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A questionnaire was recently developed for the use with the Spanish-speaking, and evidence have been provided about the construct internal validity by means of structural equation modelling. In this paper, two research questions were considered: (i) What new evidence does application of the Rasch model provide regarding the validity of this construct?; (ii) What cutoffs should be applied to the constructed scales in order to differentiate between acceptable and insufficient levels of the construct being measured? Participants were 1,272 Spanish at both high-school and college level. The instrument is a pencil and paper questionnaire written in Spanish, comprising 20 items (5-point Likert-type scale) distributed evenly across four scales: beyond exact replicas, purpose of models, multiple models, and changing models. Students' responses were coded on an ordinal scale from zero to four. We then conducted a Rasch analysis using both a multidimensional approach and a consecutive unidimensional approach for each dimension. Data provided new evidence regarding the internal validity of the four scales of the questionnaire. The Rasch analysis also allowed us to establish cutoffs for the constructed scales. The evidence provided by this, and the previous study suggest that the questionnaire may be useful as a diagnostic tool when applied to groups or populations of students. In addition, the identified cutoffs could, hypothetically, serve to differentiate between students with an adequate versus an insufficient understanding of the nature of models. [Note: The page range (344-359) shown on the PDF is incorrect. The correct page range for this article is 344-361.]

Abstract Question In people who have undergone surgical carpal tunnel release, do sensorimotor-based exercises performed on the touchscreen of a tablet device improve outcomes more than a conventional home exercise program prescribed on paper? Design Randomised, parallel-group trial with concealed allocation, assessor blinding, and intention-to-treat analysis. Participants Fifty participants within 10 days of surgical carpal tunnel release. Intervention Each participant was prescribed a 4-week home exercise program. Participants in the experimental group received the ReHand tablet application, which administered and monitored exercises via the touchscreen. The control group was prescribed a home exercise program on paper, as is usual practice in the public hospital system. Outcome measures The primary outcome was functional ability of the hand, reported using the shortened form of the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (QuickDASH) questionnaire. Secondary outcomes were grip strength, pain intensity measured on a 10-cm visual analogue scale, and dexterity measured with the Nine-Hole Peg Test. Outcomes were measured by a blinded assessor at baseline and at the end of the 4-week intervention period. Results At Week 4, functional ability improved significantly more in the experimental group than the control group (MD –21, 95% CI –33 to –9) on the QuickDASH score (0 to 100). Although the mean estimates of effect on the secondary outcome also all favoured the experimental group, none reached statistical significance: grip strength (MD 5.6 kg, 95% CI –0.5 to 11.7), pain (MD –1.4 cm, 95% CI –2.9 to 0.1), and dexterity (MD –1.3 seconds, 95% CI –3.7 to 1.1). Conclusion Use of the ReHand tablet application for early rehabilitation after carpal tunnel release is more effective in the recovery of functional ability than a conventional home exercise program. It remains unclear whether there are any benefits in grip strength, pain or dexterity. Trial registration ACTRN12618001887268. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Teachers often use analogies to introduce unfamiliar or complex concepts. However, several studies have found that their knowledge on how to use them is limited or superficial. Similarly, the integration of technological resources in the teaching-learning processes is not always carried out efficiently, which evidences the need to improve teachers' digital competence. This paper provides a formative sequence on the use of analogies in teaching through mediation of technological resources, implemented in the context of the initial training of secondary education teachers. The results show a positive assessment by the students, a change in their perceptions on the subject and some progress in their classroom proposal designs. The conclusion is that it is necessary to train future teachers to deal with common teaching problems in a reflective, comprehensive and innovative way, which will undoubtedly be one of the challenges of education in the 21st century.

Designing tests is a sophisticated task due to issues such as rubrics, validation and impact. Delivery has become another key issue in recent years. Recent research projects in Spain (García Laborda et al.s, 2010, García Laborda, 2012; García Laborda et al., 2014; Bueno Alastuey et al., 2014) have been working mainly with technological devices as a means of test delivery. However, technology has changed in the last three years making desktop PCs and mobile phones less attractive due to space and practicality considerations. The use of tablet PCs for test delivery might be an effective option that combines the advantages of both devices. This paper investigates some potential difficulties that might be encountered if they are to be used for delivery of high stakes tests. In particular, it examines the perceptions of 24 future foreign language teachers based on a questionnaire. The results indicate that tablet PCs could be adequate for high-stakes tests in the 2nd and 4th years of secondary school (ESO) and the 2nd year of Baccalaureate studies in Spain. This paper addresses the rationale, our method of research and the questionnaire, and the results. [This paper was presented at the Conference of the Spanish Association of Applied Linguistics (AESLA) (33rd, Apr 16-18, 2015, Madrid, Spain.]

