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The major legislative changes undertaken by the Spanish University Ordination Act in 2001 have sharply changed the guidelines of accreditation and promotion for university teachers. The period of 2001-2011 was marked by different economic and social contexts in Spanish universities, as well as by these new teacher evaluation systems coming into force. The period of economic growth until 2007 and the subsequent crisis that continues today have set boundary conditions that directly affect the structure of teaching staff in university faculties. This situation has created a problem that combines short-term phenomena such as the economic situation with long-term ones such as the teacher's accreditation process. This paper presents the evolution of teachers in Spain (associate, full professor, contracted, etc.) until 2011 and the repercussions of accreditation systems in the teaching profession. It explores the causes and consequences of different variables (such as category, dedication, or teacher's population) using the methodology of statistical analysis with the aim of determining the influence and representation that actually involves each of the existing figures in the university structure. These parameters influence teaching and it is particularly important to determine how changes in the accreditation system are actually affecting the functioning of university schools. Finally, the paper presents possible future scenarios arising in the field of university accreditation for a better fit in the international context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The European Higher Education Area has brought a significant change in traditional practices of university education, introducing significant changes in teaching methodology. In this way, we have changed from a teaching centred model to a learning centred one. This paper presents research aimed at first year students in Early Childhood Education and Primary Education in the University of Jaen. This paper intends to determine their attitudes and perceptions towards developing cooperative strategies in their learning process. Thus, the study sample was selected through a randomized sampling procedure and it was made up by all students who answered the questionnaire provided after taking the subject (n=416). The results have shown a favorable perception of the students surveyed towards this type of methodology. They assessed positively both the planning posed by the teacher and its impact on their learning process. Additionally, the data provided have revealed that older students and those studying Early Childhood Education are more receptive to this type of methodology. No doubt, this is an innovative experience in the field of Higher Education which has meant significant progress in the teaching of undergraduates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reflects on the concept of English Medium Instruction, a growing activity at Spanish universities and a consequence of the European Higher Education Area, the internationalization of universities and the gradual interest in the different CLIL (Content and Language Integrated Learning) models. The forces behind CLIL are presented along with the benefits for institutions and practitioners involved. Special attention is given to methodological implications with the purpose of demystifying the belief that English language competence is the only requisite and benefit of bilingual programs. The paper offers an overview of the spread of this practice in Spanish Universities as well as references to sources for further information. Another section presents some of the aspects related to the implementation of bilingual programs, mainly those referring to planning. Teacher education, competences required and linguistic needs are dealt with in the final section. The main contribution of the article could be some indications for trainers or for those who may undertake autonomous training to teach through English. The paper points at three areas from which knowledge about the linguistic needs can be obtained. In addition, these areas may help the content teacher to understand the different language types used in the classroom event. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Higher Education regulation process in Europe, known as the Bologna Process, has involved many changes, mainly in relation to methodology and assessment. According to some authors, one of the terms that may characterise best this Higher Education framework is "modularization". This concept is linked to the new structure of the university studies which is precisely based on "modules". The paper given below is related to implementation of the new EU study plans into the Teacher Training University College of Vitoria-Gasteiz; it is the first interdisciplinary paper involving teaching staff and related to the Teaching Profession module, the first contained in the structure of the new plans. The coordination of teaching staff is one of the main lines of work in the Bologna Process, which is essential to develop the right skills and maximise the role of students as an active learning component. The use of active, interdisciplinary methodologies has opened up a new dimension in universities, requiring the elimination of the once componential, individual structure, making us look for new areas of exchange that enable students' training to be developed jointly. Among the conclusions it is highlighted the implementation of module which has had its difficulties to be carried out. Moreover, we show the principal valuations made by teaching staff and students about this first interdisciplinary experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this article is to expose the emprise in curricular innovation of the Faculty of Humanities and Education (HUHEZI) at Mondragon University. This experience will be illustrated through the subject Cross-cultural Education and Values Education of the Teacher Training Degree (Infant and Primary Education Degrees). The practice described is located within the cooperative framework of Grupo Mondragón. This paper explains the keys and the institutional and collective process of the education project at HUHEZI. It portrays the development and the evolution of the subject afore mentioned from its early start (Teacher Training Degree in the academic year 2005-2006) to nowadays (2012- 2013). The