Jornades d'intercanvi d'Educació Social Bilbo-Girona: 17 i 18 de maig de 2007, Universitat de Girona

Va ser a mitjans de maig quan vam poder fer tangible el petit projecte que mesos enrere havíem estat elaborant. Uns cinquanta companys i companyes de Bilbo arribaven a Girona per poder participar a les Jornades d'Intercanvi sobre Educació Social

Forms and role of the cluster initiatives in fostering innovation in post-industrial regions: A comparative study of environmental clusters in British West Midlands and Spanish Basque country. ACES Working Paper No. 8, August 2008

The objective of this research is to present cluster initiative approaches in post industrial regions characterized by similar economic history and challenges, with additional emphasis on their role in promoting innovation among regional businesses. The research is based on a comparison study of two environmental industry clusters: Environmental Technology Cluster (ET) from British West Midlands and ACLIMA from Spanish Basque Country. The study analyzes clusters' design and their role in fostering innovation based on environment industry clusters. In both regions environmental industry clusters represent strong potential for further dynamic development with grow opportunities driven by legislation introduced at EU, national or regional levels. The paper compares clusters' heterogeneity, goals and priorities, financing schemes, management structure, types of projects, character of private-public partnerships, challenges, as well as clusters' collaboration at regional/national/international levels. Also focus is given on how the clusters enhance innovation and what types of projects are executed by the regions in this field.

Competencies Required in Education Research and Teaching Systematization according to Students from the Preschool, Primary and Secondary Education Programs of the University of Costa Rica

The purpose of this paper is to present the results of two online forums carried out with the participation of 42 students of the Licenciaturas  in Preschool Education, Primary Education and Secondary Education of the University of Costa Rica. The main purpose of the forums was to determine the insights of the participant students about the competencies they have achieved in the field of education research, and which have been the essential tools for them to systematize their own teaching practices. The discussion forums were part of the course FD5091 Métodos de Investigación Educativa [Education Research Methods] of the School of Teacher Education, delivered from March-April 2010.  Of the sample, 60 percent were students of the Preschool teaching program, 35 percent were from the Primary Education teaching program and 5 percent were from the Secondary Education teaching program in the fields of Science, Mathematics and Social Studies. According to the insights and beliefs showed by the participants –both, the future teachers and the profession practitioners–, there are no opportunities for research or systematization of their own teaching mediation, in the current work situation.(1) Translator’s Note: In Costa Rica, the “Licenciatura” is a one-year post-Bachelor study program, usually including thesis. “Primary Education” refers to students from the 1st to 6th grades, and “Secondary Education” refers to students from the 7th to 11th grades.

Adapted Physical Education teachers and teaching knowledge

In the 1980's, there was a suggestion of including the Adapted Physical Education discipline in the Physical Education Graduation Course. In this perspective, starting from the Adapted Physical Education teacher's routine, the aim of this research was to verify what these teachers know and how they manage to plan, elaborate and apply their knowledge with their students with educational special needs. It's an exploring study that had in its interview and silabus analisis technics the source of its data. Among its most important results, it showed teaching, experimental and pedagogical knowledge as part of Physical Education and Adapted Physical Education, in the arrangement, building and knowledge apliance.

Codeship: Financing growth: Case study and Teaching note

A Work Project, presented as part of the requirements for the Award of a Masters Degree in Management from the NOVA – School of Business and Economics

ORIENTA: Programa de acción tutorial de la Universidad de Valladolid. Diplomatura de Educación Social. Escuela Universitaria de Educación de Palencia

