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The various possibilities that social media offers to language learners and teachers have long been recognized by researchers within the field of language instruction, and many studies have been carried out in an attempt to address and unpack its potential contributions. This paper aims to review such research on the use of mainstream social media in language teaching and learning published in "Computer Assisted Language Learning," a top tier (i.e., Q1) journal indexed in major citation index systems (e.g., Arts & Humanities Citation Index, the Social Sciences Citation Index and Scopus), between the years 2016-2020 inclusive. For the purposes of the study, a total of 23 articles that meet the selection criteria is reviewed and presented in five sections. The first section deals with the majority of the articles, which are found to be on the use of social networking in language teaching and learning. In the following sections, studies on the use of videoconferencing, wikis, blogging and forums are discussed. Collectively, the studies reviewed in this paper outline a critical role for the use of social media in language instruction and the study aims to provide valuable insights for researchers, teachers and learners.

Purpose: This study aims to delve into the interplay between didactic audiovisual translation (DAT) and computer-assisted language learning (CALL), exploring their combined impact on the development of intercultural competence (IC) among learners of English as a foreign language (EFL). Design/methodology/approach: Using a quasi-experimental approach with a quantitative research design, the study analyses the outcomes of a questionnaire answered by 147 students across 15 language centres in Spanish Universities. These participants actively engaged in completing the lesson plans of the Traducción audiovisual como recurso didáctico en el aprendizaje de lenguas extranjeras project, a Spanish-Government funded research initiative aimed at assessing the effects of DAT on language learning. Findings: The current study confirms the reliability of the instrument developed to measure students' perceived improvement. Beyond validating the research tool, the findings of the current study confirm the significant improvement in intercultural learning achieved through DAT, effectively enhancing students' motivation to engage in language learning. Research limitations/implications: The current research solely examines students enrolled in higher education language centres. This paper closes with a CALL for additional research, including participants from other educational stages, such as primary or secondary education. In the broader context of CALL research, this study serves as a valuable contribution by exploring the potential of DAT in fostering IC in EFL settings. Originality/value: This research confirms the potential of DAT and CALL to promote students' learning process, as the combination of these approaches not only yields linguistic benefits but also intercultural learning.

This study aims to explore the current published research on Language Massive Open Online Courses (LMOOCs), outlining the types of papers, countries where studies were performed and institutions devoted to this field. Also, it intends to classify the reviewed literature following a general categorisation of MOOCs, and to identify the main trends and topics of interest for LMOOC researchers. Results show that there is still a lack of LMOOC-related articles in CALL (computer assisted language learning) journals, since most of the publications in the period reviewed (2012-18) are conference papers. The country in which most studies have been done so far is Spain and Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia (UNED) is currently the most active institution in this area. Within the taxonomy established, the most popular categories of studies focused on LMOOC participants or providers and case studies. Systematic review of the published literature indicated that research trends in LMOOCs studies comprise: 1) conceptualisation of LMOOCs and their distinctive features; 2) attempts to find the most suitable model for language teaching and learning beyond the xMOOC/cMOOC dichotomy; 3) suitability of LMOOCs for languages for specific purposes (LSP) courses; 4) focus on the learners and their motivation and experience throughout the course; 5) reflection on the new role of the teacher; 6) instructional design and how it affects participants' learning and possible attrition; and 7) importance of social learning in LMOOCs. Nevertheless, LMOOCs is still an emerging field in need of further serious studies.

This paper presents a snapshot of the distribution of time that Spanish academic staff spend on different tasks. We carry out a statistical exploratory study by analyzing the responses provided in a survey of 703 Spanish academic staff in order to draw a clear picture of the current situation. This analysis considers many factors, including primarily gender, academic ranks, age, and academic disciplines. The tasks considered are divided into smaller activities, which allows us to discover hidden patterns. Tasks are not only restricted to the academic world, but also relate to domestic chores. We address this problem from a totally new perspective by using machine learning techniques, such as cluster analysis. In order to make important decisions, policymakers must know how academic staff spend their time, especially now that legal modifications are planned for the Spanish university environment. In terms of the time spent on quality of teaching and caring tasks, we expose huge gender gaps. Non-recognized overtime is very frequent.