Listening, watching, reading and writing simultaneously in a foreign language is very complex. This paper is part of wider research which explores the use of audiovisual comprehension questions imprinted in the video image in the form of subtitles and synchronized with the relevant fragments for the purpose of language learning and testing. Compared to viewings where the comprehension activity is available only on paper, this innovative methodology may provide some benefits. Among them, it could reduce the conflict in visual attention between watching the video and completing the task, by spatially and temporally approximating the questions and the relevant fragments. The technique is seen as especially beneficial for students with a low proficiency language level. The main objectives of this study were to investigate if embedded questions had an impact on SFL students' audiovisual comprehension test performance and to find out what examinees thought about them. A multimethod design (Morse, 2003) involving the sequential collection of three quantitative datasets was employed. A total of 41 learners of Spanish as a foreign language (SFL) participated in the study (22 in the control group and 19 in the experimental one). Informants were selected by non-probabilistic sampling. The results showed that imprinted questions did not have any effect on test performance. Test-takers' attitudes towards this methodology were positive. Globally, students in the experimental group agreed that the embedded questions helped them to complete the tasks. Furthermore, most of them were in favour of having the questions imprinted in the video in the audiovisual comprehension test of the final exam. These opinions are in line with those obtained in previous studies that looked into experts', SFL students' and SFL teachers' views about this methodology (Casañ Núñez, 2015a, 2016a, in press-b). On the whole, these studies suggest that this technique has potential benefits for FL learning and testing. Finally, the limitations of the study are discussed and some directions for future research are proposed.

The growing numbers of mobile students over the years made the provision of student services a key topic of interest for higher education institutions. In order to offer a better experience for international students, it is important to be aware of and assess their needs in relation to different sets of support services. The data used in this paper were gathered through the ESNsurvey 2016 project, a research venture focused on the experiences of participants in short-term student mobility in Europe. Responses were collected from 12,365 international students, who have participated in a short-term (3-12 months) study period abroad mostly through Europe's most promoted mobility program called ERASMUS+. For the purpose of this paper, the focus was only on the aspect of host university support services. The comments of 2,012 students about their experiences were analyzed using a probabilistic methodology known as Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA). The findings reveal that some international students' concerns are not fully addressed by higher education institutions. The main problem areas identified with respect to host support services were admission, living costs, including accommodation and money concerns, and IT and bank issues. It is strongly recommended that universities address the problematic areas through student support services by assessing international students' opinions and needs.

We present a strategy for the acquisition and assessment of autonomous learning conducted as part of the Graphic Expression in Engineering (GE) degree course during the first quarter at the Escola Universitària d'Enginyeria Tècnica Industrial de Barcelona (EUETIB). The strategy employed is the puzzle technique in the classroom and multiple-choice questionnaires on the virtual campus. The results show that this strategy enables the continuous acquisition of the learning objectives for the subject. [Paper presented at the International Conference on University Teaching and Innovation (CIDUI): Learning and Teaching Innovation Impacts (9th, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain, Jul 5-7 2016.)]

This paper discusses the results of a study conducted with 218 students in the final year of high school to determine their opinions about the feasibility of using a tablet PC for delivery of a standardized English language test. One such test could be the English paper of the exam given to students upon completion of the Baccalaureate program in Spain. The results of the questionnaire used reveal a positive tendency towards the platform and application, particularly regarding the organization and hierarchy of the test and to some extent its intuitive nature. Nevertheless, a high level of indecision was observed.

