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Copyright of Alteridad: Revista de Educación is the property of Universidad Politecnica Salesiana and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Digital literacy plays a crucial role as part of modern-day citizenship and modern life in general. There are a lot of social work practitioners who lack the digital skills or attitudes to fully benefit from the opportunities created by digital technologies for delivering quality youth work. Social workers see digital media only as social media. Their understanding of the possibilities of digital media and technology should be widened (European Commission, 2018). The goal of the article is to discuss the development of digital competence of future social workers needed in uncertain times during the implementation of European Joint Master programme in Social Work with Children and Youth (ESWOCHY). ESWOCHY is a project funded by Erasmus Mundus in 2020 and it is implemented by four Consortium partners: MRU (LT), RSU (LV), CUR (SK), and ISTCE (PT). ESWOCHY seeks to prepare highly skilled professionals, supporting human dignity and cultural heritage. The main areas for increasing competencies of social workers in working with children and youth where one of the most important is digital competence. The article shares the experiences and reflections of Consortium partners and discusses in depth how digital competence of future social workers are developed in ESWOCHY. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper aims to identify how the faculties of a Colombian University have understood the concept of sustainability and the way they have embedded it into their training. Design/methodology/approach: Qualitative research was done using documentary and content analysis which allowed researchers to recognize features correlated to sustainability which are needed to promote and act for social equity, ecological care and economic development. Findings: It was found that most faculties at the university do not conceptualize it; ergo, courses are designed neither for promoting sustainability nor sustainable education. Besides this, almost no level of integration was identified among faculties on this topic. Research limitations/implications: Many people agree education for sustainability is a key action to overcome the complex challenges the planet is facing; nevertheless, the prejudice that training to solve sustainability problems is an exclusive task of certain disciplines is common. This misunderstanding reduces the possibilities of pursuing a sustainable future, considering that these issues affect all humankind and that they can only be solved through interdisciplinary and collaborative work. Practical implications: The paper also outlines some actions that Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana (UPB) can take to consider sustainability issues, and they are as follows: identification of competencies to include in the curricula; recognition of the potential of integrating education for sustainable development (ESD) into the curricula by strengthening the competencies and capacities; strengthening the competencies and capacities of the academic staff through ESD training processes; articulation of research with the curricula in such a way that the results of research processes permeate the curricula. Social implications: This study has some limitations. For instance, regarding the survey, the size of the sample may seem too small, a bigger sample will allow better information for the results. Regarding the case studies, a greater diversity of programs could have provided a wider range of results. Despite these limitations, for UPB, the study shows a snapshot of the literature review and the articulation of sustainable development and climate change education (CCE) in all programs the university has. The implications of this paper and research are the following. First, it reiterates the importance of having within the same institution a common language to talk about sustainability. Second, it recognizes the competencies and skills that should considered when implementing ESD and CCE in curricula. Originality/value: This idea corresponds to a lack of debate about what the term signifies and means. It is believed that, as sustainability has been highly researched in the past two decades, it is a cross-cutting element in any faculty proposal; however, due to the complexity of the term, it is understood differently by each member of the same academic community, affecting their ability to design a systemic and systematic curriculum that enables to educate for sustainable goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article approaches related current tendencies with the demographic changes and their significant effects in the population worldwide aging, with a particular focus about the context of Cuba and Mayabeque. The purpose of this research is to systematize the theoretical and methodological foundations of gerontological and Gerontagogical knowledge management through continuous education in Higher Education. The study identifies the growing need for learning among professionals throughout their educational processes, both at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels, with the aim of acquiring knowledge, skills, and values that enhance communicative competencies in academic, research, and professional contexts. This, in turn, enables professionals to make an impactful intervention as social actors, facilitating the active and inclusive participation of all citizens in the sustainable transformations and demands inherent in aged society. The theoretical and methodological contributions of this study represent a scientific novelty and an updated approach to the conception of gerontological and gerontagogical knowledge management declared. The research underscores the importance of this topic and suggests its suitability for future studies, emphasizing its currency, relevance, and feasibility for further research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In today’s digitized world, digital competences are required to facilitate the transition to the Internet. For professorship, these competences go beyond knowledge of a particular subject. They focus on the skills needed to transmit that knowledge to students. A quantitative approach study was applied. The design was non-experimental and descriptive. The population and sample correspond to the 70 teachers who worked in the Faculty of Humanistic and Social Sciences during the first semester of 2023. The instrument for data collection was a teaching self-assessment. The competencies in digital citizenship showed the highest levels of teacher mastery with a value of 5. The competencies in pedagogy and professional development showed a value of 4. 93% of UTM-CHS teachers stated they had participated in training activities on the use of ICT in education. In conclusion, university faculty in Ecuador must have a stronger digital academic background; they must establish better pedagogical and professional development skills, research capacity, knowledge of educational technologies, intercultural skills and leadership skills. To ensure a high-quality learning environment all three areas must be at the same level of outcomes. For that, university professional development leads to establishing good pedagogy. Then pedagogy is strengthened through digital citizenship.

