Language assessments are increasingly being leveraged for the purposes of educational reform and accountability, yet relatively little is known about how teachers respond to their implementation or what impact they have on the learning outcomes of students. Drawing on theories of educational innovation, this mixed methods study explores the interplay between testing, teaching, and learning in an urban Midwestern K-12 world languages program. Specifically, it investigates the washback effect of the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) Assessment of Performance toward Proficiency in Languages (AAPPL), and the potential for its influence on teachers’ practices to complement strategic efforts to introduce and manage curricular innovation at the local level. The study was divided into three distinct but complementary phases. In Phase 1, teachers (n=47) responded to an online survey addressing their background, instructional practices, and the potential influence of the AAPPL therein. In Phase 2, semi-structured interviews were conducted with a subset of teachers (n=12) in order to more richly describe their instructional and assessment-related practices. Finally, in Phase 3, AAPPL scores were obtained for all students (n=846) who took the assessment. Quantitative analyses predominantly involved the use of descriptive statistics to depict teachers’ practices and students’ performance on the AAPPL, as well as bivariate correlations to measure the relationship between the two. Qualitative analyses of interview data were aimed at identifying categories and themes leading to a rich description of teachers’ behaviors and activities in response to the AAPPL. In the final stages of analysis, both qualitative and quantitative data sources and analyses were synthesized in an attempt to develop a more nuanced understanding of the interplay between assessment, instruction, and learning. Findings suggested a moderately positive washback effect of the AAPPL, which was manifested through individual and collective efforts to refine curricula and instruction with the goal of further enhancing students’ language performance and proficiency development. Key findings included teachers’ increased use of ACTFL’s core documents to guide their planning, and an adjustment to the amount of instructional time devoted to the four modalities (listening, reading, writing, and speaking). This evidence for positive washback of the AAPPL was observed among teachers across languages and levels, and extended beyond those immediately implicated in its administration. Furthermore, the strength and direction of the influence was mediated by the close link between testing and teaching, individual differences among teachers, and the collaborative approach to managing the innovation. Evidence connecting teachers’ practices with student outcomes on the AAPPL was diffuse, with bivariate correlations indicating a potential relationship between the use of target language and explicit grammar instruction and students’ composite scores. This investigation has contributed to a greater understanding of how external language performance assessments may serve as a catalyst for refining and improving language teaching in K-12 contexts. Those seeking to promote the adoption of similar innovative practices should ensure that the assessment is aligned with the pedagogical goals of the curriculum and that their approach to introducing and managing change is responsive to the local context. While more research is needed in order to determine the potential influence of innovation on the learning outcomes of students (Green, 2013), world language programs should be encouraged to implement standards-based external assessments as a means by which to promote teachers’ adoption of proficiency-oriented instructional practices.

DIRECT USE OF PGV FOR ESTIMATING PEAK NONLINEAR OSCILLATOR DISPLACEMENTS K&Uuml / &Ccedil / &Uuml / KDOGAN, Bilge Recently established approximate methods for estimating the lateral deformation demands on structures are based on the prediction of nonlinear oscillator displacements (Sd,ie). In this study, a predictive model is proposed to estimate the inelastic spectral displacement as a function of peak ground velocity (PGV). Prior to the generation of the proposed model, nonlinear response history analysis is conducted on several building models of wide fundamental period range and hysteretic behavior to observe the performance of selected demands and the chosen ground-motion intensity measures (peak ground acceleration, PGA, peak ground velocity, PGV and elastic pseudo spectral acceleration at the fundamental period (PSa(T1)). Confined to the building models used and ground motion dataset, the correlation studies revealed the superiority of PGV with respect to the other intensity measures while identifying the variation in global deformation demands of structural systems (i.e., maximum roof and maximum interstory drift ratio). This rational is the deriving force for proposing the PGV based prediction model. The proposed model accounts for the variation of Sd,ie for bilinear hysteretic behavior under constant ductility (&micro / ) and normalized strength ratio (R) associated with postyield stiffness ratios of = 0% and = 5%. Confined to the limitations imposed by the ground-motion database, the predictive model can estimate Sd,ie by employing the PGV predictions obtained from the attenuation relationships. This way the influence of important seismological parameters can be incorporated to the variation of Sd,ie in a fairly rationale manner. Various case studies are presented to show the consistent estimations of Sd,ie by the proposed model using the PGV values obtained from recent ground motion prediction equations.