This paper presents the experience of an initiative, the EXPLORE courses, designed to bring science and technology closer to secondary school. The EXPLORE courses, organised by "EXPLORATORI: Natural Resources" project, are particularly addressed to secondary school teachers and are conducted at Catalonia (North East of Spain). The main objective is to provide secondary school teachers with the opportunity to explore the natural resources. Based on a combination of face-to-face and online learning, the programme of the courses uses an interdisciplinary approach, integrating Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) and STEAM (STEM + art) fields. Data presented in this paper correspond to the 2012 and 2013 editions. The results, which were obtained from a written questionnaire completed by teacher participants of EXPLORE courses, indicate that more than 70% of secondary school teachers were encouraged to introduce some course contents on their teaching classes after participating in an EXPLORE course.

This paper proposes several activities that encourage self-learning in engineering courses. For each activity, the context and the pedagogical issues addressed are described emphasizing strengths and weaknesses. Specifically, this work describes and implements five activities, which are: questionnaires, conceptual maps, videos, jigsaw and projects. These activities are applied in seven different knowledge fields and are conducted individually or in group depending on the nature of the subject and of the activity. Furthermore, this paper shows how the same activity can be applied in subjects of different years and how the implementation level changes, depending on the course in which it is conducted. The activities proposed have been introduced in engineering courses, but they can also be applied in any other knowledge field. Finally, the paper proposes four rubrics to assess three of the proposed activities (videos, jigsaw and project), being two of them for the project activity.

Introduction: Numerous researchers have shown the many benefits of academic motivation in educational processes, both at school and at home. Adequate acquisition and development of learning strategies during compulsory secondary education is key to future academic success. The aim of this paper is to explore how academic goals and parenting styles relate to learning strategies in secondary school students. Method: For this purpose, three questionnaires were administered to a sample of 358 students enrolled in 7th through 10th grades, their ages ranging from 11 to 17 years. Results: Statistically significant differences stand out in the highest level of Task goal and in the authoritative parenting style, in terms of cognitive, metacognitive and resource management strategies. This indicates the strategic-motivational superiority of a learning orientation and family styles that balance affect and control. Discussion and conclusions: The most strategic family-motivational profile corresponds to a learning goal orientation (performance orientation to a lesser degree), in combination with an authoritative parenting style (authoritarian in second place), taking into account the negative influence of ego self-protection and task avoidance. Finally, we offer conclusions needed for future studies in this line of research.

This paper contributes to the knowledge base for preparing pre-service teachers (PSTs) for contemporary multicultural classrooms. To do so, we refer to our ongoing project "See, Listen and Share: Exploring intercultural music education in a transnational experience" across three Higher Education sites (Australia and Spain). Drawing on our narrative, and PSTs' questionnaire data, using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis to analyze and code the PST data, we report on our initial experience and findings across the three sites and cultural contexts. Generalisations to other institutions cannot be made. We discuss what was taught and how it was taught in our three settings, highlighting some key highs in relation to enjoyment, and learning from culture bearers and some lows in relation to language and accompaniment. We contend that music education in teacher education courses may serve as an effective vehicle to explore cultural expressions, enabling positive attitudes towards cultural diversity.

Although well researched in educational studies, inquiry-based learning, a student-centred way of teaching, is far away from being implemented in day-to-day science and mathematics teaching on a large scale. It is a challenge for teachers to adopt this new way of teaching in an often not supportive school context. Therefore it is important to provide high-quality professional development (PD) at a large scale. However, there is little empirical evidence about the effects of scaled-up professional development initiatives. Therefore, this paper presents an international research study for which long-term PD courses have been designed. These courses have been implemented across Europe in twelve different countries at scale by using the so-called "Cascade Model." Here, course leaders are educated, who in turn educate other teachers. The research study aimed at evaluating the overall impact the scaled-up PD had on teachers and at also identifying variables influencing this impact.

Making the work of security organizations known to school children is a means of mitigating feelings of insecurity provoked by the diffusion of information on terrorist attacks in communications media and through social media. Whilst there is a longer tradition of projects to educate school children on the police and the armed forces, no comparable projects have been found on the intelligence services. With the objective of filling this gap, the authors designed and produced two animated educational videos for Spanish school children on the Spanish intelligence service: The National Intelligence Center (CNI). In this paper, the impact of the videos is measured in relation to the knowledge, the stereotypes, and the attitudes of school children towards the CNI. To do so, two questionnaires were administered to 1,092 school children aged 8 and 12, before and after viewing the videos. The results of the questionnaire prior to screening the videos showed that the school children held no knowledge of the intelligence services, and expressed highly developed stereotypes, and moderately negative attitudes towards them. Student-t tests for related samples were used to confirm the responses, on the basis of which it was found that the videos modified both knowledge and stereotyping, as well as attitudes towards the CNI. Specifically, following the screenings the knowledge of the school children improved, stereotyping diminished, and positive attitudes increased.

