfulness, and meaningfulness, and to assess the teaching unit overall. Methods Students engaged in a 90-min simulation with a standardized patient (SP) and the LTA iTranslate Converse. Thereafter, they rated the LTA with six items—helpful, intuitive, informative, accurate, recommendable, and applicable—on a 7-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (don’t agree at all) to 7 (completely agree) and could provide free-text responses for four items: general impression of the LTA, the LTA’s benefits, the LTA’s risks, and suggestions for improvement. Students also assessed the teaching unit on a 6-point scale from 1 (excellent) to 6 (insufficient). Data were evaluated quantitatively with mean (SD) values and qualitatively in thematic content analysis. Results Of 111 students in the course, 76 (68.5%) participated (59.2% women, age 20.7 years, SD 3.3 years). Values for the LTA’s being helpful (mean 3.45, SD 1.79), recommendable (mean 3.33, SD 1.65) and applicable (mean 3.57, SD 1.85) were centered around the average of 3.5. The items intuitive (mean 4.57, SD 1.74) and informative (mean 4.53, SD 1.95) were above average. The only below-average item concerned its accuracy (mean 2.38, SD 1.36). Students rated the teaching unit as being excellent (mean 1.2, SD 0.54) but wanted practical training with an SP plus a simulated human translator first. Free-text responses revealed several concerns about translation errors that could jeopardize diagnostic decisions. Students feared that patient-physician communication mediated by the LTA could decrease empathy and raised concerns regarding data protection and technical reliability. Nevertheless, they appreciated the LTA’s cost-effectiveness and usefulness as the best option when the gold standard is unavailable. They also reported wanting more medical-specific vocabulary and images to convey all information necessary for medical communication. Conclusions This study revealed the feasibility of using a speech-to-speech LTA in an undergraduate medical course. Although human translators remain the gold standard, LTAs could be valuable alternatives. Students appreciated the simulated teaching and recognized the LTA’s potential benefits and risks for use in real-world clinical settings. To optimize patients’ and health care professionals’ experiences with LTAs, future investigations should examine specific design options for training interventions and consider the legal aspects of human-machine interaction in health care settings.

Engaging students in multimodal literacy practices in a university ESP context: towards understanding identity and ideology in government debates

This paper focuses on issues of multimodal literacy practices in ESP higher education settings. In particular, the research explores how students become engaged in various literacy activities aimed at enhancing their critical-thinking skills and interpretation of images. For this purpose, two datasets consisting of video clips were extracted from a larger multimodal corpus and developed for teaching applications: one involved a UK live parliament debate and the other a US House of Representatives debate. The main objective is to identify the key verbal strategies reflecting persuasive, argumentative rhetoric and the non-verbal features accompanying these verbal utterances such as prosodic stress, body/head movements, gaze, gesture. Thus, the focus of the analysis is on how different semiotic modes of communication construct meaning, especially in terms of how they reinforce the construction of identity and ideological stance. The results were systematically categorized and applied on a practical level to a teaching unit on ‘identity and ideology’.