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The purpose of this paper is to present an exploration on the response of parents of two rural multigrade schools facing the homeschooling activities in the context of pandemics. To frame a comparative perspective some conceptual work was done about new rurality and family structure before interviewing parents of both schools about distribution of tasks among family members, distribution of time and technological support. The study concluded that the traditional structure of rural families made easy to carry on with the tasks of home, labor and education. [For the complete Volume 21 proceedings, see ED629259.]

Demographic features are commonly used in Educational Data Mining (EDM) research to predict at-risk students. Yet, the practice of using demographic features has to be considered extremely problematic due to the data's sensitive nature, but also because (historic and representation) biases likely exist in the training data, which leads to strong fairness concerns. At the same time and despite the frequent use, the value of demographic features for prediction accuracy remains unclear. In this paper, we systematically investigate the importance of demographic features for at-risk prediction using several publicly available datasets from different countries. We find strong evidence that including demographic features does not lead to better-performing models as long as some study-related features exist, such as performance or activity data. Additionally, we show that models, nonetheless, place importance on these features when they are included in the data--although this is not necessary for accuracy. These findings, together with our discussion, strongly suggest that at-risk prediction should not include demographic features. Our code is available at: https://anonymous.4open.science/r/edm-F7D1. [For the complete proceedings, see ED630829.]

The objective of this paper is to report the preliminary results of a telecollaborative project between a Brazilian university (UTFPR) and a Colombian university (Universidad de Pamplona) that both offer a Licentiate degree in English. The project had two purposes: a pedagogical one to show student-teachers how they can develop their communication skills in English in a collaborative way by sharing information with other student-teachers from a different culture, and a technological one to put future teachers in contact with some technological tools. The paper is divided into three parts: (1) a brief description of the context and the participants; (2) the project itself -- the first steps, the objectives, and the tasks; and (3) the Brazilian view of the whole process/project as well as the students' feedback. [For the complete proceedings, see ED600837.]

Content and language integrated learning (CLIL) and English as a medium of instruction (EMI) are emerging as the preferred contexts of language learning. CLIL and EMI classes continue to proliferate in schools around the globe. The aim of this paper is to investigate the current research trends in studies of motivation to learn within EMI and CLIL settings. We sought to identify the current countries of research, educational levels, and themes that prevail in EMI and CLIL motivation research. We performed a topic search of the keywords "CLIL" or "EMI" and the keyword "motivation" in the "Web of Science" database for Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI) articles published in 2020. We analyzed 17 articles related to motivation within EMI or CLIL contexts. The results showed that European countries produced the most research, with Spain being the most prolific. A majority of the studies took place at the secondary and tertiary levels of education. Comparative studies of CLIL or EMI contexts with that of traditional classrooms emerged as the prevailing theme. Future research could include more studies regarding the impact of CLIL on students at the primary level of education, in addition to studies of students from varied socio-economic backgrounds. [For the complete Volume 19 proceedings, see ED613922.]

The purpose of this paper is to present an exploration on the response of parents of two rural multigrade schools facing the homeschooling activities in the context of pandemics. To frame a comparative perspective some conceptual work was done about new rurality and family structure before interviewing parents of both schools about distribution of tasks among family members, distribution of time and technological support. The study concluded that the traditional structure of rural families made easy to carry on with the tasks of home, labor and education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Foreign Language (FL) classrooms should be places where, at a minimum, communication is taking place in the foreign language being taught and intercultural understanding is also being developed. However, in countries where the majority of students are from a single cultural background, it is often difficult to keep students on-task if they do not have to use the language they are studying. Virtual Exchange (VE) ensures students interact with their online peers in the FL, as it becomes the lingua-franca. However, student attitudes toward such VE in the FL classroom are still not fully understood. This paper researches students' attitudes toward one VE, the International Virtual Exchange Project (IVEProject). Each iteration of the IVEProject is for eight weeks. Students interact asynchronously on Moodle forums in text, audio, and video. More than 15,000 students from 15 countries have participated in at least one of the VE carried out since 2016. Online surveys are carried out at the end of each exchange. Results suggest students have an overall positive attitude toward incorporating VE into FL and intercultural classes. [For the complete proceedings, see ED600837.]

In an attempt to understand whether Mobile-Assisted Language Learning (MALL) could foster students' self-directed learning, this paper analyzes a self-directed learning experience by means of a language app: Duolingo. In this study, higher education language students were encouraged to use Duolingo outside of the classroom. The data collected via app tracking, surveys and semi-structured interviews reveal that the low activity in the app contrasts the high value students attribute to it. Students indicated that the low activity is due to other obligations in their lives. They also expressed the need of external motivation to finish the course. The study suggests that mentoring and modeling are still needed in the development of self-directed study skills and it highlights the importance of implementing different data collection techniques to understand what students think and do in MALL. [For the complete volume of short papers, see ED572005.]