Persistent lack of mathematics achievement and disparity in achievement has led to the publication of research findings related to equitable teaching practices. Although the publication of such research provides insights about approaches for potentially increasing equity in mathematics education, teachers must be able to apply what has been learned from these studies to their classroom teaching practices. Despite the widespread expectation that teachers use research-supported teaching strategies to meet the needs of their diverse classrooms, the research to practice gap persists. Little research is currently available to guide mathematics teacher educators in how to prepare future teachers to apply research to teaching practices. Inspired by advancements in social work and other health-related fields, this study departed from the standard approach of preparing teachers to utilize specific, research- based teaching strategies to preparing teachers to engage in the meta-process of applying research to practice. This meta-process has been defined by the health-related disciplines as the process of evidence-based practice (EBP). This process is explicated in a conceptual framework that is composed of the following five steps. The practitioner (1) formulates an answerable practice question, (2) searches for the best research evidence, (3) critically appraises the evidence, (4) selects the best intervention for a specific practice context, and (5) evaluates the outcome of the intervention. The purpose of this study was to examine the process of preparing preservice elementary teachers of mathematics to engage in the five-step process of EBP. Because this process, which can be conceptualized as a routine of practice, has not been identified for the field of mathematics education previously, it was examined using a design-based research (DBR) methodological approach. There were two objectives to the study: (1) to create an empirically tested teaching intervention that mathematics teacher educators can use to prepare preservice teachers to apply research to teaching practice and (2) to create a system of assessment that supports the teaching of this intervention. The study involved five iterations of the DBR process that permited the intervention to be evaluated and revised after each iteration. Although each iteration is discussed, this study focuses primarily on the process used in the fifth iteration of the DBR process. This iteration took place in the context of a mathematics methods course in a clinically-rich, undergraduate residency program for initial preparation of elementary school teachers. The twelve participants were simultaneously enrolled in the methods course and embedded in co-teaching assignments at an elementary school. The intervention to prepare teachers to engage in EBP included two workshops that were co-facilitated by an education librarian and a mathematics teacher educator and a semester-long Education Research Project. The project required participants to identify a problem of practice related to teaching or learning mathematics, find relevant research to address that problem, create an intervention to apply the research findings to classroom instruction, implement that intervention, and collect data to evaluate the effectiveness of the designed intervention. Instruments used to collect data included: (1) a self-report Information Literacy Questionnaire, (2) a self-report Familiarity with the Process of Evidence-Based Practice in Education Scale, (3) the Education Research Project report, and (4) a standardized performance assessment. The standardized performance assessment was used to assess beginning proficiency with the process of EBP. Generalizeability theory was used to evaluate the reliability of the system created for the standardized performance assessment. The system that included three raters, two tasks, and two scoring occasions was found to be fairly reliable (absolute generalizability coefficient = .81). Results from this study revealed that participants were more successful at creating implementation plans and linking those plans to research than they were at modifying their plans to meet the needs of specific students or evaluating their research implementation. This study contributes to both research and mathematics education communities' understandings about the potential of EBP as a high-leverage routine of practice and the use of generalizability theory in the creation of a reliable assessment to evaluate this routine of practice. This study documents the complexity of the process of linking research to practice and provides an empirically tested conceptual framework for preparing preservice teachers to engage in this complex practice.