The recent phenomenon of worldwide declining enrolments in engineering-related degrees has led to the gradual decrease in the number of engineering graduates. This decrease occurs at a time of increasing demand in the labour market for highly qualified engineers, who are necessary for the implementation of fundamental societal functions. This paper initially presents a survey of practices, which are currently employed by academic institutions in Europe in order to increase the attractiveness of their engineering studies. It then provides a detailed analysis of the benefits and proliferation of distance education to increase attractiveness of engineering studies based on a set of interviews. Results of this study highlight a lack of a distance-learning dimension in the implementation of engineering studies in the European Area and discusses in detail ways in which distance learning can be utilised in engineering studies for the benefit of increasing their attractiveness. It has also been noted that institutions employing distance learning as part of their engineering studies, see this as highly beneficial for their students but also for the academic institution itself with some reservations in terms of the pedagogical adequacy of materials and instructional approaches used in distance education courses.

Nurses as professionals of health, childhood education teachers, social workers and caregivers, join a group of "feminine professions" which grew through policies of a welfare state in postwar constructive period, or in times of postwar accords (Jones, 1983). These professions are under challenge because of neoliberal policies and practices in the 21st century. In the paper, we want to give lights to the contradictory situations nurses face, as workers and as care keepers. Nurses, suffer of a combination of public and private functions, at work, at home, and when caring family relatives. The way women feel about their role as professionals, and as women and workers, is illuminative, as we enquired in a funded research developed with nurses in the community of Navarra, Spain, first from 1993 to 1996, and next, checking a continuity each ten years, 2006 and next 2016.

This paper presents the findings of a training programme based on an Action-Research methodology that has been applied in two subjects of Event Organization, Protocol, and Institutional Relations undergraduate and Master's degrees. Through a teaching methodology called "learning by doing," students are encouraged to understand, internalise, and apply the potential of technology in this field of knowledge, by means of building their personal brand as a key for digital literacy and professional empowerment. Thus, firstly this work proposes a review of the use of technology in teaching, with the goal of resignifying the concept of educational e-innovation from a transdisciplinary approach, which promotes progress in education ranging from technological to social innovation (technological-education-cultural-relational). Then, both the specific features and activities designed to build the students' personal brands during the course as well as the research methodology applied to analyze the results are described. The methodology is based on a longitudinal "ex post-facto" approach through a panel sample survey. Finally, results demonstrate how this training programme has allowed graduates to improve their employability and career development opportunities from then on, encouraging active participation and self-directed learning. Initial conclusions encourage us to apply this experience to larger groups and new university degrees in the higher education context.

Given the importance of programme evaluation in the EFL teacher education, this research paper of exploratory-interpretive nature mainly focuses on both strengths and weaknesses identified through the analysis and/or critical evaluation of an EFL teacher education programme carried out in Spain. Both quantitative and qualitative research methodologies were used in the study. The current TEFL programme has several strengths, but also certain significant shortcomings in light of the high percentage of undecided responses. The TEFL programme was evaluated positively by participant student teachers in general, in terms of pedagogic competence and promotion of reflection, although more input on English proficiency is actually needed and the amount of practice teaching should also be increased. Additionally, the findings of this study also offer some helpful suggestions and/or recommendations for improving the current EFL teacher education programme at least in the Spanish evaluation context.