The adoption of Information and Communication Technologies in early childhood education is crucial for adapting traditional classrooms to the digital era. Over time, young children are increasingly using touch screen technologies such as tablets at home and in early childhood settings. However, the literature shows that there is a significant gap in knowledge of using this technology in early childhood education. Most researchers have focused on the pedagogical theory behind using touch screen devices, but there have not been many empirical studies about how these technologies affect students' learning processes. This paper presents three learning experiences where early childhood students perform educational activities using tablet computers, interactive whiteboards, and paper cards. The results show that students who used the technology were more motivated and achieved better results that those who used paper cards.

This paper presents the first phase of a study conducted to analyze Knowledge Building forums for evidence of second language acquisition. This study is an analysis of the posts within an existing forum in search of evidence of foreign language learning. The analysis found that the collaborative writing project shows evidence that the students passed through the stages of construction of knowledge within their foreign language classroom, however factors, such as confounding variables, inconsistencies in error types, and the small number of posts by the participants made it challenging to determine whether there is evidence of language acquisition for each student. The forum posts show evidence of knowledge acquisition, but further investigation is required to determine whether collaborative writing in knowledge forums is effective for foreign language acquisition.

Many ELT examinations have gone online in the last few years and a large number of educational institutions have also started considering the possibility of implementing their own tests. This paper deals with the training of a group of 24 ELT teachers in the Region of Valencia (Spain). In 2007, the Ministry of Education provided funds to determine whether it would be possible to implement an online University Entrance Examination (P.A.U.) in Spain at the national level. The project was to address three main areas: the technology, the students and the teachers. In relation to the teachers, the focus of this paper, the project was to investigate whether there were any changes in their routines, teaching methodology and attitudes towards assessment using technology. This brief study focuses on one of the last tasks in the preparation stage for implementation of the computerized exam, and it is intended to predict and observe the teachers' reactions towards computer assisted language testing, the new test and the new test design. The findings shed light on the teachers' internal changes and their changes in attitude throughout the process. [This research was funded by Spain's Ministry of Education, the Consejeria de Educacion of the Madrid Region, and the University of Alcala's R&D program for new groups.]

This paper describes the theoretical framework and the main objectives of the European Comenius project MuViT -- Multiliteracy Virtual. The project engages primary pupils across the world in multilingual and audiovisual reading and writing processes through the use of information technology resources to enhance multi-literacies, plurilingual awareness and transcultural understanding. The paper first sketches the necessity of a pedagogy of multi-literacies in our classrooms. In a second step it details on the objectives and tools developed within the Mu-ViT project. Thirdly it illustrates which research questions and activities are connected with the project. A bibliography is included. (Contains 3 figures.)

This paper reports the development and validation of a digital application (Assessment Scale of Oral Language at School -- Decision Support System, EVALOE-DSS) for the professional development of teachers aiming to improve their students' linguistic competence. We performed a multiple case study involving seven teachers and their students from seven different schools. Over a six-month period, the teachers used the digital application to self-assess their classes, make decisions and introduce changes into their teaching practices. The researchers observed four class sessions of each teacher and assessed them with the same digital application. Each teacher-researcher dyad discussed the tool and its use over three meetings during the semester. Despite some differences between the teachers, use of the digital application produced progress in the competences of both the teachers and the students. Thus, the digital application can be used for professional development in teachers.

The Spanish educational system will require certain changes in order to achieve the Bologna objectives for the European Higher Education Area, including a more professional profile, with new activities and roles for both students and teachers, who must assume new skills that will affect concepts and attitudes related to the teaching and learning processes within the framework of training projects. However, students must also take a leading role in the educational process by adopting independent, meaningful and cooperative learning methods. This process will imply a notable change of mindset for the typical Spanish students and will involve a high degree of collaboration between students and teachers. Teachers will have to choose suitable methodologies for achieving those objectives, within the academic framework and considering the characteristics of professional training in skills. In addition, they must create the appropriate structural and organizational conditions to carry out these activities (class size, space, educational organization, etc.). This paper describes the authors' experience in designing learning methodologies for the teaching of accountancy in the business administration degree course at the Polytechnic University of Valencia. The paper is divided into three parts. The first part describes the methodology designed for teaching accounting, based on PBL (problem-based learning), compiled with Internet-based technologies. We analyze its use and evolution in two accounting subjects in the first and the fourth years of the degree. The second part presents the results for each subject in these years. The authors also point out the differences between students who chose the learning methodology described and those who used the traditional approach. The final part of the paper presents the conclusions obtained from the statistical treatment of the results and the analysis of different options for correlating the information obtained. These results show that there is a direct correlation between the use of an active learning model--through the teaching methodology--and obtaining satisfactory exam results in the subject. Finally, the authors analyze these results and consider how they should be used for evaluating the suitability of the methodology and to determine whether it is necessary to redesign the methodology to fit in with the characteristics, conditions and limitations of the teaching and learning processes. (Contains 5 figures and 4 tables.)

