Evaluation of hybrid and distance education learning environments in Spain

This article describes the adaptation and validation of the Distance Education Learning Environments Survey (DELES) for use in investigating the qualities found in distance and hybrid education psycho-social learning environments in Spain. As Europe moves toward post-secondary student mobility, equanimity in access to higher education, and more standardised degree programs across the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) the need for a high quality method for continually assessing the excellence of distance and hybrid learning environments has arisen. This study outlines how the English language DELES was adapted into the new Spanish-Distance Education Learning Environments Survey (S-DELES) for use with a Bachelor of Psychology and Criminology degree program offering both distance and hybrid education classes. We present the relationships between psycho-social learning environment perceptions and those of student affect. We also present the asynchronous aspects of the environment, scale means, and a comparison between the perceptions of distance education students and their hybrid education counterparts that inform the university about the baseline health of the information and communication technologies (ICT) environment within which the study was conducted.

Attitudes towards disability in education through the SSCI (2000-2011): a topical and bibliometric analysis

Introduction. The purpose of this study is to describe and characterize the international sci-entific output relating to “attitudes towards disability in education”, using a battery of bibliometric indicators that make it possible to analyze and monitor international scientific activity. Method. This ex post facto retrospective study analyzed 925 papers published in the Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI) database during the period 2000-2011. Results. The number of publications increased steadily between 2006 and 2010. The results reported here include the most productive authors, the journals that deal with this topic, and the articles cited most often. An analysis of research types showed a tendency toward empiri-cal studies. A total of 18 categories were identified when considering article content, and the distribution of the research studies across stages of education was found to be uneven. Discussion and Conclusion. The results reveal a topic that is highly current in today’s scien-tific community, and offer us a view of the traits that have characterized research on "attitudes towards disability in education" for the last eleven years.

Use of Tablet Pcs in Higher Education: A new Strategy for Training Engineers in European Bachelors and Masters Programmes

The use of technology in classrooms in Spanish universities has been following an upward path, and in many cases technological devices are substituting other materials that until now have been used, such as books, notebooks and so on. Step by step in higher education, more of these latest generationdevices are being used, and are providing significant improvements in training. Nowadays, there are Spanish universities that use tablets, a device with multiple applications for teaching as well as for students to study differently. They are definitely a notable innovation that will gradually become incorporated into university life. Tablet PCs make teaching more dynamic and available to students through the use of up to date digital materials, something which is key in training engineers. This paper presents their different functions employed in three Spanish universities to support teachingin engineering degrees and masters using the tablet PC, and their impact on the training process. Possible uses in specific programs like the Erasmus Masters Programmes are also assessed. The main objective of using tabletsis to improve the academic performance of students through the use of technology.

Competence profile differences among graduates from different academic subject fields: implications for improving students’ education

The aim of a university education is the intellectual development of citizens, and the training of professionals for their subsequent entry into the workforce. However, this entry into the workforce, following the theoretical education usually provided by the university, implies that students have to manage this difficult transition by themselves. Society, in a continual process of transformation, requires of universities that they adjust, adapting the education they offer to comply with the demands of society and the workplace. Socio-emotional skills would seem to have influence predicting professional performance. These skills also influence job-finding and employability. Consequently, providing teachers with an education in socioemotional competences is becoming a necessary task within universities, and the majority of teaching staff consider these skills to be fundamental to the personal and socio-emotional development of students. The objective of our proposed work is to establish the characteristic profile of competences of a sample of teachers in training, and compare it with the competences profile of graduate students belonging to the fields of law sciences, social sciences, humanities, science and technology, and health. Starting from results, implications will be derived for the development of generic competences of socio-emotional type in the framework of the European Frame of Higher Education.

Delphi study for the design and validation of a questionnaire about digital competences in higher education

The study of digital competence remains an issue of interest for both the scientific community and the supranational political agenda. This study uses the Delphi method to validate the design of a questionnaire to determine the perceived importance of digital competence in higher education. The questionnaire was constructed from different framework documents in digital competence standards (NETS, ACLR, UNESCO). The triangulation of non-parametric techniques made it possible to consolidate the results obtained through the Delphi panel, the suitability of which was highlighted through the expert competence index (K). The resulting questionnaire emerges as a good tool for undertaking future national and international studies on digital competence in higher education.