core of the paper is the exposition of the organization of this subject, its methodology, participation means, staff training, its ongoing design, application, evaluation and the improvement of its cross-curricular perspective - all of which represent the main ingredients of the educational project of HUHEZI. Difficulties and challenges are also described, such as the need to balance the democratic means of participation with the academic and epistemological disciplines. The current financial struggle, the constant political alterations and the sudden socio-cultural changes are some other challenges to be faced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current crisis, unsustainable growth, financial scandals involves reflection on the role of universities in the professional training, particularly those who have to manage businesses. On this issue, there is a perception that the teaching of ethics and corporate social responsibility (CSR) is insufficient (Baetz and Sharp, 2004; Kashyap et al., 2006). In this regard, universities play a fundamental role due both to the impact of the incorporation of CSR into the design of their study and research programs, and its incorporation into universities' mission, vision, and corporate strategy (Muijen, 2004). Then, the present study focuses jon analyzing both the definition of educational objectives and skills development to be acquired by students as the level of inclusion of CSR offered by Spanish universities. In particular, the present paper focuses on analyzing reports verified by National Agency for Quality Assessment of degrees related to the organizational management area implemented in the 2010-2011 academic course, which degrees has been developed based on European Higher Education Area. Based on previous papers, the results of the present paper show that the Bologna process and the Higher Education reform in Spanish universities have promoted an increase of the presence of CSR in the business education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the experience carried out by a confederation of Higher Education Institution (IUS) operating in six states of Latin America. To achieve the goal of new model of teaching and learning based on "learning process" and shift the paradigm of learning as "centered teaching", the Higher Education Institution have defined a new profile of the university teachers. This action expresses three characteristics presented in this paper: the first refers at the profile as "product" of a Community of Thought; the second refers to "participated process", a working model that allowed the co-construction of the profile with the teachers, the administrative and the human resources staff of the universities; the [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper relates two basic aspects of assessment evaluation in higher education (Formative Assessment and Competency Assessment) with the existence of an Inter-University Network that carries five years working these issues systematically. First, we analyze the state of the Formative and Shared Assessment in Higher Education. Second, we explain the organization and operation of the Network of Formative Assessment in Higher Education: purpose, basic methodology of work, different actions and framework: innovation projects and educational research, seminars, action-research, dissemination of results, annual conferences and thematic work-groups. We also present the main results, organized into four sections: a-advantages; b-cons, problems and possible solutions; c-influence on academic performance; d-load of work required by teachers and pupils. In the third and final section of the paper we explain the fundamental aspects of Competency Assessment in Higher Education, the changes required and the importance of coherence among curriculum elements, in this sense, we provide a practical application that we hope will be helpful in achieving higher level of coherence in our curriculum subjects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyses the effect of massive access to higher education on teaching at a public Argentine Law School. It describes the general background of the phenomenon and outlines the main consequences of teaching Law in overcrowded classrooms. Then, it defines the underlying epistemology, the theories of learning and the predominant educational approach applied by law school professors. Next, it observes how expanded access to Law School defies the educational goals of the institution. It concludes by offering an alternative educational proposal to still achieve the objectives in overcrowded classrooms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

From its origins, the university's mission has been training professionals and specialists in different fields of knowledge. However, university is also responsible for educating genuine citizenship, ethically responsible and engaged to social reality. This paper contributes to discussions on the development of a new conceptualization of social entrepreneurship. Moreover, it contributes on the development of universities' curricula that explicit teaching-learning processes in social entrepreneurship. We apply the content analysis method to conduct a critical review of university degrees offered by public universities in Valencia, and analyze how students are trained in social entrepreneurship. The units of analysis are 32 degree course outlines in social and legal studies fields offered in Valencia's Public Universities. Results of our analysis show that university studies do not extend the entrepreneur perspective towards a more social and moral vision: moral and social dimensions awarded much lees importance while training is mainly focused on intellectual one. Moreover, a conducted expert team affirm that moral and social competencies of social entrepreneurship are left in the hands of hidden curriculum. In conclusion, the university curricula reproduce the scientist mentality, closed to positivist positions, which separate science as the only acceptable knowledge, and practices of morality, as subjective discourse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article we aim to address some issues of equity in higher education, from the particular perspective of Latin American reality. Our interest is highlight the fact of the theoretical and methodological positions through which equity policies are defined in the field of higher education and how social meanings and ways are established around them. In the first part, a brief description of the scenarios of higher education in Latin America is done, both in regard to the socio-political structural processes and the dynamics of higher education systems. In the second part, a conceptual reconstruction is approached to allow us to show the movements operating in university policies in recent decades which have resulted in the implementation of the so called policies of equity. In the third part of the paper, different levels of specification of the concept of equity in university dynamics are analyzed, which account for their productive potential practices. Finally, we describe some of the most important initiatives displayed in recent years by some countries of the region framed in equity policies, focusing on their effects and scope. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The language of architecture as a communication tool and a sign of belonging to the tribe has considerable difficulties when it is used at university. In this academic context, the architect has to transmit knowledge to their students and there is no common language to share this knowledge. The diagnosis of this issue signals to vocabulary, syntax, the language to express emotions and categorization and metaphor as characteristic elements of this language. The proposals put forward in this paper provide teachers with a range of educational resources to use academic writing to help students to acquire the specific language of architecture. Produce a dictionary of architecture, use of scientific language, thoughtful writing or rewriting a classic text, are some of the tasks posed from the point of view of academic literacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given the widespread concern in society about young people's shortcomings in terms of writing skills, this article aims to analyze whether that competence is developed and assessed at University. The academic community cannot remain indifferent to this problem, so it is important to include the improvement of this skill in the academic curriculum. The development of writing skills is a general competence and it is considered, therefore, necessary for any study and any profile. Particularly in Business Administration, the acquisition of good written expression is not restricted to any course, but can potentially be developed in several of them over the degree, and the subject *Final Research Project* is one of the courses which can best frame the acquisition of this skill. Therefore, in this paper we develop an analysis of the design, organization, content and assessment of the Final Research Project in all universities of the Community of Madrid, both public and private, in which the degree in Business Administration is offered. The study was compiled with information obtained from the curriculum and the academic catalogue for the course, both of them available on the websites of the different universities [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The introduction of quality management systems in Degree and Master education programmes offers a great opportunity to face some of the most persistent problems and challenges in Spanish higher education. In this context, it is possible to think of new institutional coordination schemes to expand and deepen into the idea of a study as an evolving joint project driven by a coordinated teaching team. However, in order that these new quality management systems become powerful agents for change in teaching culture, coordination and true improvement of the students' learning experience, they need to be thought, specifically, from an internal enhancement perspective and not from the usual external quality assurance perspective or as a device for external accountability. On one hand, it implies that quality management systems should be designed as actual academic coordination and government structures, with capacity for effective intervention on the curricula and learning processes of the studies. On the other hand, the ability of these systems for empowering deep enhancing changes on learning experiences depends on are spect of the diversity and ownership of studies and individuals, on fostering the presence of the students' voice inside the coordination system, on giving support to leadership inside the teaching team responsible of the study and on designing good internal and formative assessment procedures. This paper, grounded on the experience at the Universidad de Zaragoza, proposes a synthesis of these requirements in ten principles for a quality management system in higher education programmes specifically oriented toward the enhancement of the students' learning experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The European System of Credit Transfer (ECTS) expresses a true change in the methodology of the European Higher Education. A more advanced model in which the student changes teaching and learning based in knowledge reception, to a new education, raised on skills development in students. This system demand training teachers to teach to learn and, therefore, it requires a bigger responsibility of the students in their own education, something that does nothing but aggravate the difficulties of disabled students. In public universities, there are 7.408 disabled students, the 0.53% of total students, according to the White Paper on Disability at the University carried out based on data CERMI. As for private universities, and with the available data, the percentage of students with disabilities is 0.24%. The Universities Act requires individual attention to disabled students, but in practice as we can see there are still barriers caused mainly by poor organization and for an almost nonexistent teaching material adapted to the special needs that are required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on the perceptions of students from different subject areas as regards student assessment procedures in the University of Santiago de Compostela. We believe that an awareness of how the perceptions of these different groups coincide, can offer insights into the cultural manifestations present in student assessment, as well as providing valuable information on the strengths and weaknesses to consider in any attempt at improving the quality of university education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]