Open University of Catalonia

About: Open University of Catalonia is a education organization based out in Barcelona, Spain. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Collaborative learning & Educational technology. The organization has 1943 authors who have published 4646 publications receiving 64200 citations. The organization is also known as: Universitat Oberta de Catalunya & UOC.

Tendencias en el uso de Internetcomo fuente de información sobre salud

Abstract: El uso de las nuevas tecnologias para acceder a informacion clinica y a materiales de fomacion sobre salud y bienestar se ha convertido en una necesidad para muchos ciudadanos, pacientes y profesionales sanitarios de todo el mundo. De esta manera, Internet se ha convertido en un instrumento fundamental de la «transmision del conocimiento» (knowledge translation) en salud. Aunque la literatura sobre el tema de "Internet y salud" es cada vez mas extensa, en Espana se han realizado muy pocos estudios para conocer los patrones de busqueda de informacion sobre salud en Internet y la percepcion sobre la calidad de estos recursos que tienen diferentes grupos de poblacion (por ejemplo, adolescentes, mayores, mujeres, profesionales sanitarios y comunidades virtuales de pacientes). Estas son precisamente las lineas de investigacion que un grupo de profesionales de la Escuela Andaluza de Salud Publica (EASP) ha venido desarrollando durante los ultimos anos. En este articulo se revisan las tendencias de uso de Internet como fuente de informacion sobre salud en varios grupos poblacionales y los factores que favorecen el acceso a estos recursos. Ademas, se analizan los codigos de conducta que se han propuesto para mejorar la calidad de las paginas web con contenidos de salud.

Stakeholder Approach: What Effects Should We Take into Account in Contemporary Societies?

Abstract: In recent years, the stakeholder approach has been widely applied in the debate on corporate social responsibility (CSR). Although many authors of this approach have reviewed many elements of the model, they have unconditionally accepted several criteria assumed by Freeman (1984) to identify stakeholders. In general, stakeholder authors have assumed that (a) the company establishes dyadic relationships with other agents, and (b) decisions made by a company only have foreseen and direct effects on other agents. These criteria have enabled researchers to understand simple processes. However, they have also prevented researchers from explaining how action comes about, and how responsibility is shared, in many complex processes taking place in contemporary societies. Such complex processes involve many agents, and each decision can generate unexpected effects which accumulate or disseminate. Furthermore, the normative structure governing these processes can affect and/or be affected by the actions of agents. In this study, we propose new criteria to expand the stakeholder model and facilitate the study of CSR in such processes.

High capacity, reversible data hiding in medical images

Abstract: In this paper we introduce a highly efficient reversible data hiding technique. It is based on dividing the image into tiles and shifting the histograms of each image tile between its minimum and maximum frequency. Data are then inserted at the pixel level with the largest frequency to maximize data hiding capacity. It exploits the special properties of medical images, where the histogram of their non-overlapping image tiles mostly peak around some gray values and the rest of the spectrum is mainly empty. The zeros (or minima) and peaks (maxima) of the histograms of the image tiles are then relocated to embed the data. The grey values of some pixels are therefore modified. High capacity, high fidelity, reversibility and multiple data insertions are the key requirements of data hiding in medical images. We show how histograms of image tiles of medical images can be exploited to achieve these requirements. Compared with data hiding method in the whole image, our scheme can result in 30%–200% capacity improvement with still better image quality, depending on the medical image content.

A Mobile Phone Intervention to Improve Obesity-Related Health Behaviors of Adolescents Across Europe: Iterative Co-Design and Feasibility Study

Abstract: Background: Promotion of physical activity, healthy eating, adequate sleep, and reduced sedentary behavior in adolescents is a major priority globally given the current increase in population health challenges of noncommunicable diseases and risk factors such as obesity. Adolescents are highly engaged with mobile technology, but the challenge is to engage them with mobile health (mHealth) technology. Recent innovations in mobile technology provide opportunities to promote a healthy lifestyle in adolescents. An increasingly utilized approach to facilitate increased engagement with mHealth technology is to involve potential users in the creation of the technology. Objective: This study aimed to describe the process of and findings from co-designing and prototyping components of the PEGASO Fit for Future (F4F) mHealth intervention for adolescents from different cultural backgrounds. Methods: A total of 74 adolescents aged 13 to 16 years from Spain, Italy, and the United Kingdom participated in the co-design of the PEGASO F4F technology. In 3 iterative cycles over 12 months, participants were involved in the co-design, refinement, and feasibility testing of a system consisting of diverse mobile apps with a variety of functions and facilities to encourage healthy weight–promoting behaviors. In the first iteration, participants attended a single workshop session and were presented with mock-ups or early-version prototypes of different apps for user requirements assessment and review. During the second iteration, prototypes of all apps were tested by participants for 1 week at home or school. In the third iteration, further developed prototypes were tested for 2 weeks. Participants’ user experience feedback and development ideas were collected through focus groups and completion of questionnaires. Results: For the PEGASO F4F technology to be motivating and engaging, participants suggested that it should (1) allow personalization of the interface, (2) have age-appropriate and easy-to-understand language (of icons, labels, instructions, and notifications), (3) provide easily accessible tutorials on how to use the app or navigate through a game, (4) present a clear purpose and end goal, (5) have an appealing and self-explanatory reward system, (6) offer variation in gamified activities within apps and the serious game, and (7) allow to seek peer support and connect with peers for competitive activities within the technology. Conclusions: Incorporating adolescents’ preferences, the PEGASO F4F technology combines the functions of a self-monitoring, entertainment, advisory, and social support tool. This was the first study demonstrating that it is possible to develop a complex mobile phone-based technological system applying the principles of co-design to mHealth technology with adolescents across 3 countries. The findings from this study informed the development of an mHealth system for healthy weight promotion to be tested in a controlled multinational pilot trial.

The Effect of Multilingual Facilitation on Active Participation in MOOCs

Abstract: A new approach for overcoming the language and culture barriers to participation in Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) is reported. It is hypothesised that the juxtaposition of English as the language of instruction , used for interacting with course materials, and one’s preferred language as the language of participation , used for interaction with peers and facilitators, is preferable to “English only” for participation in a MOOC. The Hands-On ICT (HANDSON) MOOC included seven teams of facilitators, each catering for a different language community. Facilitators were responsible for promoting active participation and peer tutoring. Comparing language groups revealed a series of predictors of intention to learn, some of which became apparent in the first days of the MOOC already. The comparison also uncovered four critical factors that influence participation: facilitation, language of participation, group size, and a pre-existing sense of community. Especially crucial was reaching a sufficient number of active participants during the first week. We conclude that multilingual facilitation activates participation in MOOCs in various ways, and that synergy between the four aforementioned factors is critical for the formation of the learning network that supports a social dynamic of active participation. Our approach suggests future targets for the development of the multilingual and community potential of MOOCs.