This work addresses the importance of innovation in entrepreneurial and business education to ensure that students develop the ability to make complex decisions and solve complex challenges. The intention was to incorporate the complexity theory in decision-making and problem-solving in business and entrepreneurship. To achieve this, we present the results of the first phase of our project, aiming to scale the levels of complex thinking in university students, discuss the need for business and entrepreneurship students to develop complex thinking competency (including its sub-competencies of critical, systemic, scientific, and innovative thinking) in the complexity of the business environment, analyze the relevance of system elements, apply their inductive and deductive reasoning, and create appropriate and relevant solutions. Our findings suggest that an educational model focused on developing complex thinking and its four sub-competencies can enable entrepreneurs to integrate sustainable development, increase their social engagement and critical thinking, develop their imaginative intelligence and discursive and reflective skills, and thus improve their decision-making and problem-solving processes. In the future, we plan to extend this analysis to the behavior of real-life entrepreneurs. [For the full proceedings, see ED654100.]

The purpose of this research is to solve the problem of producing research (academic journals, books, book chapters) based on the curriculum. In this sense, the methodology called NODE PROJECTS has been developed. Its objective is to promote and manage collaborative scientific research based on the needs of the environment at a national and international level, generating new knowledge and innovation. The node projects are aimed at empathetic students with a theme and scenarios for its development so that they can participate as co-researchers and/or research assistants. Its scope is national and/or international depending on the nature of each project. Thus, it has been possible to evidence in a master's program, the development of a total of 86 research projects and their dissemination, during the years 2020, 2021 and 2022 in a much higher percentage than in previous years. These projects are built within the courses assigned to the line of research within the academic path of the program. The suggested research route is three 48-hour courses per term. The topics to be included in the courses would range from the formulation of the research project to the results, discussion, conclusions and of course its publication. [For the full proceedings, see ED656038.]

The intention of the present paper is to show that people have a series of educational needs in the era of information, so that they can become competent digital citizens. These educational needs are evident in the policies promoted by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation, which were well known to Latin American governments of the decades from the 1960s to the 1990s. Therefore, it is to be hoped that the educational reforms of 1990s have elements based on the principles of education that they advanced, which emphasises the preparation of subjects in the digital era, based on advances in information and communication technology, focusing on the teaching and learning of computer science. [For the complete Volume 17 proceedings, see ED596826.]

The Colombian Ministry of Environment, Housing and Territorial Development issued the Policy for Integrated Water Resources Management in 2010, with the formulation of Basin Management Plans (POMCA) as a key component. The main purpose of these plans is to support land use planning and sustainable management of renewable natural resources. Since the announcement of the policy; however, advances in the formulation of POMCAs have been limited, due to the need of generating knowledge and the necessary information to formulate such plans. To contribute to the generation of such knowledge, we developed HidroCHEP: a Toolbox to support the formulation and hydrologic characterization of Colombian basins. In this paper, we report the design, architecture, implementation and use of the toolbox, to understand the climatic variability of the country and to improve predictions in ungauged basins. The use of the toolbox is illustrated and evaluated through its application in three pilot river basins (Pamplonita, Gualí and Ceibas) each with different level of available hydrologic and climatic data. This paper focuses on the use of the toolbox for the development of one of the products required by the technical guide for the formulation of POMCA, in the Pamplonita river basin. Main advantages and disadvantages of its application are evaluated. It is demonstrated that the toolbox has the potential to support the formulation of POMCAs in the country and to contribute to integrated national water resources management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microlearning has increased its popularity for course designs in eLearning environments due to short attention spans and time constraints. The objective of this designed-based research is to describe the multiple iterations of design, development, and revision of a general framework for creating a microlearning reading mobile application. First, we present the components from the perspective of users and for the execution of a software architecture that allows a modular approach. Understanding the pedagogical features of mobile learning: personalization, authenticity, and collaboration are included as part of the IPAC framework to create it. This app was developed in different phases: Analysis and exploration, design and construction, evaluation and reflection, redesign and reconstruction and final critical reflections. The findings link design-based research (DBR) as a methodology that allows engaging in theory building and development of reading applications. It also reveals engagement in reading skills, satisfactory usability ratings and a rise in students' awareness towards new types of texts. [For the complete proceedings, see ED639262.]

During their school life, students learn mathematical topics that can be considered essential for the understanding of the property of density in the set of real numbers. Therefore, we detected a need to design and elaborate a Hypothetical Learning Path to include topics to help promote the learning of this property. This report shows results of a first stage of an educational experiment as part of an ongoing research. It describes how through the trajectory, high school students are able to recognize ways of finding numbers in an interval using various semiotic representations. We also describe some difficulties that students had to recognize the non-existence of a successor in real numbers. [For the complete proceedings, see ED630060.]

