A systematic literature review of the current trends and challenges of internationalization of higher education in Latin America

This paper aims to consolidate a sample of existing academic literature on the modes, trends, risks and challenges of the internationalization of higher education in Latin America published over the last 15 years -- Following a systematic literature review methodology, it was seeking to analyze and synthesize a sample of 25 published academic articles on the specifically chosen topic -- As a consequence of this review, it was found that progress has been made on the subject and there is an awareness of the impact it has on quality, international indicators still lag far behind those of more developed regions -- The creation and implementation of accreditation and evaluations processes, the commodification of higher education and the presence of new providers and regionalization efforts were perceived as trending topics in the publications -- Risks and challenges such as lack of governmental support and brain drain, are respectively perceived by researchers as the most concerning -- Finally, an emphasis is made on the comprehensiveness that must characterize this process in order to be successful, meaning that it should “embrace all the educational processes” (Gacel-Ávila, 2007, 406)

Lifestyles of higher education students: the influence of self- esteem and psychological well-being

Background The transition to higher education can affect lifestyle-related factors. Objectives: To identify lifestyles of higher education students and analyse the influence of self-esteem and psychological well-being. Methods Correlational cross-sectional study. A total of 4,314 students partici- pated in the study. Online questionnaires were used: Estilo de Vida Fantástico (Fantastic Lifestyle Assessment) [1]; Questionário de Bem- estar Psicológico (Psychological General Well-Being Questionnaire) [2], and Escala de auto-estima de Rosenberg (Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale [3]. Results Most students (85.3 %) have a healthy lifestyle. Lifestyle is strongly correlated with self-esteem and psychological well-being (p < 0.001). While analysing the association between self-esteem and psycho- logical well-being and the various lifestyle domains according to gen- der, a positive and significant correlation (p < 0.001) was found among female students, except for the Smoking domain (p = 0.393); in relation to psychological well-being, positive correlations were found in all domains. Among male students, positive and significant correlations (p < 0.001) were found in most lifestyle domains and self-esteem, except for the Smoking (p = 0.992), Alcohol and other drugs (p = 0.181) and Other behaviours (p = 0.442) domains; in rela- tion to psychological well-being, positive and significant correlations (p < 0.001) were found in most lifestyle domains, except for the Smoking (p = 0.458) and Other behaviours (p = 0.128) domains. Conclusions Based on the results, higher education institutions should support intervention projects to maintain high levels of psychological well- being and self-esteem, promoting healthy lifestyles.

Evaluation of online higher education: learning, interaction and technology

The work presents a theoretical framework for the evaluation of e-Teaching that aims at positioning the online activities designed and developed by the teacher as to the Learning, Interaction and Technology Dimensions. The theoretical research that underlies the study was developed reflecting current thinking on the promotion of quality of teaching and of the integration of information and communication tools into the curriculum in Higher Education (HE), i.e., bearing in mind some European guidelines and policies on this subject. This way, an answer was sought to be given to one of the aims put forward in this study, namely to contribute towards the development of a conceptual framework to support research on evaluation of e-teaching in the context of HE. Based on the theoretical research carried out, an evaluation tool (SCAI) was designed, which integrates the two questionnaires developed to collect the teachers' and the students' perceptions regarding the development of e-activities. Consequently, an empirical study was structured and carried out, allowing SCAI tool to be tested and validated in real cases. From the comparison of the theoretical framework established and the analysis of the data obtained, we found that the differences in teaching should be valued and seen as assets by HE institutions rather than annihilated in a globalizing perspective.

Entrepreneurial skills of students of polytechnic higher education in Portugal: Business influences

Introduction: Most of entrepreneurial ideas does not appear ready or over. Any business opportunity needs to be developed and improved throughout the enterprise process. Educational institutions may facilitate the ability of the students had undertaken, identifying and building business opportunities, enhancing their knowledge and formative experiences along the learning process. Objectives: Evaluate the business influences the entrepreneurial ability of students of the Polytechnic. Methodology: Correlational quantitative study, conducted with 1604 students from 18 institutions of the Polytechnic of Portugal. Data collection took place between July and November/2015, with a questionnaire to assess the entrepreneurial profile, Carland Entrepreneurship Index (CEI) and sociodemographic variables of students. Results: We found four business factors that influence entrepreneurship, "availability of funds" (4:13, SD = .67); "Have stable customers and incentives" (3.99, SD = .58); "Social and economic instability" (3:08, SD = 1.17) and "opportunities in the sector and area of residence" (3:36, SD = 1.05). On a scale range between (1-5), we obtained an overall score of 3.86 (SD = .55), for the corporate influences on entrepreneurship. Conclusion: For students entrepreneurial influences are important, with a greater sense of fear with regard to economic instability, reinforcing the need for further training and academic investment in the business.