This study reports on a survey on project managers' priorities. The survey used ISO 21500 as a scaffold to ask various respondents, like junior, experienced, and senior project managers, project sponsors, and students, to share their perceptions on the priorities for junior project managers. The respondent groups shared similar perceptions. Furthermore, project type and sector had little effect on junior project managers' priorities. Experienced and senior project managers shared their own priorities as well. The perceptions of priorities for junior, experienced, and senior project managers were mostly alike. However, experienced and senior project managers' priorities seemed slightly more affected by project type and sector. A session with experts in project management and teaching project management highlighted that the results for junior project managers could provide accents for introducing project management to students in higher education, provided the entire playing field of project management is also introduced.

In today's digitized world, digital competences are required to facilitate the transition to the Internet. For professorship, these competences go beyond knowledge of a particular subject. They focus on the skills needed to transmit that knowledge to students. A quantitative approach study was applied. The design was non-experimental and descriptive. The population and sample correspond to the 70 teachers who worked in the Faculty of Humanistic and Social Sciences during the first semester of 2023. The instrument for data collection was a teaching self-assessment. The competencies in digital citizenship showed the highest levels of teacher mastery with a value of 5. The competencies in pedagogy and professional development showed a value of 4. 93% of UTM-CHS teachers stated they had participated in training activities on the use of ICT in education. In conclusion, university faculty in Ecuador must have a stronger digital academic background; they must establish better pedagogical and professional development skills, research capacity, knowledge of educational technologies, intercultural skills and leadership skills. To ensure a high-quality learning environment all three areas must be at the same level of outcomes. For that, university professional development leads to establishing good pedagogy. Then pedagogy is strengthened through digital citizenship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To keep up with technological advances and macro-economic trends, higher education has increasingly focused on developing students' employability competences through mentoring programs. However, measuring the effectiveness of such mentoring programs has remained difficult, because many mentoring measurements are not validated or grounded in theory. Furthermore, existing questionnaires have mostly focused on one or two types of support, ignoring the wide variety of support types offered by a mentor. Therefore, the current study's aim was to develop and validate a new questionnaire measuring various types of mentoring support. Based on a systematic literature review, a 35-item questionnaire was developed and data were collected from mentoring programs at four higher education institutions. Data were analyzed through exploratory factor analysis (n = 225), confirmatory factor analysis (n = 208), and cross-validation (n = 101). The results support a 6-factor model (21 items) that is statistically valid and reliable for use in universities (of applied sciences). The model includes the following factors, referring to types of support and their features: trust and availability, emotional support, networking support, autonomy support, similarity, and empathy. This questionnaire makes an original contribution insofar as (1) it is based on a sound, theoretical framework, and (2) it was demonstrated to be valid and reliable across different sub-populations in higher education. The questionnaire provides educational practitioners with a sound and valid tool to evaluate the quality of their mentoring program. It can also be used to assess what types of support could be offered to a greater extent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fostering academic staff engagement through competency improvement stands together with the goals of sustainable development (in particular, sustainable development goal 4 - quality education). The current paper reflects the results of the piloting stage of the study among academic staff members representing Latvian higher education institutions. Participants were surveyed regarding the purpose of the study: to identify the attitude of academic staff to the need to regularly improve professional competence in changing conditions of the modern world and to determine a set of "cross-cutting skills" that need to be primarily improved. The obtained data serves as a basic prerequisite for an innovative competencies introduction policy in the Latvian HEIs and brings an original value to the research. The scientific problem of the article covers aspects of academic staff engagement in the innovative education process by enhancing its competencies. The novelty of the research is defined by the conclusions obtained during the pilot study survey analysis, aimed to analyse the survey's data regarding the academic staff's self-perceptions of their participation in the study process and their assumptions about how and which skills should be improved for teaching methods to become more innovative and teacher involvement in processes to increase. The research aims to determine the assumptions of the academic staff regarding the continuous improvement of academic staff competencies. The object of the research is an industry of higher education, the subject of the research - competencies improvement of the academic staff of Latvian higher education institutions. Research methods include descriptive statistics, literature review, and graphical visualization. The limitations of the research are related to its form - pilot study and the future research will include studies on fostering academic staff engagement in other countries of the region. The recommendations on academic staff engagement are provided in the conclusions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Education for sustainable development (ESD) is a key enabler for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Therefore, it is crucial that ESD be provided with firm theoretical foundations. In this contribution, we use pragmatism, especially that of John Dewey, to combine education, problem solving, and democracy. Our goal in this paper is to assess the experience of students in two different ESD settings at the University of Erfurt, in both of which students conduct real-world projects with extramural partners. Using a whole institution approach, our research surveys