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.

Revolución y contrarrevolución en la ciudad global: las expectativas frustradas por la globalización de nuestras ciudades

Abstract: A pessimistic analysis, even catastrophic, prevails in studies of global urbanization. For example, the Reports of the UNDP-Habitat or the Worldwatch Institute, or the articles and presentations in intellectual fora. This does not mean that the transformative and integrative potential of cities is not recognized. The positive discourse about citizensliberties that the urban revolution, currently in process, makes possible forms part of our culture. These are the two sides of this reality. Many cities, European and American, have promoted regeneration of their central areas that, in many cases, deal with almost an entire municipality, with a revaluing of the compact, heterogenous city characterized by the quality of public space. However the urban developments, the metropolitan regions, multiply inequalities over the landscape, generating spaces that are physically fragmented and socially segregated. The current urban revolution is frustrating. The political, urbanistic and cultural challenge today is to 'make the city' in all regions characterized by urbanization.

Labels as nudges? An experimental study of car eco-labels

Abstract: This article presents the results of a laboratory experiment and an online multi-country experiment testing the effect of motor vehicle eco-labels on consumers. The laboratory study featured a discrete choice task and questions on comprehension, while the ten countries online experiment included measures of willingness to pay and comprehension. Labels focusing on fuel economy or running costs are better understood, and influence choice about money-related eco-friendly behaviour. We suggest that this effect comes through mental accounting of fuel economy. In the absence of a cost saving frame, we do not find a similar effect of information on CO2 emissions and eco-friendliness. Labels do not perform as well as promotional materials. By virtue of being embedded into a setting designed to capture the attention, the latter are more effective. We found also that large and expensive cars tend to be undervalued once fuel economy is highlighted.

Cognifying Model-Driven Software Engineering

Abstract: The limited adoption of Model-Driven Software Engineering (MDSE) is due to a variety of social and technical factors, which can be summarized in one: its (real or perceived) benefits do not outweigh its costs In this vision paper we argue that the cognification of MDSE has the potential to reverse this situation Cognification is the application of knowledge (inferred from large volumes of information, artificial intelligence or collective intelligence) to boost the performance and impact of a process We discuss the opportunities and challenges of cognifying MDSE tasks and we describe some potential scenarios where cognification can bring quantifiable and perceivable advantages And conversely, we also discuss how MDSE techniques themselves can help in the improvement of AI, Machine learning, bot generation and other cognification techniques

Multiple-polynomial LFSR based pseudorandom number generator for EPC Gen2 RFID tags

Abstract: We present a lightweight pseudorandom number generator (PRNG) design for EPC Gen2 RFID tags. It is based on a linear feedback shift register (LFSR) configured with multiple feedback polynomials that are selected by a physical source of randomness. The proposal successfully handles the inherent linearity of LFSR based PRNGs and satisfies the statistical requirements imposed by the EPC Gen2 standard. Statistical analysis of the sequences generated by our generator confirms the validity of the proposed technique.We show that our proposal has, moreover, a simpler hardware implementation and energy consumption than previous designs reported in the literature.

Affective Dimension of University Professors about their Teaching: An Exploration through the Semantic Differential Technique

Abstract: The main objective of this study is to increase our knowledge regarding professors’ emotions about their teaching, as a component of teacher identity. In the first part, we present a comprehensive review of the literature about the types of teachers’ emotions and teaching. In the second part we present the results of a validity study with a semantic differential scale developed to explore the emotions of university professors about their teaching. This scale was fulfilled by a sample of 198 university teachers and comprises a list of pairs of bi-polar adjectives that summarize a broad range of affective classifications about teaching in higher education. Exploratory factor analysis revealed a three-factor structure of emotions about teaching in higher education: Motivation for teaching, Evaluation of oneself as a teacher, and Teaching performance. The cross-referencing of the scale to Trigwell and Prosser’s (2004) teachers’ approaches to teaching is analysed and discussed. Our results suggest new lines of research about teachers’ emotions in higher education, proposing further studies to collect more validity evidences about the affective dimensions of teaching.