This dissertation is composed of three manuscripts based on two studies related to training and assessment methods used to evaluate change and overall quality in measures of performance, postural control, and functional movement. Study one evaluated the effect of sand training on athletic performance and postural control. Study two investigated the effect of scoring strata of the deep squat (DS) component of the Functional Movement Screen (FMS) on the weight-bearing lunge test (WBLT), Star Excursion Balance Test (SEBT), and Lateral Flexion Test (LFT) in 101 male and female college students. Study one results included significant overall improvements of the five repetition maximum (5RM) squat (p=0.002), and WBLT (p Study two results indicated that limited dorsiflexion will lead to a reduction in DS performance and asymmetry of performance on the LFT may result in further movement limitations. Subjects scoring a one or two on the deep squat performed significantly lower (p

Dentre os fatores limitantes dos sistemas de controle, o tempo morto está entre os mais críticos e de difícil detecção sem testes intrusivos. O conhecimento do seu valor é essencial para a identificação de modelos e na auditoria de desempenho de sistemas de controle. Em virtude disto, o presente trabalho propõe uma metodologia eficaz para estimá-lo utilizando apenas dados históricos de processo em malha fechada. A principal vantagem frente a técnicas disponíveis na literatura é a não necessidade de testes intrusivos. A metodologia é baseada em um tratamento de sinal para remoção dos efeitos do distúrbio não medido e dos erros de modelo. O tratamento de sinal consiste na minimização das oscilações do sinal erro em malha aberta suavizado como função do tempo morto. Diversas formulações de função objetivo e procedimentos de suavização foram estudados visando facilitar a estimação do parâmetro. A qualidade da metodologia é ilustrada através de simulações em uma série de cenários, os quais simulam processos lineares de diferentes características sob o efeito de distúrbios distintos. A metodologia também é testada frente a estudo de casos com dados reais de processo industrial em malhas de nível e temperatura. Os resultados são comparados com métodos da literatura e demonstram que o método proposto foi eficaz na estimação do tempo morto para a maioria dos casos. / Among the limiting factors of control systems, the pure time delay is one of the most critical and difficult to estimate without an intrusive perturbation. The knowledge of its value is essential for model identification and control loop performance assessment. This work proposes a methodology to determine dead time using ordinary closed loop operating data. The main advantage over available techniques is the non-necessity of intrusive plant tests. The proposed approach is based on a signal processing for removing the effects of the unmeasured disturbances and the model-plant mismatches. The signal processing consists of the minimization of the oscillations of the smoothing open loop error as a function of the pure time delay. Several objective function formulations and smoothing procedures were studied in order to facilitate parameter estimation. The quality of the methodology is illustrated by simulations in a series of scenarios, which simulate linear processes of different characteristics under the effect of different disturbances. The methodology is also tested in case studies with real industrial process data. Results are compared to literature approaches and show the method was effective to estimate the pure time delay for most cases.

La performance environnementale des produits influence largement la performance des systèmes. De plus, les systèmes présentent encore un potentiel d'économie d'énergie inexploité pour la performance environnementale globale, comparé aux produits individuels qui les composent.L'objectif de ce travail est de proposer une approche pour l'évaluation de performance énergétique de systèmes, en tenant compte d'information / de données livrées par les politiques européennes de produits (Directives Eco-conception et Étiquetage énergétique, Verdissement des marchés publics, Ecolabel Européen). L'hypothèse considérée ici est que les politiques environnementales des produits, qui ont été très utiles pour faciliter un système de notation homogène sur le marché européen des produits, peuvent également être avantageusement utilisées dans une démarche visant pour évaluer la performance énergétique des systèmes.Ce travail de recherche propose une méthode simplifiée pour soutenir la conception de systèmes de chauffage performants en utilisant les données des politiques environnentales de produits de l'Union Européenne, disponibles en phase de conception. Tout d'abord, une modélisation du système avec une approche "top-down" est utilisée pour prendre en compte les aspects système (conditions géographiques, caractéristiques du bâtiment, etc.). Deuxièmement, la performance énergétique du système est calculée à partir d'une approche "bottom-up", à partir de la performance des produits et des sous-systèmes composant le système. La méthode comporte 5 étapes divisées en deux phases principales: diagnostic du système initial et amélioration. La méthode est supportée par un outil de calcul original qui détermine les paramètres énergétiques (demande d'énergie, consommation d'énergie et rendement énergétique) au niveau du système en utilisant les données de performance telles que documentées par les politiques produits de l'Union Européenne. La méthode permet d'évaluer la performance d'un système de chauffage en définissant les systèmes les plus mauvais et les meilleurs possibles. La méthode est flexible et permet d'évaluer différentes configurations de produits et peut donc soutenir les activités de conception des systèmes de chauffage de bâtiment.La méthode est testée sur une étude de cas, la re-conception conception d'un système de chauffage existant d'une habitation dans le nord de l'Italie, incluant un système d'eau chaude sanitaire solaire et un système de chauffage des locaux. L'étude de cas démontre le potentiel d'amélioration du système de chauffage basé sur les résultats produits par la méthode, en aidant à sélectionner les produits actuellement disponibles sur le marché. En outre, sur la base de l'évaluation, plusieurs variantes de re-conception peuvent être proposées combinant différentes performances des produits qui composent les systèmes de chauffage. La thèse analyse également l'évolution