the perspective of different stakeholders (students, teachers, and extramural partners) with the aim of understanding which conditions favor successful ESD in higher education. In the empirical part, we describe the collection and analysis of data from students' experiences. Drawing on it and referring to theoretical concepts, we identify some conditions for successful ESD in higher education contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite being widely applied, the implementation of problem-based/project-based learning (PBL) activities still poses several challenges. Activity design and evaluation and monitoring processes stand out as the most complex aspects of the methodology. This study provides support for teachers to improve PBL assessment and monitoring systems in the scientific and technical field. To do this, the evaluation and monitoring tools used in the most representative PBL activities at different levels of higher education were collected. These were then integrated to generate new, more complete tools (three rubrics and two evaluation scales). These tools were then appli0ed to PBL activities, and the teachers involved (n=11) assessed their view of their functioning. The results indicate that the participating teachers perceived that the tools generated in this way functioned better than the ones used originally, highlighting their completeness, adaptability and ease of use. The study suggests that support in the design of tools could lead to improvements in the process of monitoring and evaluating PBL activities by making them more agile, objective, systematic and efficient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The competency-based curricular design allows Higher Education institutions to establish academic programs focused on the development of specific knowledge and capabilities. The objective of this research is to analyze the existing literature on the application of curricular design by competencies in Higher Education during the period 2019 to 2023. From this perspective, the PRISMA systematic review method was used, selecting 30 studies that met specific inclusion criteria. This made possible the synthesis of the evidence related to academic literature through the review of selected studies. The review was restricted to research in English focused on the development of competency-based curricular design in the field of Higher Education. Additionally, studies that did not specifically address these issues were excluded. The search was carried out in three academic databases: ERIC, Scopus and SciELO. The results of the systematic review provided insights into emerging patterns and trends in this field. It is concluded that this design promotes flexibility and adaptability in academic training, which enables institutions to respond to the changing demands of the labour market and society, thus ensuring relevant and updated education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study analyzes three competency areas promoted in the Practicum during the 2020–2021 and 2021–2022 academic years: pedagogical and didactic competences, coexistence and participation management and collaborative work. To this end, using a non-experimental design, data were collected from a sample of 725 Education students from University of Salamanca with the aims of determining the students' expectations about the Practicum prior to its development and of measuring its impact on the students during its development or the influence of the context imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic. The research was contextualized in two Practicum subjects included in the curricula of the bachelor's degrees in Early Childhood/Primary Education at the University of Salamanca. Both degrees are taught at three different university centers, Ávila, Salamanca and Zamora. The results revealed the importance of the preparation of the students in their university training period with regard to the first competence area, together with the perceptions of the students about what they learnt in the competences of areas 2 and 3. Relevant conclusions were drawn about their learning expectations towards the second area and the problems caused by the pandemic in order to develop communication skills with students and families. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main aim of this article is to present a guide for integrating sustainability into university degrees with the use of Challenge-Based Learning (CBL) methodology. In order to achieve this aim, the article starts with a review of the literature on the concept of education for sustainability and the key competences required for its achievement. Secondly, we consider the need to understand the institutional context and the characteristics of the learners before designing the teaching choreography. Thirdly, in order to apply CBL in a structured approach, two models are selected and their complementarity is presented. On that basis, a guide or itinerary is devised showing the steps to be followed in order to include sustainability in the degrees using the methodology selected. This guide has been previously applied and checked at the Faculty of Economics and Business of the University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU. Finally, the difficulties encountered in its application and some questions to be further investigated are raised, due to the scarce existing experiences in the area of social sciences.

The need to integrate competences aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into higher education curricula has gained considerable attention in recent years. While the literature shows an increase in research on this topic, there remains a scarcity of papers addressing effective strategies to foster students' environmental sustainability competencies and skills, through active pedagogical methods. A promising avenue to achieve this goal is the adoption of the Flipped Classroom methodology. This approach has proven its ability to guide students towards reflection and critical thinking, making it a good tool for promoting sustainability awareness. An experience of educational innovation is presented that develops SDG 12 "Guarantee sustainable consumption and production patterns", and SDG 9 "Industry, innovation and infrastructures", in the subject Production Management, with the aim of achieving the competence "environmental awareness". From the perspective of the students, an evaluation of the educational experience is presented. The results show the success of the Flipped Classroom methodology in providing students with a holistic understanding of the principles of sustainable development and their application through the SDGs within their academic trajectory. In particular, this approach provides them with the skills and aptitudes to promote sustainability.