El Programa ORIENTA de acción tutorial con alumnado de primer curso es un Proyecto elaborado por un grupo de profesores de la Escuela Universitaria de Educación de Palencia, para la Diplomatura de Educación Social. Se enmarca dentro Plan de Innovación Docente en el marco del EEES del Vicerrectorado de Calidad e Innovación Docente de la Universidad de Valladolid. El principal objetivo del Proyecto es que la tutoría, como una de las funciones que desarrolla un profesor universitario (y aunque tradicionalmente se ha restringido a la docencia impartida por el propio profesor) se amplíe hacia otros aspectos relativos al desarrollo integral del alumno en su paso por la Universidad. Otros objetivos planteados son que el alumnado optimice su entorno de aprendizaje, que participe en la Institución a todos los niveles y la orientación en la elección de itinerarios curriculares. Respecto al profesorado, deseábamos analizar y debatir acerca de la titulación con la ayuda de los estudiantes, tanto en sus contenidos como en su organización, identificando carencias y proponiendo soluciones. Todo ello debía redundar en una mejora de la calidad de la titulación, haciendo más atractiva la opción de cursar esta especialidad. Durante el curso académico 2008/09, seis profesores hemos tutorizado a 40 alumnos de la Diplomatura de Educación Social, recién llegados al mundo universitario, realizando un seguimiento de octubre a junio a través de sesiones de tutoría organizadas en gran grupo, grupos reducidos (de 5-7 alumnos) e individuales. Como apoyo tecnológico hemos utilizado la plataforma Moodle de la UVa para mantener un contacto permanente y dar respuesta (a través de los foros) a cuestiones que se producían entre las sesiones de tutoría. El punto de partida era la consideración de la tutoría como un proceso basado en el encuentro o reunión entre un docente y uno o varios de sus estudiantes con la finalidad de intercambiar información, analizar, orientar o valorar un problema o proyecto, debatir un tema, discutir un asunto y que ello resultara útil para el desarrollo académico y personal del estudiante. A partir de esta definición, el grupo de profesores debatimos sobre las sesiones de tutoría hasta llegar a un consenso sobre su temporización y contenidos, analizando y debatiendo sobre los resultados obtenidos en cada sesión con la finalidad de ir aplicando las conclusiones extraídas en el menor tiempo posible. Los resultados has sido satisfactorios, detectando una mejora desde el punto de vista académico en el alumnado entre los dos cuatrimestres y comparado con cursos anteriores. Asimismo, el alumnado se ha implicado en mayor medida con la Institución desde cargos académicos hasta actos culturales y ha mejorado su relación con el profesorado de la titulación. Por último señalar que el Proyecto ha supuesto una gran carga de trabajo añadido para el profesorado, que no ha visto apoyada su tarea por el resto de compañeros ni reconocida por el equipo directivo, teniendo la sensación de caminar por nuestra cuenta, a pesar de ser una convocatoria de la propia Universidad

Competències interpersonals. Proposta formativa pels estudiants de primer grau d'educació.

La professió d’educador/a social exigeix un bon domini de les competències comunicatives, especialment la comunicació interpersonal, que constitueix la base de l’establiment de les relacions educatives. Essent una de les dimensions bàsiques del treball educatiu, el repte des de la formació està en com tractar-lo ja des del primer curs, tenint en compte que els estudiants no fan pràctiques externes fins al tercer curs. L’experiència que presentem se situa en el treball de la dimensió relacional-social durant el primer curs de Grau d’Educació social de al UdG, mitjançant l’acció tutorial. Els estudis de Grau d’Educació social tenen assignats a primer curs dues competències vinculades a la dimensió relacional: comunicar-se oralment i per escrit amb destresa i fluïdesa en la llengua de l’entorn professional, establir i mantenir relacions interpersonals, centrem la presentació d’aquesta experiència en el treball d’aquestes dues competències.

Social economy and economic crisis in the basque country abstract

This article examines the socio-economic evolution of the social economy sector in the Basque Country during the 2008-2014 period of economic crisis. Data have been obtained within a framework of collaboration between university, Basque Government and private sector of the social economy. The results suggest that such entities have evolved better, both in terms of number of enterprises and employment, than the general economy of the Basque Country, while the context of public policies aimed at social economy has worsened over the years. However, in economic terms (measured through the Gross Value Added generated), they have not been able to cope with the crisis in equal conditions to the general economy. The main contribution of this research lies in that, unlike similar studies, it discusses the evolution of the whole sector of the social economy, taking as reference a broad period of the current economic crisis.