In this technological era we live in, the educative scenario is changing rapidly and significantly due to the incorporation of the Internet. Therefore, education should pay special attention to society needs considering the information and communication technologies (TICs) essentially in the teaching process in order to make students ready for this changing society. This paper is focused on the implementation, assessment and analysis of a computer-based approach, a WebQuest, in a third year of compulsory secondary education. The didactic unit implemented deals with the different English-speaking countries and their particularities. The new approach has been carried out using in-class sessions together with autonomous work and group work. The purpose of this study is to analyse and discuss students' opinions and reactions towards the use of this new teaching and learning strategy in an English as a Second Language class. In this sense, the study aims at showing whether students 1) gain a higher motivation in learning English, 2) have improved their digital competence and 3) have acquired cultural competence. The results show that the use of new technologies have motivated students towards the teaching and learning of the English subject, improving their digital competence as well as their cultural competence.

The initial training of mathematics teachers in Spain can start in the final year of the mathematics degree when the students, and future teachers, select courses related to teaching the discipline. At that time, since over the next two years they will probably be certified to enter the profession, it is worth asking oneself what mathematical knowledge they should have and what is needed to teach at the secondary education level. This paper describes one case study in which a group of final-year students solves a task containing aspects of mathematical understanding that are present in solving problems using GeoGebra. This was done using a solution protocol intended to emphasize the different possibilities offered by GeoGebra, presenting three approaches for the solution: dynamic, numeric and algebraic. We noticed that the use of technology is key to bringing out some of aspect and to demonstrating an understanding of mathematics for teaching.

In the academic year 2010-2011, Spain finished the process of introducing the regulatory changes derived from the Bologna Declaration and the new European Space for Higher Education (ESHE). These changes have implied the updating of university degrees' structure as well as the inclusion of the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS). This paper describes the process of adaptation of two basic first-semester core subjects of computer engineering to one of the basic aspects of the ESHE, the adoption of the ECTS. The process described in the paper was developed in the framework of the pilot plan undertaken by the Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona between 2005 and 2010. The proposed course design implies a better coordination and integration of the contents of two different subjects that students follow simultaneously, and it is based on the combination of project-based learning and cooperative learning. After the experience finished, an extended quantitative and qualitative analysis of the academic results over the five-year period has shown an improvement in the students' learning outcomes. (Contains 5 tables and 5 figures.)

Purpose: This paper aims to describe the activities designed and conducted with primary school, secondary school and university students to study the integration of alternative assessment and self-assessment online tools in mathematics courses using iTest. iTest is an educational software tool born to support the continuous evaluation system promoted by the European Space for Higher Education (ESHE). Design/methodology/approach: To cyclically design, implement and analyze the results of the activities a design-based research methodology was followed which also facilitates the collaboration between researchers and teachers. Findings: Students and Professors involved in the activities had positive attitudes towards the practical use of the tool. It was detected that iTest offers a good testing tool for units that focus on skills and procedural development as well as for units that are problem-based and require visualization and manipulation of the geometric representation. Originality/value: iTest is found to be an appropriate complementary software for evaluation in the ESHE. After all the experiences described in this paper, it is now possible to begin the design of a virtual learning environment for mathematics implementing iTest as the assessment and self-assessment tool. (Contains 7 figures.)