Copyright of RED - Revista de Educación a Distancia is the property of Universidad de Murcia and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Background: Currently, educational attainment has risen significantly among young people, causing changes in the labor market where skills have become more important. Thus, tertiary education has become an “essential vehicle” to develop high-level skills that would boost students’ professional, social, and personal lives. Methods: The aim of the survey is to study the effects of an intervention program based on two methodologies, service-learning and peer mentoring, to enhance the learn-to-learn and social skills of undergraduate students. The sample was composed of 69 undergraduate students of four different degrees. The methodological design adopted was quasi-experimental pretest–posttest. The intervention consisted of 955 mentoring sessions (878 one-to-one and 77 in groups) among the undergraduate students and students in compulsory education. The undergraduate students participated as mentors. Before, they had three sessions of training. Weekly mentoring sessions were spread out during out-of-school time for 90 min each. Results: The results show a few statistically significant differences in favor of the posttest phase in strategies for the learning and social skills of the participants. Conclusions: Although the program did not obtain the expected results, these outcomes agree with the other studies that investigate intervention programs that use service-learning and peer mentoring methodologies.

Introduction: One of the major challenges for higher education institutions in the last decade has been (and will continue to be) the integration of sustainability into their curricula and the development of sustainability competences in students. Education for Sustainability (ES) can help prepare students to meet the challenges of making societies more sustainable. However, as a first step toward this goal, teachers need to incorporate ES into their teaching. In this regard, this research aimed to analyze if members of the teaching staff have started this integration and, if so, which sustainability-related topics have been introduced and which skills do they consider contribute to the development of future graduates. Methods: A questionnaire was administered to teaching staff at the University of the Basque Country in 2022. A total of 403 teachers completed the questionnaire, expressing their perceptions through open-ended questions. Results: In general terms teachers incorporate ES into their teaching (71.22%). However, they do this mainly within the framework of two general themes: "Environmental awareness and energy" -- most used by teachers of experimental sciences and engineering -- and "Social commitment," most used by teachers of social sciences and those who are familiar with the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Regarding the key competences that ES provides for future graduates, those most frequently mentioned were "training of professionals committed to society" and "critical thinking and ethics." These competences were particularly notable in the discourse of teachers who were aware of the 2030 Agenda and who use active methodologies in their classrooms. Finally, the opinion that sustainability has little to do with their teaching (28.78%) was notably expressed by teachers less familiar with the 2030 Agenda. Discussion: Thus, it can be concluded that, aside from knowledge of the 2030 Agenda, factors such as the sustainability policy of the institution, area of teaching expertise, and the use of active methodologies all play a significant role in determining whether competences for sustainable development are integrated into higher education teaching. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of students' competences is one of the central focuses of our current educational system. There is an obvious need to provide society with resources and skills that allow them to cope with the demands of academic, working and social contexts with fluency and efficiency. This need is channelled through teaching methods that facilitate the development of competences and make educational processes more dynamic. The objective of this study is to know the perception of students, who are studying the Degree in Teaching in Infant Education and the Degree in Teaching in Primary Education (N=95), about their competence development through a gamified educational experience. For this purpose, a qualitative analysis of the opinions collected in learning diaries is carried out through the grounded theory. The study shows that gamification is effective for the acquisition and development of specific and transversal competences related to the history of Spanish education, among which communication and social skills, teamwork and time management skills stand out. The conclusions indicate this gamified experience is an example of a conscious education, which respects the learning rhythms of the students, encourages metacognition and promotes their involvement in the construction of their own knowledge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Student Affairs in Africa is the property of Journal of Student Affairs in Africa and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The new laws of education as well as the challenges of the contemporary security environment require a new approach for the military higher education. In this regard, the paper proposes a general framework which helps us to analyze a large spectrum of factors with implications in military higher education. Moreover, there are expected premises and solutions to adapt military education to the new requirements of the contemporary society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Currently, educational attainment has risen significantly among young people, causing changes in the labor market where skills have become more important. Thus, tertiary education has become an "essential vehicle" to develop high-level skills that would boost students' professional, social, and personal lives. Methods: The aim of the survey is to study the effects of an intervention program based on two methodologies, service-learning and peer mentoring, to enhance the learn-to-learn and social skills of undergraduate students. The sample was composed of 69 undergraduate students of four different degrees. The methodological design adopted was quasi-experimental pretest–posttest. The intervention consisted of 955 mentoring sessions (878 one-to-one and 77 in groups) among the undergraduate students and students in compulsory education. The undergraduate students participated as mentors. Before, they had three sessions of training. Weekly mentoring sessions were spread out during out-of-school time for 90 min each. Results: The results show a few statistically significant differences in favor of the posttest phase in strategies for the learning and social skills of the participants. Conclusions: Although the program did not obtain the expected results, these outcomes agree with the other studies that investigate intervention programs that use service-learning and peer mentoring methodologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

