Search

Objetivo: identificación y análisis de las categorías sobre el conocimiento implicadas en la adquisición de la competencia informacional potenciadas por el uso de un portafolio electrónico o PLE en un ámbito de educación formal, en especial, en relación con el desarrollo de procesos estratégicos o condicionales. -- Metodología: análisis cualitativo mediante entrevista semiestructurada y atribución de categorías con codificación interjueces y organización de los códigos para su representación cuantitativa. La entrevista se realizó a estudiantes de la Facultad de Educación de la Universidad Católica de Temuco, Chile, y las competencias y la categorización de base utilizadas son las propuestas por la IFLA, con algunos complementos. -- Resultados: en la educación superior se manifiesta una focalización en la enseñanza y el aprendizaje de contenidos declarativos y procedimentales ligados estrechamente a la materia de estudio olvidando competencias más transversales de alto nivel cognitivo. El uso de un portafolio electrónico o PLE favorece el desarrollo de competencias relacionadas con la autonomía del estudiante. Por ello se ha analizado la naturaleza y el volumen del contenido implicado en el trato de las competencias informacionales mediante el uso del portafolio electrónico o PLE y el lugar que ocupan los procesos de carácter estratégico en la adquisición del conocimiento disciplinario transversal. Ha emergido la necesidad de ampliar el sistema de categorización de la IFLA para dar cabida a procesos de reflexión y planificación relacionados con dicho conocimiento estratégico. Objective: This paper identifies and analyses the categories of knowledge involved in the acquisition of information competence in a formal education setting, examining how this is enhanced by the use of a mixed e-portfolio/PLE. Our focus is on how the use of e-portfolios can help students develop systems of strategic or conditional knowledge. -- Methodology: This qualitative study uses a semi-structured interview and attributes categories by inter-rater reliability coding and the organization of codes for quantitative representation. The interviewees were students from the Faculty of Education at the Universidad Católica de Temuco in Chile. The competences and categories are adapted from the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA). -- Results: In higher education, there is often a focus on declarative and procedural learning, while more transversal, meta-cognitive competences are neglected. The use of e-portfolios helps students acquire the competences to assume greater control of their learning. For this reason, we have analysed the nature and volume of the content involved in the treatment of information competence through the use of mixed e-portfolio/PLE models and the importance of strategic processes in students’ acquisition of transversal knowledge. We have also extended the IFLA system of categorization to include those processes of reflection and planning that show how students develop systems of strategic knowledge.

Objectiu: identificació i anàlisi de les categories sobre el coneixement implicades en l'adquisició de la competència informacional potenciades per l'ús d'un portfolio digital/PLE (e-Portfolio/PLE) en un àmbit d'educació formal, especialment amb relació al desenvolupament de processos estratègics o condicionals. -- Metodologia: anàlisi qualitativa mitjançant entrevista semiestructurada i atribució de categories amb codificació interjutges i organització dels codis per representar-los quantitativament. L'entrevista es va fer a estudiants de la Facultad de Educación de la Universidad Católica de Temuco, Xile, i les competències i la categorització de base utilitzada és la proposada per l'IFLA, amb alguns complements. -- Resultats: en l'educació superior es manifesta una focalització en l'ensenyament i l'aprenentatge de continguts declaratius i procedimentals lligats estretament a la matèria d'estudi, i s'obliden competències més transversals d'alt nivell cognitiu. L'ús de portfolios digitals afavoreix el desenvolupament de competències relacionades amb l'autonomia de l'estudiant. Per això s'ha analitzat la naturalesa i el volum del contingut implicat en el tractament de les competències informacionals per mitjà de l'ús de portfolios digitals/PLE i el lloc que ocupen els processos de caràcter estratègic en l'adquisició del coneixement disciplinari transversal. Ha emergit la necessitat d'ampliar el sistema de categorització de l'IFLA per tal de donar cabuda a processos de reflexió i planificació relacionats amb aquest coneixement estratègic. Objective: This paper identifies and analyses the categories of knowledge involved in the acquisition of information competence in a formal education setting, examining how this is enhanced by the use of a mixed e-portfolio/PLE. Our focus is on how the use of e-portfolios can help students develop systems of strategic or conditional knowledge. -- Methodology: This qualitative study uses a semi-structured interview and attributes categories by inter-rater reliability coding and the organization of codes for quantitative representation. The interviewees were students from the Faculty of Education at the Universidad Católica de Temuco in Chile. The competences and categories are adapted from the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA). -- Results: In higher education, there is often a focus on declarative and procedural learning, while more transversal, meta-cognitive competences are neglected. The use of e-portfolios helps students acquire the competences to assume greater control of their learning. For this reason, we have analysed the nature and volume of the content involved in the treatment of information competence through the use of mixed e-portfolio/PLE models and the importance of strategic processes in students’ acquisition of transversal knowledge. We have also extended the IFLA system of categorization to include those processes of reflection and planning that show how students develop systems of strategic knowledge.

Objective: This paper identifies and analyses the categories of knowledge involved in the acquisition of information competence in a formal education setting, examining how this is enhanced by the use of a mixed e-portfolio/PLE. Our focus is on how the use of e-portfolios can help students develop systems of strategic or conditional knowledge. -- Methodology: This qualitative study uses a semi-structured interview and attributes categories by inter-rater reliability coding and the organization of codes for quantitative representation. The interviewees were students from the Faculty of Education at the Universidad Católica de Temuco in Chile. The competences and categories are adapted from the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA). -- Results: In higher education, there is often a focus on declarative and procedural learning, while more transversal, meta-cognitive competences are neglected. The use of e-portfolios helps students acquire the competences to assume greater control of their learning. For this reason, we have analysed the nature and volume of the content involved in the treatment of information competence through the use of mixed e-portfolio/PLE models and the importance of strategic processes in students’ acquisition of transversal knowledge. We have also extended the IFLA system of categorization to include those processes of reflection and planning that show how students develop systems of strategic knowledge.

Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest.

Two chromate-resistant filamentous fungi, strains H13 and Ed8, were selected from seven independent fungal isolates indigenous to Cr(VI)-contaminated soil because of their ability to decrease hexavalent chromium levels in the growth medium. Morphophysiological studies identified strain H13 as a Penicillium sp. isolate and Ed8 as an Aspergillus sp. isolate. When incubated in minimal medium with glucose as a carbon source and in the presence of 50 microg/mL Cr(VI), these strains caused complete disappearance of Cr(VI) in the growth medium after about 72 h of incubation. Total chromium concentration in growth medium was constant during culture growth, and no accumulation of chromium in fungal biomass was observed. Quantitative determinations of oxidized and reduced chromium species during the reduction process revealed stoichiometric conversion of Cr(VI) to Cr(III). A decrease in Cr(VI) levels from industrial wastes was also induced by Ed8 or H13 biomass. These results indicate that chromate-resistant filamentous fungi with Cr(VI)-reducing capability could be useful for the removal of Cr(VI) contamination.

Living organisms are exposed in nature to heavy metals, commonly present in their ionized species. These ions exert diverse toxic effects on microorganisms. Metal exposure both selects and maintains microbial variants able to tolerate their harmful effects. Varied and efficient metal resistance mechanisms have been identified in diverse species of bacteria, fungi and protists. The study of the interactions between microorganisms and metals may be helpful to understand the relations of toxic metals with higher organisms such as mammals and plants. Some microbial systems of metal tolerance have the potential to be used in biotechnological processes, such as the bioremediation of environmental metal pollution or the recovery of valuable metals. In this work we analyze several examples of the interactions of different types of microbes with heavy metals; these cases are related either with basic research or with possible practical applications.