The paper presents the most important results from a study in argumentative communication skills, developed in three engineering undergraduate programs from year 2012 until 2014. The work was performed by a multidisciplinary group in two Colombian regions. During year 2012, professors noted that senior students had problems in both oral and written communication. Therefore, engineering professors decided to join expert faculty in communication skills and to design a long-term project to help students. The project was meant to improve these skills, and it included four phases. Phase one diagnosed basic communication skills. Phase two employed an academic intervention. Phase three developed a new diagnosis in argumentative writing skills. Finally, phase four developed a different intervention for argumentation. The first two phases included students from the first cohort as the reference group and students from a different cohort as the experimental group. The research evaluated data by means of one rubric and one student opinion survey. Both tools were validated by experts. Results show performance improvement in the second cohort after the intervention. The outcome agrees with related work reported in the literature. During phase three, professors performed a diagnosis through the curriculum, specifically in argumentation. The study encompasses students enrolled in different courses and semesters from Electrical, Electronics and Systems Engineering at Universidad del Norte (Barranquilla, Colombia), and a course from Electrical Engineering at Universidad Nacional de Colombia (Medellín Campus). Results show students achievement in argumentation, which was used to design a pedagogical intervention to improve student performance. Phase 4 assessed the same skill in the new cohort, executed the intervention and finally evaluated the results. The academic intervention was carefully planned in every phase. During the intervention, the group used multimedia tools as video and Academic Blackboard in order to make a homogeneous strategy in all engineering programs in different places in the country. Additionally, the professors employed a Google Docs form in order to speed up evaluation process. The students wrote argumentative essays before and after the intervention, employing the "Five Paragraph Essay" technique. Statistical analysis shows improvement; therefore, we can conclude that it was possible to enhance argumentation skills of the students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study measured changes in cultural awareness levels between two groups of US students in their third semester of a Spanish class. One group (experimental group) collaborated via Skype with a group of English language learners from a Colombian university and the other group (control group) did not. The experimental group met seven times during the semester to discuss a variety of cultural topics such as health care and gastronomy. The control group addressed the same topics by examining them among members of the same class. Both groups answered a pre and post self-awareness questionnaire. Mixed factorial analysis of variance (ANOVA) results showed significant differences between the two groups. There was no change in scores from pretest to posttest for the control group, but scores in the trained group increased significantly. Students from the treatment group show substantial gains in skills, knowledge, and awareness of themselves in their interactions with others in one semester. [For the complete proceedings, see ED600837.]

The amount of time that people, especially young people, spend on communicative activities in social media is rapidly increasing. We are facing new arenas with great potential for learning in general and for language learning in particular, but their impact on learning is not yet acknowledged as such in educational practice (e.g., Conole, 2010; Lewis, Pea, & Rosen, 2010; Thorne, 2009). The aim of this case study is to scrutinize how social networking sites (SNSs) serve as new contexts for learning when implemented in school practices. The focus is mainly on how students frame (Goffman, 1974/1986) this activity to scrutinize the implications for their language learning and how they learn to communicate in culturally relevant and productive ways. By applying a socio-cultural-historical theoretical view of communication (Vygotsky, 1939/1978; Wertsch, 1998), this paper reports findings from ethnographic data of a Facebook group in formal English learning contexts with students aged between 13-16 years old comprising one school class in Colombia, Finland, Sweden and Taiwan, respectively. The results indicate that the students' communication was characterized by a) a communication in response to institutional requirements, b) their customary interaction in social media, or c) a juxtaposition of both. [For the complete volume, see ED574893.]

This paper is based on a study of the perceptions of the distance education mode compared with face-to-face teaching on the part of students on the university distance education programme at the University of Antioch over the period from 2001 to 2007. It is not possible to ignore the close links between educational processes and social, economic, administrative, cultural and political conditions, not only at the beginning of the course, but throughout its existence. The goal of higher education is to promote the development of a professional approach on the part of its students, irrespective of whether they study at a distance or physically attend a campus of the university. When comparing the two modes of delivery (distance and face-to-face) in higher education, while controlling for a number of other personal and demographic variables, it was possible to confirm that there were no significant differences that could be attributed to different modes of delivery. This is not an accident, and arises because of the pedagogic orientation of the primary and secondary schools, which direct their efforts to the delivery of information and the development of basic skills rather than the development of students who are skilled in observation, analysis, synthesis and have leadership qualities which would fit them to direct the process of social change. [For complete volume, see ED567040.]

English language education policies have attracted the attention of researchers in applied linguistics and English language teaching world-wide in the last few years. Some contend that English language skills are vital if a country is to participate actively in the global economy and individuals are to have access to knowledge for social and economic development (Richards, 2008). Others claim that behind the spread of English is a growing transnational business with headquarters in Britain and the USA (Canagarajah, 1999; Phillipson, 1992). The problem is that language policies are ideological although the ideology may not be acknowledged by practitioners or theorists (Ricento and Hornberger, 1996). ELT professionals--teachers, material designers, textbooks writers, program developers, administrators, consultants or academics--are involved in one way or another with the processes that involve the spread of English and they need tools to investigate how the language became so dominant and why, to teach and use English in a way that suits their needs. This paper presents the approach proposed by Ricento and Hornberger (1996) to analyze foreign language education policies. Then, the approach is used to examine the English language education policies in Colombia and Mexico. The aim is to acquire a better understanding of how the ideology transmitted with, in and through English language has penetrated these two Latin American countries. [For complete volume, see ED567040.]