En el sector productivo, así como en las instituciones de educación superior, es importante identificar las competencias de desempeño que sus profesionales poseen, reconociendo fortalezas y debilidades con el objetivo de movilizar procesos formativos que favorezcan el desarrollo de las competencias descendidas y el robustecimiento de aquellas que han sido mejor trabajadas, tributando a los procesos de detección de necesidades del sector empresarial, en tanto futuros espacios de desempeño profesional. Lo anterior, representa una oportunidad en la cual es indispensable el empleo de instrumentos basados en marcos internacionales de competencias que permitan trazar un camino progresivo del desarrollo de habilidades, así como la evidencia de su evolución. La aplicación de estos marcos permitiría asegurar el nivel de responsabilidad declarado para cada competencia según el tipo de profesional y sus características asociadas. Para el rubro de los profesionales de las Tecnologías de la Información, en la actualidad se dispone del marco SFIA, el cual responde como un modelo bidimensional y flexible, ajustable a las necesidades de instituciones y empresas. Este marco se organiza y distribuye en diferentes niveles de responsabilidad y competencias, los cuales describen responsabilidades y aptitudes empresariales requeridas por el mercado a nivel internacional, creando un puente de comunicación entre el sector laboral, Instituciones de Educación Superior y los profesionales. Comprender el nivel de desarrollo de las competencias constituye una ventaja, ya que permite, tanto a profesionales como estudiantes identificar sus propias brechas para resolverlas y potenciar sus capacidades, y de igual manera a las instituciones de educación superior para materializar estos diagnósticos en posibles mejoras reflejadas en sus indicadores, y finalmente en resultados perceptibles que apoyen a las empresas y al ecosistema formado entre empresas, instituciones y profesionales. Abstract Identify competences of the professionals framing their strengths and weaknesses in order to address what skills improve or learn, and cover the needs of the business sector, represents the needs for the business sector and higher education institutes. This represents an opportunity to use instruments based on international skill frameworks that allow to understand a progressive path of the development of skills or competencies and their evolution. These frameworks and its use could ensure the responsibility level declared for each skill according their characteristics and the type of professional. For the Information Technology professional, we found the SFIA framework like a flexible and two-dimensional model, adaptable to the needs of the business sector and higher educational institutions. This framework consists of different skills distributed in varied levels of responsibility, which describe the needs of the area on an international level, setting a communication bridge between the professionals, business sector and educational institutions. It becomes an advantage to understand the level of development of the skills, because allows students and professionals to identify their own gaps and solve them. The same advantage applies to the educational institutes turning them into improvements in their own indicators, and finally in results that support the business sector and the ecosystem formed by the professionals, educational institutes, and the business sector.

The round-table discussion dedicated to the 30th anniversary of the journal Vysshee obrazovanie v Rossii (Higher Education in Russia) took place on October 26, 2022 within the framework of XIII International conference of higher education (ICHE). Since its founding, the journal acts as a platform to discuss the urgent issues of higher education. In different periods, the researchers discussed competence-based approach, Bologna process, online education, quality of higher education, educational policy, educational management, assessment of learning outcomes, training of highly skilled researchers and teaching personnel, digitalization of education and many others. Today higher education in Russia is at a turning point of its history. We should impartially evaluate the path traveled, what has been achieved and what are the consequences. A look at the past became the subject of the round-table discussion.

Copyright of Revista Española de Orientación y Psicopedagogía (REOP) is the property of Revista Espanola de Orientacion y Psicopedagogia (REOP) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Micro-credentials are increasingly considered a key mechanism through which to empower learners by enabling flexible upskilling and reskilling. Despite their apparent importance for higher education institutions (HEIs) and learners, empirical research is limited. More needs to be understood, particularly about the ways in which micro-credentials can shape institutional practice and provide benefits to learners. Using a foresight approach, this study sets out to explore the potential for micro-credential adoption in relation to national and international policy initiatives and rapidly developing technologies. Its intention is to offer findings of interest internationally, particularly to those involved in strategic activities around micro-credentials. A four-step Delphi study approach was used to explore how micro-credentials may shape higher education (HE) in the next 5–10 years. Educational experts undertook a consensus-building activity utilising workshops and surveys: (1) initial identification of enabling factors (i.e. drivers) and beneficial outcomes (i.e. impacts) of micro-credentials; (2) prioritisation based on importance; (3) identification of enabling factors considered essential for each beneficial outcome and (4) analysis of the extent to which