des différentes approches adoptées par les politiques de produits de l'Union Européenne (approche produit, approche produit étendu et approche système). En particulier, le concept de "package" (ou produits combinés) défini dans les réglementations d'étiquetage énergétique des systèmes de chauffage est étudié en détail. L'étiquette du "package" du règlement 811/2013 est mise en œuvre dans la même étude de cas, de sorte que les résultats puissent être comparés à ceux des sections précédentes. Il est démontré que le concept de "package" peut également soutenir les décisions prises dans la phase de conception du système de chauffage, en particulier dans la sélection des composants appropriés en fonction de l'estimation de la performance du système. En outre, le chapitre 6, composé essentiellement d'un article publié dans un journal scientifique, analyse le lien entre les politiques publiques européennes relatives aux produits du bâtiment et celles liées à la performance énergétique des bâtiments: il est conclu qu'elles pourraient être mieux alignées. / Environmental performances of products largely influence performances of systems. Moreover, systems have still an untapped energy-saving potential concerning environmental performances at system level rather than at the level of the individual products of which they are composed.The objective of this work is to propose an approach to deal with energy performance assessments at system level considering information/data from European product policies (Ecodesign, Energy Labels, Green Public Procurement and EU Ecolabel). The hypothesis here is that environmental product policies, that have been very useful in facilitating a homogeneous rating scheme in the EU market for individual products, can also be advantageously used in a method to assess the energy performance of systems.This research work proposes a simplified method for supporting the design of good performing heating systems using data from EU product policies, which is available during the design stage. Firstly, a system modelling with a top-down approach is used so that system aspects (geographical conditions, building characteristics, etc.) are regarded. Secondly, the system energy performance is calculated from a bottom-up approach so that, from the performance of the products and sub-systems composing the system. The method has 5 steps divided in two main phases: diagnostic of the initial system and improvement. The method is supported by an original calculation tool which determines the energy parameters (energy demand, energy losses, energy consumption and low-emission energy efficiency) at system level using performance figures from EU product policies. It helps assessing how good a heating system is by setting worst, benchmark and best possible systems. The method is flexible, and allows different product configurations to be assessed and can hence support the design activities of heating systems.The method is tested on a real case study, the re-design of existing heating systems of a dwelling in north Italy, including a solar hot water system and a space heating system. The case study demonstrates the potential of improvement of the heating systems based on the results produced by the method, by helping selecting products currently available in the market. In addition, based on the assessment, several improved design alternatives can be proposed combining different performances of the products which compose the heating systems.The dissertation also analyses the evolution of the different approaches of EU product policies (product, extended product and system). In particular, the package concept set in the energy labelling regulations of heating systems is studied in detail. The package label of Regulation 811/2013 is implemented on the same prior case study so that results can be compared with the ones of previous sections. It is shown that the package concept can also support decisions made in the building design phase especially in the choice of appropriate components based on estimation of system performances. In addition, the peer-reviewed paper analyses the link of building-related product policies with the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive, and it is concluded that they should be somehow better aligned.

Esta dissertação tem como objetivo criar uma ferramenta mais abrangente de avaliação do desempenho ambiental da mineração a céu aberto, para posteriormente avaliar o desempenho ambiental desta atividade econômica, uma vez que os critérios de avaliação de impactos na mineração atuais não consideram o impacto ambiental causado por atividades de lavra a céu aberto na paisagem. Para mensurar o impacto na paisagem causado pela mineração foram utilizados dados de sensoriamento remoto do sensor TM do satélite Landsat 5 e técnicas de geoprocessamento. Posteriormente, as cenas foram submetidas ao script de análise de fragmentação da paisagem V-LATE 2.0 beta para o ArcMAP™ 10.1. Após os impactos ambientais terem sido mensurados e agregados em um índice, torna-se possível uma quantificação do desempenho ambiental da atividade de mineração. Como aplicação do novo índice criado, foi feito um estudo comparativo entre a mina N5W e a cultura da soja no município de Sorriso, MT. Tal estudo permitiu concluir que a atividade da mineração a céu aberto, se realizada com as devidas medidas mitigatórias, apresenta desempenho ambiental comparável a outras atividades econômicas de mesmo porte produtivo. / This dissertation aims to create a more comprehensive tool for assessing environmental performance of open pit mines to assess the environmental performance, since the criteria for assessment of impacts on current mining do not consider the environmental impact of open-pit mining activities in the landscape. To measure the impact on the landscape caused by mining techniques were used remote sensing data from Landsat 5 TM sensor and geoprocessing techniques. Then the scenes were analyzed by V-LATE 2.0 beta script for ArcMAP™ 10.1 software. After the environmental impacts have been measured and aggregated into an index, it is possible to quantify the environmental performance of mining activities. As an application of the new index created, a comparative study between N5W mine and soybean in the municipality of Sorriso, MT was done. This study concluded that the open pit mining whether performed with appropriate mitigation measures, has environmental performance similar to other economic activities with the same production scale.

