Project «Water and Environment»: Improving educational practices in the aquatic environment

The project "Water and Environment"for the improvement of educational practices in the aquatic environment, is a research project led by four members of the Research Group of Physical Education at the University of Vic (GREF) experts in water activities. The aim is to train the technicians who teach swimming during school hours. The training is based on improving water treatment practices and competence to face a contradictory scene where clubs develop educational content and where schools transfer to clubs part of its educational activity to contribute significantly and positively to water activities fitting the educational curriculum.

From Educational Segregation to Transformative Inclusion

Recent studies conducted in Europe using communicative methodology highlight that different ways of grouping students has a direct effect on their academic output. This article analyzes how said research methodology identifies and analyzes those student groupings that provide greater academic success and improve classroom coexistence at Spanish educational centers. Said methodology entails all of the research participants researchers, teachers, families, and students reflecting on the consequences of streaming, mixture, and inclusion for student academic achievement. Following this, our conclusions are compared with the policies and educational practices implemented in Spanish schools, which are not based on scientific knowledge and do not usually lead to academic success. Finally, recommendations are presented for future educational policies with the aim of providing an alternative for teachers and educational managers that would substantially improve student academic success.

Barriers and Motivators for Using Open Educational Resources in Schools

In an explorative study, we investigated on German schoolteachers how they use, reuse, produce and manage Open Educational Resources. The main questions in this research have been, what their motivators and barriers are in their use of Open Educational Resources, what others can learn from their Open Educational Practices, and what we can do to raise the dissemination level of OER in schools.

Qualitat de vida i centres d'educació especial: una aproximació a la seva conceptualització i avaluació

La qualitat de vida s’està convertint en un concepte clau i unificador en l’atenció i educació de les persones amb discapacitat intel•lectual. Així mateix, la percepció actual sobre les persones amb discapacitat ha canviat substancialment. En el moment actual, cal plantejar-se quines són les aplicacions i les implicacions que tenen per l’atenció i educació de les persones amb discapacitat intel•lectual els principis derivats del nou concepte de discapacitat i de la qualitat de vida. Aquesta investigació pretén essencialment elaborar un conjunt d’instruments que permetin avaluar la qualitat de les pràctiques educatives dels centres d’educació especial. Amb aquest objectiu s’ha seguit un procediment estructurat i ordenat en l’elaboració dels instruments com en la seva valoració inicial. Per avaluar la qualitat dels centres d’educació especial es proposen una sèrie qüestionaris tant pels professionals, les famílies i els alumnes. Els resultats indiquen que el conjunt d’instruments d’avaluació permeten recollir informació àmplia i variada de les pràctiques d’un centre d’educació especial, determinar les seves fortaleses i debilitats i servir de base per establir plans de millora estretament relacionats amb el context particular del centre i amb el que es considera una bona pràctica educativa.

Implementació i avaluació d'un programa dirigit a l'alfabetització de les mares amb infants estragers en la seva llengua i en català

El projecte « Teixint Cultures » és un projecte de recerca-acció comunitari que intenta promoure des de l’àmbit de l’educació d’adults, l’aprenentatge de la llengua catalana a partir dels recursos lingüístics que les mares d’origen africà tenen en la seva llengua familiar. El programa es porta a terme des d’una biblioteca pública infantil, i atén a mares d’origen immigrat amb fills menors de tres anys no escolaritzats al seu càrrec. Tot el projecte està vehiculat a partir dels contes infantils. De fet, intenta recuperar els contes de tradició oral provinents del continent africà per posteriorment elaborar materials educatius bilingües (en català i en les seves llengües) que es puguin utilitzar com a llibres educatius de consulta, tant per les biblioteques públiques com pels centres educatius. Els resultats s'agrupen entres àmbits a) descripció de les característiques metodològiques i organitzatives que han fet possible el projecte; b) impacte del projecte en les participants (aprenentatge del català, actituds, satisfacció i autoestima, pràctiques al voltant de la narració i la lectura de contes a la llar); i c) impacte del projecte a la biblioteca i al context local de la població de Salt. El futur del projecte es relaciona amb el Pla d'Entorn lligat amb l'establiment de relacions de continuïtat família-escola, implicació de les entitats i associacions de persones estrangeres i el tractament educatiu de la llengua familiar de l'alumnat.

