Suchergebnisse

In the past years the impact of social media in students in Higher Education has been remarkably significant (Pew Research Center, 2010; Tapscott, 2009). In order to exploit the potential benefits of these tools on education, we carried out different experiments using wikis and private social networks. Although the results were positive, we decided to move towards a more open approach using tools not directly linked to educational purposes. This paper reports on an experience in the use of Personal Learning Environments (PLE) to develop competences needed by students for lifelong learning. PLE is a concept that refers to the set of tools, devices, connections and networks that we used to learn. Nowadays building a digital PLE is key to achieve the goals set by the European Union. The main objective of the paper is to analyse the influence of the approaches to learning of students in the reported effects of the PLE as well as in relevant aspects of the learning process. 245 students enrolled in a course on International Accounting participated in the experience of developing their own digital PLE. Some of the activities proposed used social networks, Twitter, blogs and wikis. The data were gathered through a web based questionnaire in two steps: 1) to obtain a priori self-confidence measures regarding communication in academic tasks and web related tasks, and 2) to obtain a measure of the approaches to learning of the students and self-confidence measures. According to students' opinion, the experience was deemed as positive. In order to check the relationships between the impact of the experience and the approach to learning of students, a cluster analysis was performed. Students were classified into two groups. The cluster #1 presents lower scores on deep approach and higher scores on surface approach than students classified into cluster #2. Comparing the scores obtained in all the aspects of learning between the two groups, many differences arise. Students in the deep approach group indicated a significant higher impact in all measured aspects. Results suggest that certain a type of students, more flexible and likely to manage information in their own, is able to use PLEs more effectively to learn than those who present a more pragmatic orientation focussed on passing the course. ; Junta de Andalucía – FEDER (Proyectos de Excelencia: SEJ-02670) ; Universidad de Granada, Proyecto Innovación

Teachers, students and professionals have confirmed the need to introduce skills into business administration and accounting education in Spain. However, this change has not taken place at any desirable level. This paper uses the New Institutional Sociology (NIS) to analyse the pressures to introduce the policy that consists of the incorporation of skills in business administration and accounting education in Spain, the strategic response adopted by Spanish universities and the institutional characteristics which have determined that response. To achieve that objective, the study uses multiple sources including interviews, questionnaires, observation, informal discussions and documents. The paper evidences that the strategy developed by Spanish universities has been the 'avoidance' of pressures to change. Nevertheless, due to the evolution of some institutional characteristics, the strategy has become a 'compromise' strategy in the second part of the decade. The NIS is also suitable to develop future research about the changes caused by the implementation of the European Higher Education Area in most countries of the EU.

Como consecuencia de la evolución legislativa en relación a la actividad del profesor universitario se ha elaborado un borrador del Estatuto del Personal Docente e Investigador (PDI). Éste se plantea como plataforma necesaria para alcanzar la excelencia en la realización de la docencia y la investigación para poder competir a nivel europeo y mundial. No obstante, ha suscitado la aparición de opiniones contrapuestas en cuanto a su articulado. Este trabajo tiene como objetivo explorar, mediante entrevistas semiestructuradas, la opinión del profesorado sobre aspectos clave del borrador. Los resultados indican que, si bien el profesorado considera necesaria la existencia del estatuto, manifiesta ciertas prevenciones sobre los posibles efectos negativos de su implantación. ; As a result of legislative developments in relation to the activity of the university professor has been elaborated a draft of the Statute of the Teaching and Research Staff (TRS). This is presented as necessary platform to achieve the excellence conducting the teaching and the investigation in order to compete at European and globally level. However, it has led to the appearance of conflicting views as to its provisions. This study aims to explore, through semi-structured interviews, the teacher opinion on key aspects of the draft. The results indicate that although the teachers consider necessary the existence of the statute, manifest certain warnings about the possible negative effects of its implementation.