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This paper presents the results of a study that analyzed the structure, organization and offering of internships as part of undergraduate degrees in Social Work at Spanish universities (82), as well as the intended attainment from these work experiences in social institutions and entities. The content of undergraduate degrees in Social Work taught at Spanish universities (37), the courses related to internships or work placements (85), and the range of specific skills associated with these courses were analyzed. The content analysis of the selected skills identified and described 42 professional skills. The results of this study provide insight into the offering of undergraduate degrees in Social Work in Spain, as well as skills acquired from internships that relate to professional activity. Social Work internshipsare a transactional space of collaborative learning between universities, the profession, and social entities that generate clear potential for all the involved parties. The acquisition of skills, abilities and competencies through internships facilitates understanding the use of methodology in different professional areas and levels, as well as the application of ethical problem solving principles and strategies; this facilitates the acquisition of professional skills in all areas of development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The journalism being taught at universities in Spain is undergoing intensive changes as a result of the dual pressure exerted by the impact of digitisation in two specific aspects. The first is the journalistic system itself (business models, professional routines, information consumption, etc.). The second aspect involves the teaching guidelines established as a result of the implementation of the European Higher Education Area (EHEA). Focusing on the latter issue, the current debate regarding the orientation of journalistic education is calling for this aspect not to be relegated or limited to training in technical skills, which are constantly being renewed by technological developments of the digital environment. On the contrary, journalism education must also take into account other skills that foster the achievement of critical thinking, which is fundamental for the exercise of the journalistic profession. However, in the face of an increasingly digitised, competitive labour market, journalism studies and their training programmes also have a duty to provide the skills and competencies demanded by this market. In this paper, we have conducted a systematic review of some of the experiences of innovative teaching that have been successfully carried out in Journalism degrees taught in Spain for this purpose (service-learning, project-based learning, content curation, and edublogs, among others). These experiences reflect the involvement of university professors in providing comprehensive education for future journalists, with a strong emphasis on the intensive use of the digital resources currently available. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article investigates the use of culture portfolios in second language Spanish university classes at an American private university as part of an innovation that incorporated an ACTFL standards-based curriculum to a basic language programme. The portfolios required students to complete different types of tasks through interactions with members of the Hispanic community in the area. The study examines novice high, intermediate low, and intermediate mid students' perceptions of the portfolio tasks, focusing on their views of the pedagogical benefits of these tools not only in terms of culture, but also for the development of their performance. Data were collected with a questionnaire and through the analysis of opinions. The results show that the participants' opinions were generally positive, and that most students believed that the portfolio not only had allowed them to learn more about Hispanic cultures, but had also provided them with opportunities to use the target language beyond the confines of the L2 classroom, and helped them develop their performance in the interpersonal and presentational modes. However, there were statistical differences among the proficiency levels, and novice high students exhibited the most negative perceptions, which could have been related to their low level of proficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current process of globalisation has led to a convergence of international and Spanish concerns regarding teaching and research issues in the area of comparative education. Both in their teaching and their research work, the academics within the Spanish comparative community display a notable - and typically Hispanic - heterogeneity. This includes their use of epistemologically diverse frameworks and paradigms as well as their penchant for intellectual and teaching traditions built upon a wide-ranging, diverse gnoseological foundation. Along with research agendas focused on topics well within the orthodoxy and tradition of the field, Spanish comparative work has also tackled subjects long advocated by the late-modern agenda such as post-colonialism, the world 'disorder' and refugees and hospitality pedagogy. The community's engagement with and analysis of the cultural reality of Latin America stands out as a specific feature of Spanish comparative studies. While the works published in the Revista Española de Educación Comparada (REEC) (Spanish Journal of Comparative Education) attest to the theorisation and markedly interdisciplinary nature of the analyses carried out by many of our academics, the authors of this essay argue for the inclusion of teleological perspectives. Only by incorporating the viewpoints offered by these teleological disciplines will we be able to stand up to the sterile, eminently relativist tendencies of post-modern epistemology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents an innovative educative experience in higher education in Spain that combines methodology, content and new technologies in a multilingual environment. It presents an experience of implementing a subject called International Perspectives on Social Innovation in Social Work and Social Education degrees. By using the Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) model, the subject aimed to promote problem-solving and creative thinking among students. To this end, students developed a project using Appreciative Inquiry (AI), a tool used to promote change and innovation in organizations. The objective was to provide a broader outlook on social intervention or social action and to enhance student's knowledge and their willingness to build society and shape key values. In order to accomplish its goals, the subject fostered the use of innovative ideas and technologies and offered a multilingual working environment. Results have shown a predisposition to adopt new technologies in their professional life as the final products reflected a very positive image of the perspectives of innovations in the social sector as well as their willingness to innovate as future professionals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article is the result of a Teaching Innovation Project funded by the University of Cantabria's Vice-Rectorate for Teaching Staff. Its goals are to analyze the phenomenon of MOOCs with pedagogical criteria and to develop a Best Practice Guide. The project was developed by the Universities of Cantabria and Oviedo, all the work was divided into three phases: 1) Theoretical review and the design of classroom activities, 2) The implementation of classroom activities and analysis of the main results and 3) The development of a MOOC Best Practice Guide. The results of the second phase at the University of Cantabria are presented here. They demonstrate the need to introduce these massive open online courses into degree programmes in Education, updating higher education studies and providing valuable knowledge for understanding the educational potential (not just technological or financial) of this online training. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]