Submitted by Tatiana Lima (tatianasl@ufba.br) on 2015-10-19T19:12:26Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Miranda, José Roberto Lima.pdf: 3153522 bytes, checksum: 7fdfd14b6ce1fd4c1250aafb30502ed0 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Tatiana Lima (tatianasl@ufba.br) on 2015-10-19T21:43:37Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 Miranda, José Roberto Lima.pdf: 3153522 bytes, checksum: 7fdfd14b6ce1fd4c1250aafb30502ed0 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2015-10-19T21:43:37Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Miranda, José Roberto Lima.pdf: 3153522 bytes, checksum: 7fdfd14b6ce1fd4c1250aafb30502ed0 (MD5) / A presente dissertação tem como objetivo construir instrumento para a avaliação do desempenho dos gestores das escolas técnicas estaduais em Pernambuco. Para a realização da pesquisa foram utilizados diversos procedimentos metodológicos. Inicialmente realizou-se o levantamento de instrumentos de avaliação de desempenho de gestor escolar em todas as Secretarias de Educação Estaduais e do Distrito Federal. Os dois instrumentos encontrados foram analisados e comparados com a legislação em vigor no Estado de Pernambuco. Conjuntamente com a literatura da área, neste momento construía-se a primeira versão do instrumento. Para a análise semântica, o instrumento foi submetido a sete juízes, doutores, com experiência acadêmica e prática no tema. Baseado nesses resultados elabora-se a segunda versão do instrumento, sendo submetido à pré-teste, para validação. Nesta fase, participaram três gestores escolares das escolas técnicas estaduais de Pernambuco, sugerindo quatro alterações, sendo apenas uma delas acrescida na versão final do instrumento. Este foi aplicado a todos os 27 gestores escolares das escolas técnicas, que estão distribuídas em 22 municípios pernambucanos. Os resultados da auto avaliação dos gestores tiveram seus dados analisados e finalmente apresenta-se uma proposta de instrumento para avaliação do desempenho do gestor escolar das escolas técnicas estaduais de Pernambuco. Recomenda-se que a avaliação seja realizada por múltiplas fontes (360º) e a aplicação do instrumento por técnicos da Secretaria de Educação ou das Gerências Regionais de Educação, a fim de observar in loco todas as informações prestadas pelo Gestor. E que sejam realizadas campanhas de conscientização da relevância do processo de avaliação de desempenho. / This essay aims to build a tool for assessing the performance of managers of state technical schools in Pernambuco. For the research, several methodological procedures were used. Initially it carried out the survey instruments for evaluating school management performance in all State Education Departments and the Federal District. The two found instruments were analyzed and compared with the relevant legislation of the State of Pernambuco. Together with the literature of the area, the first version of the instrument was built. For the semantic analysis, the instrument was subjected to seven judges, doctors with academics experiences and practical in the subject. Based on these results, it designed a second version of the instrument. It having undergone pre-test for instrument validation. At this stage, we attended three school managers PE, suggesting four amendments, and only one of them added in the final version of the instrument. The instrument was administered to all 27 school managers of technical schools, which are distributed in 22 municipalities of Pernambuco. The results of this self assessment of managers were analyzed and finally presents a proposed tool for evaluating the accomplishment of the school manager of the State of Pernambuco. It is recommended that the evaluation is performed by multiple sources (360) and the application of the instrument by technicians from the Department of Education or the Regional Offices of Education, in order to observe in situ all the information provided by the Manager. And that awareness campaigns are carried out the relevance of the performance evaluation process.