Transferència de bones pràctiques educatives amb TIC a una escola bressol de nova creació

L’escola bressol és el primer centre educatiu on els infants tenen accés a l’era digital després de l’entorn familiar que és el primer que reben després del seu naixement. Aquests centres educatius també han de donar resposta a la societat digital que hi ha actualment per tal d’aconseguir un desenvolupament integral de l’infant. Per realitzar aquesta integració de les Tecnologies de la Informació i la Comunicació (TIC) al centre és important una bona formació per part dels docents i tenir clar quins són els elements que fan una bona pràctica TIC. En el present treball final de grau s’aprofundeix en les bones pràctiques educatives en l’ús de les TIC i, posteriorment, es realitza una proposta de transferència de les mateixes a una escola de nova creació.

Some of the challenges and experiences of formal education in a Mobile-Centric Society (MCS) = Algunos retos y experiencias de la educación formal en la Sociedad Móvil-Céntrica (SMC)

The aim of the paper is to describe some of the challenges faced by schools, or by formal education in general, as a consequence of today"s mobilecentric society (henceforth MCS), the term we will use to denote the new, networked learning ecology that has arisen from the massive penetration of digital media in everyday life. After revisiting some of the ideas of McLuhan and Vygotsky in the light of this new technological scenario, we describe five traits of the MCS and the challenges illustrated through educational practices that we believe schools will face if they wish to preserve their function of individualization and socialization. We believe that despite the emergence of the MCS, the main function of the school is still to provide the"box of tools" (a set of psychological instruments, such as reading, writing, mathematical notation, digital literacy, etc.) that enables people to develop their learning skills and life projects and to become part of communities and groups. However, the complexity and mobility of the new learning environments means that the position held by schools needs to be reevaluated in the face of the informal learning paths and experiences both online and offline to which learners now have access. We also need to reevaluate the meaning of the school itself as an institution and the model of learner it should be training

Safety and sustainability research for university schools of fine arts

Designing new teaching programs for both undergraduate and graduate university studies involves integrating concepts and methodologies regarding quality, work safety and hazard prevention, and environmental protection. One of the challenges facing Spanish research within the realm of European Higher Education concerns health and safety issues in the Arts.In the case of Fine Arts, student exploration is one of the fundamental pillars of the study program; therefore it is imperative that art studios be optimized. This optimization affects both designated resources (infrastructures, materials, equipment, etc.) and organization of the teaching force.In this context, the aim of our research is to improve educational practices by designing quality measures that are both friendly to the environment and hazardous free. The aim here is to assure adequate art studio and laboratory management, and provide students with hazard free health and environmentally safe concepts that can be incorporated in their professional lives.The school of Fine Arts at the University of Barcelona is part of a pilot program, where our experience in educational innovation and research is serving as a reference for the implantation of OSHAS 18001 norms.

Safety and sustainability research for university schools of fine arts

Designing new teaching programs for both undergraduate and graduate university studies involves integrating concepts and methodologies regarding quality, work safety and hazard prevention, and environmental protection. One of the challenges facing Spanish research within the realm of European Higher Education concerns health and safety issues in the Arts.In the case of Fine Arts, student exploration is one of the fundamental pillars of the study program; therefore it is imperative that art studios be optimized. This optimization affects both designated resources (infrastructures, materials, equipment, etc.) and organization of the teaching force.In this context, the aim of our research is to improve educational practices by designing quality measures that are both friendly to the environment and hazardous free. The aim here is to assure adequate art studio and laboratory management, and provide students with hazard free health and environmentally safe concepts that can be incorporated in their professional lives.The school of Fine Arts at the University of Barcelona is part of a pilot program, where our experience in educational innovation and research is serving as a reference for the implantation of OSHAS 18001 norms.

Safety and sustainability research for university schools of fine arts

Designing new teaching programs for both undergraduate and graduate university studies involves integrating concepts and methodologies regarding quality, work safety and hazard prevention, and environmental protection. One of the challenges facing Spanish research within the realm of European Higher Education concerns health and safety issues in the Arts.In the case of Fine Arts, student exploration is one of the fundamental pillars of the study program; therefore it is imperative that art studios be optimized. This optimization affects both designated resources (infrastructures, materials, equipment, etc.) and organization of the teaching force.In this context, the aim of our research is to improve educational practices by designing quality measures that are both friendly to the environment and hazardous free. The aim here is to assure adequate art studio and laboratory management, and provide students with hazard free health and environmentally safe concepts that can be incorporated in their professional lives.The school of Fine Arts at the University of Barcelona is part of a pilot program, where our experience in educational innovation and research is serving as a reference for the implantation of OSHAS 18001 norms.