The purpose of this paper is to highlight the relevance of management and leadership as a key to understanding barriers to and factors promoting educational innovation. An empirical study in Colombia supports the claim that these dimensions are still underexplored and should receive more attention in order to understand issues related to ICT integration in education. Case studies reveal that different types of leaders using a variety of management deploy different strategies for successful (or unsuccessful) innovation. This work is useful for scholars studying ICT integration, school administrators and education policy makers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper highlights the relevance of an underexplored dimension in ICT integration: the policy enactment of educational innovation. More concretely, this work focuses in the complexity of policy enactment in local contexts in which ICT policies yield uncertain effects. Drawing on an empirical study in one Colombian region, the findings reveal a set of issues related to policy translation and policy positions, two key aspects of Stephen Ball's policy enactment theory. The findings and reflections invite the expansion of research in the field of ICT polices. This work is useful for scholars examining ICT integration, school administrators and policy makers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The performance of business logistics is one of the fundamentals in supply chain management. It is not just about having good logistics to enter the markets, but it is necessary to maintain and increase competitiveness. Consequently, a reference model is required that reflects the main characteristics of the organization and logistics management of the main international companies. Through a benchmarking process with this model, each firm can identify the main weaknesses on which it must work to accelerate the development of its logistics. The purpose of this article is to present the results of twenty years of study of logistics performance in Latin American companies through the application of the Logistics Reference Model (MLR). Since 1998, this tool has been applied several times in Colombia, Bolivia, Ecuador and Cuba and has been improved and updated. In addition, the results of the tool are related to the Logistics Performance Index of the countries studied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mesa de Los Santos is an elevated plateau located in the Eastern Cordillera of Colombia (Andean region) in the Department of Santander (altimetric variation 300 to 1800 m a.s.l.). The region is marked by a shortage of potable surface water. The isotopic study of the rain and its relation to Los Santos Formation phreatic and fractured aquifer was carried out. Four rain stations were installed on top of the plateau (1275 to 1684 m a.s.l.) to collect monthly rainwater samples for stable isotopes. The rainwater stations recorded 1469 to 764 mm from North to South, and the seasonal patterns of stable isotopes were similar in all stations. The preliminary Local Meteoric Water Line is δ2 H = 8.22×δ18 O + 13.9, slightly above the GMWL with an intercept of + 13.9 ‰, possibly indicating continental vapor recycling. The rain-weighted annual isotope means showed more depleted values in the southmost rain station (δ18 O = -8.99 ‰, 1275 m a.s.l.). From the phreatic and fractured aquifer, 35 groundwater points were monitored bimonthly for stable isotopes (n=134) and three trends were differentiated in the isotopic content value of δ18 O. Large temporal variability characterized 10 groundwater points (amplitudes greater than 1 ‰ in δ18 O for each point) consistently with the seasonal behaviour of the rain, indicating flows with rapid transit on a monthly scale. 21 groundwater points showed a low temporal variability with year-round differences under 1 ‰ and presenting a spatial distribution of δ18 O with enriched values towards the north (between -6.71 ‰ and -6.00 ‰) and depleted values towards the south (-8.97 ‰ to -8.14 ‰), which tends to be also consistent with the rainwater isotope distribution observed. The stability of year-round groundwater isotopic values is a sign of efficient mixing of groundwater and a slower transit. Finally, 4 groundwater points presented signs of evaporation, showing d -excess values between -6.4 ‰ and + 4.3 ‰, in connection with surface water bodies that undergo evaporation before infiltration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We are delighted to welcome you to the International Conference on Education and New Developments 2016--END 2016, taking place in Ljubljana, Slovenia, from 12 to 14 of June. Education, in our contemporary world, is a right since we are born. Every experience has a formative effect on the constitution of the human being, in the way one thinks, feels and acts. One of the most important contributions resides in what and how we learn through the improvement of educational processes, both in formal and informal settings. Our International Conference seeks to provide some answers and explore the processes, actions, challenges and outcomes of learning, teaching and human development. Our goal is to offer a worldwide connection between teachers, students, researchers and lecturers, from a wide range of academic fields, interested in exploring and giving their contribution in educational issues. We take pride in having been able to connect and bring together academics, scholars, practitioners and others interested in a field that is fertile in new perspectives, ideas and knowledge. We counted on an extensive variety of contributors and presenters, which can supplement our view of the human essence and behavior, showing the impact of their different personal, academic and cultural experiences. This is, certainly, one of the reasons we have many nationalities and cultures represented, inspiring multi-disciplinary collaborative links, fomenting intellectual encounter and development. END 2016 received 489 submissions, from 53 different countries, reviewed by a double-blind process. Submissions were prepared to take form of Oral Presentations, Posters, Virtual Presentations and Workshops. It was accepted for presentation in the conference, 133 submissions (27% acceptance rate). The conference also includes a keynote presentation from an internationally distinguished researcher, Professor Dr. Mojca Juriševic, Associate Professor of Educational Psychology, Faculty of Education, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia, to whom we express our most gratitude. Also, we give a special thanks to Professor Emerita Nina K. Buchanan, PhD, University of Hawaii, USA and Professor Emeritus Robert A. Fox, PhD, University of Hawaii, USA for the special talk entitled "The Search for New Educational Forms in the United States and its International Implications." This volume is composed by the proceedings of the International Conference on Education and New Developments (END 2016), organized by the World Institute for Advanced Research and Science (W.I.A.R.S.) and had the help of our respected co-sponsor and media partner that we reference in the dedicated page. This conference addressed different categories inside the Education area and papers are expected to fit broadly into one of the named themes and sub-themes. To develop the conference program we have chosen four main broad-ranging categories, which also covers different interest areas: (1) In TEACHERS AND STUDENTS: Teachers and Staff training and education; Educational quality and standards; Curriculum and Pedagogy; Vocational education and Counseling; Ubiquitous and lifelong learning; Training programs and professional guidance; Teaching and learning relationship; Student affairs (learning, experiences and diversity; Extra-curricular activities; Assessment and measurements in Education. (2) In PROJECTS AND TRENDS: Pedagogic innovations; Challenges and transformations in Education; Technology in teaching and learning; Distance Education and eLearning; Global and sustainable developments for Education; New learning and teaching models; Multicultural and (inter)cultural communications; Inclusive and Special Education; Rural and indigenous Education; Educational projects. (3) In TEACHING AND LEARNING: Educational foundations; Research and development methodologies; Early childhood and Primary Education; Secondary Education; Higher Education; Science and technology Education; Literacy, languages and Linguistics (TESL/TEFL); Health Education; Religious Education; Sports Education. (4) In ORGANIZATIONAL ISSUES: Educational policy and leadership; Human Resources development; Educational environment; Business, Administration, and Management in Education; Economics in Education; Institutional accreditations and rankings; International Education and Exchange programs; Equity, social justice and social change; Ethics and values; Organizational learning and change, Corporate Education. The proceedings contain the results of the research and developments conducted by authors who focused on what they are passionate about: to promote growth in research methods intimately related to teaching, learning and applications in Education nowadays. It includes an extensive variety of contributors and presenters, who will extend our view in exploring and giving their contribution in educational issues, by sharing with us their different personal, academic and cultural experiences. (Individual papers contain references.)