This paper is intended to study the self-regulated learning (SRL) process in personal learning environments (PLEs) among students participating in the Graduate Program for Preschool Education at the University of Granada (Spain). The study is focused on self-regulatory actions carried out by students, and on their self-regulated learning achievements, during the phases of action and reflection of this process. A Likert scale questionnaire was applied to a random cluster sample of the population. Descriptive and inferential statistical analyses were performed based on the collected data, as were non-parametric correlation and analysis of variance tests. The results confirm the importance of individual learning in the self-regulated process, and highlight the importance of digital tools in all three phases of self-regulation. Furthermore, the results show that teachers' suggestions are related to the use of digital tools and recording of reflections on the learning process, and establish relationships between learning management tools and cognitive and metacognitive processes. The results also permit classification of students into three subgroups, based on their achievements. Analyses are consistent with the theory that explains the cyclical nature of self-regulated learning and the influence of social relationships on individual self-regulatory processes.

In response to the increase of Higher Education support provided to tutoring programs, this paper presents the design, implementation and evaluation of a tutoring program to improve the academic performance of at-risk students enrolled in the last year of a nursing degree characterized by academic failure (failed courses). A controlled experimental study was carried out to evaluate a tutoring program that included a minimum of nine meetings performed by an expert professor as tutor. A questionnaire for assessing the academic needs was designed and interventions were performed when responses were: nothing, a little or something. Medium to large effects were found in the progress of failed course to passed course (p =0.000, rf = 0.30), improving the information about courses (p < 0.001, d = 2.01), the information comprehension (p < 0.001, d = 0.85) and the strategies to improve academic performance (p < 0.001, d = 1.37). The intervention group students' response highlighted program satisfaction and effectiveness. The significance of the study lies in reinforcing the formal tutoring as a tool to improve academic performance in at-risk students.

This paper determines which instructional roles and outputs are important in the 21st century from the perspective of students in asynchronous learning environments. This research work uses a literature review, in-depth interviews with experts, and a pilot study with students to define the instructors' outputs. Following this, roles are determined by using a quantitative methodology (in a sample of 925 students). To our knowledge, the remaining research works on this topic identify the online instructors' roles by a qualitative analysis. The findings suggest that a new role, the life skill promoter, has emerged. Furthermore, analysis of the remaining roles (pedagogical, designer, social, technical and managerial) showed that: (i) online instructors are, first and foremost, pedagogues; (ii) the design of the particular online program influences the pedagogical and designer roles and; (iii) the managerial role has declined in importance over the years due to the development of more intuitive and transparent online scenarios from the beginning of the course onward.

The goal of the present work is to analyze the use of social networks as a tool for social empowerment by Spanish university students, and their perception of the university as an institution that contributes to the formation of a critical and active citizenship, that provides them with the relevant digital competences. The literature review shows possible discrepancies regarding the effect of new forms of digital communication in empowering young people, specially university students, as well as the existence of issues related to clarify this digital stage. Following, a typological analysis of the perception of university students regarding social information networks, social empowerment and the role of the university is presented. Using the data collected through a structured questionnaire of a sample of 236 students of social science degrees, an analysis of typologies is performed with the algorithm K Medias. Three clusters significantly different--labeled as "total sceptics", "dual moderates" and "pro-digitals"--are identified. Its prevalence and its characterization are explained: belief and behaviour profiles related to these beliefs. The paper concludes with several recommendations for future research regarding the perception of the students about the use of social networks as a tool for social transformation and the role of the university in this area.

The present paper aims to detail the experience developed in a classroom of English Studies from the Spanish University of Málaga, where an alternative project-based learning methodology has been implemented. Such methodology is inspired by scrum sessions widely extended in technological companies where staff members work in teams and are assigned tasks within long-termed projects. Students were initially reluctant and afraid to work in teams but, as the experience advanced, their point of view was changing. Thus they positively stated that this methodology encouraged themselves to participate and to change ideas, with a deeper feeling of empathy, self-organisation and self-knowledge. At the end, most of the students declared they would participate again in a similar activity. Hence, considering the opinions from the students (and also from the teachers), and after observing the whole experience and analyzing the documents generated in an electronic portfolio, we think this method can be considered as a good proposal to accomplish a teaching-learning process of high quality at universities for three main reasons: first, it improves the capacity of using the knowledge in a disciplined, critical and creative way; second, it promotes the coexistence in heterogeneous human groups; and third, it develops the capacity of thinking, living and acting with complete autonomy.

