Faculty-librarians collaboration in an e-learning experience : resources management and training in Open University of Catalonia (UOC)

The traditional model of learning based on knowledge transfer doesn't promote the acquisition of information-related competencies and development of autonomous learning. More needs to be done to embrace learner-centred approaches, based on constructivism, collaboration and co-operation. This new learning paradigm is aligned with the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) requirements. In this sense, a learning experience based in faculty' librarian collaboration was seen as the best option for promoting student engagement and also a way to increase information-related competences in Open University of Catalonia (UOC) academic context. This case study outlines the benefits of teacher-librarian collaboration in terms of pedagogy innovation, resources management and introduction of open educational resources (OER) in virtual classrooms, Information literacy (IL) training and use of 2.0 tools in teaching. Our faculty-librarian's collaboration aims to provide an example of technology-enhanced learning and demonstrate how working together improves the quality and relevance of educational resources in UOC's virtual classrooms. Under this new approach, while teachers change their role from instructors to facilitators of the learning process and extend their reach to students, libraries acquire an important presence in the academic learning communities.

Evaluating teaching and management innovations in an online university: the case of the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya

The Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC) is an online university that has innovation as a transversal feature in all its activities and processes. Therefore, innovation is present in the annual objectives of all the academic and management departments in order to increase student satisfaction. UOC stimulates innovation by funding strategic projects as well as organizing regular internal calls for small projects which brings about innovative academic and management proposals. In this paper we present the method for evaluating teaching and management innovations through internal calls (APLICA), by selecting which initiatives are suitable to become strategic innovative projects (INNOVA) or which features should compose any application available at the OpenApps platform. Besides, general indicators used by the Innovation Program to evaluate the activities carried out are also reported.

FOSS issues in technology transfers from the University to the Industry

FOSS has always been particularly welcome in Universities. Its spirit corresponds generally with the academic state of mind, and royalty-free technologies are particularly appreciated where money is usually lacking.But at the opposite side of the spectrum, the universities¿ TTO¿s (Technology Transfer Officers) are supposed to ¿valorize¿ the production of research departments and to enable profit making cooperations with the industry. How should FOSS licensing be tackled in such context?

Médecines complémentaires: vers un consensus evidence- based à l'hôpital universitaire [Complementary and alternative medicines (CAM): towards an evidence-based consensus in the university hospital].

While a popular vote supported a new article on complementary and alternative medicines (CAM) in the Swiss Constitution, this assessment in 14 wards of the University Hospital of Lausanne, Switzerland, attempted at answering the question: How can CAM use be better taken into account and patients informed with more rigor and respect for their choices? Confronted with a review of the literature (> 2000 publications in "Evidence-based complementary medicines" since 1998), respondents declared their ignorance of the clinical data presently available on CAM. All were in favour of more teaching and information on the subject, plus an official statement from the Hospital direction, ensuring production and diffusion of rigorous and clinically significant information on CAM.

Turun yliopiston julkaisut 2006 - Publications of the University of Turku 2006

Bibliografia Turun yliopiston tieteellisestä julkaisutoiminnasta vuodelta 2006.

Assessing technology-based spin-offs from university support units

This paper takes a regional studies approach to assess spin-offs from a university-based technology transfer network. We first detect the regional objectives, inputs and outputs needed to assess spin-offs from support programmes. We then provide evidence on regional mechanisms for firm creation. We analyse spin-offs created at Catalan universities and find that many efficient spin-offs have formal technology transfer agreements, and emerge from technology-oriented universities. We also find that higher innovation levels and experience from the parent university are associated with higher efficiency, which is positively related to future fundamental profitability. Finally, we propose regional policy making and research directions.

Benchmarking project of the Department of Electrical Engineering of Lappeenranta University of Technology

Lappeenrannan teknillisen korkeakoulun sähkötekniikan osasto muutti 1.8.2005 sähkötekniikan tutkinnon kaksiportaiseksi ja vastaamaan näin Bologna-prosessia ja Suomen yliopistolainsäädäntöä. Tutkinnonuudistuksen myötä osasto haluaa varmistaa sähkötekniikan tutkintojen laadun ja vertailtavuuden sekä parantaa opiskelijoidensekä henkilökunnan liikkuvuutta. Tutkintojen laatu ja vertailtavuus osoitetaan sähkötekniikan osaston benchmark-projektilla, jossa kerätään tietoja maisteri- ja tohtorintutkintoa tarjoavista eurooppalaisista yliopistoista. Diplomityö käsittää BM-projektin kolmannen vaiheen suunnittelun ja toteutuksen sisältäen teoriaa benchmark-projekteille tyypillisistä toimintatavoista. Hyväksi havaitut menetelmiä, kuten kyselyt ja matriisit, on tässä työssä otettu soveltuvin osin sähkötekniikan osaston BM-projektin työkaluiksi. Diplomityössä analysoidaan työkalujen avulla BM-kumppaneilta kerättyjä tietoja sekä esitetään ratkaisuja, miten sähkötekniikan osastolla voidaan jatkaa parhaiden toimintatapojen löytämistä.