Educational software tools are considered to enrich teaching strategies, providing a more compelling means of exploration and feedback than traditional blackboard methods. Moreover, software simulators provide a more motivating link between theory and practice than pencil-paper methods, encouraging active and discovery learning in the students. The use and development of educational software is a field that has grasped the attention of teachers and researchers from different disciplines and theoretical frameworks in the last few years. In this paper, the authors present SoftwarE for Learning Formal languages and Automata theory (SELFA), an educational software simulator tool, designed to improve the quality of teaching in Theory of Computation courses. The aim of this tool is to make it easier to teach and to learn the main concepts of this subject, whose level of abstraction makes both activities difficult. The main advantage of this tool over other software tools designed with the same purpose, is that it has been developed using web technologies. This allows the user to collect and analyze data on how and when a student or group has used the tool. These numerical data can then be used to evaluate the student's work. (Contains 5 tables and 4 figures.)

This study presents an innovative pedagogical approach where teachers become game designers and engage in creative teaching practices. Within co-design training workshops, 21 Spanish primary and secondary school teachers have developed their own Game-Based Learning (GBL) scenarios, especially tailored to their teaching contexts and students profiles. In total, teachers developed 13 GBL scenarios and put them into practice in teaching contexts. The present paper analyses the impacts of this learner-centred game design approach on teachers' creativity from three different points of view: the GBL design process, the GBL scenario, and the teaching processes at stake. (Contains 1 figure, 4 footnotes, and 2 pictures.)

The adoption of Information and Communication Technologies in early childhood education is crucial for adapting traditional classrooms to the digital era. Over time, young children are increasingly using touch screen technologies such as tablets at home and in early childhood settings. However, the literature shows that there is a significant gap in knowledge of using this technology in early childhood education. Most researchers have focused on the pedagogical theory behind using touch screen devices, but there have not been many empirical studies about how these technologies affect students' learning processes. This paper presents three learning experiences where early childhood students perform educational activities using tablet computers, interactive whiteboards, and paper cards. The results show that students who used the technology were more motivated and achieved better results that those who used paper cards. Lay Description: What is already known about this topic: The use of ICT in childhood education offers new possibilities for teachers to provide new and more visual digital learning content to their students.Touch technologies seem suitable for young students. Because their motor skills are not fully developed yet, interacting with computers through a mouse and a keyboard is more difficult than doing it through natural gestures.There are many studies in higher education levels that demonstrate that proper use of ICT in education can lead to an increase of the students' motivation and learning. What this paper adds: Three empirical studies in three different childhood education classrooms to shed some light about how ICT can impact positively students learning.A comparison of interactive whiteboards and tablet computers benefits regarding more traditional methodologies in childhood education.Insights about how hardware and software can be combined to provide students a suitable learning environment in childhood education classrooms. Implications for practice and/or policy: Teachers should consider how they will create the workgroups. It is highly advisable to create heterogeneous groups taking into account the students' skills. This way, members of the same group can help each other, creating a richer learning scenario.Several teachers who participated in our studies said that they were not able to use ICT in their classrooms because they did not have enough digital competences. Our studies and the results obtained led them consider integrating technology in their classrooms. The good results obtained by the students who worked with technology changed the teachers' perspective about the use of technology in the classroom.Students showed a great interest in the use of tablet computers and interactive whiteboards, which translated into higher motivation compared with the students who solved the activities on paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents APPRAISALWeb, a 2-year Research & Development project jointly funded by the "Universidad Politecnica de Valencia" and the regional government of Valencia (Spain), and developed by the CAMILLE Research Group at that university. In general terms, the project aims to suggest a comprehensive methodology for the pedagogical analysis of the Web as an environment for language learning. More specifically, a major objective of the project is to develop an online Interactive platform that serves as a tool to analyze, classify and evaluate Web-based resources for language learning from a pedagogical point of view. As CALL (Computer Assisted Language Learning) research literature suggests, it is necessary to conduct a thorough pedagogical analysis of the Web and its CALL resources if we are to take full advantage of its many possibilities. Thus, the project meets two fundamental needs that have been extensively expressed in the area of CALL: the need for theoretical models and methodologies and the necessity of specific tools for analysing and searching for available Web-based CALL resources. First, the context of the project will be presented. Then the methodology behind APPRAISALWeb will be discussed. Finally, conclusions will be drawn from work in progress during the first stage of the project. (Contains 4 footnotes.)