Foreign language telecollaboration offers innovations to enhance language instruction. Previous research has cited its use to develop linguistic skills and intercultural competence (Belz, 2003; Blake, 2013; Chun, 2015; O'Dowd, 2000; Schenker, 2014). This article reports preliminary outcomes of a pedagogical project which leveraged telecollaborative practices in both English and Spanish as a foreign language in order to document the processes of Intercultural Communicative Competence (ICC) development. [For the complete volume, see ED571330.]

The determination of the cash to cash cycle (C2C) for supply chains provides concrete and practical means to integrate financial flow into the scope of supply chain management. In this study we propose that segmenting benchmarked companies in accordance to its corresponding role in their supply chain enhances established methodology for conducting more accurate C2C Benchmarking. This paper contribution is two-fold, since demonstrates improved standards for supply chain benchmark practice and illustrates it on a Colombian office chair industry case study for a manufacturer and retailer dyad. The paper concludes that intrinsic differences between supply chain roles make direct comparison of little use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We are delighted to welcome you to the International Conference on Education and New Developments 2015-END 2015, taking place in Porto, Portugal, from 27 to 29 of June. Education, in our contemporary world, is a right since we are born. Every experience has a formative effect on the constitution of the human being, in the way one thinks, feels and acts. One of the most important contributions resides in what and how we learn through the improvement of educational processes, both in formal and informal settings. Our International Conference seeks to provide some answers and explore the processes, actions, challenges and outcomes of learning, teaching and human development. Our goal is to offer a worldwide connection between teachers, students, researchers and lecturers, from a wide range of academic fields, interested in exploring and giving their contribution in educational issues. We take pride in having been able to connect and bring together academics, scholars, practitioners and others interested in a field that is fertile in new perspectives, ideas and knowledge. We counted on an extensive variety of contributors and presenters, which can supplement our view of the human essence and behavior, showing the impact of their different personal, academic and cultural experiences. This is, certainly, one of the reasons we have many nationalities and cultures represented, inspiring multi-disciplinary collaborative links, fomenting intellectual encounter and development. END 2015 received 528 submissions, from 63 different countries, reviewed by a double-blind process. Submissions were prepared to take form as Oral Presentations, Posters, Virtual Presentations and Workshops. It was accepted for presentation in the conference, 176 submissions (33% acceptance rate). The conference also includes a keynote presentation from an internationally distinguished researcher, Professor Dr. Martin Braund, Adjunct Professor at Cape Peninsula University of Technology in Cape Town, South Africa and Honorary Fellow in the Department of Education at the University of York, UK, to whom we express our most gratitude. This volume is composed by the proceedings of the International Conference on Education and New Developments (END 2015), organized by the World Institute for Advanced Research and Science (W.I.A.R.S.) and had the help of our respected media partners that we reference in the dedicated page. This conference addressed different categories inside the Education area and papers are expected to fit broadly into one of the named themes and sub-themes. To develop the conference program we have chosen four main broad-ranging categories, which also cover different interest areas: (1) In TEACHERS AND STUDENTS: Teachers and Staff training and education; Educational quality and standards; Curriculum and Pedagogy; Vocational education and Counseling; Ubiquitous and lifelong learning; Training programs and professional guidance; Teaching and learning relationship; Student affairs (learning, experiences and diversity); Extra-curricular activities; Assessment and measurements in Education. (2) In PROJECTS AND TRENDS: Pedagogic innovations; Challenges and transformations in Education; Technology in teaching and learning; Distance Education and eLearning; Global and sustainable developments for Education; New learning and teaching models; Multicultural and (inter)cultural communications; Inclusive and Special Education; Rural and indigenous Education; Educational projects. (3) In TEACHING AND LEARNING: Educational foundations; Research and development methodologies; Early childhood and Primary Education; Secondary Education; Higher Education; Science and technology Education; Literacy, languages and Linguistics (TESL/TEFL); Health Education; Religious Education; Sports Education. (4) In ORGANIZATIONAL ISSUES: Educational policy and leadership; Human Resources development; Educational environment; Business, Administration, and Management in Education; Economics in Education; Institutional accreditations and rankings; International Education and Exchange programs; Equity, social justice and social change; Ethics and values; Organizational learning and change. The proceedings contain the results of the research and developments conducted by authors who focused on what they are passionate about: to promote growth in research methods intimately related to teaching, learning and applications in Education nowadays. It includes an extensive variety of contributors and presenters, who will extend our view in exploring and giving their contribution in educational issues, by sharing with us their different personal, academic and cultural experiences. (Individual papers contain references.)