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / This Master s Dissertation presents the development of a methodology for performance assessment and establishment of limits of power supply continuity using Fuzzy Logic, including the processes of selecting variables that characterizethe problemand determiningadjustments tothe limitsof thecontinuity indexes. The studybegins withextensive researchto selectvariablesthat most closely characterize the reliability problem ofpower distributionnetworks. After this selection,the systemis divided intotwo levels of assessment. At the first level, the variables are grouped intothreeindependent systems defining indexes that evaluatenetwork reliabilitydue tooperational characteristics, the quality of networksand the influenceof the environment. At the second level, these indexesare evaluatedon a new systemtogether with thehistorical performanceof consumer sets, from where adjustmentsare obtained and applied to the limitsof power supply continuity established by ANEEL (Regulatory Agency). DatafromtheState CompanyofElectric Power Distribution(CEEE-D) is applied and the results of the developed system are evaluated. From the resultsobtained, it becomes possible to identifyand proposeadjustmentsto the limits ofperformanceand to definepriority targets foractions aimed at to improving thequality ofpower supply. / Esta dissertação apresenta o desenvolvimento de uma metodologia de avaliação de desempenho e de definição de limites de continuidade de fornecimento de energia elétrica usando a Lógica Fuzzy, compreendendo desde o processo de seleção das variáveis que caracterizam o problema até o processo de determinação de ajustes para os limites dos indicadores de continuidade. O trabalho inicia-se com uma vasta pesquisa para selecionar as variáveis, visando caracterizar o problema de confiabilidade das redes de distribuição de energia da melhor forma possível. Após a seleção, o sistema é dividido em dois níveis de avaliação.No primeiro nível, as variáveis são agrupadas em três sistemas independentes, os quais definem índices que avaliam confiabilidade da rede devido a características operacionais, o padrão de rede e a influência do meio. No segundo nível, esses índices são avaliados juntamente com o histórico de desempenho dos conjuntos de consumidores de forma que sejam definidos ajustes para os limites de continuidade de fornecimento de energia. Dados da Companhia Estadual de Distribuição de Energia Elétrica (CEEE-D) são utilizados e os resultados obtidos a partir do sistema desenvolvido são avaliados.A partir dessa análise, torna-se possível identificar e propor adequações aos limites de desempenho, bem como definir conjuntos prioritários para ações de melhoria na qualidade do fornecimento de energia.

Dentre os fatores limitantes dos sistemas de controle, o tempo morto está entre os mais críticos e de difícil detecção sem testes intrusivos. O conhecimento do seu valor é essencial para a identificação de modelos e na auditoria de desempenho de sistemas de controle. Em virtude disto, o presente trabalho propõe uma metodologia eficaz para estimá-lo utilizando apenas dados históricos de processo em malha fechada. A principal vantagem frente a técnicas disponíveis na literatura é a não necessidade de testes intrusivos. A metodologia é baseada em um tratamento de sinal para remoção dos efeitos do distúrbio não medido e dos erros de modelo. O tratamento de sinal consiste na minimização das oscilações do sinal erro em malha aberta suavizado como função do tempo morto. Diversas formulações de função objetivo e procedimentos de suavização foram estudados visando facilitar a estimação do parâmetro. A qualidade da metodologia é ilustrada através de simulações em uma série de cenários, os quais simulam processos lineares de diferentes características sob o efeito de distúrbios distintos. A metodologia também é testada frente a estudo de casos com dados reais de processo industrial em malhas de nível e temperatura. Os resultados são comparados com métodos da literatura e demonstram que o método proposto foi eficaz na estimação do tempo morto para a maioria dos casos. / Among the limiting factors of control systems, the pure time delay is one of the most critical and difficult to estimate without an intrusive perturbation. The knowledge of its value is essential for model identification and control loop performance assessment. This work proposes a methodology to determine dead time using ordinary closed loop operating data. The main advantage over available techniques is the non-necessity of intrusive plant tests. The proposed approach is based on a signal processing for removing the effects of the unmeasured disturbances and the model-plant mismatches. The signal processing consists of the minimization of the oscillations of the smoothing open loop error as a function of the pure time delay. Several objective function formulations and smoothing procedures were studied in order to facilitate parameter estimation. The quality of the methodology is illustrated by simulations in a series of scenarios, which simulate linear processes of different characteristics under the effect of different disturbances. The methodology is also tested in case studies with real industrial process data. Results are compared to literature approaches and show the method was effective to estimate the pure time delay for most cases.