micro-credentials might be accepted in HE, with participants reflecting on the importance of the previously identified enablers and outcomes for alternative scenarios. The analysis sheds light on three alternative possible futures for micro-credentials. Expert consensus indicated that the potential of micro-credentials lies especially among educational institutions and the networks of institutions innovating beyond, and within, traditional study offerings and programmes. Future wide-scale adoption of micro-credentials was considered unpredictable, due to external factors at the ecosystem level, and beyond institutions' own strategies and control. The findings suggest that, for the successful uptake of micro-credentials, the same benefits do not need to accrue for institutions and learners: a 'one-size-fits-all' approach is not necessary or optimal. In order for the wider-scale influence of micro-credentials to be felt, there is a need for considerable international and national strategy development and implementation to overcome a variety of policy- and technology-related barriers that HEIs cannot influence or tackle on their own. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dynamic development of the processes, which are realized in the modern societies – the diversity in the adolescent generations, the entering mass digitalization, the increased demands of the employers for knowledgeable, capable and experienced personnel, create serious challenges for the educational system and in particular for the higher education. In this environment, it is also necessary to rethink teaching methods in order to improve them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

IntroductionOne of the major challenges for higher education institutions in the last decade has been (and will continue to be) the integration of sustainability into their curricula and the development of sustainability competences in students. Education for Sustainability (ES) can help prepare students to meet the challenges of making societies more sustainable. However, as a first step toward this goal, teachers need to incorporate ES into their teaching. In this regard, this research aimed to analyze if members of the teaching staff have started this integration and, if so, which sustainability-related topics have been introduced and which skills do they consider contribute to the development of future graduates.MethodsA questionnaire was administered to teaching staff at the University of the Basque Country in 2022. A total of 403 teachers completed the questionnaire, expressing their perceptions through open-ended questions.ResultsIn general terms teachers incorporate ES into their teaching (71.22%). However, they do this mainly within the framework of two general themes: “Environmental awareness and energy” – most used by teachers of experimental sciences and engineering – and “Social commitment,” most used by teachers of social sciences and those who are familiar with the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Regarding the key competences that ES provides for future graduates, those most frequently mentioned were “training of professionals committed to society” and “critical thinking and ethics.” These competences were particularly notable in the discourse of teachers who were aware of the 2030 Agenda and who use active methodologies in their classrooms. Finally, the opinion that sustainability has little to do with their teaching (28.78%) was notably expressed by teachers less familiar with the 2030 Agenda.DiscussionThus, it can be concluded that, aside from knowledge of the 2030 Agenda, factors such as the sustainability policy of the institution, area of teaching expertise, and the use of active methodologies all play a significant role in determining whether competences for sustainable development are integrated into higher education teaching.

Introduction: The production of the scientific text in the areas of human knowledge and in particular in the medical sciences, is a current requirement. Despite this, shortcomings appear, which limit scientific creation, its promotion and the quality of the documents, due to shortcomings that affect the development of linguistic competence. The text has as an objective to analyze the results of the initial diagnosis of development of scientific text production as a stylistic linguistics competence in the users of the Cuban scientific journal Medical Files of Camagüey. Methods: The results are ascribed to the research project Enhancement of professional skills in the context of health, which is managed by the Center for the Development of Social and Humanistic Sciences in Health and with the participation of the Provincial Information Center of Medical Sciences, belonging to the University of Medical Sciences of Camagüey, which runs between January 2020 and December 2022. It constitutes the initial approach in a research+development (R+D) study whose simple involves users of the magazine. Results: There are methodological, syntactic, semantics and pragmatics that limit the quality of statements and impede the production of the scientific text. Discussion: The need to systematize actions for the development of habits, abilities, skills and capacities that determine the domain in the professional of the medical sciences of the linguistic-stylistic competence, so that the production of the scientific text becomes a mode of action as performance in this area of human knowledge.

Purpose: This paper examines necessary competencies in virtual communities in Higher Education. Therefore, we explore which competencies are needed to participate in a virtual community and how these competencies can be captured and developed. Study design/methodology/approach: A systematic literature review (SLR) was conducted to achieve the research objectives. Findings: As a result, five core competencies were identified: digital competencies, (inter)cultural competencies and language, social and communication competencies, self-motivation and self-management, and collaboration. Consequently, a self-assessment test for virtual community members was designed to capture existing competencies. Originality/value: The Covid-19 pandemic as a driver of digitization has led to virtual collaboration being more prevalent than ever. This research paper contributes to the topic of virtual collaboration by informing about the necessary competencies and by developing an intuitive tool for self-assessing. Thus, preparing team members to become more successful in virtual teamwork.