This paper investigates the development of institutional structures. It focuses on how the institutions manage the decision-making processes. For this study, the evaluation instruments are the base to modernize the institutional instruments according to the policy demand. To achieve this, the study is based in theoretical concepts developed through a methodology for the evaluation of the institutional structures in transports. The main objective of the methodology is to understand the current abilities of the structure of an organization and compare it with the desired outcomes by society in order to identify gaps. According to this process, a case study of the Ministry of Transport in Colombia is developed to measure the effectiveness of this methodology. In summary, this paper is focused in the selection of an objective method that can do the evaluation guided by the outcomes desired by the society from that organization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We welcome you to the International Conference on Education and New Developments 2014, taking place in Madrid, Spain, from 28 to 30 of June, 2014. Education, as an important right in our contemporary world, began since we exist. Knowledge and skills were passed by adults to the young, and cultures began to extend their experiences through various forms. Schools and academies were formed since the most ancient civilizations. Although between innumerous difficulties, these experiences were capable to teach us how to develop better formative effects and to turn education a generalized and global right. Formal education and other educational practices are used by all of us in the constitution of the human being, in the way one thinks, feels and acts. One of the most important contributions resides in what and how we learn through the improvement of educational processes, both in formal and informal settings. This international conference seeks to provide explore the processes, actions, challenges and outcomes of learning, teaching and human development. Our goal is to offer a worldwide connection between teachers, students, researchers and lecturers, from a wide range of academic fields, interested in exploring and giving their contribution in educational issues We take pride in having been able to connect and bring together academics, scholars, practitioners and others interested in a field that is fertile in new perspectives, ideas and knowledge. We counted on an extensive variety of contributors and presenters, which can supplement our view of the human essence and behavior, showing the impact of their different personal, academic and cultural experiences. This is, certainly, one of the reasons we have many nationalities and cultures represented, inspiring multi-disciplinary collaborative links, fomenting intellectual encounter and development. END 2014 received over more 292 submissions, from 40 different countries, reviewed by a double-blind process. Submissions were prepared to take form of Oral Presentations, Posters, Virtual Presentations and Workshops. It were accepted for presentation in the conference, 83 submissions (28% acceptance rate). The conference also includes a keynote presentation from the distinguished Professor Hanna David, Tel Aviv University (Emerita), Israel, to whom we express our most gratitude. This volume is composed by the proceedings of the International Conference on Education and New Developments (END 2014), organized by the World Institute for Advanced Research and Science (W.I.A.R.S.) and co-sponsored by the respected partners we reference in the dedicated page. This conference addressed different categories inside the Education area and papers are expected to fit broadly into one of the named themes and sub-themes. To develop the conference program we have chosen four main broad-ranging categories, which also covers different interest areas: (1) In TEACHERS AND STUDENTS: Teachers and Staff training and education; Educational quality and standards; Curriculum and Pedagogy; Vocational education and Counseling; Ubiquitous and lifelong learning; Training programs and professional guidance; Teaching and learning relationship; Student affairs (learning, experiences and diversity; Extracurricular activities; Assessment and measurements in Education. (2) In PROJECTS AND TRENDS: Pedagogic innovations; Challenges and transformations in Education; Technology in teaching and learning; Distance Education and eLearning; Global and sustainable developments for Education; New learning and teaching models; Multicultural and (inter)cultural communications; Inclusive and Special Education; Rural and indigenous Education; Educational projects. (3) In TEACHING AND LEARNING: Educational foundations; Research and development methodologies; Early childhood and Primary Education; Secondary Education; Higher Education; Science and technology Education; Literacy, languages and Linguistics (TESL/TEFL); Health Education; Religious Education; Sports Education. (4) In ORGANIZATIONAL ISSUES: Educational policy and leadership; Human Resources development; Educational environment; Business, Administration, and Management in Education; Economics in Education; Institutional accreditations and rankings; International Education and Exchange programs; Equity, social justice and social change; Ethics and values; Organizational learning and change. The proceedings contain the results of the research and developments conducted by authors who focused on what they are passionate about: to promote growth in research methods intimately related to teaching, learning and applications in Education nowadays. It includes an extensive variety of contributors and presenters, who will extend our view in exploring and giving their contribution in educational issues, by sharing with us their different personal, academic and cultural experiences. (Individual papers contain references.)

