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Improving students’ writing skill at higher education level in Indonesia through using technology becomes a primary attention given by the researchers. Blog-Assisted Language Learning (BALL) is one of the best alternative medium of improving students’ writing skill. This BALL is never used by the lecturers who are teaching writing skill to students at State Islamic University of Ar-Raniry, Banda Aceh. Therefore, the objectives of this study are to investigate if there is a significant different between students who are taugh by using Bog-Assisted Language Learning (BALL) and without in term of students’ writing skill at State Islamic University of Ar-Raniry, Banda Aceh, Indonesia. Additionally, this study also investigates the students’ response toward the use of BALL in teaching and learning process of writing skill. The study involved 40 third year English students of the State Islamic University of Ar-Raniry, Banda Aceh. The study employed quantitative method in collecting the data through pre-and post-writing tests and a set of questionnaire for both groups; experiment and control. The data collected were analysed using descriptive statistic. The results showed that the use of BALL in teaching writing improved significantly rather than students who were taught without using BALL. In addition, the majority of students’ response toward the implementation of BALL in teaching writing skill were positive. Therefore, the use of BALL in teaching and learning writing at English Department students of State Islamic University of Ar-Raniry can improve students’ writing skill.

Higher education in general, and in engineering higher education in particular, is constantly under pressure to introduce reforms that improve the employability of graduates. Among the most common claims is the development of a more active and competency-based teaching oriented to the development of professional and personal skills. The university institution responds to these claims, sometimes in a timid way, but others by embarking on great transformation projects. A good example of this is the project to build the European Higher Education Area.However, the challenge of developing a more active and competency-based teaching faces numerous difficulties and barriers because many of the necessary changes are in sharp contrast with a status quo that has been consolidated over centuries. Difficulties and barriers include a lack of deep understanding (and even lack of acceptance) of some of the implications of the challenges we are facing, the learning of new techniques and tools that are not easy to use or unsuitable organizational structures.In this paper, we explore the nature of some of the challenges and review the difficulties and barriers most mentioned most often by those who dare to try. Anyone who wants to address the challenges or has a responsibility to facilitate changes should be aware of all these difficulties and barriers.

The main purpose of this study was to design and validate a scale to assess the teamwork competency of undergraduate students (TCS, Teamwork Competency Scale). The research instrument designed and subjected to validation has nine specific dimensions: Collective effectiveness, learning orientation, group goal setting, planning and coordination, communication, conflict management, problem solving, performance monitoring and supportive behaviour. The instrument was validated using a sample of 802 first-year students at a university in Chile. The method of partial least squares (PLS) was used within a structural equation modelling (SEM) framework for statistical analysis. The results show that the TCS is a valid and reliable research instrument for the assessment of teamwork competency in undergraduate students

The Bachelor’s Degree Final Project (BDFP) of our school aims to develop a real constructive project, enhance cooperative teamwork and increase productivity of students. We present a real case study, related with engineering and scientific innovation results obtained by BDFP, which has led to an innovative scientific study presented at the 7th European Meeting on Chemical Industry and Environment and published in EMChIE 2015 Conference Proceedings. The objectives of this paper are: • Describe the design and implementation of a BDFP of engineering that encompasses the development of the characteristic elements of engineering and constructive work and, at the same time, it is scientifically innovative. • Show the methodology used for its development. • Present the results obtained. • Emphasize the importance of teachers, teamwork of students and the use of real case studies in the conceptual development of a BDFP. • Enhance the possibility that the BDFP of Engineering can solve real engineering problems and to be precursors of Innovation and Scientific Knowledge developers. • Learn engineering and, at the same time, provide Science new knowledge and applications.

Building a solid foundation of conceptual knowledge is critical for students in electrical engineering. This case study explores the use of simulation videos to illustrate complicated conceptual knowledge in foundational communications and signal processing courses. Students found these videos to be very useful for establishing concepts, understanding course content and increasing general knowledge in electrical engineering. We hope that the findings can help inform instructors of electrical engineering to transform their teaching practice and eventually benefit students through building a solid conceptual understanding that fosters the development of further engineering competencies.

In the present article we analyse the impact of problem-based learning (PBL) on learning and perceptions in first-year students undertaking Engineering in Computer Sciences. The module designed took a number of advanced theories of PBL and its application within the Engineering profession. Mixed methods were used to enable data from qualitative and quantitative instruments to be obtained. A quasi-experimental design was specified, employing non-probabilistic sampling, with a control (N = 40) and experimental group (N = 39). In comparing PBL with traditional methods, the results reveal statistically significant differences in aspects such as academic performance. Teamwork, oral communication, written communication and students’ perceptions of the learning experience were also all favoured. Nonetheless, lack of adequate team dynamics in previous learning experiences and reluctance to change traditional teaching approaches, could compromise the viability of that proposed.