Visual arts, technology and education : how can teaching and learning in high school visual arts classrooms be enriched by the use of computer technology?

Whilst a variety of studies has appeared over the last decade addressing the gap between the potential promised by computers and the reality experienced in the classroom by teachers and students, few have specifically addressed the situation as it pertains to the visual arts classroom. The aim of this study was to explore the reality of the classroom use of computers for three visual arts highschool teachers and determine how computer technology might enrich visual arts teaching and learning. An action research approach was employed to enable the researcher to understand the situation from the teachers' points of view while contributing to their professional practice. The wider social context surrounding this study is characterised by an increase in visual communications brought about by rapid advances in computer technology. The powerful combination of visual imagery and computer technology is illustrated by continuing developments in the print, film and television industries. In particular, the recent growth of interactive multimedia epitomises this combination and is significant to this study as it represents a new form of publishing of great interest to educators and artists alike. In this social context, visual arts education has a significant role to play. By cultivating a critical awareness of the implications of technology use and promoting a creative approach to the application of computer technology within the visual arts, visual arts education is in a position to provide an essential service to students who will leave high school to participate in a visual information age as both consumers and producers.

Caught in the headlights: Designing for creative learning and teaching in higher education

This study was an exploration of the different ways that educators conceptualise and approach creative learning and teaching. The research revealed theoretical and practice-based insights, demonstrating that exemplary teachers adopt an ecological approach to designing for student creativity; this approach acknowledges and works with the complexity of the higher education environment and the dynamic relationships between students, peers and teachers. The inquiry confirmed the value of using learning design patterns to uncover hidden creative processes.

The paradox of creative uncertainty in learning and teaching

In an ever-changing and globalised world there is a need for higher education to adapt and evolve its models of learning and teaching. The old industrial model has lost traction, and new patterns of creative engagement are required. These new models potentially increase relevancy and better equip students for the future. Although creativity is recognised as an attribute that can contribute much to the development of these pedagogies, and creativity is valued by universities as a graduate capability, some educators understandably struggle to translate this vision into practice. This paper reports on selected survey findings from a mixed methods research project which aimed to shed light on how creativity can be designed for in higher education learning and teaching settings. A social constructivist epistemology underpinned the research and data was gathered using survey and case study methods. Descriptive statistical methods and informed grounded theory were employed for the analysis reported here. The findings confirm that creativity is valued for its contribution to the development of students’ academic work, employment opportunities and life in general; however, tensions arise between individual educator’s creative pedagogical goals and the provision of institutional support for implementation of those objectives. Designing for creativity becomes, paradoxically, a matter of navigating and limiting complexity and uncertainty, while simultaneously designing for those same states or qualities.

The effect of social skills training on grade 3 students' self-esteem, moral development and perceptions of classroom environment

Two Grade 3 classes were used to study the effects of a formal social skills training program. Specifically, comparisons were made on self-esteem, classroom environment, and moral development to see whether changes occurred as a direct result of social skills training. One group participated in the social skills program, while the other group did not. It was hypothesized that formal social skills training would improve students' selfesteem, moral development, and the classroom environment. At the end of the program, however, data from class observations, teacher interviews, journal of the social skills training group teacher, and measures of self-esteem, classroom environment and moral development did not support this hypothesis. Although the social skills training group scored significantly higher in class cohesiveness, they did not show marked improvement in the other measures. In fact, in some measures (e.g., friction and competitiveness), they demonstrated greater scores at both pretest and posttests. The social skills training group was, however, able to vocalize and utilize the strategies of several skills which had been a focus of the program, suggesting that formal social skills training is a useful tool for presenting and reinforcing some specific behaviours.