The requirement of holding a diploma which certifies proficiency level in a foreign language is constantly increasing in academic and working environments. Computer-based testing has become a prevailing tendency for these and other educational purposes. Each year large numbers of students take online language tests everywhere in the world. In fact, there is a tendency to use these tests more and more. However, many students might not feel comfortable when taking this type of exam. This paper describes a study regarding the fairly new APTIS Test (British Council). Thirty-one students took the test and responded to a structured online questionnaire on their feelings while taking it. Results indicate that the test brings a considerable amount of anxiety along with it.

Audiovisual media are part of children's daily life. They build and/or replace a part of the reality that is sometimes preceded. This paper is interested in one of the elements of the audiovisual binomial, the soundtrack, in order to analyse its meaning and sense from the children's point of view. The objectives are: to determine if the audiovisual media clips to which children are exposed (sound, image and all) are perceived differently; to establish the possible differences in the assessment they make when comparing the sound and image presentation modalities. Fourteen audiovisual media (movies, series, cartoons and documentaries) were identified by 115 children (10-12 years old) as preferred. Audiovisuals were edited in three modalities (sound, image, and all) and grouped into different series of three clips, which were watched in group sessions by 547 Spanish and Argentinian children (mean age: 11 years old). An Assessment Questionnaire of audiovisual clips was designed and implemented. Results showed differences in the meaning of the soundtrack in three of the five categories of the questionnaire. The significant predominance of the sound in series, documentaries and, especially, movies is highlighted. Contextual space-time elements, affective implications, feelings, and empathy as well as assessment of the experience are all perceived by means of the sound (the music).

This paper presents how virtual containers enhance the implementation of STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math) subjects as Open Educational Resources (OER). The publication initially summarizes the limitations of delivering open rich learning contents and corresponding assignments to students in college level STEAM areas. The role that virtual containers can play in current distant education is then discussed, starting by reviewing related teaching efforts around the use of legacy virtual machines. We then focus on the superseding container technology and how it can bridge the gap between online students, humble computing resources, teachers and IT specificities. As a practical example, we present an experience carried out at the online School of Engineering & Technology at Universidad Internacional de La Rioja (UNIR). Within the context of a subject about Physics for Computing Engineers, we describe the satisfactory evolution from using conventional software distribution methods towards the transition to virtual containers. Thanks to this virtualization approach, the necessary student activities can be implemented, the required software tools can be easily distributed, and the accompanying documentation can be seamlessly presented. The results show how student engagement and satisfaction increased over time, partly because of the easiness introduced by the container technology. Our experience proves that combining containerized educational resources and free and open distribution channels can be one of the cornerstones of a new OER approach in STEAM subjects.

Three-dimensional models are important when the learning content is difficult to acquire from 2D images or other traditional methods. This is the case for learning dental morphology. In this paper, we present a mobile augmented reality (AR) system for learning dental morphology. A study with students was carried out to determine whether learning outcomes were greater using the AR system or following a video session that was recorded in a real class. Other aspects were also considered. Thirty-eight undergraduate students, 6 Master's students and 11 employees of the center (most of them lecturers) participated in the study. The analysis about the acquired knowledge indicates that the students increased their knowledge using the two methods. When the post-knowledge scores for the two methods were compared, no statistically significant differences were found. Therefore, the AR system could be used as an effective transmitter of knowledge. The rest of the questions, which all of the participants answered, indicated that they were highly satisfied with the AR system, they considered the AR system to be very easy to use, and they would like to use it for dental learning. Moreover, as a mobile AR system, it could facilitate versatility in the learning process.

In this paper the experience of learners during the first phase of the PIPLEP project is explored. PIPLEP is aimed at promoting digital literacy and independent learning with the creation of personal learning environments (PLEs) as the final product. The participants were a group of 17 students enrolled in year 5 of primary school, and the main objective of the research method was to listen to the voices of the learners and their narratives about their emotions and conceptions as regards learning in digital environments, following the main guidelines of the IPA (Interpretative Phenomenological Approach) as applied in the LEX (Learners' EXperiences of e-Learning) project. The findings showed that learners had constructed a dichotomy between technology and learning, developed in the setting of the school and home, and based on the recreational use they made of their digital devices. However this misconception about the educational value of technology started to change with the introduction of the PIPLEP project, due to the learners acquiring new skills to use technology to learn.

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.