In this paper an updated overview of the main errors that Spanish students make when writing the English exam in the University Entrance Examination is provided. To do so, a Computer-aided Error Analysis (CEA) (Dagneaux, Denness & Granger, 1998) was conducted on a representative sample of the students who took the exam in June 2008 in Jaen, and wrote a composition on the same topic. The use of the most widely-used error taxonomy, the "Error Tagging Manual" version 1.1. (Dagneaux, Denness, Granger & Meunier, 1996), and the analysis of the results by means of descriptive statistics foster the possibility to replicate this study and move forward in the description of the students' written command in the foreign language at this stage. The comparison of the findings obtained in this study and those from previous (C)EAs on the English exam reveals that some common tendencies may be shown. (Contains 8 notes and 3 figures.)

This paper introduces "Collage", a high-level IMS-LD compliant authoring tool that is specialized for CSCL (Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning). Nowadays CSCL is a key trend in e-learning since it highlights the importance of social interactions as an essential element of learning. CSCL is an interdisciplinary domain, which demands participatory design techniques that allow teachers to get directly involved in design activities. Developing CSCL designs using LD is a difficult task for teachers since LD is a complex technical specification and modelling collaborative characteristics can be tricky. "Collage" helps teachers in the process of creating their own potentially effective collaborative Learning Designs by reusing and customizing patterns, according to the requirements of a particular learning situation. These patterns, called Collaborative Learning Flow Patterns (CLFPs), represent best practices that are repetitively used by practitioners when structuring the flow of (collaborative) learning activities. An example of an LD that can be created using "Collage" is illustrated in the paper. Preliminary evaluation results show that teachers with experience in CL but without LD knowledge, can successfully design real collaborative learning experiences using "Collage". (Contains 1 table and 6 figures.)

Knowledge Building is approached in this study from an organizational perspective, with a focus on the nature of school-university-government partnerships to support research-based educational innovation. The paper starts with an overview of what is known about effective partnerships and elaborates a conceptual framework for Knowledge Building partnerships based on a review of literature and two case studies of school-university-government partnerships. In one case, a Ministry of Education wanted to bring more vitality into schools of small remote villages, and in the other case another Ministry of Education wanted to renew its school-based international cooperation profile. Emerging from this work is a three-component model for going to scale with Knowledge Building partnerships: Knowledge Building as a shared vision; symmetric knowledge advancement; and multi-level, research-based innovation. Characteristics of, and conditions for, effective partnerships for Knowledge Building are elaborated, and an emerging model is developed to help communities establish effective partnerships and contribute to this evolving model. (Contains 1 figure.)

The identification and integration of reusable and customizable CSCL (Computer Supported Collaborative Learning) may benefit from the capture of best practices in collaborative learning structuring. The authors have proposed CLFPs (Collaborative Learning Flow Patterns) as a way of collecting these best practices. To facilitate the process of CLFPs by software systems, the paper proposes to specify these patterns using IMS Learning Design (IMS-LD). Thus, teachers without technical knowledge can particularize and integrate CSCL tools. Nevertheless, the support of IMS-LD for describing collaborative learning activities has some deficiencies: the collaborative tools that can be defined in these activities are limited. Thus, this paper proposes and discusses an extension to IMS-LD that enables to specify several characteristics of the use of tools that mediate collaboration. In order to obtain a Unit of Learning based on a CLFP, a three stage process is also proposed. A CLFP-based Unit of Learning example is used to illustrate the process and the need of the proposed extension. (Contains 2 tables and 3 figures.)

The ease with which 3D CAD models may be modified and reused are two key aspects that improve the design-intent variable and that can significantly shorten the development timelines of a product. A set of rules are gathered from various authors that take different 3D modelling strategies into account. These rules are then applied to CAD strategic-knowledge learning methodology and included in 3D CAD modelling exercises for students following the degree in mechanical engineering at the University of Burgos (Spain). The experiment was conducted in two groups with a total of 75 students. The design-intent rules were introduced in the different exercises that the teacher explained in both the theoretical and the practical classes. In addition, a summary of the different design rules in each of the practical exercises was explained in the practical classes in only one of the groups. The experimental results, reported in this paper, tested the influence of these summaries on overall improvements in 3D modelling and on the design-intent variable, which is subdivided into four sections: skeleton, structures, alterations and constraints. The use of the summaries of the design intent rules led to statistically significant improvements in 3D modelling in the experimental group, in comparison with the group of students to whom those summaries were not explained.