The Commission on International Adult Education (CIAE) of the American Association for Adult and Continuing Education (AAACE) provides a forum for the discussion of international issues related to adult education in general, as well as adult education in various countries around the globe. The following purposes summarize the work of the Commission: (1) To develop linkages with adult education associations in other countries; (2) To encourage exchanges between AAACE and associations from other countries; (3) To invite conference participation and presentations by interested adult educators around the world; and (4) To discuss how adult educators from AAACE and other nations may cooperate on projects of mutual interest and benefit to those served. The Commission holds its annual meeting in conjunction with the AAACE conference. The following papers are presented at the 2012 CIAE Pre-Conference: (1) Religious Rites and Celebrations As Frameworks for Lifelong Learning in Traditional Africa (Mejai B.M. Avoseh); (2) A Confucian Model for Scholarly Development (Elizabeth Anne Erichsen and Qi Sun); (3) The Use of Learning the Contract Within a University Setting in an Italian University (Monica Fedeli, Ettore Felisatti, and Mario Giampaolo); (4) The Cross-Culture Readiness Exposure Scale (CRES) (Emmanuel Jean Francois); (5) International History and Philosophy of Andragogy: Abbreviated for 2012 with Newer Perspective and Insights (John A. Henschke); (6) Exploring Cross-Cultural Learning Styles Differences of African and American Adult Learners (Alex Kumi-Yeboah and Waynne James); (7) An Educational Preparatory Program for Active Aging: Preliminary Results Based on Proactive Coping Theory (Ya-Hui Lee, Hui-Chuan Wei, Yu Fen Hsiao, Liang-Yi Chang, and Chen-Yi Yu); (8) Global Work Competencies and the Identification and Selection of Candidates for Expatriate Assignments (Arthur Ray McCrory); (9) Adult Education/Learning in South Africa: Promises and Challenges (Matata Johannes Mokoele); (10) Cross-Cultural Use of Surveys and Instruments in International Research: Lessons Learned From A Study in Turkey and the United States (Claudette M. Peterson, Anita Welch, Mustafa Cakir, and Chris M. Ray); (11) English Only? English-Only Policies, Multilingual Education and its Ramifications on Global Workforce Productivity (Orlando A. Pizana and Alex Kumi-Yeboah); (12) Reflections On A Research Experience at an International Treasure: The Alexander N. Charters Library of Resources for Educators of Adults (Lori Risley); (13) Bridging Adult Education Between East and West: Critical Reflection and Examination of Western Perspectives on Eastern Reality (Qi Sun and Elizabeth Anne Erichsen); (14) The Challenges and Prospects of Adult Education Programmes in Nigerian Universities (Nneka A. Umezulike); (15) The Perceived Impact of Women for Women International (WFWI) Non-formal Learning Programmes for Rural Women in Nigeria (Loretta C. Ukwuaba and Nneka A. Umezulike); (16) Perceptions of Needed Attitudinal Competencies Compared by Geographical Region (Helena Wallenberg-Lerner and Waynne B. James); (17) Identifying Intercultural Sensitivity Competencies Through Focus Group Research (Melanie L. Wicinski and Arthur Ray McCrory); and (18) Measuring Intercultural Sensitivity at the Army Medical Department Center and School: The IRB Process--Challenges and Lessons Learned (Roberta E. Worsham and Melanie L. Wicinski). Individual papers contain figures, tables, references and footnotes.

For the first time, the annual conference of the European Association for Computer-Assisted Language Learning (EUROCALL) took place in Sweden. The conference took place at the Faculty of Education on historic ground on the old fortification walls of Carolus Dux from the 17th century right in the centre of the city. This year's host comprised the University of Gothenburg in collaboration with Chalmers University of Technology. The local committee members represented three collaborating institutions: "Faculty of Education, the University of Gothenburg"; "Department of Languages and Literatures, the University of Gothenburg"; and "Division for Language and Communication, Chalmers University of Technology." This year's conference theme was "CALL: using, learning, knowing." The conference seeked to establish the current state of the art, how using technologies shape what and how we learn, and what we consider we know from research and development within CALL. These three dimensions are in a continuous fux and interplay as an upward spiral, contributing together to create a dynamic learning experience for the student. There were presentations presented at the conference. 59 of these were submitted as extended papers and appear in this volume of proceedings. An author index is included. (Individual papers contain references.)