This paper aims to discuss the impact on promoting student satisfaction and improving their involvement in their own learning when applying a "Flipped classroom" design in a first-year bilingual, English-taught module in a non-English-speaking country. "World Economy" is taught in the Faculty of Business and Economics at a traditional, face-to-face (F2F) Spanish publicly-funded institution, the University of Oviedo (Spain). It is a bilingual module, where English is the medium of instruction and evaluation to a cohort of Spanish-speaking freshers. During 2013-14, the instructional designers implemented a "Flipped Classroom" design for this module: content delivery through videos in English of the different module topics, pre-class questionnaires answered through the University Virtual Learning Environment, instructor mediation between students and content through mini-lectures and Just-in-Time Teaching, student-centred active learning approach for in-class sessions, and individual practice combined with peer-instruction mediated by the instructor. Therefore, the design targets module contents, skills practice and improvement of students' linguistic skills.

This paper presents the findings of a study carried out in the academic year 2014-2015 at the faculty of Education of the University of Murcia with first year degree students in Primary Education studying Research and ICT. The study started with the application of the DIGCOM questionnaire to analyze the digital competences of 134 students. The questionnaire served as an initial task to help students reflect on their digital competences. The subject was developed around tasks which adopted a transversal approach and used the nature of the contents itself to direct and improve students' digital competencies. Finally, the initial questionnaire was reformulated and run in order to ascertain the students' self-perception of their improvement in these competencies through the tasks they had performed. Below we present the tasks carried out, the organization of each subject and the most relevant data regarding the self-perception of digital competencies of the future primary school teachers enrolled at the University of Murcia. The data reveal, on the one hand, that the students participating consider themselves to be competent in the most basic aspects of digital competencies and, on the other, their perception that the work done in the subject has helped them quite a lot in improving their competencies.

The ECO European Project funded by the European Commission is dedicated to bringing MOOCs to a new dimension by taking advantage of the new possibilities offered by the Social Web (O'Reilly, 2005). This paper focuses on the intercreative aspects of MOOCs. It takes a look at the characteristics of the new ECO MOOCs to see if they are designed and implemented within an intercreative environment. The methodology is quantitative and data collection was conducted using self-administered questionnaires with closed or semi-closed questions. This study includes the so-called sMOOCs, which stress intercreativity to work towards collective intelligence.

This paper reports on research into the study habits of-university students, their use digital technologies and how they communicate with each other and their professors. We conclude that most students feel comfortable with digital technologies and that they use social media for connecting and interacting with friends rather than for academic communication. Students prefer face-to-face communication for both academic/school and social communication and they prefer to learn by themselves, work independently and to study at home.

This paper explores students' perceptions of the affordances of different telecollaboration tools used in an innovation project for English for Specific Purposes online learning carried out between the University of Valencia (Spain) and Wofford College (South Carolina, United States) during the school year 2015-2016. Different tools for synchronous and asynchronous communication were used. The asynchronous tools included a discussion forum, a wiki, social networking websites and Google forms; while the tools used for synchronous communication were text, voice and video chat, videoconferencing tools and Google Drive. All the tools were accessible through the online platform used in the project, Google+. By using these tools, students from both sides of the Atlantic Ocean carried out a number of activities and tasks through online telecollaborative methods, involving both synchronous and asynchronous communication. The tasks completed by students through the use of the different tools were aimed at fostering distance online collaboration among American and Spanish students for the development of their linguistic, intercultural and digital literacies.

This research addresses the change in how the Spanish University Entrance Examination can be delivered in the future. There is a wide acknowledgement that computer tests are very demanding for the delivering institutions which makes computer language testing difficult to implement. However, the use of tablet PCs can facilitate the delivery at even lower cost than the regular computer based language testing. 183 students in their last year of high school took a computer based language test which included reading, writing, listening and speaking. The research aspects were 1) whether they feel at ease with the tablet PC exam; 2) if they felt that visual aspects were accessible and 3) whether the interface organization was clear. The paper first has a brief description of the OPENPAU® platform, after it addresses the field study based on questionnaires and observations with students during the test delivery,finally the results indicate that this means of language test delivery could be adequate not only for the Spanish University Entrance Examination but for most standardized tests.