The formative development of generic skills is necessary in any field, and accordingly, these skills are becoming increasingly supported in education and sought after by businesses. The objective of this article is to present and validate the scores of an instrument used to measure basic generic skills. This was achieved by first defining the construct of generic skills and then identifying the underlying dimensions, subdimensions, and indicators, and preparing the items. The final version of the questionnaire was administered to a sample of 547 freshman college students in the Community of Madrid. The analyses indicate that the scores of the questionnaire are reliable and valid and support the theoretical model. The findings show an adequate questionnaire that can be used to measure the development of basic generic skills and assess education provided in this respect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The German National Educational Panel Study investigates individual competences and educational trajectories in a longitudinal multi-cohort study design. The third of the six starting cohorts focuses on paths through lower into upper secondary level and beyond. The representative sample includes about N = 6,112 students from fifth grade attending regular or special schools. Students were initially sampled in 2010 and, subsequently, received follow-up interviews and competence tests each year resulting, as of yet, in a total of 12 measurement waves. Additionally, important context persons (i.e., parents, teachers, and heads of schools) were included in the assessment design. The longitudinal nature of the data provides rich opportunities for research on the development of competences through secondary school. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper aims to measure the extent to which students possess the necessary competences of an employable graduate, the authors explored the development and validation of a questionnaire that measures employability competences of students in higher education through combining insights from higher education and workplace learning literature. Design/methodology/approach: The paper aims to develop and validate the questionnaire a systematic literature review and factor analyses were conducted. The authors applied the questionnaire to two different groups of students. First, to undergraduate students in an applied sciences program in Belgium (N = 935). The dataset was randomly divided into two subsets to conduct an exploratory and a confirmatory factor analysis. Next, another confirmatory factor analysis was done to cross-validate the factor structure found. For this, the questionnaire was offered to a group of undergraduate and graduate students at a university in The Netherlands (N = 995). Findings: The results support a model of employability based on combined insights from higher education and workplace learning literature. The model consists of the following seven factors: social competences, e-literacy, efficacy beliefs, flexibility, healthy work–life balance, lifelong learning and oral and written communication. Originality/value: The questionnaire can be utilized to screen students' employability profiles and examine the relationship between teaching practices and students' employability competences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Lengas is the property of Presses Universitaires de la Mediterranee and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This paper explores quality perception and expectations in higher education considering 30 competences grouped into three standard sets: instrumental, interpersonal, and professional. Based on the SERVQUAL research model, the authors propose a four-gaps model to compare employers' and graduates' perceptions of the competences required by the labour market and the level of skills achieved after graduation, and examines the existence of discrepancies between them. Our model analyses the uneasy feeling perceived in the labour market due to the existing mismatch between the skills developed by students at university and those that the labour market demands using a higher learning institution. Data were collected by means of a survey conducted among recent graduates in economics, and from managers in companies where those graduates were working. Our findings reveal that graduates are not being taught the specific knowledge that would apparently be useful for successful integration into the labour market on leaving university (gap A). More importantly, graduates seem to lack self-esteem and confidence in their own abilities and knowledge (gap B). In our opinion, this research offers an important contribution to the understanding of skill gaps and contributes to empirical knowledge by identifying the aspects where the main discrepancies lie. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A framework to illustrate the potential demands of Industry 4.0 on academic education. Industry 4.0 is not only changing the production sector decisively, but is also placing high demands on the quality of product data, which significantly influences many areas in a company. The characteristics of this new form of industry include enormous structural complexity, a high degree of material, logical and electronic networking and a demand for collaborative and interdisciplinary work. In addition, there is high pressure to adapt, due to a generally claimed rapid technological development. After a critical examination of the latter, the question to what extent these complex demands are already reflected in academic education is explored. The study is data-based. For methodological data collection, interviews will be conducted with education experts from higher education institutions. The interviews will be analysed for their core statements. Finally, these findings will be combined with relevant literature to form a framework to be developed. Using a constructivist approach, the article aims to clarify which higher education subjects are particularly affected, which new subjects would make sense and what should be adapted in existing subjects. This topic leads to a discussion of how the necessary adaptation of the curricula should take place, both structurally and in terms of content. Against this background, the outdated "competence" concept and its necessary formal adaptation are critically examined. Finally, it is shown that Industry 4.0 demands a series of new individual competences, especially transversal ones, which, however, do not have to be taught in the conventional way from a didactic point of view, but must be stimulated in a predominantly practical way. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper aims to research the strengths and weaknesses of service-learning programs in order to identify the challenges of their application, the educational possibilities of service-learning and the impact on students. Design/methodology: An observational case study model was used, through a qualitative research approach based on participant observation. Additional data collection tools were used before and after the service-learning methodology; these included personal interviews, field diaries and videos. Data analysis was performed using Atlas.ti7 qualitative software. Findings: This paper shows the relevant educational possibilities of service-learning. Students have the potential to take action in response to social problems, using the professional skills they have learned in their degree program, encouraging their critical awareness through reflection processes and promoting their involvement as citizens engaged in their own reality. This work reveals both the strengths and weaknesses of service-learning programs, including the needs assessment, project-based learning, and partnership engagement, all of which are outlined as challenges in terms of their application. Research limitations/implications: The findings of this qualitative paper pertain to one single case, but they are generalizable to related theories. Practical implications: This research could be used to a guide to begin or improve service-learning projects in higher education. Social implications: The findings on the social impact of service-learning for all the agents involved show the positive value of service-learning. Moreover, it shows service-learning is an efficient tool to introduce sustainability and the SDGs in the students' curriculum. Originality/value: This research reveals the importance of the promotion and evaluation of service-learning in an area where little research has been done in this regard. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose and aim of the study: The aim of the study is to explore the development of social entrepreneurship competences at higher education level, to identify which competences are relevant for social entrepreneurship and what methods can be used to develop them. Design / Methodology / Approach: General research methods are used in the research: information analysis and synthesis, content analysis, for obtaining quantitative data - questionnaires, and for obtaining qualitative data - structured interview and focus groups. Main Findings: The study explored the theoretical underpinnings of social entrepreneurship competencies, highlighted their role in promoting innovation, social impact and responsible entrepreneurship, and collected examples of best practice in creating an ecosystem within universities with structured support for the development of student competencies. Originality: The originality of the study lies in the possibility of detailed analysis of the existing experience in this ϔield in different European countries and subsequent adaptation of solutions to Latvian reality. Implications: Social entrepreneurship, with its focus on innovative solutions to societal issues, has gained signiϔicant prominence in recent years, prompting the need for educational institutions to adapt their curricula to empower students in this domain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Retos: Nuevas Perspectivas de Educación Física, Deporte y Recreación is the property of Federacion Espanola de Asociaciones de Docentes de Educacion Fisica and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Profesorado: Revista de Currículum y Formación del Profesorado is the property of Profesorado: Revista de Curriculum y Formacion del Profesorado and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The infiltration of information and communication technologies in the teaching-learning-evaluation process has become an intense topic addressed by the academic society and closely related to the modernization of education. Thus, the use of information and communication technologies is a necessary trend for the evolution of the field of physical education and sport, as well as for the training of the profile specialists.The process of globalization and the transition to a post-industrial society, focused on information technologies and knowledge, it emphasizes the need of new educational standards of professional training, focused on competences, as tools of realization of educational policies.

This article, a summary of a broader doctoral research study by the author, has different research participants, namely: graduates, their employers, professors, the College Dean and the Program Chair. The goal is to identify how these subjects comprehend the teaching and learning processes of professional competences, in the context of a Brazilian higher education program in International Business. For the theoretical reference, we discuss the concept of competence with different theoretical foundations. We present educational tools that promote teaching and learning competences, in addition to addressing competences for the 21st century. Using Textual Discourse Analysis, we deconstruct and categorize the transcribed discussions by the participants. We arrive at units of meaning, which are related to cognition, behavior, management, pedagogy, and technology, among others. Graduates understand competences are developed through work experience. Professors incorporate life and professional problems into their pedagogical practice, in line with the Dean and Program Chair, who claim the use of market values to structure the program curriculum. As for the employers, they conceive of college as background for the development of professional competences, which in their opinion, occurs via work experience. The process of analyzing and connecting the units of meaning led to the development of two emerging categories: culture and technology. They are in constant action and reaction, moving the dimensions necessary for competent action, under the aegis of the technological paradigm. Received: 25 August 2021 Accepted: 9 August 2022

Copyright of ABE: Advances in Building Education is the property of Departamento de Tecnologia de la Edificacion, Universidad Politecnica de Madrid and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The COVID-19 global pandemic has caused an unprecedented disturbance in higher education and the business services sector. In the 2014–2020 financial perspective, the Operational Programme Knowledge Education Development has constituted a response to challenges and an instrument to execute the Europe 2020 Strategy. However, the Programme was not designed to prevent crises, and neither did it foresee the pandemic which surprised the whole world. Despite this, higher education institutions that implemented projects co-financed with the EU funds had to face the "black swan" and ensure the continuity of their activities while improving their resilience to crises. The COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated how important knowledge management and resilience-building skills are for students to adapt and grow stronger in the face of a crisis. Does higher education teach crisis-resistant competences? As we know from practice and literature, the knowledge gap as regards crisis-resistant competencies is enormous, and the relevant university programmes require strengthening. Therefore, we conducted a literature review about knowledge management in complex crises and conducted research to identify competences that increase resilience to crises. The aim of the article was to examine to what extent the support implemented in the Polish university project contributed to the increase in indicators (output, direct result) and to what extent the level of competences of the project participants increased, including those competences that allowed the participants to adapt to the labour market during the COVID-19 pandemic. For the needs of the study, we used the competence balance method and the measurement of a degree of ratio implementation according to the criteria applied. The results of the study proved that the ratios rose and the project contributed to increasing competences in the project's participants, improving their crisis resilience. The conclusions of the study allowed us to make recommendations regarding the emergent knowledge strategies about the European Union's future agenda as well as about knowledge management and university training programs for resilient skills. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Human Review is the property of Eagora Science and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)