The subject of Thermodynamics is imparted to students in different engineering programs. Students in Colombia usually take the course between the fourth and fifth semester of their academic programs. The course has historically presented high loss rates due to the difficulty of understanding and appropriation of concepts. Consequently, the professor started a project to help students in the course, by using ludic-evaluation methodology. The article presents the most important results of student perception in self-efficacy, engagement and achievement of learning objectives. The a ludic evaluation methodology was applied prior to the first theoretical evaluation in of Thermodynamics course at Universidad del Norte (Barranquilla-Colombia) in three different cohorts (one in 2015 and two in 2016). The study is structured in four phases and includes the interaction with other academic support offered by academic peers within the same university. The first phase occurs two weeks before the application of the theoretical evaluation, and includes ludic-evaluation with a video game to diagnose the level of achievement of the learning objective. The second phase, includes academic peer support and uses the results of the ludic-evaluation, to carry out improvement actions. The third phase performs the theoretical exam. During the final phase, the professor applies a survey to the students to obtain their perception about the subject, the way they learned and their role as students within the achievement of the learning objective. Results show that students have an open mind to learn and increase their level of engagement to the subject, also improving on the objective results at the end of the course. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to present some proposals for the building construction sector in Colombia that would mitigate the problems in this sector and reduce the possibility of building collapse in the country. The study carried out a literature review on the barriers and critical success factors (CSF) for the implementation of total quality management (TQM) in the construction sector in different geographical contexts. Based on the 12 barriers and 8 identified success factors, the existence of these aspects was evaluated in the case of the collapse of the Space building located in Medellín, Colombia. As a result, the importance and consequences, both positive and negative, of the implementation of TQM in this sub-sector can be particularly evidenced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Civil engineers in the UK have teamed up with a water charity to make an educational film that helps communities in semi-arid climates manage their water. The team learnt how to construct simple dams, known in India as 'johads', that harvest seasonal rainfall, reducing flood and drought risk. They then built a new dam and restored another in Rajasthan district, recording the process to enable others to replicate the work. A language-neutral educational film was then produced and tested with other communities in India and Colombia to ensure applicability to a variety of geographies, cultures and environments. Educating communities on water management in this way will help to achieve the United Nations sustainable development goal 6: clean water and sanitation for all. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, companies have tried to understand their processes' functionality and response capability to the forces of the environment using information systems. This research developed an automated Business Process Management (BPM) model of the import process in a commercial company located in Colombia. First, a survey was applied to the stakeholders to ascertain the challenges presented at the company’ import process. Later, a process flow was proposed based on BPM. The model results indicate a 43% reduction in the execution times of activities in the import area, a 30% decrease in default costs, and a 70% reduction in storage costs for the company. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Colombia, the annual production of milk was 7,301 million liters in 2019. The dairy sector accounts for 1.6 percent of national GDP (gross domestic product) and 21.8 percent of agricultural GDP. However, the results for this sector have not been satisfactory as expected in the last decades as compared to the rest of Latin America. As we were able to identify, many problems have been reported in the primary productive sector such as: lack of policies to improve productivity, inefficiency in production, inadequate technical production processes, huge variability in production prices, competitive disadvantages generated by the massive inflow of imported goods, among others, which contributes greatly to the reductions on dairy farms profitability. The latter implies the need for research on decisionmaking tools that reduce uncertainty in the dairy industry. The use of technical indexes aimed to control in evaluate dairy farms in terms of productivity and profitability, which can be useful to monitor and track changes and requirements for the Colombian dairy industry. In Colombia, there are no studies addressed at the determinants of profitability of the dairy sector. This has motivated the current work to study profitability using predictive analytics, through an integrated approach considering costs, productivity, economic and technical indexes. This project proposes a management model that supports decision-making on dairy farms by calculating profitability and generating alerts based on the sensibility of selected input variables. The model focuses on the determination of the cause-effect relationships between the input and output variables (net annual income, profit margin, and return rates on the invested capital) to explain the determinant of profitability in the farm. First, we described the generalities of the primary link in the dairy sector in Colombia. Second, using a panel of experts we selected a set of variables related to feed, animals, human resources, fertilization, among others. We used principal component analysis (PCA) as a tool to reduce preselected inputs to those that explain better the variance and have the greatest impact on output variables. The results of this PCA worked as an initial model for multiple linear regression models as the primary methodology for establishing cause-effect relationships between input and output variables (a model for each output variable) that can explain the profitability of the production in the farm. We used R Studio to operate both methodologies. Our final goal is to calculate the profitability considering our output variables. Furthermore, generate alerts on input variables based on scenario analysis to support decision-making in dairy farms. Our work team had access to an experimental farm of the Center of Agricultural Practices and Development of the Universidad de Antioquia located in the municipality of San Pedro de los Milagros, Antioquia, where we used productive records of this farm, developing indexes and generating new determinants of profitability if these were not available. We propose to validate this model on farms in other regions in Colombia in order to verify the capacity to calculate profitability in real management situations in the Colombian dairy productive sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]