El desarrollo personal y profesional mediante el aprendizaje reflexivo : una experiencia en el grado de Educación Social

In the last years, an increase of the interest to develop educational practices in higher education, based on the approach of the reflective learning, is observed. Nevertheless, we scarcely find in our context researches or experiences that allow knowing students’ perceptions about this teaching and learning approach. We have developed an experience in the bachelor of Social Education at the University of Girona with the aim to contribute to the personal and professional development of future social educators in their initial training, using reflective learning methodology. In this article we present an evaluation of the experience based on students’ perceptions. They assessed the usefulness they think the module has for their training, the methodology and the activities. This evaluation has been carried out through in-depth interviews to 17 students who participated in the module in 2010-11 academic year. The results show that students assess positively the experience, either its general usefulness or the methodology of reflective learning, although they acknowledge some difficulties to carry out such a process which involves a high degree of introspection and a difficulty to set the boundaries in the narration of personal questions. The study also shows some challenges related on the need, but also the difficulty, to include personal and professional development as a powerful axis in the higher education curriculum, as well as elements linked to reflective learning assessment

La integración de Internet en la educación escolar española : situación actual y perspectivas de futuro

The main objectives and findings of this first research report are presented in this chapter."The Implementation of the Internet in the Spanish Education System: State of Affairs and Future Prospects" is a large-scale research project that seeks to obtain relevant data about the introduction and dissemination of Information and Communication Technology, particularly the internet, in the practical and organizational general procedures of the Spanish schools and high schools. The project articulates the processes of ICT implementation on the primary and secondary education levels embracing a holistic approach, propped up by an empirical and analytical research methodology. Thus, our survey does not intend to detect which is the impact of ICT on school activities but how all the agents involved in the school community incorporate ICT and what use they make of it. We are especially interested in identifying the teachers' pedagogical and professional uses of ICT, how students use it in their activities and to what extent it contributes in reinforcing teamwork and participation proceedings in the institutions, as well as the relations between the latter and their context. It is also of our interest to know the factors that exert the strongest influence on the way teachers, head teachers and students make use of ICT. Finally, we intend to identify the ways ICT may contribute to the improvementof educational practices.

Assessment of research competences using e-portfolio

The challenges posed by the assessment of distance learning is a topic that requires, on the one hand, evolution with new trends and, on the other improving evaluative processes, to promote good practices. This demand becomes more imperative when we are dealing with a formativescenario based on distance assessment of competence-based learning.The Open University of Catalonia has begun to work with these formative tools, promoting new practices for online education. A very clear example of these educational practices is the assessment of research competences using the e-portfolio system. To meet this aim a profound and solid process has been developed over recent years, with the intention of making this tool an assessment alternative, and providing the opportunity to use it in a formative context. The objective is to study its strengths and limitations keeping in mind the final goal of offering the higher education community a validated assessment system.

La integración de Internet en la educación escolar española : situación actual y perspectivas de futuro

The main objectives and findings of this first research report are presented in thischapter. "The Implementation of the Internet in the Spanish Education System: State of Affairsand Future Prospects" is a large-scale research project that seeks to obtain relevant data about the introduction and dissemination of Information and Communication Technology, particularly the internet, in the practical and organizational general procedures of the Spanish schools and high schools. The project articulates the processes of ICT implementation on the primary andsecondary education levels embracing a holistic approach, propped up by an empirical and analytical research methodology. Thus, our survey does not intend to detect which is the impact of ICT on school activities but how all the agents involved in the school community incorporate ICT and what use they make of it. We are especially interested in identifying the teachers' pedagogical and professional uses of ICT, how students use it in their activities and to what extent it contributes in reinforcing teamwork andparticipation proceedings in the institutions, as well as the relations between the latter and their context. It is also of our interest to know the factors that exert the strongest influence on the way teachers, head teachers and students make use of ICT. Finally, we intend to identify the ways ICT may contribute to the improvement of educational practices.

La investigación sobre los procesos de integración laboral de personas con discapacidad en entornos ordinarios : un estudio de casos cualitativo

This article deals with the working situation of disabled people in our conext and expose the methodological characteristics or research about this issue. Next, an investigation on working integration processes of disabled people in an ordinary environment is analized. The objective of this analysis is to assess the potencial of qualitative case study method for research aimed at improving educational practices in general and at the studying the working integration of disabled people