This study investigated the learning impact of self-paced learning prototype in optimizing classroom instruction towards students’ learning in Chemistry. Two sections of 64 Laboratory High School students in Chemistry were used as subjects of the study. The Quasi-Experimental and Correlation Research Design was used in the study: a pre-test was conducted, scored and analyzed which served as the basis in determining the initial learning schema of the respondents. A questionnaire was adopted to find the learning motivation of the students in science. Using Pearson-r correlation, it was found out that there is a highly significant relationship between their internal drive and their academic performance. Moreover, a post-test was conducted after self-paced learning prototype was used in the development of select topics in their curricular plot. It was found out that the students who experienced the self-paced learning prototype performed better in their academic performance as evidenced by the difference of their mean post-test results. ANCOVA results on the post-test mean scores of the respondents were utilized in establishing the causal-effect of the learning prototype to the academic performance of the students in Chemistry. A highly significant effect on their academic performance (R-square value of 70.7%) and significant interaction of the models to the experimental grouping and mental abilities of the respondents are concluded in the study.

Dealing with problem-solving has been a growing challenge in teaching engineering and over the career of these professionals. To increase the ability to understand a problem and consequently improve the quality of the solutions, an exercise was proposed to students of an MBA program, and they have experienced some challenges on interpreting briefing and procedures, to improve creativity and ability on solving problems. The implicit goal was to deal with the understanding of procedures to perform activities in a company and the exercise showed different ways of communicating a scenario and, consequently, different reactions depending upon the briefing. Preliminary results of the exercise indicated that the higher the degree of uncertainty on the problem definition or on an activity description, the more often association is attempted through individual repertoire, covering more varied options. In the case of a tight briefing, the creative effort appears to be overlapped by the execution of simple operations, resulting on a deviation from the required goal. Through a brief theoretical framework, this essay intends to validate these perceptions and increase the use of techniques that improve creative and problem-solving capacity in product design and development.

The students' lack of motivation is a usual problem. The students value more the obtention of the degree than the developing of competences and skills. In order to fight this, we developed a gamification's experience based on merits and leaderboards. The merits are linked to the attainment of skills and competences that students usually do not appreciate. During the year 2016, we are carrying out a pilot involving 950 students at the Graduate of Engineering in Computer Science at theAutonomous University of Barcelona (UAB).

New students at the Manresa School of Engineering (EPSEM, Escola Politècnica Superior d'Enginyeria de Manresa) of the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC) are voluntarity provided with the mentoring service during their initial period at University. Mentoring gives academic, teaching and self-organizational support. It improves academic results and reduces the desertion of the studies. In particular, the mentor is an experimented learner which studies in the last year of his/her Degree. Here we expose such mentoring applied to ICT (Information, Communication and Technology) Systems Engineering Degree at EPSEM, studies of new creation which are probably unique in Spain, and we also present a treatment and analysis of the performance and possible actions of continuous improvement.

The Teaching Assistants of the Faculty of Psychology of the Autonomous University of Barcelona are a group of students that provide support to the teaching staff. Three years of collaborative work have demonstrated to be an effective method for the consecution of their duties. The results of two satisfaction surveys, one answered by the teaching staff and another by the same participating students, are analysed in this paper

Communicating with the patient in clinical practice refers to the way in which the doctor and the patient interact both verbally and nonverbally, in order to achieve a shared understanding of problems and solutions. Traditional learning and assessment systems are overwhelmed when it comes to addressing the complex and multi-dimensional problems of professional practice. Problem Based Learning (PBL) has been put forward as an alternative to the mere reproduction of knowledge and pre-established patterns, enabling students to develop their own learning strategies to overcome problems in their future professional practice. The challenge is to determine how to assess the acquisition of clinical communication skills. The authors have recommended a summative assessment of clinical communication skills based on the combination of different methods. It highlights the importance of feedback-based formative assessment. This raises the need to develop and validate assessment scales in clinical communication at an undergraduate level. Based on this work, the authors put forward a "fanned out" assessment in terms of clinical communication skills in Medicine degrees, with the use of different instruments in a "spiraled" manner, where the greater the contact with clinical practice in the various degree and integral courses, the greater difficulty experienced, with the participation of all the stakeholders involved (self, hetero and peer assessment) without precluding the involvement of patients (real or simulated) in the design of assessment instruments

The study was an attempt to determine the levels of academic performance of two groups of students admitted with different entry certificates in the Nigeria certificate in Education (NCE) Technical Programme and to find out whether both groups differ significantly in performance. Seventy (70) first year Technical students of the Federal College of Education (Technical), Omoku during the 2011/2012 academic session were used for the study. The data consisted of raw scores obtained by these students in five (5) courses. The Arithmetic Means and t-test were used to analyze the data. Reliability of t-test results were ascertained by the use of f-test of group variances. The study established that the secondary school certificate students performed significantly better than their City and Guilds certificate counterparts, and the both groups differed significantly in other academic performance.

Here we describe the incorporation of a web-based application focusing on circuits for the physics high school classroom as part of an outreach program. The program involves college mentors creating and implementing science lessons in collaboration with the classroom teacher. Focusing on the challenge of understanding circuit design, a technology rich module is employed to improve learning and motivation of the students. The students’ conceptual understanding as well as interest in circuits was increased, the college mentors earned valuable teaching and mentoring experience and the teacher enjoyed more one-on-one time as well as assistance with students.