This paper looks at the use of "Twitter" as a language teaching/learning tool. It describes the results of a study aimed at testing "Twitter's" effectiveness for pronunciation teaching. The purpose of the study was to determine whether "Twitter" can foster online participation and whether it may have a positive effect on the pronunciation of a number of words commonly mispronounced by EFL students. The study was carried out with students from a Language School in Spain. The students were sent a number of tweets on a daily basis, each of them featuring the pronunciation of a word considered to be difficult given unusual sound-spelling correspondences, lexical stress or the presence of silent letters. The results show that the instruction had a beneficial effect on the students' pronunciation of the target words and that participants were actively engaged during the study. Implications of the results for the teaching of English pronunciation and the use of "Twitter" in language teaching are also offered.

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to obtain information to characterize potential trainees seeking training programs about organic farming in the form of mobile learning. This information is expected to allow for establishing a set of guidelines to design mobile training opportunities that could match the potential clients' wishes. Design/methodology/approach: For this survey an on-line questionnaire was used, translated into the languages of the participating countries (Portugal, Spain, Slovakia, Hungary, UK, Italy and Turkey), and in the end 133 consented valid questionnaires were obtained. The data analysis was made with SPSS and included basic descriptive statistics, crosstabs and X[superscript 2] tests, considering a level of significance of 5 per cent. Findings: The results obtained in the present study indicate that designing training programs in organic farming for a wide target population should attend to the differences between countries, which showed to significantly influence the preferences of the possible clients for this type of training. Practical implications: This study provided valuable information for use in the preparation of training programs for adults who want to expand their knowledge on organic farming, in order to prepare courses more in accordance with their preferences. Originality/value: The fact that the study was undertaken in several countries, including North, Central and South Europe, is a positive indicator that globally accepted courses could be implemented successfully. To the knowledge no such work was undertaken up to the present, thus confirming the originality of the study presented.

This paper presents an intelligent tutoring system (ITS) for the learning of arithmetical problem solving. This is based on an analysis of (a) the cognitive processes that take place during problem solving; and (b) the usual tasks performed by a human when supervising a student in a one-to-one tutoring situation. The ITS is able to identify the solving strategy that the student is following and offer adaptive feedback that takes into account both the problem's constraints and the decisions previously made by the user. An observational study shows the ITS's accuracy at emulating expert human supervision, and a randomized experiment reveals that the ITS significantly improves students' learning in arithmetical problem solving.

Inside the globalisation era in which society is immersed, one of the current challenges for any educational system is to provide quality education. While some countries are linguistically homogeneous, many countries and regions display a wealth of linguistic diversity and it is essential to adapt the educational system to those realities. In addition, multilingual education promotes not only social equality but also intercultural education. The development of computer software localisable not only at interface level but also regarding learning resources may help to fulfill this aim. During the last years a number of products have emerged to support computer-based concept mapping. This paper presents a pilot study carried out at the University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU in the area of database systems with three main aims: to facilitate learning about the subject domain, to evaluate whether concept mapping is in general a good technique for learning topics in different languages, and finally, to verify whether "CM-ED Concept Map EDitor" provides the necessary mechanisms to fulfil this objective. Results confirm that the use of a concept map editor is a good support for education in multilingual settings. (Contains 3 figures and 2 tables.)

Automated assessment systems can be useful for both students and instructors. Ranking and immediate feedback can have a strongly positive effect on student learning. This paper presents an experience using automatic assessment in a programming tools course. The proposal aims at extending the traditional use of an online judging system with a series of assignments related to programming tools. Some empirical results on how students use an automated assessment system in a CS2 course are presented. Research suggested that automated assessment systems promoted the students' interest and produced statistically significant differences in the scores between experimental and control groups. (Contains 4 tables and 2 figures.)