Current learning and assessment are evolving into digital systems that can be used, stored, and processed online. In this paper, three different types of questionnaires for assessment are presented. All the questionnaires were filled out online on a web-based format. A study was carried out to determine whether the use of images related to each question in the questionnaires affected the selection of the correct answer. Three questionnaires were used: two questionnaires with images (images used during learning and images not use during learning) and another questionnaire with no images, text-only. Ninety-four children between seven and eight years old participated in the study. The comparison of the scores obtained on the pre-test and on the post-test indicates that the children increased their knowledge after the training, which demonstrates that the learning method is effective. When the post-test scores for the three types of questionnaires were compared, statistically significant differences were found in favour of the two questionnaires with images versus the text-only questionnaire. No statistically significant differences were found between the two types of questionnaires with images. Therefore, to a great extent, the use of images in the questionnaires helps students to select the correct answer. Since this encourages students, adding images to the questionnaires could be a good strategy for formative assessment.

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to validate two scales, the factors predicting transfer (FPT) and the effectiveness questionnaire (CdE), in the Spanish Public Administration (SPA). Design/methodology/approach: The FPT was administered at the end of the training, and the CdE four months after training. Participants had attended one of the 62 trainings offered by the SPA. With 1,457 participants, exploratory factor analysis (EFA; n = 728) and confirmatory factory analysis (CFA) (n = 729), randomly assigned, were performed on the FPT, and CFA (n = 726) was applied to the CdE. Findings: A 30-item and four-factor solution emerged for the FPT through the EFA, which was confirmed by a good model fit through the CFA. A seven-item single-factor solution was confirmed for the CdE. Measurement invariance for the mode of instruction and gender was accepted for both instruments. Research limitations/implications: Further research should be done in a more heterogenous sample that includes private organizations, different sectors and sizes. In the human resource development (HRD) field, these results suggest, in line with previous research, the existence of underlying constructs of factors of transfer that migrate across cultures. Practical implications: The potential use of the FPT is the diagnosis of factors of transfer, and for the CdE, evaluation of the transfer of interventions at the behavioral level. The instruments are suitable for research and practice that compares online and in-class training. Originality/value: The study performs the first rigorous analysis of measurement instruments to evaluate factors that predict transfer in Spain.

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to describe the role of training demand in the organisational changes. Design/methodology/approach: The paper describes the demand of training courses in the Rioja wine sector in Spain and its relation with the changes in the sector carried out in recent years. Through a questionnaire, wineries' managers asked about the training demand in the sector and change processes. It is proposed, first, the relationship between the demand for training and changes made by companies of Rioja wine in entering new markets and innovation in products and, second, that these changes explain the demand of training in marketing and oenology topics. To confirm the hypotheses, a binary logistic regression analysis was performed. Findings: It was found that the relationship between the demand for training and the processes of change, and that the change processes in companies of Rioja wine sector originate a specific demand for training. Practical implications: The paper provides a review of the importance of training in changes processes of companies. A critical factor in the change process is the development of workers competencies to cope with the changes in the organisation, but it is also important to develop a culture of change in the organisation. Originality/value: This paper provides empirical evidence of the relationship between organisational changes and training demands in a key sector from the Rioja Community in Spain.

Based on the assumption that educational software addressing Primary school learners must comprise a set of features to encourage children's creativity and development, the appropriate design of second language hypermedia adaptive games for Primary School children can pose a wide range of challenges both for the language teacher and computer specialist alike. Factors such as the educational context, cognitive abilities, linguistic constraints, conceptual and psychomotor restrictions, and so on, contribute to challenging professionals. This means they must deal with linguistic, content and technology adaptation queries. Based on the results from multi-factorial analysis, this paper aims firstly to demonstrate that the design of hypermedia tasks can be optimally implemented by following previous phases of data collection on preferred items. In this sense, the questioning approach for the creation of a hypermedia system has led us to analyze learning factors in order to deal with the possible linguistic, conceptual and technological demands in the children's learning environment. General results in the preliminary phases of the study show the need to steer the learning path towards an effective adaptation to children's cognitive abilities. These are the findings from which we have devised a set of hypermedia tasks which provide the adaptation of the information presented to the student according to individual objectives, interests and/or knowledge.